A Winter Of Two Halves
15th April 2026
Return To Norfolk
After enjoying a week in Norfolk in April last year, we didn’t need much thought to book the same cottage for a return week again in the spring.
Rather than meeting at a nature reserve, we met up at one of the pubs we loved from last time, for a bite to eat before heading over to the cottage.
As usual for Norfolk, we were hoping to see owls and hares. The latter, hopefully boxing. But it soon became clear that this action had all but finished, and after speaking with one of the farmers, we realised that the”Mad March Hare” boxing had mostly been seen in February.
Still, we headed out to a productive location from the previous visit, and immediately found some hares mooching around the fields, paddocks and tracks.
It was great to watch a hare approaching along one of the country lanes, and by lying down against the grassy edge of it, the hare got really close before it decided to head away again.
Aside from hares, we also made the most of the warm weather to go looking for adders. But you have to be so careful of any vibrations made when approaching, and also which way the breeze is going, or they’d slither off under the gorse. Some interesting beetles around the vegetation.
Going out at dawn gave us the best chance of seeing owls and hares, and with bright sunshine forecast, mostly allowed us to take images before the dreaded heat haze developed, and ruined all the pics.
We spotted a barn owl not far from where we were staying, but it was only ever out just before the sun’s rays crept across the fields. And with higher MP cameras, the noise on the images was always going to be challenging even with good noise-reducing software, as barn owls have little texture to hide such things.
One morning, we ventured off to somewhere I’d not been before, and we found a pair of red-legged partridges having a scrap in the middle of the road. Annoyingly, they spent an age battling, leaping at each other, pecking and chasing, but all of it in the shadiest part of the road. When they eventually moved into a sunny field, one of them lived up to its name, and legged it.
Subsequent days saw the barn owl appearing even earlier, in almost zero light, though it hung around long enough for some not bad pics. Benefit of using an f/4 lens at times…
I definitely benefitted from Jude peering round a bale to see where a hare she was hoping would approach, spotted her, and scampered away, right past where I was lying beside a hedge. Stupidly I buffered my camera as it got really close, but it cleared in time for a couple of portraits before it accelerated away again.
Another visit to the adders site was worthwhile as we managed to see a male and female locked together mating, something I’ve never seen before. Not great for photos, and when she decided she was off, he had no say in it, and was dragged along beside her!
One disappointment from the previous visit, was that a pair of little owls that were in a small brick building near the cottage, were nowhere to be seen. But one morning, we spotted a barn owl heading in there instead! Probably the best light we had on one, but once it vanished inside with a vole, it never came out again.
Exploring Essex
After spring had sprung, and I’d spent a good amount of time on Mull running workshops, Jude and I had hatched another plan for the east coast of England, this time based in Essex, to see some of the locations she enjoys close to her home. And an area I’d hardly spent any time exploring.
Having given me a location to meet up at, I had parked up and was waiting for her to arrive, when something large, buzzing around on the other side of the road caught my attention and I had to get my bins on it to see what it was.
A male stag beetle. Magnificent, although it was risking life and limb with the passing traffic, and just as Jude arrived, the beetle landed in some ivy and vanished.
Thankfully, after a few minutes he appeared again, and we both got a view. I’ve never seen one before. Not a bad start to the break.
To try to make the trip more affordable, I had booked a static caravan down in Harwich, and instantly regretted not reading the small print on the van, booking one that allowed pets… and you could smell it. Thankfully the many windows and decent breeze helped air it, and we were mostly out anyway.
It was really lovely to see some of the places talked about, but until this trip, only ever seen via images online or shared by Jude. And there are some gems of reserves down there.
Wrabness, for example, had barn and little owls, plus turtle doves. Unbelievable. I’ve not heard the latter for years, as they used to be a species I’d go to Oxfordshire for.
This trip wasn’t just for wildlife photography though, and I was treated to visits to a couple of beaches where we could spend time looking for fossilised shark teeth. Jude is ridiculously good at spotting them, but I managed to find some. Eventually. Plus bits of wood that were also fossils, and whale bones. I find it all fascinating.
Heading into neighbouring Suffolk, we spent a day mooching round RSPB Minsmere. I’d hoped to get photos of hobbies there, but they were just too distant. I do miss watching these agile falcons. But we did get to see spoonbills, marsh harriers and other cool birds, I rarely get to see these days, being based in Scotland.
That day ended with us standing in almost darkness, watching and listening to nightjars whirring away, and flying past us, just about visible against the sky. Fantastic.
One of the days unfortunately saw Jude having to go to work, so I was dropped off at Abberton Reservoir and left to stroll around. Lots of interesting, if elusive birds, including both species of whitethroats, a nightingale and lots of swifts, that I took far too many, quite frankly rubbish shots of. Just no good on a grey day.
Watched a kestrel hunting too, which is always a pleasure.
I have to admit, I loved the week down there, being driven around to some quaint villages with great pubs, eating good food, enjoying the views, exploring new areas and feeling warm. I know England was uncomfortably hot this summer, but Scotland in the main, missed out. So it was a welcome bit of summer heat.
We ended the trip in Cambridgeshire, at Paxton Pits. which compared with the first visit we made one Christmas, so much more vibrant and full of life. We spent time watching the many dragonflies, which tested the new focusing systems of our cameras (Canon R5 mk2 and Nikon Z8).
Having hardly been to Essex and the surrounding counties before, I would be quite happy to spend more time there. Very different to my Highlands’ home, but plenty of interest nonetheless.
