Another helping of Beans

iPhone photo of Taiga Bean Goose at Weybourne this afternoon

Duty day at Cley was par for the course. I found the Long-billed Dowitcher asleep on an island on Pat’s Pool but couldn’t relocated the Little Stint seen earlier from the Visitors Centre. The lone Whooper on Pat’s and a flock of nearly 70 Snow Bunting on the shingle ridge were the only other highlights. On the way home I stopped off at the Pink-footed flock just east of Weybourne to look for the reported Bean Geese. I quickly found one and then another two. Reasonable views of both species – Taiga and Tundra within the last couple of weeks. On the drive back from Josh’s house last night I saw three different Barn Owls and a Tawny Owl ‘dive-bombed’ the car in Felbrigg Great Wood.

Snow Bunting at Cley

Post script: Turns out that there were both Tundra & Taiga Bean Geese in the Weybourne flock. The bird in the top photo had immediately aroused my suspicions, but as only Tundra were being reported I thought I’d exercise some caution. Looking at the photos later and discussing my tentative id with others I was increasingly confident that it was Taiga – the id being confirmed by James Mc, when I bumped into him at the Cackling Goose spot. We compared photos of a Taiga he had taken a few days earlier in the Brancaster area – they looked to be the same bird. Having posted the report on NENBC a number of other observers have now come forward with probable intermittent sightings over the weekend – including, as seen in the photo – another possible imm Taiga, (immediately front and left. With Pink-feet, Tundra and Taiga Bean and several ‘orange legged’ Pinks in the same field it’s no wonder this ‘grey geese’ identification is a tricky business!

Return to blogging

Colour-ringed Crow – outside MacDonalds on the Rue Berger!

After a total laptop melt-down, and repair, I’m now finally back on line! A week of conservation work-parties followed by a long weekend in Paris has severely limited birding activities, but a couple of colour-ringed case-studies are perhaps worth a mention. Before I went away I reported the red ringed Mediterranean Gull on the Carnival Field (originally reported by Christopher Lamsdell) Andy H kindly provided details of the bird, which was ringed in western Poland and has spent the past couple of winters in Holland. It probably arrived here during the cold snap before Christmas. I had a quick look up there yesterday – no sign of it but an un-ringed adult was present. Meanwhile, in the heart of Paris, a colour-ringed Carrion Crow was scrounging chips outside MacDonalds on the Rue Berger – no that’s not a joke! Apparently part of a large ringing study to monitor success and distribution of the city’s corvid population. ‘Green 430’ has spent the last three years in a very local area around the Seine.

Map showing Green 430’s’ movements

Birding aBroad

Considering the rain and the distance – a reasonable record shot of Taiga Bean Geese

I started the day off with a couple of hours sea-watching. Not a great deal happening, as I’d anticipated, but a Great Northern Diver east, a couple of Fulmar west, the roosting Shag on the pier and Guillemot, Razorbill and Great Created Grebe all on the sea were enough to make it worthwhile. Back home a report of the Taiga Bean Geese at Ludham, for their second day, sparked my interest. I picked Phil up in Gresham and we headed south. The birds were a ‘no show’ at the first location, amongst the mixed group of twenty Whooper and Bewick’s Swans, so we set course for St Benet’s Abbey. We arrived there in the pouring rain which eventually let up giving us reasonable views of four of these increasingly rare fabalis geese. Pleased with our achievement, we decided to try Trinity Broads for more scarce wildfowl. We were not disappointed. We soon caught up with the ‘redhead’ Smew on Rollesby Broad before heading to Filby for the Ring-necked Duck. Then it was back to Ormesby Little Broad for a party of Mandarin. Whilst we were there a Bittern flew from one side of the broad to the other. Not a bad birding session aBroad!

Record shot of the male Ring-necked Duck on Filby Broad

NENBC 2023 list makes three figures

Record shot of Lesser Redpoll – Beeston Common

Last Thursday started with a very steady sea-watch. It did at least provided me with an NENBC year tick – in the form of two Guillemot, lingering just off-shore. The only other bird of note was a Shag, which emerged from its roost on the pier, took a quick dip, before flying off west. That tick brought me within touching distance of three figures for the year. With that in mind, and both being at a bit of a loose end, Phil and I set out to hover-up a few local ticks we’d missed during our New Year Birding Challenge. A near-by water body produced Shoveller before a visit to Weybourne yielded up a Great Crested Grebe on the sea and, just outside the area, a Lesser Black-backed Gull. Later scrutiny of photos added a male Velvet Scoter, in amongst the scoter flock off-shore. A minor diversion to Sheringham Cemetery added Green Woodpecker – actually a pair – before our final list addition on Beeston Common. It took us an hour plodding about in the squelch examining all and any small passerine before an obliging Lesser Redpoll flew into the top of a near-by Birch tree. A late afternoon visit to Felbrigg failed to produce the reported Wigeon but did give us repeat views of the Great Egret – rather bizarrely – feeding amongst the sheep on the rough grazing below the dam, and a couple of Woodcock as they dodged the guns of the local shoot.

Gone in an instant

The Runton Gap – as it was (photo courtesy of Brenda S)

I’m still reeling at the habitat destruction which has taken place this week at the Runton Gap – the vital coastal green space which separates Cromer from East Runton. Although a popular dog-walking area this site, which has been gradually rewilding over the past twenty years, provided a valuable habitat for all manner of birds and wildlife to shelter, feed and breed. With an impressive list of scarce and rare birds to its name this site provides an essential wildlife corridor for migrants – connecting the coast with the Cromer ridge and associated farmland. In this day and age, when green spaces are under so much pressure, it seems incredible that this kind of eco-vandalism can occur – but it does. When even the legal protection of SSSi’s can be overruled there is practically nothing to protect nice sites for nature in unsympathetic private ownership. The answer lies not so much in an overly bureaucratic system of assessment, designation and legal protection but more in an increasingly shared understanding of the rapid decline of the planet’s biodiversity, the accelerating impact of climate change and the resulting effect on all our mental & spiritual wellbeing. But in the meantime Cromer Green Spaces will be redoubling its efforts to identify valuable green spaces in the town and, working with owners, ensure better management for wildlife.

After the recent eco-vandalism (photo courtesy of Brenda S)

Wild swans & waders

Long-billed Dowitcher – first time I’ve seen it on the central scrapes at Cley

It was our ‘duty day’ at Cley NWT yesterday. It turned out to be quite a day. After the morning briefing I popped my head in Bishop’s hide to take a quick look and count the Godwit & Avocet flocks. I was a just scanning the western edge when I spotted an unusual wader – considerably smaller than the Black-wits but, although it had a long bill, not a Snipe. It was the long-staying Long-billed Dowitcher – the first time I’d seen it on the main scrapes. It remained on Pat’s Pool for most of the day, giving reasonably good views and pulling quite a crowd. A perched Barn Owl on one of the posts near South Pool was the other early highlight. A stroll down East Bank produced very little until I reached the sea-ward end, where there was a flock of 30+ Snow Bunting, feeding along the shingle ridge. The lone Whooper Swan was still on Arnold’s. Another session in the central hides in the afternoon added Ruff and the over-wintering Little Stint. The Dowitcher eventually flying off east towards Serpentine at 14.00. We were just on our way home when the message came through – ‘6 Bewick’s’ landed on Swan Lake’. We pulled in at Iron Road to enjoy this increasingly scarce sight before they took off and continued their journey west. All things considered not a bad shift – all photos though are just digi-scoped record shots.

Good to add Snow Bunting to my 2023 Norfolk list

Six Bewick’s touched down on Swan Lake in the afternoon – one is colour-ringed

Felbrigg Sunday

Nuthatch at the feeding log – Felbrigg

Yesterday I spent the morning in Felbrigg trying to find Little Owl & Green Woodpecker – I failed miserably. I did see some interesting birds though. There were plenty of Fieldfare in the paddock south of the church, all the usual woodland species were coming to the feeding log, Woodcock in Common Plantation and Siskin in the Alders near the viewing screen. On the lake there were 30 Gadwall but no sign of the Goosander. I spent some time on the bridge over the sluice looking for and eventually finding the pair of wintering Stonechat. I counted the Teal – c.80 – watched Snipe roosting at the edge of the water meadow and a Water Rail cross the path in front of me. Eventually my attention was drawn to a soft ‘tucking’ call from the reed-bed and, whilst watching a Wren on the fence another larger bird with a brownish ‘boat tail’ flew across the track and disappeared into the reeds – Cetti’s Warbler – a surprisingly scarce bird at Felbrigg. I watched and listened for a further half hour – nothing. A quick injection of coffee and flapjack at the cafe and I was back at the sluice. A couple more calls and another flight view in the next hour was enough to make me happy with the id. It also helped lay a ghost to rest for me. A few weeks ago, standing in the same spot, I’d heard what I was sure was a snatch of Cetti’s ‘song’, it didn’t do it again and I eventually dismissed it. Good to finally get confirmation. Whilst stood on the bridge I started counting the Snipe as they flew in small groups from one spot to another. I managed a total of 61 Common Snipe and at least one Jack Snipe with them. A Red Kite drifted over, it’s colours vibrant in the morning sun and a lone Redwing near the gorse on The Warren rounded off a perfect Felbrigg Sunday.

Filling in the gaps

Female Goosander missed on our NYBC – this bird was back on Felbrigg on Friday

It’s always the same in the days and weeks after the NYBC, you see birds that you knew where there but just couldn’t find them on the day. Birds like Goosander and Woodcock, which I saw on Friday afternoon in Felbrigg Park, or the Shag and Fulmar we had on the morning sea-watch yesterday. There were also a couple of surprises to boost the list as well including: a few Kittiwake and, in amongst the regular Red-throated Diver, a single Black-throated which first went west before later returning east. And there’s more to come …. but that’s the joy of birding, it doesn’t always run to plan.

Dark neck, centred wings, flat back, large feet and slower flight – all features of Black-throated Diver

Conservation – the effort and reward

Digi-bins record shot of a Barn Owl at West Beckham Old Allotments – a first for the site

Today was a Felbeck Trust day, with our first work-party at Hindolveston Surveyors Allotment – one of five new sites for 2023! I arrived early at West Beckham Old Allotments to collect some stuff and arrange our car sharing. Just as I pulled up I noticed something pale at the far end of the site. Through binoculars I was delighted to see a Barn Owl, sitting on a fence post, later quartering over Phase 2. The first record of this species at this location and testimony to the benefits of managing the site for wildlife – with the new areas of tussock grass providing plenty of suitable habitat for small mammals and hence prey items for the Barn Owl. Later, the work-party ‘broke ground’ by defining some of the site boundaries, creating safe pedestrian access and beginning to forge a network of paths to facilitate habitat management work and species surveying. A great day, where the effort behind conservation work brought its rewards.

John, our Vice-Chair show-casing our new gate!

Ton up

Digi-shot of the colour-ringed Great Black-backed Gull this morning at Cromer – possibly Norwegian

It was our ‘duty day’ at Cley NWT yesterday. Plenty of birds about but nothing exceptional – for us at least. A two hour sea-watch this morning from North Lodge Park produce a couple more ticks including: Great Northern Diver, Fulmar & Common Scoter – taking my Norfolk 2023 list into three figures. A colour-ringed Great Black-backed Gull, sat on the basket in front of the shelter, may well have been of Norwegian origin but I just couldn’t read the code properly. Hopefully it will hang around.