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Surrey Birding (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter devilbirder
- Start date
billsbirding
Well-known member
Went to Painshill Park earlier today for the annual winter Goosanders. Whilst watching them from the left hand path on 'The Lake', I stumbled upon a Pink-footed Goose in the distance, along the path with a group of fully winged Greylag Geese. It appeared wary, and as soon as it saw me, it shot off into the water- without enough time to see whether it was ringed- with the Greylags slowly trudging in behind it as I approached. From then on, it stayed with the large group of Greylay Geese in the middle of the 'The Lake' (as I believe its called).
On any other occasion, I'd usually shrug off unusual wildfowl like this in Painshill as collection, but with the bird not being more than a mile or two from where the PFG was last seen seen with the Bewick's in the flooded field in Cobham on 19th, and no other obvious collection wildfowl around, there must be a chance they could be the same individual. Might be worth checking out, and any opinions welcome especially regarding plumage comparisons between the two birds.
All photos taken on 'The Lake' from the left hand side of the path, looking towards the grotto.
On any other occasion, I'd usually shrug off unusual wildfowl like this in Painshill as collection, but with the bird not being more than a mile or two from where the PFG was last seen seen with the Bewick's in the flooded field in Cobham on 19th, and no other obvious collection wildfowl around, there must be a chance they could be the same individual. Might be worth checking out, and any opinions welcome especially regarding plumage comparisons between the two birds.
All photos taken on 'The Lake' from the left hand side of the path, looking towards the grotto.
Attachments
JohnnyH
Aldershot till I die!
Cheers John i'll try my luck tomorrow morning. Just to let people know run a blog on my local patch near Godalming, Busbridge & Tuesley Farm.
http://busbridgeandtuesleysightings.blogspot.com/
http://busbridgeandtuesleysightings.blogspot.com/
kevinguest
Kojak
Billy
I have posted some pics of the Cobham bird.The bird was dropping feathers before it departed.
I cant see this bird being accepted as wild by the committee but who knows....... Its a tick for many of the top Surrey VC birders.
regards
Kojak
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Johnny Allan
Dip or Glory
Hi Billy,
as you'd suspected, this was the Cobham Bird:
http://surreybirding.blogspot.com/2011/01/pot-pink.html
http://surreybirding.blogspot.com/2011/01/pinkfoot-update.html
http://surreybirding.blogspot.com/2011/01/pinkfoot-update-2.html
Have you (or anyone), been back to Painshill Park since ? The Jury's still out on this one. Obviously, if the bird was still around in the summer, it'd be straight out the window (although, of course, if it disappears without trace, it doesn't necessarily mean it's of wild origin).
Would they have thought this lone Barnacle Goose was wild if it wasn't for the ring ?
http://www.sligobirding.com/News.html
It's always going to be difficult with birds like this Pinkfoot unless they show obvious signs of being from captive origin but I wouldn't like to dismiss or accept this bird until all possible info is in. Here is something from the latest WWT Magazine:
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RJSeargent
Birding at the taxpayer's expense. Head down, bin
A day of dips today. Dipped on Great Northern Diver at Island Barn, Walton and QE2 Reservoirs followed by a dip on Smew at Thorpe Park which I considered would be an easy bird to see. I guess the wind had moved both species onto somewhere else.
And to add salt to the wound I now discover that the GND has returned to Island Barn. That's birding I guess and another trip tomorrow me thinks.
Rich
And to add salt to the wound I now discover that the GND has returned to Island Barn. That's birding I guess and another trip tomorrow me thinks.
Rich
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Johnny Allan
Dip or Glory
RJSeargent
Birding at the taxpayer's expense. Head down, bin
Tri-Counties Birder
AKA The Portland Naturalist
Not sure its a good idea to put details of potentially breeding Firecrest.
Are they still considered to be sensitive?
Are they still considered to be sensitive?
RJSeargent
Birding at the taxpayer's expense. Head down, bin
Fair point - it's off although the area is a large one. This bird has appeared on Birdguides for the last month or so and on this thread.
Rich
mattytheduke
Well-known member
Just back from Cutt Mill. No luck seeing or hearing the Firecrest. Good to see Yellow-legged Gull on the House Pond though, and Goosander numbers increasing again it seems. Got nice views of Yellow-legged circling over the Tarn as I was leaving, before it flew back over the trees toward the House Pond.
JohnnyH
Aldershot till I die!
Hi Matt,
Was that you that I spoke to in the car park at Cutt Mill this afternoon? You, (or not!), had just parked up in a Rover 45 at the Tarn.
Cheers,
John.
mattytheduke
Well-known member
John,
Yes, that was indeed me! I got the text from Rich S and dashed over after lunch. Good to meet you, in retrospect as it were!
Matt.
Tri-Counties Birder
AKA The Portland Naturalist
Yes, but we are still at the time for winterers, so thats okay. When the details of a singing bird are released it becomes a different matter.
Don't worry about it, I have been responsible for exactly the same thing before, and I learnt my lesson (although I do think that Firecrest has become sufficiently common in our area, to maybe warrant less protection in the near-future).
Hi Rich,
Still at least one redhead Smew at Thorpe Park on Manor Lake. In the southwest corner with the Pochard. Not showing well in this wind but drifted out once from the hidden corner. Also found a 1st winter drake Scaup and possibly a new unrecorded Heronry for Surrey.
Kevin
RJSeargent
Birding at the taxpayer's expense. Head down, bin
A return to Cutt Mill after work this afternoon. 4 Mandarin on the House Pond along with 7 Goosander (1 drake). The adult Yellow-legged Gull was briefly present before it flew towards the Tarn but was not relocated. A lone Treecreeper was amongst a large mixed Tit flock between the Tarn and Warren Pond.
Rich
Rich
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RJSeargent
Birding at the taxpayer's expense. Head down, bin
A roost of 28 Goosander at Cutt Mill (Via Rich H)
