Tundra Bean Goose

I've been keeping an eye on the Tundra Bean Goose on my visits to the valley and it remains loyal to the field opposite Holyfield fishery in Fishers Green lane. The 12 Russian White Fronted Geese remain but are a little more mobile and take more time away from the field. 

Yesterday I took Jim to see it as he needed it for his local list too and we managed good views. A walk out to the weir and back gave good views of a couple of Raven and we also has two single birds fly over later. Lots of winter thrushes remain and we checked a few tick flocks hoping for Firecrest but found only Goldcrests for our effort. There are a few winter ducks hanging on and we found three Siskin with a small Goldfinch flock. The general feeling is one of quiet with little of note so spring migration can't come quick enough.

Russian White fronted Geese returning to feed in the fields

Among the Greylags are a couple of ringed birds so I've noted the details and sent it off to the ringers for their interest. 

Greylag U456

My daughter has had some good news and her treatment appears to be having a positive effect so we celebrate that for now but having been through similar troubles I know its a long road and the worry never really leaves you.

Hoping for a day out to the coast this weekend if nothing changes in the next few hours.

patch tick Tundra Bean Goose at Fishers Green

As per my previous blog post I've been visiting the patch trying to connect with the wintering Tundra Bean Goose but it had given me the slip until yesterday morning when just as I was going to give up the bird walked out into my scope. It was in the bottom corner of the field so a walk along the public footpath was in order, aware that an approach too close could flush the mixed flock/gaggle. I managed to get to a point where I could see the birds and grabbed a few record shots that crop down well enough to post. The large group of Greylags have got used to people on the footpath and just walk away to a distance they feel safe at but the wintering Russian White fronts and the Tundra are as you'd expect a little more prone to disturbance but they were settled and comfortable with me at about 100yards away.

The Tundra Bean Goose goes on the Lee Valley list as bird 170 and is my second new bird of the year following the Caspian Gull on KGV.

I also saw a Treecreeper and a Sparrowhawk whilst watching the geese.

I also ran the Jims down to Rainham in search of a couple of year ticks for them but we only managed one with at least 8 Water Pipits on the cut grass behind Butts hide. 

Local

I've grabbed a couple of hours this weekend on the local patch at Fishers Green but failed to add anything to the year list. My main purpose on the patch is trying to add Tundra Bean Goose to the patch list.

The Tundra Bean Goose was first reported on Seventy Acres lake on 28th January among the Greylags but it flew off after just five minutes of being found. It wasn't seen again until 4th February when it was again with the Greylags on Seventy Acre lake and it was reported again on 6th. I have scanned every Greylag in every field around Fishers Green/Holyfield farm etc but failed to see the Tundra and yesterday watched the lake to see if the bird returned at all to roost which I guess is why the sightings are on the lake later in the day but even with another go this morning the bird has thus far eluded me.

I found twelve Russian White fronted Geese in the fields opposite Holyfield fishery on the track down to Fishers Green which was good as there wasn't any at the farm when I checked. These same twelve birds were still there this morning.

Black Swan

In all I've seen 62 species over the last couple of days at Fishers Green but none are new for the year so the year list remains at 152. (Also seen the resident Black Swan)

Fishers Green goose hunt

Rainham

I had two hours free yesterday morning so popped down to Rainham after the school run. I hadn't found any Corn Bunting at Rainham this year despite a report of four birds in the usual location below the tip so I walked down that way with Steve B and sure enough there was a single Corn Bunting singing its heart out from the favoured Buddleia bush so that was quickly put to bed and Steve later found a second bird up on the hill. I pointed out a couple of Stonechat which was new for the year for Steve and then we went to task counting Black-tailed Godwits which we settled on a count of 140. A few Avocet and Redshank were also on the mud with good numbers of Teal and a few Gadwall and Shelduck.

Down on Wennington marsh Steve pointed out the six White-fronted Geese and in return I found him his first Rook of 2026 for Rainham. I counted the Great-black-backed Gulls and after three counts settled on 136 as a total but of note was the lack of many juvenile birds amongst them. This has to be the biggest gathering I've seen of this species out on the marsh. 

Finally I walked the reserve which I don't do very often. I counted 27 Pintail on the Purfleet scrape and quite a few Snipe. Further round and I found a flock of 60+ Fieldfare and then from Butts I watched as hundreds of Lapwing filled the sky for about thirty minutes reluctant to return to ground but couldn't find the expected Peregrine amongst them although I did pick out three Golden Plover and 20+ Dunlin in the flock. A flock of 20+ Snipe was also notable and proved something was disturbing the whole area and my thoughts were probably a fox had got beyond the fence or was it an Otter which is now on the reserve?  I did see two Marsh Harrier but this disturbance seemed a little more than the usual you'd have from a passing Harrier. On the tip a sizeable Starling murmuration was notable.

As I walked past target pools I had my first Bearded Tits of the year which a fair bit of "pinging" and the occasional view as they moved across the top of the reeds.

On the way home I stopped at Dagenham chase and with a tip from Steve I managed to see my first Firecrest of the year.

Year list now 152

Red-breasted Goose at Paglesham

I had a few hours free in the middle of the day today so asked the Jims if they wanted to try for the Red-breasted Goose at Wallasea Island and despite the heavy rain they decided to join me in the limited time we had. I've already been to Wallasea this year but didn't find the Goose but recently the bird has been seen more often on the other side of Paglesham creek so before heading into the reserve today we drove down to East End Paglesham and very quickly found the Red-breasted Goose in a large flock of Brents.

The bird was distant and the rain was heavy but I managed a record shot.

Red-breasted Goose with the Brents

On the reserve we walked in the rain out to the hide and managed to add Ringed Plover to the year list amongst the 59 species seen on this visit which included Hen Harrier, Grey Plover and Avocet to name a few.

Kestrel

We got wet, very wet and headed home in good time.

Year list now 150

Bittern

There's nothing better than having a good bird close to home and over the years the Bitterns wintering at Fishers Green have given me real value for the time invested in the hide waiting to see if they show. This year a lone bird has arrived on 17th January and I've spent a few hours since watching it or on occasion not seeing it but today was a good day. I arrived at 7.45 to find the bird out in the open and watched it just sitting there until 8.30 when a couple of other birders arrived and with the door opening it ran for cover. After about half an hour it returned to the open area and eventually started to hunt fish although I have to say its not the greatest as it misses most fish it darts into the water for in fact I hadn't seen it make a catch until today and even then it only got one fish. I do enjoy sitting waiting for the bird to show and then watching how it goes about its business. Saw a Black Swan today which is a first for the valley even if it isn't yet tickable (not considered self sustaining yet!)

Here's a few of the 110 pictures I took today 

Some days the bird doesn't show at all, some days you can see it hidden in the reeds but it doesn't come out and then there's days like today when it just goes about it's business forgetting people are looking at it a few feet away in the hide.

Norfolk day out

With my family stuff needing me to be around locally we don't get the days out we used to so with the full day to myself I asked Dad and Jim if they'd like to visit the Norfolk coast and nail down some year ticks for 2026 and of course they agreed as they too had a rare weekend without commitments.

I had a Barn Owl from the car on the way up and we stopped at Hunstanton first to year tick Fulmar at this regular haunt of theirs. I found a Red Breasted Merganser too for the Jims who needed it for a tick.

Next stop was Titchwell and walking out along the meadow trail we found the Tawny Owl roosting in an Ivy covered tree before headed back to the main track where the Jims picked up several ticks for their trouble whilst I just got the single tick as a small flock of Pinkies flew over. At the beach we scanned the sea and I picked up three Long-tailed Ducks drifting along with four RB Mergs, Two drake Eider flew east and on the tide line I added Sanderling and Turnstone to my year list. 

Brent Geese

Sanderling

Sanderling

Sanderling

Tawny Owl

A stop at Brancaster Staithe added Barwits whilst the Jims picked up Grey Plover too. We moved on to Morston Quay were to our surprise we very quickly found the Glossy Ibis on the marsh in front of the car park and a Greenshank gave us another tick as it walked along the creek here. 

Oystercatcher

Curlew

Turnstone

Turnstone

Turnstone

Bar-tailed Godwit

Bar-tailed Godwits

Greenshank

We drove along the beach road at Salthouse in search of Twite bur found only Snow Bunting here although with a shoot in progress on the farmland behind the A149 we scanned the fields to find dozens of Red-legged Partridge for another year tick. By now we were just six miles from Sheringham so I asked Jim if he'd like to see the Eastern Black Redstart and of course he did so we made that our next move. The bird was found as expected on the buildings behind the esplanade and we enjoyed watching it for about half an hour before calling it a day and heading home.

Eastern Black Redstart

I saw 94 species on this trip and added 13 year ticks for my trouble.

Year list now 148