Saturday 25th January

Eager to get out and about today, I was disappointed that the dawn was greeted by thick fog. I dawdled for a few minutes as a result  - but a call from Robert alerting me to a lone Waxwing in Old Hunstanton had me on the move in a short space of time.  Though it was gone as soon as the call had been made, a great hour near the pond produced Marsh and two Coal Tits, at least two Nuthatches,  a distant calling Green Woodpecker and a good deal of bird song. Muntjac and Grey Squirrel were new to me for the patch this year. Christopher's Stonechats were nowhere to be found on the beach but the Short-eared Owl made a fine sight as it hunted the dunes beyond Lavender Marsh in the bright noon-day sun. Whilst photographing some glowing-orange lichen, a Water Pipit called overhead as it headed out onto Redwell Marsh - my first on the reserve for a year or more.  A dead common toad in the dunes wasn't entirely without interest and, fearing the advent of some miserable weather, I collected a couple of scraps of moss to keep me busy with an identification challenge during the day ahead.  A small number of Lapwing moved west during the day - perhaps 150 in total  - maybe a sign of cold weather to the east. The male Marsh Harrier put on a fine high altitude sky-diving display over the grazing marshes in the early afternoon.