Last weekend, Inexcuseable and her husband dragged Count Podgekinson and I off to Pensthorpe Natural Park near Fakenham. We saw some birds and crap...
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| Moorhen |
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| Hawaiian geese (and Inexcuseable) |
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| Puna teal |
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| Coot. Just look at its webbed toes! |
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| Cormorant! |
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| Foxglove sculpture |
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| Tin foil flock of birds (I should have nabbed one to top off a hat) |
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| A fake stag |
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| Arrrrg! Giant earwig!!! |
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| Ah. That's better... |
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| Mute swans |
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| Tufted ducks (female) |
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| Mallards and tufted ducks |
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| Tufted duck (male) |
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| Goldeneye (female) |
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| There she goes! |
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| Egyptian geese |
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| Lunch time |
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| Flamingoes |
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| I don't know what sort of ducks these are? |
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| Red-crowned crane (Japanese crane) |
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| Grey-crowned crane |
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| Scaly-sided merganser |
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| Pied avocet |
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| I think this sleepy bird is a juvenile black-winged stilt? |
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| I have no idea what sort of bird this strange looking thing is?!? |
Happy weekend!
The Hawaiian Goose is called Nēnē locally. It was always a thrill to see them in the wild on Maui and Hawaii.
ReplyDeletePS: No Beaky?
Those geese were so gentle and really rather adorable looking. They really are lovely!
DeleteI think Beaky has flounced off in a huff?
Delightful. But probably just as well it's not scratch'n'sniff - I know how whiffy wetland birds en masse can be... Jx
ReplyDeleteThere were a few somewhat pongy areas, but on the whole it was quite pleasant. Unlike the beach, from where I have just returned - all the washed up seaweed is rotting in the blazing hot sun. What a stink!
DeletePS In answer to your question, I think the mystery birds may be the wonderfully-named Fulvous whistling duck. The Roger Whittaker of the duck world, I imagine. Jx
DeleteOh, yes, that's them! They must have done all their whistling before we got there, though.
DeleteWOW!!!!! This truly made my whole weekend! I loved seeing all the different water fowl. And I loved the flamingos. Is this indeed England? I had no idea flamingos were in England!!! Or were you on holiday? I'd love to feed one , one day. Such a great post Mr DeVice...you have me swooning...…..
ReplyDeleteOh, Maddie, I'm so glad you like it! Many of the birds are either resident in Britain, or migrate to/from here. Some of them, however - like the flamingos - are non native, and are only found in nature parks and zoos (like the one just down the road in Cromer). The Egyptian geese are non native, but there are a few wild colonies around here (particularly in Norwich) which started up from escaped birds.
DeleteLovely!
ReplyDeleteI'm down in chilly Canberra and having a lovely time garden-gawking. And we have all sorts of avian hi-jinks right outside the front windows.
There will be LOTS of pictures when I get home.
Hooray! Will we have bird photos as well as garden photos?
DeleteI love Coots, and Moorhens. Aren't those Egyptian Geese peculiar, with their chunky thighs and overdone eye make-up. I am not surprised you're knackered!
ReplyDeleteSx
Do you know, I never noticed their "chunky thighs" until you pointed them out. Has red eye shadow taken over from blue, now?
DeleteHow peculiar that it's called a natural park when so many animals are either non-native or are pretend,
ReplyDeleteI wonder what an actual natural park would look like. It would probably be impenetrable. ☺️
I'm thinking a natural park would be surrounded by a thicket of brambles and thorn bushes enough to make Maleficent envious. And, if one manages to make it through unscathed, the middle would just be horrid stinky marshes with a few dead trees dotted about. There might be a bedraggled mallard or crow, I suppose?
DeleteWOW, the Mistress Maddie was kidding when she said to check out your bird post. Truly amazing the variety of water fowl. Stunning pictures too. I love the Goldeneye myself.
ReplyDeleteWelcome, Miss Lady Finger! How lovely of you to stop by. Had I known ahead of time, I'd have put out my best doilies!
DeleteThe goldeneye was a really entertaining little duck. She kept diving for food over and over again right in front of us. It was a lovely day out!
Yourself and the Mistress should a have a bird watching group!!! These are spectacular photos. I too had no idea about flamingo in England. I think we just assume their always in a tropical location. But this place is very interesting. All but that giant earwig....I hate those things.
ReplyDeleteAnother visitor via the Mistress. How exciting! But, before I forget my manners: welcome, Asriel of the impressive and expressive eyebrows!
DeleteI don't think there are any wild flamingo in England, but the ones in parks and zoos seem to cope with our cold wet winters OK. Even if they're not always "in the pink" (not enough of those little pink shrimp things that give them their distinctive colour, I should think).
IDV, check your email, please.
ReplyDelete'Tis done! And thanks for the reminder.
DeleteWhat an awesome and spectacular post! Such amazing and beautiful birds! I recognized the Nene immediately. Did you know that they are actually descended from Canada Geese? When these birds discovered Hawaii, they decided to stay there permanently and forget that migration hassle. Smart birds. Who wants to leave paradise?
ReplyDeleteI love places like this that preserve and care for a variety of such exotic and stunning birds. Places like this serve as arks that preserve and protect these animals that otherwise would be extinct from loss of habitat and human hazards. Thank you for the scintillating pictures.
That red squirrel is marvelous and so resplendent! He lives in a magnificent neighborhood! Redheads are so sassy!
I didn't know about the Nene's ancestry until after I'd got back. A little googling brought me up to speed. Quite fascinating was that a larger (now extinct, of course) version also lived on the Hawaiian islands (some bones were found encased in lava, if I remember correctly).
DeleteFOWL !
ReplyDeleteThere, someone had to say it !
Thank you, Mago. I'll try not to take it personally ;)
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