WHITLINGHAM: Ooh a few flakes of snow!

4th February 2012

Well its the cold snap we wanted (sort of), and it was down to Whitlingham, where birding would surely be as simple as spotting a Smew in an ice hole.  As it happened, the Great Broad wasn't frozen at all, although the Little Broad was almost completely covered.  There was a welcome return for the bird table near the car park, and a Great Tit was taking advantage of a fat ball hanging nearby.  News onsite wasn't promising, no sign of any Smew, and some wild swans, probably Whooper, had flown over earlier.  A few Wigeon were new for the year here, but it wasn't the birdfest I had hoped for.

I went up into the woods, partly to look for Woodcock, and partly to look down at Thorpe Marshes.  Looking down from the viewpoint there were a lot of gulls, but no sign of any waders.  Further round I found a Treecreeper whilst watching some Goldcrests.  After a brief detour to look at a Snowdrop covered bank, I returned to the main path and again looked over Thorpe Marshes.  I was slightly concerned that I was missing something when two birders met and after talking one immediately got on his phone, but that's paranoia for you.  I spent a while at the conservation area, and eventually found a Goldeneye, which brightened up the trip.  On the way back three Lesser Redpolls flew over and the Wigeon x Gadwall was in a small area free from ice on the Little Broad.