I don’t think you ever really grow out of the idea that life needs to make a special effort on your birthday. It’s only right and proper that for 24 hours everything should be touched by magic. And it was my birthday yesterday, so we set out – me, wife Cindy, sons Joseph and Eddie – for a little pootle round the Broads on a hired electric boat.
We set off with a great whisper from the engine and left Hickling Broad in the direction of Horsey Mere, across the open water looking at the terns. Then, as the reeds closed in again and the channel narrowed, a flying shape broke the pattern. Always be ready for when something breaks the pattern.
Floppy wings, owl-like flight, trailing legs, sharp front end broadening into a chunky neck, the whole thing glowing in browny-golds in the sunlight… bittern, of course, and a few minutes later, quite impossibly, I had picked out another, this one, equally unmistakable, flying much higher. But there was no time to talk about how lucky we were, because there was a third, flying just above the reeds, seedheads tickling its browny-gold belly… three bitterns inside five minutes.
So that was all very good and I felt appropriately blessed by the occasion. But you know what nature is: sometimes it goes completely over the top. On the way back, I heard excited calls from a male marsh harrier, looked up and saw him flying just above a female and – there was something in his talons.
How brilliant and accomplished these birds are. The male dropped his bundle – dead moorhen? — and the female, about ten feet below, inverted in the air to catch it on the way down: the famous harrier food-pass, no less. She’d bringing it to the nest for the growing chicks. For them a meal; for me, a surfeit.
Well, what do you expect? It was my birthday.
The best presents are free!
Sounds fabulous
A birthday to remember!
Happy Birthday Simon.
Happy Birthday Simon.
I spent day on the broads a week or so ago, wasn’t as lucky as you re the bitterns, but had a great time nonetheless. A place to fill you up to the brim in wonderfulness.
Talk about birthday treats! And treats for us to hear about them too. What a wonderful trip on the Broads. Happy birthday for yesterday.
This and many Happy Birthdays to come. Always enjoy your writing.
Happy Birthday Simon and what a birthday it was ❤️
What a day of celebrations Simon. This evening I’m off to watch barn owls busy across the Chet – apparently one of the adults is feeding two broods – a double celebration!
Good news — and I hope you had luck
Blimey what a day!! Thank you
A magical birthday.
Your ability to capture individual moments and make them unforgettable is much appreciated.
Thanksfor lovely message
Good to read that you are back again. We have missed you!
Many thanks for that
Happy birthday and thank you for a marvellous description of your sightings on the day.
And many more (Always sung by us at end of Happy Birthday song’
Thank you!
Happy birthday and thanks for sharing the highlights with us
What an amazing birthday!
Not too shabby — the curry supper was good too
Happy Birthday for yesterday. I was almost with you all in the boat after that description- hope I didn’t rick it!
Welcome aboard…
I’m moving to Norfolk!
See you there!
See you there!
A special day for a special person. Thanks for sharing, Simon.
Many happy returns, what a brilliant birthday!
Thank you!
What a gift! Many happy returns.
So, belated Happy Birthday Simon. What treats you had!
Far better than Pizza Hut Simon.
good point well made…
A beautiful day. Many happy returns.
Fabulous ! Happy belated birthday to you ! Hope the magic continues
Sophie
All the best Simon
What a perfect way to spend a birthday, especially as you were even lucky with the weather! Belated Happy dBirthday.
Thank you — a great day indeed
The electric boat sounds wonderful… I am hoping the days of the noisy diesel on the water are numbered.