Thursday 23 December 2021

Weather: Miserable! Overcast with drizzle, though at least it was a little milder than earlier this week.

Sightings from Ringmere:

Mute Swan (2)

Shelduck (4)

Shoveler (9 - 6 drakes / 3 females)

Gadwall (29 - 17 drakes / 12 females)

Teal (30)

Tufted Duck (11)

Coot (34)

Little Grebe (2)

Highest count of Shelduck on Ringmere so far this year.

Sightings from Fenmere:

Shoveler (1 - drake)

Coot (1)

Moorhen (2)

Surprisingly diverse for a pond which usually has very little other than the odd Moorhen.

Sightings from Langmere:

Greylag Goose (2)

Mute Swan (9 - 7 ads / 2 first-winters)

Egyptrian Goose (4+)

Shoveler (16)

Gadwall (34)

Wigeon (2 - drake and female)

Mallard (83)

Teal (53)

Tufted Duck (8)

Moorhen (22)

Coot (4)

Little Grebe (2)

Lapwing (2)

Black-headed Gull (74)

Iceland Gull (1 - first winter)

Herring Gull (14)

Yellow-legged Gull (3)

Lesser Black-backed Gull (398)

After not being seen yesterday, the first-winter Iceland Gull returned this afternoon, being present from 1515 until 1546, when it flew off east. A likely first-winter Caspian Gull hybrid was present amongst the Lesser Black-backed Gulls, as was a Common Gull seen by other observers. The two Lapwing were also the first for me at East Wretham this month, and were likely from the flock of c100 present in the pig field just south of the railway level crossing south of East Wretham.

 

Rest of the reserve:

Pheasant / Woodpigeon / Great Spotted Woodpecker (1) / Jay / Jackdaw (1) / Rook / Carrion Crow / Coal Tit / Blue Tit / Geeat Tit / Long-tailed Tit / Goldcrest / Wren / Treecreeper (1) / Song Thrush / Redwing (c50) / Blackbird / Robin / Dunnock / Grey Wagtail (1) / Pied Wagtail / Chaffinch / Brambling (1) / Greenfinch (1) / Siskin

Rabbit

The Redwings were mostly concentrated in the trees south of Langmere, with a few more moving through at dusk. The Grey Wagtail flew over Langmere late on, while the Brambling (my first at the reserve) flew over Ringmere.