Weather: increasingly overcast but still some sunshine & the familiar, but tiresome, strong, cold wind. From 330pm.
Just down the road from Buckenham is Strumpshaw Fen, in fact they essentially make up one large reserve, but unfortunately because of the meltwater from all the snow much of the reedbed area of the reserve was flooded & inaccessible. Fortunately the reserve also has a nice small woodland, so after walking along the canal wall (see pictures) I spent some time in the woodlands.
On the drive: Red-Legged Partridge, Pheasant, Rook.
Between the reserve's visitors' centre & the canal wall: Black-Headed Gull, Common Gull, Greylag Goose, Coot, all viewable from the visitors' centre.
Into the woodland & some immediate activity for Long-Tailed Tit, Sparrowhawk & a courting pair of Willow Tit which were very vocal but without the "pit-choo" diagnostic of the marsh tit. The first of many Treecreeper was also seen on a telegraph pole near the tits & a Mistle Thrush was also heard piping.
Further into the woods & unsurprising Blue & Great Tit, Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock & a lone Coal Tit in a large pine. The visitors' centre noted that there were plentiful Goldcrest, & other walkers told be they'd easily seen one on the path, however it took me a while to track one down & I had difficult views as it foraged high in a small pine next to the road. Nonetheless a Goldcrest it was & a bird I haven't seen in many a year.
Returning to the car & a surprised looking Song Thrush in the car park & then adjacent to the parking a Great-Spotted Woodpecker was calling from the top branch of a tree. Finally as I left the reserve I passed a field at the entrance full of Greylags & at least 12 Egyptian Geese, the biggest number in one spot I've seen.
23 species, none new.
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