Well, week it has been! Aside from all the hoo-hah with the swan, there have been some pretty exciting sightings too.
Let's start with the biggie. And when I say big, I'm not kidding. The 'flying barn door', a white-tailed eagle. We know one has been hanging around the Norfolk cost over the winter, but it decided to pay us a visit on Tuesday. yes, on the same day as the swan rescue. It cruised in from the south, hung around a bit over the east hide then headed northwards towards Freiston Shore. Not sure what happened after that, as Simon our assistant warden didn't see it arrive. And let's face it, with a nine foot wingspan you would notice... But let's hope it comes back. Not least because i didn't see it, and it is something of a 'bogey bird' for me. I actually used to live in Fife, in Scotland. As soon as I left, there was a reintroduction scheme that brought them back in there. How annoying!
White-tailed eagle by Chris Gomersall (rspb-images.com)
Also of interest this week were another two firsts for the year. Sand martin and chiffchaff, both seen for the first time today. Not sure with the weather how it is, how long they'll stick around though!
Reedbed, freshwater scrapes, saltmarsh and wet meadow. Frampton Marsh has it all! Come and pay us a visit soon.