Nature Notes December 2024
Nature Notes
On a bright and sunny day at the end of November we had a walk at Wells, parking in town and walking east along the coast path. We were surprised to see eight Little Grebes diving for food in the harbour. For most of the year they are birds of fresh water but presumably had moved to coastal waters when inland lakes were frozen earlier in the month. There was a large flock of Brent Geese bathing and preening alongside the East Quay channel, where they were in the sun and out of the cold wind. These small, dark geese are very talkative; their gruff calls coming to us on the north-west wind. Suddenly there was a great clamour as they all rose together and headed inland to feed on some tasty winter barley, flying right over our heads. We saw many more groups out on the saltmarsh, feeding on the many nutritious seeds found there at this time of year. Round the pools and creeks dotted across the landscape, Curlew probed with their long curved bills and Egrets stirred the water with their feet. A few Redshank waded the pools or flew away complaining if we were too near. Occasionally a Marsh Harrier drifted across, panicking the birds on the ground into flight but the Harrier ignored them. On the way back a much larger raptor was powering into the wind. It suddenly turned so we could see its bright red, forked tail and long, slim wings: a Red Kite! Almost immediately a Buzzard was circling over the meadow by the boatyard, looking small by comparison. Red Kites are a conservation success story. Following the initial reintroduction programmes, they have flourished and are now widespread across the country, filling their previous niche as scavengers-in-chief that they held before they were ruthlessly exterminated in England in the seventeenth and eighteenth century. The most surprising sighting of the day however, was a Dock Bug sunning itself on an Alexanders leaf by our picnic spot. Most Leather Bugs hibernate in winter so the end of November seemed a very late date to see one, especially as we had frosts earlier in the month.
Helena was thrilled to have her first encounter with a wild Otter within walking distance of home, which was amazing! Muriel was also delighted to watch a Water Rail swim across a dyke at Sculthorpe Moor. Water Rails are similar to small Moorhens, with long red beaks and usually creep unobtrusively through dense, damp vegetation. Rufus sent some amazing photos of Honey Fungus on Birch stumps in Bircham Road. The underground fungal mycelium would have been busy digesting the wood to recycle the nutrients back into the soil and had sent up the fruiting bodies to disperse its spores.
Do let me know if you see any interesting wildlife (rachel.42rr@btinternet.com)
