Freebies

I had it all planned out, where to go, what to see and (hopefully) photograph and even how I was going to present my post!  So when I turned into the ‘village’ car park at Holkham, for the first time since this pandemic began, to be greeted by a pay-and-display machine I spat out my dummy!  What has always been free is now £5 for 2+ hours.  Want to park nearer the beach?  That will be £9 thank you very much, kerching!  Ever since Ms G Paltrow graced the golden sands in a scene from the movie ‘Shakespeare in Love’ Holkham Bay has been a honeypot for the ‘well-to-do’.  Rocking up from their holiday retreats around the coast with their designer clothes, designer children, designer dogs and highly polished 4×4’s which only ever go ‘off road’ when they mount the pavement to drop aforementioned kiddies off at prep school!  Not one’s to overlook the chance of a bit of spare change the local landowners are rubbing their hands together.  Well they are not getting my money!  Free birding may be getting thin on the ground but there are places if you know where to look, just don’t tell his Lordship, he might stick in another pay machine!

Greylag Geese (Anser anser) The largest of our geese. These are not truly wild birds (they can be found in Scotland) but ancestors of re-introduced stock

Bath time! Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca) another non-native (there’s a clue in the name!)

Always a pleasure to be greeted by a Robin (Erithacus rubecula)

The gorgeous Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatas). This tiny bird’s tail is longer than it’s body. They are hyper-active moving around in flocks of a dozen or more looking for insects on bare twigs

Sentinal. A male Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) scans the marshes from atop a lone Spruce

The Wigeon (Anas penelope) form big flocks in winter and graze the marshes. I love their ‘wheeoo’ call

As early as January birds of prey start to display over their territories. This is a Buzzard (Buteo buteo) which circles around emitting a cat like mewing call

All these shots were taken in the last couple of days in places I could go free of charge.  I had a bit of a rant at the start of this post and don’t get me wrong I’m more than willing to pay for conservation work.  What I dislike is what seems to be the never ending ways some use to help lighten your wallet and say the money is used for their projects.  As a born and bred local with little income it seems we are being priced out of the market.  What we once took for granted is no longer so and is it a good idea to have hefty charges when you want to encourage the younger generation?