After spending Christmas Day in Norwich I headed back to my home city of Stoke-on-Trent for a few days between 26-29 Dec. Then it was back to Norfolk for some birding over the new year.
I spent an afternoon and a morning at Aqualate Mere (Staffs) where the new hide gives a good view across the mere and the big seed feeder right in front of the hide provides good photo opportunities to get snaps of Willow Tit, now a description species in Norfolk.
Common Buzzard, Aqualate Mere, Staffs
Willow Tit, Aqualate Mere, Staffs
Willow Tit, Aqualate Mere, Staffs
Willow Tit, Aqualate Mere, Staffs
Reed Bunting (female), Aqualate Mere, Staffs
Coal Tit, Aqualate Mere, Staffs
Back to Norfolk and I spent 30 Dec 11 on the North Norfolk coast with Mark Golley. After starting out at first light watching about 100 Red-throated Divers and 40+ Snow Buntings at Cley Coastguards, we headed up to Fakenham to look at the Great Grey Shrike that was mooted as being of the form homeyeri.
There's a good discussion of the bird on Martin Garner's website Birding Frontiers . An interesting bird and subsequent discussion from which I've learned lots.
Great Grey Shrike, possibly a homeyeri intergrade.
Great Grey Shrike, possibly a homeyeri intergrade.
It was then off to Titchwell RSPB to see a few things. The Coue's Arctic Redpoll was showing well by the visitors centre. A first-winter bird, a good view is needed to tell it from the couple of Mealy Redpolls in the same flock. A Water Rail was showing very well along the footpath ditch and a female Mandarin on the freshmarsh was a nice surprise. A couple of Greater Scaup, Spotted Redshank and a Bittern were nice additions to the list.
Water Rail, Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk
Water Rail, Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk
Shoveler (female), Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk
Common Redshank (left) and Spotted Redshank (right), Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk
Little Egret, Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk
Little Egret, Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk
Little Egret, Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk
Dark-bellied Brent Goose, Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk
Dark-bellied Brent Goose, Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk
Dark-bellied Brent Goose, Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk
I spent New Years Eve and 2 Jan around east Norfolk mainly looking at waterfowl. As the Ring-necked Duck had been showing well at Ranworth Broad I headed out and got good views of it near the visitors centre and then popped down to Buckenham Marshes to see the returning Lesser White-fronted Goose with the Taiga Bean Geese. It was fairly distant, but quite distinctive being the only White-front in the flock. I also headed up to Cockshoot Broad to take a look at the Ferruginous Duck and/or hybrid(s). There were 2 birds on the broad which later flew to the river where I got some nice photos of them.
Ring-necked Duck, Ranworth Broad, Norfolk
Ring-necked Duck, Ranworth Broad, Norfolk
Ferruginous Duck (right) and Ferruginous X Pochard hybrid (left) Cockshoot Broad, Norfolk
Ferruginous Duck Cockshoot Broad, Norfolk
Ferruginous Duck (right) and Ferruginous X Pochard hybrid (left) Cockshoot Broad, Norfolk
Ferruginous Duck (right) and Ferruginous X Pochard hybrid (left) Cockshoot Broad, Norfolk
Ferruginous X Pochard hybrid Cockshoot Broad, Norfolk
Ferruginous x Pochard hybrid, Cockshoot Broad, Norfolk
Ferruginous x Pochard hybrid, Cockshoot Broad, Norfolk
Ferruginous Duck (left) and Ferruginous X Pochard hybrid (right) Cockshoot Broad, Norfolk
Ferruginous Duck (left) and Ferruginous X Pochard hybrid (right) Cockshoot Broad, Norfolk
Ferruginous Duck (front) and Ferruginous X Pochard hybrid (back) Cockshoot Broad, Norfolk
Ferruginous Duck, Cockshoot Broad, Norfolk
Ferruginous Duck (left) and Ferruginous X Pochard hybrid (right) Cockshoot Broad, Norfolk
Ferruginous Duck (right) and Ferruginous X Pochard hybrid (left) Cockshoot Broad, Norfolk
Ferruginous Duck (right) and Ferruginous X Pochard hybrid (left) Cockshoot Broad, Norfolk
Ferruginous Duck, Cockshoot Broad, Norfolk
I ended the day with a trip to Martham/Heigham Holmes. There were about 200+ White-fronted Geese plus 16 Common Cranes feeding out in the pastures.
Quite a nice festive season really. The weather stayed nice for winter birding and we can now all look forward to the days getting slightly longer.
