After christmas party last night I didn't get out as early as intended!!!
BUT did manage one new year tick today
eventually!!!
Arrived
RSPB Snettisham and reached Shore Hide at around 10.30ish (can't remember when exactly now). I passed Connor, Irene, Trevor and Ray Roche (
well done David (Ray's son):t: who found the Ferruginous Duck yesterday) on route and on arriving at Shore Hide there were only two other birders who had not seen it yet - we could not find it anywhere, I was joined by several more familiar faces and none of us could find it. Trevor alerted us to
2 Goosanders flying over. I was told the Fudge Duck has been very mobile between all 3 hides... hmmmm...... a few people left to go and look in Rotary Hide and we all agreed to put it on pager if we saw it - someone did and it turned up in Rotary Hide, so marched quickly up there and watched the
Ferruginous Duck at 1.20pm directly in front of hide swimming along in the sunshine and then disappeared from view as it swam in under the bank! - a few seconds later and that would have been a dip!! Several flocks of linnets and goldfinches about around the reserve. Back at the car
4 Snowbuntings flew over the carpark.
I then drove to
Hunstanton Cliffs in hope of a Red necked Grebe (need one for the year list) sooooo looking forward to the 1st Jan so I can just simply go birding again!!!
Pager goes off
American Wigeon mid afternoon 'Reedbed Hide', Welney - looked at my watch 3pm.... hmmmm - have I got time, hummed and haaaad GOOOOOOO!!!!! Phoned Welney and they knew nothing about it - so who ever saw it didn't report it to staff/wardens? Arrived Welney in semi dusk, silly really but hey ho. Ran past the arriving coach party for swan viewing and got to Reedbed Hide at 4.15pm and viewed wigeon in very semi light:-O now I could have ticked one - did one have a lighter head than the others? Or where they all the same? - in this light I decided they were most definately all the same!
Now I will be kind here, I could be really wicked to my fellow year listers but I will be kind - if you try for the American Wigeon when I am at work tomorrow YOU WILL NEED WELLINGTONS - I waded through nearly up to my knees with my wellies on along the path to the hide. In return for this info PLEASE ring me/send text/put on pager before 1pm - as if it is seen in the morning I am going to use my 2 hour break in between my shifts to fly to Welney and back, so need to know if it is there before 1pm please!!!!!!! - I will have literally a 5 minutes viewing slot, so someone needs to have it lined up in a scope for me to tick as I run into the hide please!!!!!!
Spent the rest of the evening being lazy in front of heaters in the main hide watching Whooper Swans, Mute Swans, tons of Pochard, mallard and a single Tufted Duck floating round in the floodlights and being entertained by the leader (I think) of the coach party who was telling people that immature mute swans were whoopers and also that immature Whoopers were Bewicks!!!! I couldn't resist informing the couple sitting immediately to my right the correct ID. Pouring with rain now aswell. I also witnessed something which was quite upsetting and also caught everyone's attention in the hide - 2 drake mallards were having a massive scrap/fight and were twisting and circling round for absolutely ages - one was sitting on the other pinning it down and trying to what looked like, drown it - it was very disturbing to watch, never seen this before, well not this viciously and for that length of time - everyone in the hide was watching this and it went on for at least 15 minutes, eventually when the hounded mallard managed to free itself away a few inches and mustered up enough strength to fly, the whole hide cheered!!!
Best Wishes Penny:girl:
Amendment to my post last night: it was David Roche that found the Fudge Duck not Ray!