Wednesday 2 February 2022

Weather: Overcast with light westerly breeze.

Disturbance: A number of military aircraft flying low over the reserve caused some disturbance to the gulls and ducks.

Sightings from Ringmere:

Mute Swan (2)

Shelduck (10)

Shoveler (10)

Gadwall (14)

Mallard (4)

Teal (39)

Pochard (1 - female)

Tufted Duck (11)

Moorhen (3)

Coot (16)

Little Grebe (2)

The highest count of Shelduck from East Wretham this winter, with these birds likely indicating the return of birds wintering on the coast to their breeding sites in the Brecks. The BirdTrack reporting rate for Shelduck in Norfolk shows an increase in the last week.

Sightings from Fenmere:

Gadwall (4 - two drakes and two females)

Teal (5)

Moorhen (1)

My first sighting of Gadwall on Fenmere. Unfortunately all the ducks flew off as soon as I (distantly) approached the pond. A screen in front of this section would likely encourage more birds to use this pond and reduce disturbance.

 

Sightings from Langmere:

Greylag Goose (29)

Hybrid goose (1 - Canada x Greylag Goose)

Mute Swan (6)

Egyptian Goose (2)

Shoveler (42)

Gadwall (37)

Wigeon (3 - two drakes and a female)

Mallard (77)

Teal (103)

Tufted Duck (8)

 Moorhen (8)

Coot (36)

Black-headed Gull (523)

Common Gull (4)

Herring Gull (12)

Yellow-legged Gull (1)

Lesser Black-backed Gull (662)

Very similar diversity to previous visits. There were two likely Caspian Gull candidates but neither bird was seen well enough to be 100% certain of the identification. 

Rest of the reserve:

Egyptian Goose (6 - on Stanta in the NW corner of the reserve)

Stock Dove (5)

Woodpigeon

Great Spotted Woodpecker (2)

Green Woodpecker (1)

Jay

Jackdaw

Rook

Carrion Crow

Coal Tit

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Skylark

Long-tailed Tit

Goldcrest

Wren

Treecreeper

Song Thrush

Mistle Thrush (2+)

Redwing

Blackbird

Robin

Dunnock

Pied Wagtail

Meadow Pipit

Chaffinch (5)

Linnet

Lesser Redpoll (1)

Goldfinch

Siskin

Yellowhammer

Rabbit

One Mistle Thrush singing around Ringmere and at the western side of Langmere, with another seen at the north side of Langmere later on. The Redpoll is the only second I have seen at East Wretham. The reporting rate on BirdTrack has been well below average so far this year so perhaps not so surprising not be encountering more Redpolls.