Frank leant back and stared at the sky, blue, with some high wispy cirrus clouds, the temperature in the high  twenties. The stove roared with an ineffectual rasping edge indicating (along with the  long long boil time), that the bloody jet needed cleaning again, fair enough though, it had been pretty reliable lately. Frank loved that stove. Steam eventually emanated from the gap between pan & lid & the tea ritual began. The Guide doled out sandwiches, and oh so consumable home made flapjacks, to Franks’ heart’s content. There commenced a return to the sitting position , a general  staring  out over the marsh & thinking of nothing.

Absent minded and much repeated comments followed concerning Buckenham, & what an understated place it is, the little spot down by Hassingham Beck being the favoured lunch stop this summer.  As our complimentary  matched pair thought their own thoughts a Kingfisher whizzed down the dyke margin, Frank hardly saw a glimpse, the Guide indicating it’s presence by flailing a sandwich obliquely in it’s general direction.

The usual route had been taken down to the sluice, with  record breaking sightings of seven grass snakes along the bank from Cantley marshes; quick squiggles around their feet on the trodden & partially flattened grass . The previous record was six at Upton last year in the company of companions Hippo & ‘Euro’Melf and their obligatory retinue of  electronic gadgets, manufactured ,in Franks’ mind with the sole aim of obtaining money from those with a surfeit of this perceived modern ‘staff  of life’.

To the left a Little Egret patrolled the dyke, with deft movements & whilst walking along caught four of five small fish, & then stole into the reed & disappeared, the scene crowned finally by a Swallowtail butterfly fluttering past , alighting momentarily on the heads of cow parsley.

A male Marsh Harrier quartered around  the reed just the other side of the beck, & across the marsh numerous Corvids of all description and forms were being mobbed by numerous Lapwing perhaps anxious about their eggs or  young.

Even a cursory scan around with the binoculars revealed a marsh teaming with birdlife Greylag, Canada and Egyptian (the new Canada in Frank’s mind) geese, Cormorants (‘ass them Cormorants’) Lapwing, Redshank, Avocet, Oystercatcher, Snipe and more & more; what a marvellous little spot.

The whole area was getting better all the time. Some of those dykes on Cantley marsh were filled solid, with Water Soldier as far as the eye could see, & changing focus the air above buzzed with Common Blue, Blue Tailed, and looking more closely, Red Eyed damselflies. What a fantastic little spot to have on your door step!

There were a few dragon flies around mostly Brown Hawkers & Black Tailed Skimmers. One Norfolk Hawker buzzed the Guide, but Frank was arbitrarily looking for the snake record & didn’t really notice. A particularly clean winged female Ruddy Darter came into view at one point, light green , crisp & it’s wings clear as water, suggesting (who knows if correctly) this it may have only just ‘emerged’.

After the extended lounge around amongst the flowers, Frank & the Guide, by then tired by lunch, the heat & the general feeling of repose brought on by the beauty of the surroundings, padded down toward the mill, not really looking to discover what might be dabbling about in the mud, Shelduck & clamorous Gulls were obvious enough for now, looked like a Redshank over the back ,but really interests were  wavering at the time.

Occasionally a Common Tern cruised the river head always alert for the ‘plate du jour’ (Dace perhaps).

Heads remained down until the top of the hill, and no more than a mile later when Frank, sleepily suggested another cup of tea, and the pair dropped to the ground & lounged in the grass & stared at the sky some more to enjoy and subtly  take in the best of what Norfolk has to offer.

Frank doubted weather they’d actually get home before dark  !

See you next time.
 

Wilds of Norfolk was set up because of our unquenchable enthusiasm for the Norfolk Broads,  our small part of the natural world. We thought we'd like to try and give something back by helping other people enjoy the countryside and it's wildlife as well as do our own little bit to promote an interest in the natural world and it's conservation , not only for the wildlife but for the sheer exuberance of the precious life we're lucky enough to get the chance to live.

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