November. A strange month at Strumpshaw, a month that was warm in the first half and cold in the other. There's been misty starts and plenty of rain throughout, resulting in a lot of mud. One minute there's nothing, not even a duck on the broad, but a moment later, something turns up out of nowhere to delight those who stick around long enough. And there has been plenty of these unexpected surprises seen by you, our lovely visitors. It is time to look back on the best this November had to offer.
First up, our otters. They have been getting very bold this month. At least one has been visiting the front of the reception hide on a daily basis and could appear at any time. They've even been clambering on the bank right in front of the hide and they've been very photogenic. So, if you want to see an otter, get yourself a coffee, sit under the heat of our reception's heaters and keep your fingers crossed. Of course, you may also glimpse a bittern or a kingfisher, which are also being seen reguarly.
Otter by Mel Beck
A mini murmuration has been occurring most evenings at Strumpshaw. At the moment, the latest estimate is nearly three thousand starlings, not quite as large as the mega murmuration seen over the Norfolk/Suffolk border at Minsmere, but still providing the same amount of wow factor.
Starlings photographed at sunset by Sean Locke
I went to see them on the 14th from Fen Hide, swirling in the sky before pouring into the reeds near towards Tower Hide. However, more recently, they have now started roosting in front of reception for the first time in about 2 or 3 years. Hopefully, with it getting colder, the numbers should rise and provide one of the greatest shows in the natural world.
After watching that display on the 14th, I returned to the reception and was amazed that bats were still on the wing, which I believe were Daubenton's bats skimming over the surface of the broad. Now that the starlings have decided to roost by the hide, people are still seeing these fantastic bats at the same time on slightly warmer nights (Yes, in late November!).
While watching the murmurations, it is probably worth keeping an eye on our marsh harriers as well. At least 25 of them have been gathering to roost in the centre of the reserve so far. Fen Hide is the best place to watch them arrive and you may even get the odd hen harrier if you are very lucky or even a stunning sunset, which is just as good.
The rook roost at Buckenham has also been spectacular this month and can only get better as winter fully takes hold. Many thousands have been making their way to the trees near the church. You can watch them gather on the field by our car park at Buckenham and sit on the wires as they bend to their weight before setting off towards the trees. An incredible spectacle that is likened to a scene from Hitchcock's 'The Birds'.
Redwings and fieldfares have been everywhere. Many of them flying over Strumpshaw and can especially be found in the apple trees along the river, gorging on the fallen fruit on the ground. Siskins numbers have also been impressive with hundreds of them feasting on the cones of alder trees. You may find the odd redpoll or brambling amongst these large flocks.
Numbers are also on the rise for pink-footed geese, with many skeins heading to Buckenham and Cantley. Latest count so far is 960. And staying with geese, seven white-fronted geese have also arrived to the mashes (on Nov 8th) and a stray dark-bellied brent goose (Nov 18th), which is more common along the Norfolk coastline than this far inland. However, we still await for our Taiga bean geese to arrive to the marshes. Buckenham will be the stage for our next photography workshop, with a few tickets left follow the link to find out more: https://events.rspb.org.uk/events/27313
It has been a great month for birds of prey, with red kites and barn owls being a regular sight on our reserves. The peregrines have returned to their favourite perching spots at Buckenham, while a short-eared owl was reported on Nov 7th there very briefly. I haven't heard any further reports about it, but there's always a chance that these wonderful owls are still around. On Nov 26th, there was a very unexpected sighting at Strumpshaw. An osprey! It should be down in Africa by now!
With the weather mostly warm until mid-November, it didn't surprise me that we still had many common darter dragonflies and butterflies such as red admirals and peacocks on the wing. Now that it has gotten a bit chilly, the dragonfly season has more or less ended, while the butterflies have gone into torpor, waiting for any warm day to trigger them back into life.
During Halloween and early November, we discovered some absolute beauties from the fungal world along our woodland trails. This included the unbelievably colourful green elfcap (more floresent blue than green in my opinion), the spectacular upright coral and the unusual jelly brain. Our autumn fungi tally is currently at 56 species, but there's possibly many others we haven't identified yet. If you love your fungi, why not share your discoveries with us and increase our tally!
Fungi by Ali Nazimi
Hopefully, I've enticed you enough to visit our reserves as we move into December. Just a reminder that the reception will be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, open again on the 27 December for those who want to walk after a day of festive feasting. I will be back for one last monthly report for 2022 to end the year on. So keep an eye out for it! Until then, have a merry Christmas!