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

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