Eclipsing hybrid, close encounters with Kingfisher and Corncrakes in the village

I'd wanted to see if I could find the Mallard x Pintail hybrid in eclipse plumage so headed over to Thorpe Green on Sunday 18th June.  Eventually I found a bird which I figured had to be it, not quite fully in eclipse but far enough to be quite hard to pick out.  By comparison with Dave Norgate's photos taken a few days earlier (but in more recognisable plumage) I was able to confirm it was the same boy.

Mallard x Pintail hybrid, Thorpe Green, 18th June

That evening 3 Grey Herons flew high west over the garden - I don't often see herons here.

At Ryburgh on 21st I saw the White Wagtail again (for the last time - I've not seen it since) and a Kingfisher.  I knew there were Lapwing chicks around from the behaviour of the parents - they had become much more aggresive than previously.  Here is one attacking a Little Egret.

Lapwing vs. Little Egret, Ryburgh, 21st June

Eventually I did get great views of two chicks...

Lapwing chicks, Ryburgh, 21st June

Two Red Kites were the highlight at Ryburgh on 24th.  Also 6 Barnacle Geese.  Adult Blue Tits are not looking their best at this time of year...

Blue Tit, Ryburgh, 24th June

One or two Chiffchaffs showed very well...

Chiffchaff(s?), Ryburgh, 24th June

I went up to Burnham Overy on 26th - lots of big white birds on view as I walked out - 2 Great White Egrets among at least 30 Little Egrets and 4-5 Spoonbills.  That was pretty much it so far as birds are concerned, though I had a great time in the dunes so far as insects are concerned - you can read about that in my mothing diary.  Oh, there was one bird that was just about noteworthy - this Cuckoo.

Cuckoo, Burnham Overy, 26th June

Pochard, Burnham Overy, 26th June

I occasionally see Kingfishers at Ryburgh but rarely do they perch up close enough to photograph.  And when they do they stop for just a second or two so I can maybe get one or two shots if I'm really quick.  On Friday 30th one was far more obliging.  It arrived at 11.27 and left while it was still 11.27 (according to the timestamps on my photos) so it wasn't exactly around for a long time, but it did let me get these shots which I was quite happy with.

Kingfisher, Ryburgh, 30th June

Whitethroat, Ryburgh, 30th June

Other visits to Ryburgh and other local spots around this time didn't turn up much worth mentioning here.

A while back I learned that a large number of Corncrakes had been released in the Wensum Valley "somewhere towards North Elmham" in the last year or two and in late June I discovered more precisely where they had been released.  A number of people started reporting hearing them from the railway just north of North Elmham station and on 4th July I finally got round to having a look myself.  It was a warm, calm evening and I thought conditions might be good but alas there was no sign of them.  The area one had been calling was very close to my road and I suspected that they must be audible from my road - it was no more than 500m away from my front door!  I later discovered that neighbours had indeed heard them from the bottom of my road.  I did see at least 3 Barn Owls and later when I got home I heard a Little Owl alarm-calling.

An early morning visit to the railway on 11th July finally allowed me to catch up with the Corncrakes - I heard at least one Corncrake calling from a barley field between 5 and 5.30 am.  After this I moved on to Ryburgh where a showy juvenile Bullfinch was the highlight.  I've not often managed prolonged close views of juvenile Bullfinches so I quite enjoyed this.

juvenile Bullfinch, Ryburgh, 11th July

My first juvenile Black-headed Gull of the year away from breeding grounds was here and a Kingfisher put in another brief appearance.

Kingfisher, Ryburgh, 11th July

Robin, Ryburgh, 11th July

Sedge Warbler, Ryburgh, 11th July

Lazy day birding mainly from the car

I headed up to the coast a bit late, getting Christmas shopping out of the way in Holt before 9.00 am.  I'd been planning to look at Brent Geese, especially hoping to see the Pale-bellied hybrid family, but it was a sunny day, and sunny days are the worst for looking at Brent Geese.  Subtly different shades of black are lost in bright sunshine, so I decided to leave that for another day.  At Salthouse I had a look for the white-headed Wigeon that Dave had seen in early November.  Easily located in exactly the same place as I'd seen it in at least two of the previous three winters.  And comparing photos with the previous years it clearly is the same returning bird, which of course means it can't be a first-winter male as I had previously assumed.  I think it's an intersex - have a look at this blog post to see why.

presumed intersex Wigeon, Salthouse, 23rd December

Some normal Wigeon there too:

Wigeon, Salthouse, 23rd December

Coot, Salthouse, 23rd December

Next stop Blakeney where the guy who owns the duckpond kindly invited me in to have a look round.

There were 2 Stonechat by the seawall north of the quay.

Stonechats, Blakeney, 23rd December

Reed Bunting, Blakeney, 23rd December

I couldn't find the Twite in the usual place, or the Lapland Bunting, but did get some Bearded Tits on the way back - at least 4, probably a few more.  Photographing them was nigh on impossible in the wind - surprised I managed even this:

Bearded Tit, Blakeney, 23rd December

This Shag was showing well at Wells Quay.

Shag, Wells, 23rd December

A Red Kite was over the estuary and later 2-3 Red Kites flew west over Holkham Pines.  I was going to have another look at the Red-rumped Swallow but it was further away than it had been yesterday so I didn't bother joining the crowd.  I did stop further up to see the Great White Egret though - it was below the trees where I'd seen a large-looking white egret drop into on Saturday - I'd been a long way off at Burnham Overy and only saw it for a nano-second so couldn't be 100% but I was expecting someone else would find it during the course of the week.

After a bit of driving around to find the Pink-footed Geese (which I failed to do) I ended up at Brancaster Staithe so popped in to see the Red-necked Grebe.  Thought with it being sunny I might get better photos, but alas it was miles off today.

Finally another Red Kite across the road as I came out of the fish & chip shop at Burnham Market.


Not sure if these were wild birds taking advantage of the provision of food at Blakeney or if they belonged in the collection...

Tufted Duck, Blakeney Collection, 23rd December

Shoveler, Blakeney Collection, 23rd December

These ones certainly weren't wild!

captive Smew, Blakeney Collection, 23rd December

captive Red-breasted Goose, Blakeney Collection, 23rd December

captive Cinnamon Teals, Blakeney Collection, 23rd December

captive Blue-winged Teal, Blakeney Collection, 23rd December

The Blue-winged Teal's mate looked purer than it did last time!  Pretty sure it must be the same bird but strange how different views give a different impression.  Last time it looked so spatulate-billed and pale-billed that I figured it must have been a Blue-winged Teal x Shoveler hybrid but this time it wasn't so clear.

captive Blue-winged Teal or hybrid, Blakeney Collection, 23rd December

The backcrossed Mallard x Pintail hybrid has matured a bit now - lost its immature feathers on the flanks etc. and grown its tail a bit.  The long centrail tail feathers (actually upper tail-coverts I believe) are still angled up away from the tail though, and widely separated, and of course the breast colour is the more obvious clue to Mallard involvement.

captive Mallard x Pintail hybrid backcrossed with Pintail, Blakeney Collection, 23rd December