Review of 2019 and 2020 - Birds: Geese, Swans and Shelducks

DUCKS, GEESE and SWANS (family ANATIDAE)


Dark-bellied Brent Goose Branta bernicla - 300 past Sheringham on 21st October 2019.


Grey-bellied Brant Branta bernicla [nigricans?] - It was great to see this amazing goose again on New Year's Day 2020 having first seen it on Boxing Day 2018.

Grey-bellied Brant, Fring, 1st January 2020

Canada Goose Branta canadensis - Occasionally seen (up to 25) flying over or past at the meadows.


Canada Goose x Greylag Goose hybrid Branta canadensis x Anser anser - Given that I don't see many Greylag or Canada Geese at the meadows I did quite well to see a hybrid on two occasions (11th February and 24th August 2019), quite possibly both involving the same individual, both times seen flying with Canada Geese.  Also one at Fairburn Ings on the way home from the Lakes.

Canada Goose (left) and Canada Goose x Greylag Goose hybrid (right), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 24th August 2019

Greylag Goose x Canada Goose hybrid, Fairburn Ings, 7th April 2019

Barnacle Goose Branta leucoptera - One flew over the meadows on 2nd May 2019.  Further afield 2 presumed wild birds with Pink-feet at Fring on 1st January 2020 and in 2019, 85 at Burnham Overy, 12+ at Minsmere (Suffolk) and 60 at Derwentwater (Cumbria).


Greylag Goose Anser anser - The most frequently-recorded goose flying over the meadows though 30 on 28th September 2020 was unusual.


Greylag Goose x Swan Goose hybrid Anser anser x Anser cygnoides - One of a pair of "Greylag" Geese seen flying over the meadows in spring 2020 showed a dark nail which is not present on pure Greylag Geese.  Such birds are normally presumed to be backcrossed hybrids with domestic Swan Goose.  The other bird in the pair had a rather deep-based bill and a suggestion of a knob, so it appears that both birds were hybrids.

Greylag Goose x Swan Goose hybrids, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th March 2020

Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus - Several records of birds flying over home including  about 400 on 7th January 2019 and about 150 on 28th November 2020.  Also several records over the meadows including 226 (in four flocks) on 2nd Janaury 2019.  Elsewhere records included 3 lingering at Great Ryburgh on 17th April 2019 and 7 on the Hayle Estuary (Cornwall) on 10th October 2020.

Pink-footed Geese, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd January 2019

Tundra Bean Goose Anser serrirostris - One at Choseley on 1st January 2020.

Tundra Bean Goose, Chosely, 1st January 2020

White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons - 18 at Lyng Easthaugh on 12th January, 2 over Stiffkey Fen on 16th October and 4 at Bittering on Christmas Day, all in 2020.

White-fronted Geese, Lyng Easthaugh, 12th January 2020

Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus - An absolutely tiny goose was seen flying with 2 Greylag Geese on 26th April 2019 but way too distant to get anything on it at all.  It was probably an escaped Lesser White-fronted Goose, perhaps the individual that was seen at various places around the county during the year, but with such poor views (and no telescope with me) I couldn't nail it.


Black Swan Cygnus atratus - One at Nosterfield (Yorkshire) on 31st December 2019.


Mute Swan Cygnus olor - Regularly seen in the valley below the meadows or in adjacent meadows.


Bewick's Swan Cygnus columbianus - 2 at St Benet's Abbey on 1st December 2019.


Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus - One at Fairburn Ings (Yorkshire) on 7th April and 14 at St Benet's Abbey on 1st December 2019.


Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca - Sometimes seen flying over the meadows or in adjacent farmland.

Egyptian Geese, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 20th January 2020

Shelduck Tadorna tadorna - One flew over the meadows on 9th May 2020, my only record there so far.  Elsewhere records included 165 at Blakeney Harbour on 16th October 2020.


Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea - One at Gateley on 18th March and 19th April 2019.

Ruddy Shelduck (right, with Egyptian Goose), Gateley, 18th March 2019

Cape (South African) Shelduck Tadorna cana - only in captivity...

captive Cape (South African) Shelduck, Blakeney Collection, 16th October 2020

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Iberian Chiffchaff, Grey-headed Wagtail and Short-eared Owl

On Friday 12th I headed up to Burnham Overy in the hope of finding some spring migrants.  I arrived early and had Whimbrel, 2 Common Sandpipers, Spoonbill and 3 Bearded Tits on the way out.  The apparent Pale-bellied x Dark-bellied Brent Goose hybrid was still paired to the colour-ringed Dark-bellied Brent BYB=.  A pair of second-summer Mediterranean Gulls flew over and I heard 2 Cuckoos.

Cuckoo, Burnham Overy, 12th May

From Gun Hill the sea was dead and overland migration quiet - I eventually managed 55 Swallows and 3 Sand Martins through along with 1 Grey and 2 Yellow Wagtails west.  But the weather never looked great for vis mig - it looked much better for grounded migrants - that was what I was really hoping for and expecting.  At this time of year I don't expect big falls, just the odd bird, and maybe the odd good bird.  Well sadly there wasn't the odd bird - practically nothing new at all.  Ok I did hear what sounded exactly like a Tawny Pipit calling once quite close to where I was standing in the east dunes but it never called again and despite 2.5 hours searching the area I never found it.  There were a handful of migrants remaining from previous days - 2 Ring Ouzels and 5-6 Wheatears - but it was pretty dire.  A Stoat and a Natterjack were more interesting.

I stopped at Ryburgh on the way home which was also quiet.  This Grey Wagtail was the highlight.

Grey Wagtail, Ryburgh, 12th May

It still was the next day...

Grey Wagtail, Ryburgh, 13th May

Actually I lie - a distant Marsh Harrier was my first for the site, although they're meant to be regular here.  I remember seeing Stickleback, Three-spined I think, when I was little, but haven't positively identified any for a long time.  I'm pretty sure the tiddlers this This Little Egret was catching were Three-spined Stickleback.

Little Egret with Three-spined Sticklebacks, Ryburgh, 13th May

Common Tern, Ryburgh, 13th May

These House Martins have been busy collecting mud for their nests in Great Ryburgh village.

House Martins, Ryburgh, 13th May

Wren, Ryburgh, 13th May

Little Egret, Ryburgh, 14th May

I was surprised to hear a Barn Owl calling a couple of times from my study on 14th.  I once saw one at the bottom of the road but have never seen or heard them here before. Other local birds around this time included a Kingfisher at Mill Street (Elsing) and Little Ringed Plovers at some gravel pits.

I was tempted up to Walsey Hills on Friday 16th to see (and hear) an Iberian Chiffchaff.  It was singing strongly when I arrived and continued to do so for some time.  It was much harder to see though, but I did get a few good views of it.  My photos don't do it justice.

Iberian Chiffchaff, Wasley Hills, 16th May

As I chatted to Mark G on Old Woman's Lane news came through of a Grey-headed Wagtail on the Eye Field.  It seemed rude not to pay it a visit so popped down and found about a dozen 12 Yellow Wagtails among the cows.  Eventually we picked out the Grey-headed Wagtail from among them - a stunning bird as always.  Someone called a 'Channel' Wagtail while I was there but I certainly didn't see anything I consider identifiable as such.  Having said that I'm never quite sure about the ID of some of the greyer-headed/backed female-type Yellow Wagtails that occur in late spring, like these two for example.

Yellow Wagtails, Cley, 16th May

Little Egret, Ryburgh, 18th May

Shelducks, Ryburgh, 20th May

Another trip up to Burnham Overy late on Wednesday 21st May produced little in the way of migrants - 3 Wheatears, a Willow Warbler and a Whimbrel.  This Short-eared Owl was nice though.

Wheatear, Burnham Overy, 21st May

Linnets, Burnham Overy, 21st May

A Great White Egret was also seen at Holkham.

Barnacle Goose, Ryburgh, 22nd May

House Sparrows, Ryburgh, 22nd May

Starling, Ryburgh, 22nd May