Single White Female

The observatory at Welney WWT has a log book to record ring numbers of Whooper Swans noted at the reserve. This is helpful in tracking the birds as the staff do not have time to monitor the swans as often as they would like to. Going through my photos, I noticed I had captured an image of this Whooper showing off its bling.

I emailed Welney with the image and number and asked if they could supply me with any information on this individual. This morning, I received the following reply from Emma Brand, the Events and Marketing Officer:

Hi Kay

Nice photo; the whooper swan in question (E4A) was ringed at WWT Welney on 25^th November 2009 as a cygnet. The swan has returned to Welney this winter and she’s a female so hopefully we’ll see her return to Welney in the future with a mate of her own.

Cheers

Emma Brand

More from Norfolk

I spent yet more time at Titchwell on the 11th and 13th, only venturing into the new Parrinder Hide as a matter of necessity to see six of the reported eight Shore Larks present on the 13th. Awesome little birds. This was a very good day for passerines on the brackish marsh and I also saw a Rock Pipit, c.40 Twite (RSPB are putting out seed for them) around 20 Skylark, Linnet and some Meadow Pipit. Unfortunately a Lapland Bunting was also seen before I arrived.

There were also a variety of Ruff, including some very nice white-headed ones. I saw the female Scaup on both of these visits, although she can be a bit difficult to find, as she has been lurking around the back of the fresh Marsh.

The Whooper Swan was still feeding with Mute Swans in the field left of the access road on both occasions. On the 13th, I got a further brief glimpse of the Northern Harrier over Thornham Marsh and at dusk two ringtail Hen Harriers.

On the 11th I visited Holme NWT after Titch, walking from Gore Point up to the hides. Here, I added Snow Bunting to my year list, with a flock of around 20 on the beach. A seawatch got me a Great Northern Diver, a Red-throated Diver, 2 fly-past Long-tailed Duck, 2 Fulmar, Shelduck and c.30 Oystercatcher.

The reserve itself was a little quieter. Around 40 Fieldfare were feeding in the thorny orange berries, 7 Grey Partridge flew over the path, and on the marsh/fields were Golden Plover, Lapwing, Redshank, Wigeon, Brent Goose etc. 3 Marsh Harriers and a Sparrowhawk hunted over towards the church.

Late in the day I briefly popped to Burham Norton, mostly for reconnaissance purposes. There seems to be more wintering Marsh Harriers in Norfolk than I've ever seen before and at least 5 hunted the reedbeds here, including a nice male. I also spotted a ringtail Hen Harrier. Skeins of Pink-footed Geese were flying over, always a lovely way to end a Norfolk birding day.

On the 12th Jan, I visited Welney WWT. The reserve looked drastically different to my previous visit in October when a Wilson's Phalarope had graced the small pool. The entire meadows were now completely flooded; an important wintering haven for wildfowl. Around 40 Whooper Swans were waiting for the feed outside the observatory, so I decided to use this opportunity for a spot of photography.

Whooper Swans

Tufted Duck

Pochard

Amongst my Whooper photos, I have a photo of an adult wearing a yellow colour ring - number E4A. I've emailed Welney to ask if they have any info on this bird.

A very narrow exposed peninsula held c.40 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Dunlin and a Redshank. Two Tree Sparrows at the feeders and a Barn Owl, 2 Marsh Harriers and a Buzzard from Lyle Hide. There were 1000's of Wigeon present (6409 as per Welney's latest WeBS count) and a few Goldeneye were noted.

Late in the day, Snettisham. From about 4:00pm till at least 4:40 seemingly endless skeins of Pink-footed Geese passed over, in from the east and off out to roost on the Wash. Now, I've witnessed large flocks of Pinkies in Norfolk many a time, but this was something else, a staggering number of geese. On the Monday morning, apparently some 37,350 had been counted leaving the roost.

Other highlights here included a single female Brambling, a drake Red-breasted Merganser and 8 Goldeneye on the lagoons and the usual array of waders out on the estuary; Curlew, Black and Bar-tailed Godwits, Grey Plover, Dunlin, Knot and Redshank.

On Friday 14th, a visit to Strumpshaw Fen and Buckenham/Cantley Marshes. The plan was to explore Strumpshaw in the morning then around lunchtime set about the task of trying to spot the Lesser White-fronted Goose.

First time I'd visited these places and I was mightily impressed, although I didn't see too much at Strumpshaw itself apart from 3 Marsh Tit, a Treecreeper, 5 Marsh Harriers and from the tower hide, a nice little selection of wildfowl including Gadwall and Goldeneye.

Would have been nice to spend more time there, but I was keen to get out onto Cantley and Buckenham. It's an impressively vast place and the task of searching the distant huge goose flocks for this Lesser White-fronted Goose was daunting. Helpfully, two birders directed me to where this goose was usually being seen. Other birders were also concentrating their efforts here, although no one could find it. It was later reported at another spot in the marsh. I wasn't too disappointed though, the good views of six Taiga Bean Geese was worth trip here in itself. Whether the record of the Lesser White-fronted Goose will be accepted or not depends on whether the goose disappears with his Taiga Bean Geese or disgraces itself by staying the summer hanging with the Greylags.

Also noted a flock of c.450 White-fronted Geese, Pink-footed Geese, Barnacle Geese (feral) and Egyption Geese. A Red-necked Grebe on the Yare was very nice and a Barn Owl was hunting.

The last couple of days were a bit hard-going; although it wasn't cold the winds were very harsh and it was difficult to steady your scope and bins at most times. Despite this, there were a few more good spots.

On 15th, a Pale-bellied Brent Goose (most in Norfolk are of course of the Dark-bellied race) at Burnham Overy Staithe and at Holme later that day 2 Waxwings were by the car park.

Why do I never see Waxwings when the sun shines?

On Sunday the 16th, I visited Weybourne in the hope of seeing Lapland Buntings. Up to 15 have been seen recently in the stubble fields east of the coastguards cottages. I did get to see about seven, however only in flight and calling and never got a good view of one on the deck. This was rather disappointing, I've not had a decent view of one in a long while.

Final stop of the trip, Warham Greens. A spot of raptor watching. I had been hoping for Short-eared Owl or a male Hen Harrier, but what I got was far better. I noticed a raptor to the far left drifting along the bank, I couldn't quite place it at first, it turned slightly and I noticed white on the rump and thought Hen Harrier. But something wasn't right, the jizz was all wrong. As the bird came closer, I followed it along and noted it was a heavier looking bird with deeper wingbeats. It was heading west and it banked and I could now see a lot better. Not a white rump, but a white tail with a single band. Light belly with a dark patch and carpal underwing patches. Yes! A Rough-legged Buzzard!! I think this was a first-winter bird as it had a buff tinge to the underparts. I couldn't believe my luck. Also here I had two ringtail Hen Harriers, one Marsh Harrier and 6 Little Egrets.

Anyway, sorry for all the waffle, I guess this is what happens when you don't post for a while.

Yanks in Norfolk

Holiday time at the moment and I'm in Norfolk. I was itching to have a go for the Northern Harrier that's been knocking around Thornham, but then a stone's throw from my accommodation loomed the chance of a lifer, American Wigeon. So there I was on Cley's famous East Bank first light on Saturday morning.

Luckily the Wigeon flock were feeding fairly closely and as the light picked up it was fairly easy to pick out this handsome drake. The field also contained a small flock of Dark-bellied Brent Geese and a few Pink-footed Goose.

So, first lifer of the year under the belt before breakfast, but a hearty fry-up meant missing the Northern Harrier fly through Thorham Harbour. Oh dear. I did more than make up for this yesterday however, with spectacular scope views of the Northern Harrier over Thornham Marshes in the morning and later from Titchwell shortly after midday, where it even came over the main path before heading out east.

When you see this harrier well, it certainly is a distinctive bird with its orangey-rusty underparts, dark hood and very dark upperparts. The most distinctive ID feature for this particular Northern Harrier is what my fellow Midlands birders might well term a 'gammy foot', the bird has a damaged foot that dangles down conspicuously in flight. There you go, technical stuff.

Spent a lot of time around Titchwell RSPB on Saturday and Sunday. Now I must mention this new Parrinder Hide. It's awful. From the outside it looks more like an air traffic control centre than a bird watching hide, inside its smart, but completely impractical for birding. The dudes seem to like it, its warm and insulated. The glass window panes slide open using a weird pully system, incidentally most of the types in the hides didnt like them opened!! View is also quite restricted for scope usage, so I soon gave up and set my scope up on the path. Most other birders were also voting with their feet doing the same, which caused a lot of congestion along the path. I wonder if birders were consulted at all in the design process?

Anyway, moan over, the birding at Titchwell was fantastic over the weekend. The long list of highlights as follows; Northern Harrier, Water Pipit, a Whooper Swan feeding with Mutes on the fields left of the access road, a flock of 25-30 Twite feeding on the Brackish Marsh, a few over-wintering Marsh Harriers and a Water Rail.

The sea was good and I managed to pick out the following on a brief seawatch; 1 Slavonian Grebe, 1 Red-necked Grebe, 3 Long-tailed Ducks, 100's of Common Scoter and a few Eider and Goldeneye. The juvenile Iceland Gull flew over the beach on the 8th.

Of course the usual array of waders were in attendance, the best being this Spotted Redshank. Also plenty of Ruff on the islands of the fresh marsh.

Barn Owls seem to be all over the place at the moment and can be encountered frequently along the roadside along the A149. Saw one catch a vole within two feet this morning.

Today was another good day of birding, mostly spent around Holkham and Wells-next-the-Sea. The outstanding highlight were two Rough-legged Buzzards that could be seen over Burnham Overy Staithe dunes at 11:15am. They were rather distant but the light was good and the white tails, light underside and dark carpal and belly patches could be seen. Tried to get a bit closer but they were drifting west (later reported at Scolt Head) so it didn't feel like I was getting any nearer to them. Pleased with the lifer though and if I'm lucky maybe I'll get a better view before I go back to Brum. Other raptors included 2 Common Buzzards, ringtail Hen Harrier, several Marsh Harriers and 2 more Barn Owls.

From Joe Jordan Hide there were many White-fronted Geese, Pink-footed Geese and 2 Grey Partridge. At Wells, there were two redhead Smew on the boating lake by Wells Wood, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers and a few Goldeneye feeding in the harbour and the Black Brant remained with the flock of Dark-bellied Brent Geese on the pitch and putt.

Bombycilla-tastic

Firstly, greetings of the New Year to anyone who's still awake. I'll post a bit more this year, I promise...

Not too much birding news as yet, I'm saving myself for a biggie down in Norfolk, beginning on Friday afternoon. News on that should follow shortly.

I'd hoped to find some Waxwings before the turn of the year and had put in a lot of time wandering the suburbs and mapping out the berry bushes. However a bout of seasonal (and suspected swine) flu put paid to that. Waxwings were reported nearby as I lay on my sick bed and I couldn't even summon the strength to go and see them.

Rather find my own anyway and on New Year's Day I wandered down to Shirley and checked a berry bush I've had my eye on, on Shakespeare Drive, where Waxwings have been seen in previous years. Two Waxwings were present - hurrah and Happy New Year to me!

Unfortunately it was a very dull day, so the photos are rubbish. The Waxies allowed me very close to the tree, so I wish the light had been better but you can't have it all. Watched them for 20 minutes until a Mistle Thrush saw them off.

Happy Birding in 2011 to all.