Bird Report - November 2017
I am starting this month's report with an omission from October, accompanied by this photo taken by Henry Reitzug. I had a phone call from my neighbour Anne Reitzug to say a bird had landed on their patio at Little Halley but she wasn't sure what was looking in the window at her dogs! It turned out to be a young Shag which had been blown off course, hence the unscheduled landing. Anne and I managed to capture the bird, take it to the Geo and release it. It was nice to see the Shag happily swim off, none the worse for it's experience.
On a walk down the track towards Lower Gritley on November 1st I startled a Snipe which flew off I have seen a number of these birds during the month - they make themselves obvious as they take sudden flight with a loud cry.
A nice sight down the same track was a group of 10 Whooper Swans calling as they went - lovely.
Another Whooper Swan didn't have such luck though. Richard Falconer found a dead bird on Newark Beach and it was sporting a leg ring. It turns out the Swan was ringed in Dumfries and Galloway in 2013 when it was aged at least 2 years.
Not too much else to report. I had a Black Cap on apples on November 4th.
There was a big flock of Wigeon at St. Peter's Pool on the 19th - they are easily identified by their distinctive whistle. The males have a bright yellow head stripe.
I walked the dog down the Geo Road, along the short and back up Newark Road but there was not a lot about until I reached Jean Corsie's house at The Links. Two Twite were busying themselves among plants in the dyke; a Robin was in the garden and 2 Snipe made haste in the opposite field.
Speaking of Robins there seem to be quite a number about this winter; nice to see in the festive season. A Happy Christmas to you all!
Pauline Wilson