Hiking the Jordan Trail

Back last week from a fantastic few days in Jordan, thanks to winning those Easyjet flights at the tail end of last year. Late evening arrival into Amman/Queen Alia airport, where rescued by friendly Jordanian Tourist Board guy from the maelstrom of the visa queue and then whisked through customs etc and off to a hotel. Amman looked much the same as I remember it from the early 90s, all limestone buildings and roundabouts, but with plenty of obviously new construction going on and apparently 2 million-plus people living there now. It is a rather bland and potentially bewildering place at first sight, but the next morning we were taken to see the Citadel, now excellently presented and interpreted and thronged with tourists - an unusual sight right now in the Middle East... Great views from here over the city and down towards the Roman amphitheatre, plus the Temple of Hercules (complete with his dismembered hand). Plans are afoot, apparently, to redevelop the area between here and the citadel and somehow link the two, which would be a major improvement and create an impressive focal point for a city that otherwise struggles to have many.

From the citadel we headed out of the city and north, towards Jerash. 

Another Kite Sails In

Just seen a fantastic red kite soaring quite low over the road near Foulden! Probably looking to scavenge roadkill... They're definitely moving into the area, following in the footsteps of the buzzards that have colonised so well over the last decade. Maybe in a few years we'll be as blasé about kite sightings as we are now about buzzards?! A great addition to the Brecks avifauna.

First Swallow!

Just seen my first of the year - singing merrily as it passed overhead as we walked on Cranwich Heath! Also a beautiful singing woodlark there, very confiding and singing away well from a tree before dropping down right in front of us to feed. Yellowhammers, skylarks, mistle and song thrushes also hard at it, along with a single chiffchaff. Also redpolls overhead, linnets, a buzzard, and a flock of twenty fieldfares, doubtless heading north...

All on the Wing

Just had a butterfly fest in the garden.... first orange tip of the year, a beautiful male, along with one apiece of red admiral, peacock, comma and brimstone. Can't remember such an early orange tip before, fabulous!

The Barn Owl is Back!

Another beautiful day - sunny and 18 degrees mid-afternoon, and lots going on. Two chiffchaffs, my first of the year, singing away along the lane, where also a nuthatch busy walling up a hole in one of the horse chestnuts at the entrance to the hall. It was gathering mud from the side of the River Gadder near the bridge and I think must nest there every year, at least that's where one can always hear them calling from. Some nice groups of violets along the lane, very fragrant in the sun and with both dark and light varieties. Also celandines, and a couple of clumps of primroses opposite the pub - don't remember there before. At about 5pm, I saw the barn owl quartering the meadow and coming right up to the fence! So good to see him/her again - Andres saw it at the weekend, the first sighting since the heavy snow and epic low temperatures of early last month. Let's hope there are two of them!

Breckland Birding

The mild weather continues, overcast yesterday but beautiful early spring sunshine today. Plenty of birdsong about, so ventured to Lynford Arboretum yesterday and finally hit the jackpot after several disappointing visits recently. Two hawfinches flew into the top of the tallest hornbeam soon after I arrived and sat there obligingly, and I could hear crossbills calling - soon found a group near the lake, probably half a dozen or so, perched up in the poplars but repeatedly dropping down, perhaps to drink in the stream near the small bridge. Two stunning brick-red males then posed briefly with a female on the top of a hawthorn, before the whole gang flew off towards the hall. Plenty of siskins, goldfinches and greenfinches about also, plus a jay hopping around in the paddock. Then headed off to Santon Downham, walked through Santon Warren and then under the railway line. Just to the left, on an area of newish clear-fell, was a cracking great grey shrike, perched right up on the top of the tallest remnant trunks and periodically dropping down and flying to a new vantage point. Quite flighty, it wouldn't let me get too close but sat up well and I got good views. Heard a woodlark singing here too. I then walked back along the river - saw a couple of bramblings, pair of nuthatches, more crossbills overhead, and 3 little grebes on the river, and heard a lesserspotted woodpecker drumming and calling once in the poplars near the road bridge. Couldn't see it though!

This afternoon I ran over to Swaffham Forest to try for goshawks. No luck with them, but did see three red kites! Circling together with a single buzzard, before drifting away. Migrating birds perhaps? Also several woodlarks singing very well, plus a curlew briefly and lapwings displaying over the fields. Spring feels close!

Hard Times for the Small People

A week of thick snow on the ground now, and some epic temperatures: minus 15 last night at RAF Marham, just down the road from here! Some epic bird feeding going on as well, with carpets of sunflower seed, winter mix and mealie worms spread each morning, and gargantuan supplies of peanuts and nyjer seed loaded into the feeders daily. All the usual chaps are here, although some not in the usual numbers, oddly - only a few house sparrows (up to 20 when it was milder) and fewer goldfinches than last year. Two great-spotted woodpeckers regularly coming, plus a pair of marsh tits., a lone pied wagtail, and several chaffinches. Also up to five blackbirds, including a male with albino splashes, and a group of winter-spangled starlings. Four dunnocks are usually picking about, plus the odd robin and a lone wren yesterday. Blue and great tits of course, and a welcome visit from a gang of long-tails a couple of days ago. Pheasants and red-legged partridges have been turning up too... But still no bramblings, siskins or redpolls!!! Where are they?