March 2010

Thursday 11th March

Attempted to have another look at the Wigeon today but the flock flew off again just after I'd arrived. Moved on to Brancaster Staithe where an adult Mediterranean Gull flew in. I stop here regularly during the winter (it's too busy in the summer) but I don't think I've seen Med Gull here before. Returned to work to find 2 Buzzards on site

Redwing, Burnham Norton, 11th March
Mediterranean Gull, Brancaster Staithe, 11th March
Red-breasted Mergansers, Brancaster Staithe, 11th March

Wednesday 10th March

If these birds with an extensive green band running back from they eye are just extreme variation of Eurasian Wigeon (and not backcrossed hybrids), why does this one appear to show a pale collar?

Wigeon - or backcrossed hybrid?, Burnham Norton, 10th March

Tuesday 9th March

Lady Anne's Drive would be a nice spot to go to during my lunch breaks if it wasn't for the extortionate £3.50 charge that's payable whether you're there from dawn to dusk or if you're just pausing for 5 minutes during your lunch break. A Taiga Bean Goose has been reported there for a few days, and showing well by all accounts, and as the only Taiga Bean Geese I've seen have always been fairly distant I was tempted. Moreover I figured that it was near enough the road that I might be able to park opposite and walk in to avoid paying!

The plan worked a peach, and I obtained marvellous views of the Taiga Bean Goose. It would actually have been worth paying the £3.50!

I'm always skeptical about reports of lone Taiga Bean Geese among Pink-foot flocks as I've seen so much variation in Tundra Bean Goose with all of the features that are supposed to distinguish them from Taigas. But this bird (which is keeping apart from the Pink-feet) seems to tick all the boxes for Taiga. I am a bit surprised by the extent of white on the tail though - I didn't think any Bean Goose should have so much.

Taiga Bean Goose, Holkham, 9th March
Barn Owl, Holkham, 9th March

Monday 8th March

Another bird-free weekend unfortunately - time that stopped! A quick stop at Wells in my lunchbreak today produced nothing of note so I resorted to photographing the gulls.

Herring Gull, Wells, 8th March

Thursday 4th March

No photos worth sharing, but Nuthatch and Marsh Tit on the feeders at Sandringham were nice to see in my lunch break.

Wednesday 3rd March

During my lunchbreaks I have enough time to get to the car park at Titchwell, but not really enough time to walk out onto the reserve. Occasionally I stop off along the Choseley Road and look over the marshes from afar - if there's no heat haze you can just about pick out a few things on the reserve, but the view is a bit obscured. Recently I've realised that a much nicer place to stop is just south of Thornham, along the other road to Choseley. You're even further from the reserve here, so I don't suppose I'll be identifying any rare stints from this vantage point, but it's a great view - and rather better I should think for picking up raptors and things moving through and it's probably my best chance of seeing a Bittern during my lunch break. Nothing of note seen today though, apart from a black line on the sea which must have been a few hundred Common Scoters I should think.

Common Scoters, off Titchwell (from over 2 miles away, south of Thornham), 3rd March

Last month: February 2010