Penduline tit finally gives itself up....

...and there are two!
Unfortunately I did not manage to see the birds, but did allow myself an early lunch break when the news broke.
The two birds flew into the reedmace opposite the hide and then onto the right hand plot in front of fen hide. From talking to the people who saw the bird (6) they were only on show for a matter of seconds and despite a few cameras in the hide no one got a shot, but descriptions suggest a possible male and female?

It's a bit of a relief to be honest as I was very confident of the calls and alarm call that I had heard almost a month ago but now we have the concrete proof that there are certainly 2 penduline tits in the reedbed. In the past few days David B has also seen them but very fleeting and I think only in flight. So will they give themselves up properly this week? I wonder if there have always been two? I wonder if I'll ever get to see them?!

Just a word of warning to those who go for these birds, the fen hide is pretty small and I've given it probably over 20hrs looking for these birds without success, so be prepared for a full hide and a long wait, but good luck!

Ps if anyone in the hide today fancies submitting a description for the bbrc that would be great! So much better than the sound recording I was going to submit!

Buckenham and cantley goosey goings on!

A bit of monitoring on the wet grassland this morning turned up a few goodies. A five goose day as well as 3 dodgy hybrids (red breast/barnacle, greylag/Canada and the Ross's type)

1-BRENT GOOSE
77-whitefronts
1100-pinks
1250-wigeon
447-Canada's
2 bewicks lost in fog over Brundall early am.

Still no beans but I keep saying next week looks good! looks like some easterlies which could well push them over this way, fingers crossed they will return.

Here is a photo of said Brent, a juvenile dark bellied feeding profusely with the Canada flock shows the size difference quite well. Don't usually see them alongside Canada's!  (hopefully it'll replace my other record shot of Brent's earlier this year!)

Lots of juvenile whitefronts present, I did do a family productivity count a few weeks ago which suggests they had a successful breeding season

Beet factory to Brundall

A day off without a car and with good weather forecast, so I decided to get the train to Cantley and walk back seeing how many species I could see. My main target bird was Taiga bean goose, but I was unsuccessful, shouldn't be long now with some east in the wind this week possibly.
I had a very pleasant day, but there were no additions to the patch year list or any unexpected species, however I did see just about all expected species which resulted in 78 species being logged, not a bad total for an inland area at this time of the year.
I walked around the beet factory (BF) and then through Cantley and Buckenham (still path closures currently in place but looks like it could be reopened soon) then through strumpshaw wood, fen hide and reception before making my way back home.

Highlights;

Green sandpiper- 9 together at BF
Lapwing- 420 BF + 1600 cantley + 720 Buckenham
Pinkies- 540 over river from BF + 950 Buckenham
White Fronts- 18 BF + 38 Buckenham
Stonechat- pair BF+ pair Buckenham
Bearded tit- 15+ at BF + 5 Cantley 
Water Pipit- 2+ BF + 1 Buckenham
Buzzard- 8 in one kettle at Buckenham
Golden plover- 350 Buck/Cant
Ruff- 12 BF + 37 Buckenham
Snipe 16 BF
Marsh Harrier 7+ over reserve inc tagged P3 a new one for me and a bird that was tagged at Buckenham this year, so far this autumn I have seen green tagged birds including DZ NL NN and P3, hope there will be more to see over winter!

That's about it for figures, as I said a very nice selection of birds on view on a nice sunny day...