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.

Photo by Henry Reitzug.

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