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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Stilts and Bitterns

I started off locally on Friday 5th May seeing Dunlin and hearing Greenshank at Bittering.  I then headed into the Fens and Brecks where I planned to spend the day checking a number of different sites.  In the end things didn't go according to plan, but not in a bad way.  Anyway, I had walk along Methwold Lode which overlooks High Fen.  There was a Green Woodpecker in the area, a Cuckoo calling and a pair of Stonechats along the path, but the best bird was in the large pool half way along to Wissington - a Grey Plover.  Must be a good local bird I thought, though found out later that it or another had been seen in the area already.

I moved on to Wissington where a family of Otters was playing in the river west of the beet factory.  From the north side of the river I looked over to Hilgay Fen seeing Common Sandpiper, 2 Greenshanks and 8 Avocets.  Good to meet Ben Rackstraw along here too - a name I've known for ages but not been able to put a face to it.

Back at Wissington I bumped into Carl Donner - had a good chat with him about all sorts of things and ended up popping round to his place to see his very impressive wildfowl collection.  Some really interesting birds there and a great opporunity to learn things.  A shame most birders look down on wildfowl collections with such disdain as they offer an oppotunity to find out all sorts of things that can be relevant to study of wild birds.  I particularly valued seeing the various forms of Bean Goose, White-fronted Goose and Cackling Goose, had some good discussion about Ruddy Shelduck plumages and mutations, and a whole lot more.  He showed me some amazing taxidermy too - Pallas's Sandgrouse and Great Bustard for example, and one that was bound to interest me - an American Wigeon x Pintail hybrid.

mounted American Wigeon x Pintail hybrid (captive origin)

captive White-winged Wood Duck, private collection, 5th May

captive Thick-billed Bean Goose (serrirostris), private collection, 5th May

captive 'Sushkin's' Tundra Bean Goose, private collection, 5th May

captive Ring-necked Ducks, private collection, 5th May

Once I left Carl's I knew I had to get home to label the photos I'd taken or else I'd have no chance of remembering what was what, so I abandoned my original intentions for the afternoon.  I did manage to get out again locally later on - this Common Sandpiper at Ryburgh being the highlight.

Common Sandpiper, Ryburgh, 5th May

Pied Wagtail, Ryburgh, 5th May

Next day I was scheduled to help with a group at Minsmere, but with easterly winds and rain I was keen to do some proper birding beforehand.  I arrived at Rush Hill Scrape at around dawn to find the Savi's Warbler continuing to sing and 3 Grasshopper Warblers reeling in the area.  A Cuckoo called and a Spoonbill was on the scrape but there were no passage waders there at all.  I walked on to Potter Heigham Marsh where there were lots of waders.  Two Whimbrel flew off with a Curlew.  There were 2 Dunlin, 4 Ruff, at least 6 Greenshank, the odd Snipe (6 flew over later), c30 Avocets and some Grey Plovers.  A flock of 21 Grey Plover flew around with a Bar-tailed Godwit and then at last the pair of Black-winged Stilts appeared from nowhere.  There were 6 Ringed Plovers, a Little Stint and a Curlew Sandpiper (plus 2 Spoonbills) on the farthest pool and a Common Sandpiper on the river.  Finally 3 Wood Sandpipers rounded the impressive list of waders off (others not mentioned were Lapwing, Oystercatcher and Redshank).  There were also 3 Garganey (a pair and a drake) there and one Crane flew past while another was calling.  What a fabulous site, for now at least.

Black-winged Stilts, Potter Heigham Marsh, 6th May

Now I needed to get a move on in order to get to Minsmere on time.  We headed up to Island Mere hide first, pausing to look at a couple of Treecreepers and a Whitethroat on the way.  I glimpsed a Bearded Tit and we kept hearing a Bittern booming.  There were 3 Hobbies on view and some Swifts over the back.  As we entered Bittern hide a Bittern was on view in front of the hide - we got fantastic views of it for ages, as well as at least 2 other Bitterns seen in flight.  At one point a Water Rail crossed in front of the Bittern.

Bittern and Water Rail, Minsmere, 6th May

Bitterns, Minsmere, 6th May

Hobby, Minsmere, 6th May

A find drake Mandarin was parading about in front of the first of the hides overlooking the scrape and other dodgy/feral wildfowl included 2 Bar-headed Geese and the inevitable Barnacle Geese.

Mandarin, Minsmere, 6th May

There was a lovely Whinchat near the sluice and a Stonechat nearby.  There were a few Kittiwakes and lots of (50 in a very quick count) Mediterranean Gulls.  One of a number of Knot was particularly obliging as it fed close to the hide.

Knot, Minsmere, 6th May

I dipped the main bird at Ryburgh that evening, which was initially annoying until I discovered it had had a red ring on its leg so presumably only travelled from as far as Pensthorpe.  Still annoying actually, in a weird sort of way I'd have quite liked to have seen it anyway.  It had only dropped out of view too, never to emerge again.  Sounds like it might have walked back to Pensthorpe going on a report from there a few days later.

Next day I finally saw the Greenshank at Ryburgh which had been popping in briefly several times over recent days (I'd seen it on a small roadside pond nearby but not on the scrape).  The Common Sandpiper was still there.

Greenshank, Ryburgh, 7th May

Common Sandpiper, Ryburgh, 7th May

Kingfishers are sometimes seen here too but while I've been down they've rarely perched close enough for photography, and when they have done they've stopped there barely long enough to focus the camera.  I just managed to get one slightly shaky shot this time.

Kingfisher, Ryburgh, 7th May

Dave's Wood Sandpiper and 2 Ringed Plovers were still present at Bintree Mill - very good local records.  The day after there were 2 Wood Sandpipers along with Greenshank and Snipe.  I had another Greenshank at Bittering the following day.

Not much else to report locally or from further afield up to 11th May - Little Ringed Plovers, Avocets, the odd Grey Wagtail, a pair of Hobbies and the same singing Firecrest were the best.

House Martins, Ryburgh, 11th May

Little Egret, Ryburgh, 11th May

Whitethroat, Brancaster, 11th May