Winter dawn at Watatunga

Sunday 2nd February

Winter dawn photography tour at Watatunga Wildlife Reserve, Sunday 2nd February.

Partly a reconnaissance mission, partly an inspiration-gathering trip.

Pere David's deer

Clear, still skies meant for perfect conditions for a winter dawn. I left home under the stars, but a shepherd's warning red sunrise accompanied me via my rearview mirrors as I drove across the brecks to west Norfolk.

 

Greylag geese

Greylag geese flew over and a Song Thrush sang (my first singing of this year) when I parked up.

The sun rose free of the horizon as we were driven round the reserve, lighting up the mist: perfect for photography.

Lady Amherts's pheasant

Sambar

Pere David's deer

Mouflon

Pere David's deer

Black Buck in the mist

Cape Eland

Black Buck in the mist

Cape Eland, White Lipped deer

Red Kite

Common Cranes

Eastern Mountain Bongo

Common Cranes

White Helmeted Guinea fowl

Whooper swans

Great Bustard

White-lipped deer doe

Mandarin duck

January 2025: Quick Roundup

 January 2025: Quick Roundup

 WIP

 

 

Sunrise on the north Norfolk coast

 

 

The new year blew in on fierce winds and clouds.

It remained blowy and grey all day; what had been a promising band of yellow over the north sea made no further approach to land.

New Year's day

I postponed my beach walk to the second day, and set out too early, startling a dog-walker as I waited in damp darkness for it to lighten enough for me to walk to the sea.

 

Pre-dawn on the 2nd

Sunrise on the north Norfolk coast

Egyptian goose

By the third, clouds parted and the winds dropped.

At Wells

Barn owl at sunset

Beneath a delicate new moon, a kettle of over 50 kites circled at dusk.

Kites and a crescent new moon

On the 9th day of Christmas

Throughout the month, I kept myself in the company of cranes, mostly our wild Norfolk Common Cranes, but also the three species that are found at Pensthorpe, where I took notes and made sketches.

Red Crowned Crane at Pensthorpe

 

 

Crow in the birch, garden

 

 

 

Jupiter behind the birch

 

 

 

Waxing crescent moon, Venus

 

 

Walled garden Kale was on offer at Blickling. I made a donation and took some home, and what with my being prejudiced that it is cattle fodder, and not having bovine molars, I made it into a warming soup.

 

Local Kale

 

 

Soups and stews were frequently made, whilst my preserved pears were much appreciated, particularly as the season for stewing apples came towards a close.

 

 

Frost was welcomed on many days, after the very disappointing winter 2023/24 where it had seemed endangered.

 

 

Blickling lake

 

 

Wild Cherry tree

The trio

Soft winter shadows

 

Common Cranes

 

 

 

Common Cranes

 

Car park attendant

 

 

 

Little moo at the milk bar

Mallards on a frozen mere

Heron, waxing gibbous moon

Common Cranes

Masking cards

Smudgy Norwich

Goldcrest, garden

Pheasant hen, from the window

I ate my lunch at my favourite local spot and just glimpsed a Peregrine Falcon as it flew over, taking its own lunch to go.

Peregrine with lunch to go

Two new apple trees were welcomed to the garden: Rosemary Russet and Discovery.

I trimmed the pear trees.

Reach for the sky, Rosemary Russet

A fine view at lunchtime

Rainbow, garden

The first of the crocus flowers appeared on the 29th.

First Crocuses

A pleasant January.