Review of 2019 and 2020 - Birds: Swifts, Cuckoos, Doves, Rails and Grebes

SWIFTS (family APODIDAE)


Swift Apus apus - Seen regularly at home and at the meadows, as well as elsewhere, but seems to be getting fewer of them every year.

Swift, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 12th May 2019

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CUCKOOS (family CUCULIDAE)


Cuckoo Cuculus canorus - This species continues to hang on locally and I'm fortunate to hear them regularly from home and from the meadows (possibly involving the same birds).  In 2019 they were heard between 21st April and 15th June and in 2020 between 23rd April and 13th June.  At least 2 males and one female were heard at the meadows in 2020 but despite at least one bird being heard on most visits (at least those early morning and evening visits) I only got to actually see a bird on one or two occasions, and then quite distantly.  Elsewhere recorded at Titchwell in 2019 and Frost's Common in 2020, plus at several sites on Mull in June 2019.

Cuckoo, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 9th May 2020

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DOVES and PIGEONS (family COLUMBIDAE)


Rock Dove Columba livia - 6 at 3 locations on Mull in June 2019.  A Feral Pigeon flew through the meadows on 12th October 2020 and at least some of the Rock Doves seen in Spain in February 2020 were feral types.

Rock Dove, Llobregat Delta (Spain), 22nd February 2020

Stock Dove Columba oenas - Regularly seen at the meadows and occasionally at home (one sometimes sings in next door's garden).

Stock Dove, Worthing, 19th April 2019

Stock Dove, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd March 2020

Woodpigeon Columba palumbus - Common at home and at the meadows.

Woodpigeon, Llobregat Delta (Spain), 22nd February 2020

Woodpigeons, North Elmham, 29th September 2020

Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtura - One in the carpark at Titchwell on 1st June and one singing by the green here in North Elmham on 7th August 2019.  None locally in 2020 but one at Arden Sawah in Cornwall on 7th October.

Turtle Dove, Titchwell, 1st June 2019

Turtle Dove, Arden Sawah (Cornwall), 7th October 2020

Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto - Common at the meadows (the chapel area rather than the meadows themselves) and at home.  The only mildly noteworthy record was one in from the north at Sheringham on 21st October 2019.

Collared Dove, North Elmham chapel, 6th November 2020

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RAILS and COOTS (family RALLIDAE)


Water Rail Rallus aquaticus - One seen in the ditch where it runs under the railway on 18th February and the same or another in the same place on 20th March 2019.  In addition one was heard flying over after dark on 22nd March.  Elsewhere one at Santon Downham on 23rd February and heard at Burnham Overy in October.  None locally in 2020 but heard at Frost's Common and also at the Llobregat Delta in Spain.

Water Rail, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 20th March 2019

Corncrake Crex crex - One heard behind the abbey on Iona on 11th June 2019.


Purple (Western) Swamphen Porphytio porphyrio - one heard calling at Llobregat Delta (Spain) on 22nd February 2020.


Moorhen Gallinula chloropus - Usually seen from the meadows.  One on next-door's pond in January 2019 which was probably the same bird that appeared in my garden a couple of times in February including once on the bird table.


Coot Fulica atra - Heard overnight over the garden on 3 occasions and over the meadows twice, all in 2019.  Also one flushed from the ditch under the railway at the meadows on 11th February 2019.

Coot, Llobregat Delta, 22nd February 2020

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GREBES (family PODICIPEDIDAE)


Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis - No sight records of any grebes at the meadows yet but one heard calling on the river on 19th April and one heard flying over during the night of 22nd April 2019.

Little Grebes, Llobregat Delta (Spain), 22nd February 2020

Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus - No records were of any significance.


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Snowy Owl

A report of Snowy Owl at North Wootton early on 5th March had been intriguing - was it really a Snowy Owl, a misidentified Barn Owl, or given what one person investigating it found in the area, perhaps even a very pale Buzzard?  It was seen again at Heacham the next day but this only came to light on Thursday when someone showed a photo to Lizzie at Titchwell - she reported that it was indeed a Snowy Owl and people's interest picked up a bit.  But days had passed now - would it still be in the area?

I considered heading out that way on Friday but instead opted for starting at the local patch where 102 Wigeon was my highest count this winter.   It was very quiet though and I soon headed back home - until I heard the news I was hoping for - the Snowy Owl had been pinned down.  It was now on Scolt Head Island, viewed from Burnham Deepdale.  My first Snowy Owl had been the wintering bird in Lincolnshire in December 1990 - that bird had moved to Norfolk the following March before heading back north but its brief visit to the county that counts coincided with me being in Scotland.  I saw another in Suffolk in 2001 but there hasn't been another chance to see one in Norfolk until now.  So I didn't hang around and soon joined Chris on the seawall beind the White Horse car park.  The Snowy Owl was sitting on the shore at the edge of Scolt Head.  We watched it for a couple of hours or more during which time it never flew but shuffled around a little.  A few Carrion Crows showed an interest and more surprisingly so did a couple of Red Kites, one of which kept swooping down at it.  There were also a few Mediterranean Gulls in the harbour and at one point I had Snowy Owl, Red Kite and Mediterreanean Gull in the same field of view.

It was way too distant for photos, but that's never stopped me trying...

Snowy Owl (and Red Kite and Carrion Crows in the lower photos), Scolt Head from Burnham Deepdale, 9th March

Next day a Woodcock was the highlight on the patch, along with 49 Gadwall, Treecreeper and Marsh Tit at Creaking Gate Lake.  Later that day my wife alerted me to a 'funny bird' on next door's lawn just behind our property.  It was a Buzzard feeding on frogs from their pond - a bird I've not seen on the deck here before.  A Grey Heron also put in a brief appearance, another species I don't see from here all that often.

Buzzard, North Elmham, 10th March

A visit to London on 16th/17th produced a number of Ring-necked Parakeets at several locations.  A brief stop at Hyde Park failed to turn up any exciting species but a couple of Starlings posed for the camera:

Starling, Hyde Park, 16th March

Nearby St James's Park was more interesting, if only for its non-native wildlife. I'm not 100% sure but I think this White-fronted Goose x Bar-headed Goose hybrid is the same bird that hatched in 2006 making it nearly 12 years old.

White-fronted Goose x Bar-headed Goose hybrid, St James's Park, 16th March

This hybrid bred with a Bar-headed Goose in at least 2015 and 2016 producing at least one juvenile in 2015 and at least two goslings in 2016.  I'm not sure which ones survived but presumably this bird is one of those backcrossed hybrids - very similar to a pure Bar-headed Goose except for scattered dark feathers in the white areas and the body being just a touch darker and browner than normal.

(White-fronted Goose x Bar-headed Goose hybrid) x Bar-headed Goose backcrossed hybrid, St James's Park, 16th March

Here is the pure Bar-headed Goose, most likely this bird's parent I should think.  At least I am assuming it is pure but backcrossed birds can be very variable (more so than first-generation hybrids) perhaps potentially being unseparable from pure birds.  One side of its nail (bill tip) is pale which isn't typical for pure Bar-headed Goose, but on its own I don't see that as enough to suspect it is impure.

Bar-headed Goose, St James's Park, 16th March

Red-breaseted Goose, St James's Park, 16th March

Ringed Teals, St James's Park, 16th March

Smew, St James's Park, 16th March

Whtie Pelicans, St James's Park, 16th March

There were some birds here naturally, including a small flock of Carrion Crows.  The first bird below had raised its crown feathers giving it a steep forehead like a Rook.

Carrion Crows, St James's Park, 16th March

Little Grebe, St James's Park, 16th March

Pochard, St James's Park, 16th March

Leucism (or perhaps more likely some other kind of pigment deficiency) in this Egyptian Goose revealed some interesting markings in the feathers that are not normally visible.  I guess the dark marbling is always present but masked by a dark background so you can't make it out.

Egyptian Goose, St James's Park, 16th March