Thank you to everyone who sent in records. At the time of going to print 17 members contributed 484 records of 91 different species this month.
Each individual sighting received may not show on this summary, however, all records do contribute towards the annual report and our understanding of the birds of our study area.
| Gadwall |
Reported from 5 locations. Highest counts of 30 Sparham Pools on 2nd(JP) & 35 Sparham Pools Complex on 10th(BB&JE) |
| Eurasian Wigeon |
3 locations. Highest count 12 at Bittering GP(BB&JE) |
| Common Pochard |
4 locations. Highest count 25 at Sparham Pools on 25th(BB&JE) |
| Goosander |
Only reported from Sparham Pools and Attlebridge this month. Numbers peaked at 15 at Sparham on 2nd (BB&JE), 11th (B&BP) &18TH (AJ). A max of 9 males on 2nd & 8 redheads on 11th suggesting at least 17 birds present in area. A male & female on the River Wensum at Attlebridge on 27th. Will there be any birds recorded in March? |
| Grey Partridge |
Only records of max 2 at Old Costessey on 10th (AB) & 1 on HBW on 18th(DK). |
| Little Egret |
1 at Lenwade from 9th to 11th (MS; BB&JE; S&BG) and again on 24th (MS). 2 at Fakenham on 18th (P&AB). |
| Bewick (Tundra) Swan |
14 over Dereham at 4.30pm on 26th (IB). Were they on their way to the Ouse Washes from the Broads? |
| Red Kite |
1 at Wellingham on 10th & 11th (IB). The bird was tagged N28 so some further research is needed to determine the origins of this bird. |
| Common Buzzard |
Gradually becoming a regular bird with 1 Foxley on 4th (BB&JE), 1 Scarning on 10th (IB), 2 Wellingham on 11th (IB), 2 Taverham on 13th (NS) |
| Eurasian Sparrowhawk |
9 locations. 3 at Lenwade on 15th (BB&JE). |
| Northern Goshawk |
1 displaying at mid-valley site on 20th (BB&JE). |
| Common Kestrel |
11 locations throughout the month. 3 at Dereham Sewage Works on 3rd (IB) |
| Water Rail |
No records |
| Common Crane |
4 with captive birds at Pensthorpe on 11th (RBA) bodes well for reintroduction of species into valley |
| Eurasian Oystercatcher |
2 at Sparham Pools from 17th (BB&JE; JP), 3 on 26th. Where will they decide to breed this year? |
| European Golden Plover |
40 Dereham SW on 3rd (IB) & 40 Etling Green on 13th (AJ) |
| Northern Lapwing |
Flocks of 250 Dereham SW on 3rd (IB), max 150 Scarning on 12th (IB), 40 HBW on 18th (DK) & 60 Sparham Pools on 25th (BB&JE). |
| Green Sandpiper |
1 Sparham Pools Complex on 10th (BB&JE) presumably an overwintering bird? |
| Common Snipe |
5 locations with max 45 on marshes at Old Costessey between 23rd & 27th (AB) |
| Eurasian Woodcock |
1 Hockering Wood on 1st (BB&JE) |
| Black-headed Gull |
3 locations with max count of 60 at Sparham Pools on 3rd (NS) |
| Barn Owl |
8 locations all singles except 2 at Old Costessey on 27th (AB). |
| Little Owl |
4 locations, 2 at North Tuddenham on 9th (B&BP) & 2 at Daffy Green on 15th (IB) |
| Common Kingfisher |
5 locations. 2 at Sparham Pools Complex on 26th (BB&JE) |
| Pied Wagtail |
Max counts of 38 at Swanton Morley GP on 13th (IB) & 16 at Bylaugh Sewage Works on 18th (BB&JE) |
| Grey Wagtail |
6 locations. 1 at Lyng Bridge from the 2nd(BB&JE; S&BG). 2 at Dereham SW on 3rd (IB). 1 in garden at Mill Street, Elsing on 5th (CJ) |
| Fieldfare |
1 at Old Costessey on 3rd, 15 on 8th and 50 on 17th (AB). Will these be the last records of this species until the autumn? |
| Song Thrush |
6 locations. AB reported “considerable numbers” of this species in Old & New Costessey in second half of the month. |
| Redwing |
1 at Sparham Pools on 2nd (JP) & 25th (BB&JE) with max counts of 35 at Drayton on 16th (NS) & 50 at Old Costessey on 26th (AB). Will there be any reports of this species in March? |
| Common Chiffchaff |
1 Sparham Pools on 25th & 28th very early singing bird (BB&JE; NS) |
| Long-tailed Tit |
12 locations with max count of 12 at Fakenham on 18th (P&AB) |
| Common Starling |
3 locations with max count of 250 at North Tuddenham on 2nd (B&BP) |
| House Sparrow |
Counts of between 4-8 in Reepham, Old Costessey, Ringland & Taverham. Not a high profile bird and probably overlooked. |
| Eurasian Tree Sparrow |
2 at regular site in valley (IB). |
| Brambling |
1 in garden at Mill Street, Elsing on 3rd(C&FN) & 1 at Lenwade from 5th to 18th (S&BG). Are these the last birds this winter? |
| Eurasian Siskin |
No records received. |
| Common Linnet |
Only one record of 12+ at Old Costessey on `28th (AB) |
| Common Redpoll |
1 at Sparham on 28th (S&BG) |
| Common Bullfinch |
9 locations with counts of 4 at Foxley Wood on 4th (BB&JE), Sparham Pools on 13th & 21st (JP) & Bittering on 15th (BB&JE). 3 counted on HBW on 18th (DK) |
| Yellowhammer |
No large flocks reported. Highest count of 5 at Old Costessey on 28th (AB) |
| Reed Bunting |
AB recorded 1 in his garden at Old Costessey during the first part of the month. |
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Records also received for Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Egyptian Goose, Common Shelduck, Common Teal, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Red-legged Partridge, Common Pheasant, Common Moorhen, Common Coot, Mew (Common) Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Common Wood Pigeon, Tawny Owl, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Sky Lark, Meadow Pipit, Winter Wren, Dunnock(Hedge Accentor), European Robin, Common Blackbird, Mistle Thrush, Goldcrest, Marsh Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Wood Nuthatch, Eurasian Treecreeper, Eurasian Jay, Black-billed Magpie, Eurasian Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, European Greenfinch & European Goldfinch.
February Contributors
Peter & Alma Banson, Bob Bradley & Jenny Evans, Andrew Brown, Ian Brittain, Sue & Bill Gibney, Geoff Hemmings, Hoe Bird Walk (HBW), Alwyn & Carole Jackson, David Knight, Charles & Fran Neale, Jacky Pett, Barry & Bridget Pummell, Rare Bird Alert (RBA), Martin Spriggs, Nick Street.
If you submitted records but you have not been included in the list above it is because I received them after I had completed the report. However they will be entered on our database and contribute towards the compilation of the 2007 Annual Report. Thank you.
WVBS NEEDS YOUR RECORDS!
Send them to:
Hard Copy E-mail or E-group Phone
Ray Gribble ray.gribble@tesco.net 01603 872709
5 Morse Close
Lenwade wensumvalleyBS@yahoogroups.com
NR9 5QQ
I have completed my two month apprenticeship as Bird Recorder for the Society so would you now send your March records to Ray please. Thank you.
Alwyn Jackson.
Tags: wensum valley birding, birding, bird races