John Charman
Birder
Norfolk, England
As a resident of Norfolk living in a quiet rural location and with the whole of the Norfolk and Suffolk coast, with its nationally famous reserves, within easy reach you might not expect my birding to fall in to the urban category.
Sadly though a living has to be earned, and that takes me daily to Norwich. Now as cities go Norwich is relatively small but nevertheless it is an urban landscape. Not to be denied some fresh air, some exercise, and of course the chance to see some birds I have devised a number of perambulations (I almost said peregrinations but thought better of it) around the city, all within what is laughably refereed to as a Ring Road. These mini tours can take anywhere between 20 minutes and an hour to walk and the results are truly satisfying.
Firstly it allows me to get to know individuals on there territories, then to be in tune with the seasonal changes on an intimate daily basis, and to stay in touch with movements through the 'patch'.
While there will never be the spectacular migrants found on the coast, as even a short distance inland seems to deter migrant vagrants (a brief visit from a Dusky Warbler being the one exception), the city dwellers do include species not so easy to find elsewhere.
With a river running its' winding course though the outskirts and on through the centre past the famous Cathedral I am certain to see Grey Wagtails and Kingfishers on a regular basis. I know where to expect Siskins in winter and Lesser Redpolls in summer and where the Sparrowhawks that hunt our local passers have their nests. The highly sedentary Bullfinches show themselves infrequently but I know them and their habitats so one day we are certain to cross paths in the course of a month or two. A surprising variety of warblers breeds, although the glory days when this included Wood Warbler seem to have gone. Nightingale, Waxwing, Hobby, Common Buzzard and erratic appearances from waders such as Snipe, Woodcock, Common Sandpiper and Grey Plover all keep the eyes and ears tuned.
Many ducks of dubious origin pass through and these have included Mandarin, Red Crested Pochard, and Gadwall. Egyptian Geese seem to be semi-resident and the local Mallards appear to have established close enough relations with Muscovy Ducks to have produced a number of strangely coloured hybrids. More acceptable pedigrees attach to the occasional Tufted Ducks and Pochard and in freeze-ups (remember them?) there have been visits from Goosander, Black Throated Diver and Shag.
Strangely, despite regular migrants appearing almost like clockwork, a passage of birds simply moving through is not strongly evident even in the river valley habitats at their most rural. I can point with a good deal of confidence to the copse, and almost the day, where the first Chiffchaff will sing and then gradually log the build up of Blackcaps, Whitethroats Garden Warblers and Lesser Whitethroats. But search as I might I have failed to find a single Yellow Wagtail or Wheatear. There is some degree of passing trade since at the height of a spectacular influx of Ring Ouzels in the county I did find one with a movement of other more common thrushes, proving there is an exception to every rule Of course the tantalising possibility of something else more exotic always lingers to spur on the effort on the days when the weather is least kind or the birds least visible.
It's not Cley or MInsmere but it feels like 'my patch' where I know most of the birds as familiars and that is worth more to me than many a 'flight views' year tick.