Buckenham

Tuesday December 4 

Birding every day? What could be better. Being successful every time would be wonderful, yet unrealistic. Three out of four isn't bad. Early January's visit to Buckenham is with the hope of adding the ever diminishing Taiga Bean Geese to the year list. A maximum of five have returned this winter and are not always on the marsh. Last year, warden Ben Lewis (now departed) wondered if they'd ever return. None were seen yesterday, off we went.

We thought we'd seen Grey Partridges. Pam turned to check. A group of Red-legged Partridges.

We spent two enjoyable hours scanning this wild, undulating, dyke crossed and very thickly sedged marsh which is Buckenham. So many Canada geese, and probably 60 Russian White-fronted Geese (why Russian, Birdguides, they were always Eurasian) . The latter were spread in small groups intermingling with the Canadas and Greylag. No sign of any Taiga Bean geese during the first half an hour. A familiar blue car stopped , Dave Holman hadn't seen any either  reporting that four had been seen between 9 and 9.30, he was half an hour too late and was giving up.

We continued to scan. new birds keep appearing out of the unseen, three flew in from the Cantley area. Was this them? No, more Whitefronts. A group of Whitefronts flew about in the damp murk.

 

A few Barnacle Geese were amongst the Canadas.

We moved on to the centre gate. Then to the fishermen's car park. Different views of the same birds. Lapwing scattered all over, at least five Mash Harriers paid a visit. Two of them were on the ground for much of the time. Half a dozen teddy bear-eared Chinese Water Deer munched the grass between the sedge, fewer than usual Wigeon whistled their way through the air and along the dykes.They too were enjoying the lush green grass.

A post topping Dunnock was new for the list.

After two hours, we drove home for a very late lunch.

The moth traps are back indoors for the next few days at least. The temperature has dropped considerably, down to 2C at 4 o'clock. Two species of macro for the year, Mottled Umber, and Dark Chestnut.The chestnut was much darker than it appears to be in the photo.

 

One micro, a Light Brown Apple - camera shy.