Page 20 - Hunstanton Town & Around - February 2016

20 Hunstanton Town & Around February 2016 Tel: 01485 533422 email: editor@townandaround.net

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Rookery near Stanhoe was alive light, some catkins are just moving
with birds seemingly checking out but plenty seem to be at full stretch.
nests, this seems early and there There are also trees hung with the
wasn’t much sign of birds over the long dark Alder catkins. I think both
huge rookery near the Construction trees use wind to aid the pollination
College. At Brancaster Staithe so may be they wont suffer too
(thankfully deserted) the tide was much as the days get colder.
Have you walked round your
well out but there were the usual
POPPYFIELDS Oystercatchers, Redshank and 2 garden, I got a shock the other day
as I was feeding the birds and saw
Bartailed Godwits, I managed to
Your complete local garden centre spot 1 Turnstone, it was being that the Hawthorn hedge was
chased off the mussel piles by
showing bright green new leaves
Oyster Catchers! In the water there along the edges, the Witch Hazel is
Poppyfields Drive, Snettisham PE31 7UD was a female Golden Eye, a Red - in full flower, a Cowslip plant and
Poppyfields Drive, Snettisham PE31 7UD
a Primrose plant, both in pots are in
necked Grebe and a Little Egret. I
Tel: 01485 544638 had a good time there and then flower and my Rosemary shrubs are
Tel: 01485 544638
headed back up the escarpment to
also in flower. Along the main road
the Choseley area. Having found to Lynn the Gorse is a mass of
Nature notes with Joanna Hares hard to spot recently I saw 9 bloom still, so much more flower
MUD, PUDDLES and SOGGY BUZZARDS ‘haring’ away across the fields away than the small amount needing
from a shooting party, their turn of
searching out to full fill the old
speed really is incredible and with country saying about kissing being
Haven’t we been having a real old for them to eat. They look so funny the white spots on the backs of their out of season if the is no Gorse in
mix up of weather, last time I was as they change legs, almost as if ears they were easy to watch as they flower.
writing after we had had Desmond? they are dancing a solitary minuet! headed to far distant places. Further The other things I am enjoying
Since then we have had 2 or 3 more I also saw 3 day flying Barn on I spotted 21 playing games in the are the colour tones in the
named storms and now it is at last Owls, we have had night after night big fields I call the gallops. I don’t countryside. I have always been
turning colder and threatening of high winds and often showers, as know why I love them so much, attracted to the painting of an artist
something approaching winter. the owls hunt by sound most of the mind you the children are never called Roland Hilder, His winter
There is a contrast between my time feeding has been hard work, short of a present idea, my landscapes are fabulous and colours
last 2 Monday trips around the area, hence the need to hunt during the collection grew by a model, little such as Payne’s Grey, Raw and
on Monday 4th the sun was shining day, I am just hoping that it doesn’t bag, two prints and a book over the Burnt Umber Yellow Ochre, and
and it was mild, there was a forecast mean a high mortality rate, the Christmas break. Sienna have always appealed to me
for heavy showers, but I dodged young find it hard enough to survive The roads today were puddle, and he uses them in his water
most of them. As I left Lynn there in good conditions. lake and river strewn with all the colours.
was a beautiful double ½ rainbow Today the 11th was wet, cold and rain and the fields and gateways Finally I have been seeing
in the sky. Driving around I saw and breezy and on the way into Lynn I were deep in mud, the big modern Robins and Dunnocks flying across
heard several flocks of Pink Feet saw the soggy Buzzards sitting tractors are too wide for the old the roads and into opposite hedges,
and in one area there were 2or 3 looking very fed up in a treetop. The lanes and the verges are suffering, they can be hard to tell apart but
thousand and the chatter was Woodpigeons in contrast were and the habit of cars carrying on there are some clues, if they fly in
fantastic, they really do love talking enjoying their usual wash and brush past easy passing gates doesn’t low and disappear like a brown
do geese. I wonder what they are up I see so often when it is wet. help! What does everyone do with mouse it usually means a Dunnock
saying, it can’t all be ‘try the 5th There were still Pinkfeet about and the few seconds they think they are and if they perch up the hedge and
field on the right’ or similar food on a road side I saw what I feared saving! There is some life on the flick wings and stand proud that is
instructions. Maybe they were was a damaged Barn Owl spread verges, I saw White Dead Nettle, a Robin. It’s not always easy to spot
complaining about a disturbed eagled, as I slowed ready to reverse Ragwort and even two or three the obvious difference, the red
night. it took off carrying its prey, it had nearly open heads of Alexanders. breast!
The fields were full of gulls and thankfully just been mantling its The other plants that are What else this crazy mixed up
if you watch the Common Gulls catch. They really are gorgeous strangely early are the Hazel and winter will have in store we can’t
you can see them ‘pat paddling’ the birds with their soft cream, gold and Alder catkins. As I drive the back tell but it is worth watching and
turf, why it works I’m not sure but white feathers! On the way to the lanes inland the Hazel Catkins are seeing what differences to winters
the worms and soil insects appear coast I noticed that the small showing very yellow in the darker of old you can spot. Take care.