What can I say, just look at this picture of a Water Rail sent in by Mr. X of Geneva. Not happy with living the same hum drum existence as the rest. Young Mr. X moved to the richest country in the known world, and thenceforth provided himself with the finest optical and image recording equipment the planet has to offer. Following extended daily bouts of sleep to keep his strength up, and the odd hour letting his face 'settle' before he meets his public  lucky Mr. X of Geneva spends immeasurable hours  generally leading a pleasured and dissipated life birding and digi-scoping. Lucky bugger I say !!

(There followed an extended interlude as Old Frank made a pot of tea & stared out over the field at distant skeins of Greylag and Pink Footed Geese drifting off towards the Marshes at Buckenham).

The green haze has thinned, and Old Frank can be objective, and say 'fantastic picture, well done bor' !

This week Frank partook in the pleasure of motoring  down to Buckenham in  limousine like style accompanied by a member of the upper echelons, 'down' from London for a week's opening of the safety valve, to enjoy the peace and solitude of the Broads, (why bring Frank, you may ask). Either way, loads of winter stuff down at Buckenham already. First sight on the keen easterly day were large numbers of Widgeon, and Lapwing, with the odd Teal, Gadwall and Mallard thrown in for good measure. The scrape on the left was covered in Widgeon, with numerous 'Anser' type geese grazing nearby. A small flock of Goldfinch flitted past on the way to the Yare, and all the time small flocks of wildfowl, waders, Starling, Lapwing and the rest were spooking themselves aloft or being 'put up' by the itinerant meanderings of  Sparrow hawk or Kestrel running though.

The Yare was a bit choppy in the breeze with a solitary Cormorant patrolling the wavelets bent of total dissemination of the over 10lb fish stock ('ass them Cormorants' Frank had been informed once, at the sight of a huge 20lb plus dead Carp, rolling about in the not inconsiderable wake or Reedham Ferry).

Wandering along to the place where the hide used to be Frank and his 'companion' sat on the old timbers and watched the scene for a while, contemplating, as Frank's namesake flew past among the array of birds occasionally alighting and tripping around.  Couple of Marsh flew up over the back, with the odd Swans neck poking out , seemingly, from the marsh itself. Looked like the water level had been dropped this end, with shallow channels dug into the area that used to be a pool. Speculation was entered into, but no doubt we'll find out why in due course.

After walking the last bit to Hassingham beck, and having been informed by the Environment Agency of the desperate peril faced by even contemplating the water's edge, they pad back round to the car for uninterrupted laughter amid a soothing blast of bygone rubbish from their youth, namely Motorhead.

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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