Garth Peacock
Snettisham RSPB

Archive

Welney WWT Norfolk

Monday 6th October 2025

A week of varying fortunes

Monday 29th September 2025

Norfolk yet again

Thursday 25th September 2025

Lemsford Springs Hertfordshire

Monday 8th September 2025

A Day in West Norfolk

Friday 5th September 2025

Kingfishers and Hares

Thursday 21st August 2025

The last few days of July

Sunday 3rd August 2025

Another visit to Welney

Tuesday 8th July 2025

Another session with Owls

Friday 4th July 2025

Little Owls in North Yorkshire

Saturday 28th June 2025

South Lincolnshire

Tuesday 24th June 2025

RSPB Folwmere again

Thursday 12th June 2025

Local for me

Tuesday 10th June 2025

A day of Terns in Norfolk

Friday 6th June 2025

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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!!!!