6 January 2022

Weather: Overcast with light rain later on. Moderate westerly breeze. Fenmere was completely frozen over, while the edges of Ringmere and Langmere had some ice. 

Fenmere

Disturbance: None, thankfully!

 

Sightings from Ringmere:

Mute Swan (3)

Shelduck (3)

Shoveler (9)

Gadwall (30)

Mallard (4)

Teal (29)

Tufted Duck (20)

Coot (33)

Little Grebe (5)

The resident pair of Mute Swans chased off a new adult swan, which flew in the direction of Langmere. One of the Little Grebes is starting to moult into summer plumage, while one of the Coots appeared to be gathering nesting material which seems a little early?

Sightings from Fenmere:

Moorhen (2)

The pond was completely frozen over, with the Moorhens heard calling from the fringing reeds.

 

Sightings from Langmere:

Greylag Goose (19)

Hybrid goose (1 - Canada x Greylag Goose)

Mute Swan (6)

Shelduck (3)

Shoveler (24)

Gadwall (26)

Wigeon (1 - drake)

Mallard (57)

Teal (121)

Pochard (10 - 7 drakes and three females)

Tufted Duck (2)

Moorhen (21)

Coot (26)

Little Grebe (1)

Surprisingly, no gulls roosting on Langmere this evening, though, as usual, many Black-headed and Lesser Black-backed Gulls were seen flying over East Wretham to/from the nearby pig fields.

Numbers of Coot on Langmere have been steadily increasing in the last two weeks, e.g. just five noted here in the days before Christmas. While Coot is a common breeder on Langmere, they gradually left the lake in late summer and with these new birds are being very territorial, it seems that these are the returning birds rather than Coots being displaced from somewhere else. An interesting case of 'hidden' migration and it would be fascinating to track where these birds go - nearby lakes such as Thompson Water or further afield (Norfolk Broads?).

Rest of the reserve:

Egyptian Goose (2 - flying east over Wretham Heath)

Green Sandpiper (1)

Feral Pigeon (1)

Stock Dove (2)

Woodpigeon

Black-headed Gull

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Buzzard (1)

Great Spotted Woodpecker (1)

Kestrel (1 - Wretham Heath)

Jay

Jackdaw

Rook

Carrion Crow

Coal Tit

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Long-tailed Tit

Goldcrest

Wren

Treecreeper (3)

Song Thrush

Mistle Thrush (1)

Redwing

Blackbird

Robin

Dunnock

Pied Wagtail

Meadow Pipit

Siskin

The Feral Pigeon is only the second I have seen at East Wretham, while the Green Sandpiper was a total fluke sighting from Ringmere while watching a flock of thrushes flying over the lake from the little hide. The sandpiper flew southwest towards the level crossing so may well have picthed up in the pig fields in that area.