January Bird Count 2007
Bird Count Sunday 7th January.
Despite the gloomy weather 22 members making up 9 teams took part in our annual Winter Bird Count. In total 83 species were recorded, they were:-
Little Grebe Lapwing Mistle Thrush
Great Crested Grebe Snipe Goldcrest
Cormorant Black-headed Gull Long-tailed Tit
Little Egret Common Gull Marsh Tit
Grey Heron Lesser Black-backed Gull Willow Tit
Mute Swan Herring Gull Coal Tit
Greylag Goose Greater Black-backed Gull Blue Tit
Canada Goose Stock Dove Great Tit
Egyptian Goose Wood Pigeon Great Tit
Shelduck Collared Dove Treecreeper
Wigeon Feral Pigeon Jay
Gadwall Barn Owl Rook
Teal Little Owl Carrion Crow
Mallard Tawny Owl Starling
Shoveler Kingfisher House Sparrow
Pochard Green Woodpecker Tree Sparrow
Tufted Duck Great Spotted Woodpecker Chaffinch
Goosander Skylark Brambling
Hen Harrier Meadow Pipit Goldfinch
Common Buzzard Grey Wagtail Greenfinch
Sparrowhawk Pied Wagtail Siskin
Kestrel Wren Linnet
Red-legged Partridge Dunnock Redpoll
Grey Partridge Robin Bullfinch
Pheasant Blackbird Yellowhammer
Moorhen Song Thrush Reed Bunting
Coot Redwing
Golden Plover Fieldfare
Some of the more notable records were
Little Egret 4 at Blackwater Lane, near Lenwade (Josh Leeder, Peter and Alma Banson) was the only record.
Goosander 1 Bittering GP (Ian Brittain & Paul Riley)
5 Sparham Pools NR (Ray Gribble, Clare Hill & Keith Finn)
Also 3 at the same site (John Horsman,Alwyn & Carole Jackson)
Hen Harrier male in the Kettlestone area (Barry Pummell, David Knight & Ian Doble) which must qualify as one of the star birds of the day.
Common Buzzard 3 at Bittering (Bob Bradley & Jenny Evans)
Single at Great Ryburgh Raptor Watch point (Ian Brittain & Paul Riley)
2 at Raynham Hall (BP, DK & ID)
1 at Colkirk (Bill & Sue Gibney)
Golden Plover 250+ at Mattishall (BB & JE)
16 at Bittering GP (IB & PR)
32 at Lenwade (IB & PR)
Snipe 20+ at Dereham Sewage Works (IB & PR)
Little Owl The only record was single bird at Bylaugh (JH, A&CJ)
Willow Tit 1 at Sculthorpe Moor NR (B&SG; IB&PR), a single at Hempton Marsh (BP,DK & ID), Martin Spriggs and Nick Street went one better and saw 2 at Sculthorpe.
Tree Sparrow IB & PR recorded 6+ at Fulmodeston; BP, DK & ID also recorded this species.
Brambling 1 at Sculthorpe (BB & JE;B & SG), 1 at Worthing railway crossing (BP, IK & ID)
Redpoll 20+ at Sparham barns (B & SG) was the only record of this species.
Judging by the banter in the bar at the Bridge at the end of the day everyone thoroughly enjoyed the day even though they may not have seen as many species as other teams. The three teams who recorded the highest count of species were Bob Bradley and Jenny Evans with 71 species, Barry Pummell, David Knight and Ian Doble with 69 species and Ian Brittain and Paul Riley with 68 species and a Peacock!
Congratulations to you all.
Alwyn Jackson
Tags: bird watching club, wvbs, birding