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Norfolk birding (14 Viewers)

At least one Ross's Goose has been knocking around with the pinkies in Norfolk for several years now and when it first turned-up (with pinkies), was considered a good candidate for a genuine vagrant. However, the big problem with the Ross's Geese in Norfolk at the moment, is that there is about four that regularly over-summer and are obviously ferel. I think it's highly likely that these ferel birds mix with the pinkies during winter - other ferel geese often do this. To be honest, if you take a precautionary approach to listing, IMO you can't really tick em, but obviously it's up to you what you tick or not as it's your list.
 
You are probably right Ilya but I have witnessed two (feral I would presume) regularly with a fairly large number of Greylags. For a couple of weekends they were even failrly close to Titchwell.

I haven't seen those Greylags for while, with the exception of a fair number by Fitcham last weekend (most of which were hidden).

John

At least one Ross's Goose has been knocking around with the pinkies in Norfolk for several years now and when it first turned-up (with pinkies), was considered a good candidate for a genuine vagrant. However, the big problem with the Ross's Geese in Norfolk at the moment, is that there is about four that regularly over-summer and are obviously ferel. I think it's highly likely that these ferel birds mix with the pinkies during winter - other ferel geese often do this. To be honest, if you take a precautionary approach to listing, IMO you can't really tick em, but obviously it's up to you what you tick or not as it's your list.
 
Whilst on the subject of lists & fowl, what is the status of the Lesser White-front at Stanhoe, Norfolk (1991) and the 1w Snow Goose at Holkham (Jan 2005) and which recent Red-breasted Geese (if any) have been deemed wild?

BTW, have enjoyed Ross's on the fields here in recent weeks but my lists are strictly BOU.

UK400? Do me a favour... ;)

James
 
Thanks James, I was hoping someone was going to bite!!
Interesting though, who has just added Caspian Gull to their Norfolk list? Green-winged Teal? etc and now BOU are reviewing the status of certain ducks!!!
Anyway as has been so often discussed before, listing is very personal and you eventually count what you want (or what your peers do) and that is where the fum comes in. Birding is a hobby isn't it? It should be fun!?
 
More seriously James, the 2005 Snow Gosse was written up in the bird report as wild, with the two in 06 as presumed wild (feral birds are listed separately
Last recorded Red-brested Goose was in the NW in 00/01 with all occurances listed and feral know birds listed seperately (plus last years double)
Thw Stanhoe Lesser White-front is listed in 'The Birds of Norfolk' but its credentials are questioned. The last bird thought to be wild was in Jan 97 at Holkham Freshmarsh.

Hope that helps!
 
Interesting though, who has just added Caspian Gull to their Norfolk list?

Afraid I make up my own mind about what to split as well for my personal list so Caspian Gull has been on it for quite a while! Naturally I split whatever the BOU does plus a few others that seem most likely to follow. Others I'm more harsh on and will wait for officail decisions, such as Brent Geese.

Was your question suggesting that no Caspian Gulls have been officially accepted yet? If so, how many people have White-crowned Sparrow on their lists?!!!

Chris
 
Quickly back to Ross's Goose, I saw one at Titchwell in the autumn with Greylags and agree that it is strange that this bird has "disappeared", suggesting it may well have tagged onto Pinkies. However, there was an escape with Greylags in East Norfolk in Oct which was still with them in Dec, so why had this bird not "jumped ship" also given the large number of Pinkies in that area? Or does it switch between carriers depending on the day, hence recent sightings in that area? One with Greylags in Essex in Dec as well so do some of our Greylags wander further south in winter?

As for Red-breasted Goose, those that turn up with Dark-bellied Brents are usually considered genuine and would be the best bet for a "safe" tick. The one at West Wittering in W. Sussex will presumably be ticked by those that see it, let's hope it stops off here on its way back north!

Lesser Whitefront is a different prospect and are rarely considered genuine in any part of the country nowadays. I count the 1w at Slimbridge a few years ago and it's perhaps safest to go for one there for a British tick, if/when one turns up in the future. There are several feral birds in Norfolk (I've seen them in the East) but I would probably count one if it arrived with Whitefronts in the autumn/winter. However, whether it would be accepted as genuine is another matter...

Chris
 
Dan
2 Ross's Geese are at Saxlingham, best viewed from the village itself, last report of Snow were over on the Acle Straight
Lapland Bunting with Snow Buntings along the shingle ridge at Cley, where the 3 (mobile) Shorelark are also present.
I presume you mean Hen Harrier roost - nearest to Cley is Warham Greens, take the track opposite the minor road to Walsingham and walk west (if you want to)
However there is a small roost at Roydon, where the Great Grey Shrike is (was? or has it moved to Dersingham or is this a different bird - anyone?)

David

PS Richard, why are you so obsessed with the Shorelark?

Cheers, decided to do a bit of 'proper' birding first on my day up for the sparrow, (might not have been the best idea. . .anyway)

Got to Wolferton (as it was en route, I thought, to N Norfolk), about half an hour after first light, no G Pheasant for me, but did have a few Crossbill and Woodcock flew across the road. Walked down a path which led to Dersingham Bog and came across the GG shrike soon after, in a birch(?), at the eastern end. But it was against the light, so I went around the hill to get better views, to find it gone and a couple with a dog having just passed by . .

Met other birders soon after who were looking for it . . wonder if they connected? Saw the Roydon one was on birdguides in the afternoon . . . if flushed then that's the direction it could have gone I guess . .

Anyway, called by at Snettisham (too much walking for a quick vist though, so didn't make it all the way around), then up to Cley eventually after midday, passing some pink feet and white fronts on the way. WCS and Buntings and Shore Larks all performing, but getting gloomy at this point, so made it to Warham Greens, 2 others there already. No harriers though, possibly/probably too late. Probably offended a certain Mr B B****, of Cley, by suggesting the Ross's geese may have been slightly dubious (someone earlier had been telling me about 2 at Titchwell last year which cast doubts). Oops! And from comments on this thread, and hindsight, possibly messed up in not prioritising these more . . .

Anyway, probably need to 'earn' rare geese like these- only seen pink feet on a handful of occasions anyway, so don't deserve them yet! Seems like there should be more in the future . . .

cheers ;)
 
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Glad you had a reasonable day Dan, sorry about the harriers!
I'm surprised you didn't see any Ross's Geese at Snettisham (!!) they have remained faithful to that site for years!

Good to hear from you Chris, can't argue with what you are saying. Didn't quite mean that about the Caspian's, but you make another good point on a strict BOU list

we'll have to meet up again sometime

All the best
David
 
Nice to find a substantial Starling roost while out patching the village tonight, been displaying for the past two evenings so if any birders south of Norwich keen on seeing them they can be viewed from Hayntons lane track (south west of Long Stratton on the A140 between Norwich and Diss)

Rubbish at estimating numbers but well into four figures if not more!! couldn't see exactly where they went down cos I was watching them from a mile away while watching something else;)

Matt
 
1 probable Long-eared Owl this evening at around 5:15. Very windy over the marshes, so it was getting battered all over the shop. Made it difficult to get a decent view in the dark, but it was too long-winged for a Tawny, and it wasn't a Barn Owl, so it's a fairly safe bet. Also 1 Barn Owl, 2 Woodcocks, c30 Magpies at their roost, 1 Roe Deer and a Muntjack with a fawn.

Also had 2 Short-eared Owls on Blakeney Point the other day. Thats all the native owls sorted before Feb and the year list up to 120! Ooh-rah!!! ;)

Jason
 
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While down birding last week I had a pinkie at Holham with a neck collar sent the details off and have just received the following report.Makes interesting reading.
 

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several cranes incl three very low over Horsey Mere tonight plus whitefronts, Barnacles and 2000 pinks on way home from work but no sign of any Tundras.

I think well over 150 Pink-footed goose neck collars have been read out east. The flocks are quite mobile and you've probably got more chance of success searching out the flocks and 'finding' a white goose yourself than relying on pager messages, which are not as frequent out here. And it's a bit more exciting!
 
Harriers

Glad you had a reasonable day Dan, sorry about the harriers!
I'm surprised you didn't see any Ross's Geese at Snettisham (!!) they have remained faithful to that site for years!

Good to hear from you Chris, can't argue with what you are saying. Didn't quite mean that about the Caspian's, but you make another good point on a strict BOU list

we'll have to meet up again sometime

All the best
David

Re Harriers, Birdguides reported 5 Ringtails at Roydon late afternoon today.
Richard
 
Coast today

Have a few friends from South Wales up for the weekend and have spent the day along the coast. Not exactly good conditions with such a strong wind but managed to get cracking views of the sparrow and snow bunts at Salthouse.
Of interest at Salthouse was a drake green winged X common teal hybrid (showed both horizontal and vetrical stripes) feeding on the grain put out for the buntings. The horizontal stripe was strongly marked but the vertical stripe was very reduced and looked similar to the bird that I saw at Minsmere at the start of the year. There were some images taken and I will post them when I get them.
Managed to get in before the sleet so finger crossed for better weather tomorrow!!

Paul
 
While down birding last week I had a pinkie at Holham with a neck collar sent the details off and have just received the following report.Makes interesting reading.

Hi Geoff

Where did you send off the info to, to get this report. I saw F67 (neck collar) at Saxlingham a couple of weeks ago, but have not sent the details off anywhere yet - it would be nice to get such a comprehensive history as you have.

Was meant to be be "goosing" in Norfolk tomorrow with my uncle, but work commitments meant that i couldn't leave work today as early as i would have liked (needed to get to Loughborough this evening) - hopefully next weekend.

For what it's worth, for various resons, i beleive the 2 Ross's that have been with the Pinkies at Saxlingham (& elswhere) recently have better credentials than many - they're on my (year) list at any rate (unless proved escaped).

Gutted to have missed the Shorelarks on Monday - i was scanning the exact area of bank between the East Bank & North Hide from the East Bank - no sign, but it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. We met a couple of other birders who had walked along the bank and had not seen them, so decided not to walk along there - a wrong decision it seems!

Mike
 
RE: Pink-footed Goose neck collar

Hi,

F67 is a Danish collar put on at Vest Stadil Fjord on 27 March 2007, but there have been no further sightings of this bird until it was seen near Great Yarmouth on 4 January 2008.

AG
 
Hi Geoff

Where did you send off the info to, to get this report. I saw F67 (neck collar) at Saxlingham a couple of weeks ago, but have not sent the details off anywhere yet - it would be nice to get such a comprehensive history as you have.



Mike

Mike,

If you follow the link below it'll take you to the appropriate page on the BTO website where you can click on the required link, fill in all the details and submit your sighting. You may have a bit of a wait though, I'm still waiting for details on a Pink I saw/submitted on Christmas Eve!


http://blx1.bto.org/euring/lang/pages/colour_rings.jsp


Good goosing... :t:

James
 
Gonna be in north Norfolk tomorrow and just wondered if there's much about that I'm not aware off. Maybe any velvet scoter or long tailed ducks anywhere, that sort of thing. News has been quiet on the shorelarks at Cley in the last two days. Assume they have moved on then? Cheers
 

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