Garth Peacock
Snettisham RSPB

Archive

Spring Tide at RSPB Snettisham

Saturday 13th April 2024

Things didn't go to plan

Friday 5th April 2024

Fowlmere RSPB Cambs

Wednesday 20th March 2024

Another trip to Norfolk

Tuesday 12th March 2024

Frampton Marsh (again)

Tuesday 5th March 2024

Snettisham RSPB

Tuesday 20th February 2024

A new destination for me

Monday 5th February 2024

A change of plan

Tuesday 30th January 2024

Three hours at Grafham Water

Monday 22nd January 2024

A strange week overall.

Friday 19th January 2024

Norfolk Coast

Tuesday 16th January 2024

New Year - where to go?

Monday 8th January 2024

Coton Cambridgeshire

Wednesday 20th December 2023

Back to Burwell Fen

Saturday 9th December 2023

Short-eared Owls

Monday 4th December 2023

Back to Grafham Water

Wednesday 22nd November 2023

Grafham Water

Thursday 16th November 2023

Fishers Green Essex

Wednesday 15th November 2023

A day in north Norfolk

Monday 13th November 2023

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Tuesday 20th February 2024

Last week, the weather forecast was cloud and rain for the whole week so I had written it of. That is until Wednesday evening when Thursday was forecast to be sunny spells from mid-morning onwards.

So a friend and I beetled up the A10 to Snettisham as he wanted to see the drake Long-tailed Duck that had been reported there. It was still there but right at the southern end of the farmost pit - a long walk there and back but we managed the walk and saw the bird but too distant for any worthwhile photography and it soon disappeared.

So we compromised with some Goldeneye but the weather was dull. Black and white birds on grey water really does not excite me but I managed one keeper that had some colour in it.

Three Mediterranean Gulls flew past, thankfully slowly, but I managed one keeper, despite the camera settings being all wrong for flight shots.

So, after the long walk back to the car, we drove to Holkham as I wanted to see the White-fronted Geese that had been reported in the field near the lay-by nearly every day recently. Result - no White-fronts. Eventually, we did notice a Brown Hare hunkered down that was within camera range. Eventually it moved away, not at the usual rates of knots but leisurely so, at last, something worth keeping.

So that was the sum total of the day.

The next day, another friend asked it I would like to accompany him to Burwell Fen for the Short-eared Owls so off we went. Result, after standing most of the afternoon - no Shorties and nothing else of interest either.

Driving away from the car park, there was a small herd of Roe Deer in an adjacent field. Not good light but worth a try, even though I had the R7 on the RF100-500. The result at exposure 1/400 was ISO6400. Now I have had some keepers with the R7 at that ISO but not this time. Awful so all deleted.

I have had better days!!!!