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WHITLINGHAM: Lots of Pochard & pale Egyptian Goose

3rd February 2013

Having missed out on a flock of Cranes flying over the previous day, I had high hopes for the day. Looking out from the slipway I noticed a very pale (possibly leucistic?) Egyptian Goose. There was a bird here a few years ago that lacked the brown patch around the eye, but this is the palest bird that I have seen here.


Duck numbers had decreased further since my last visit, but there were three sizeable flocks of Pochard together with another five in the conservation area. The total of 182 birds is a new site record as far as I am aware. A Little Grebe and five Shovelers completed the interesting wildfowl. Looking over to Thorpe there appeared to be at least 100 Gadwall and a decent number of Teal, but they were mostly behind the spit, making an accurate count tricky. I photographed a few Cormorants to double-check the gular angle at home, and was alerted to the presence of a Buzzard flying over by the Jackdaws mobbing it.

Before leaving I went up to the farmland at the top of the lime tree avenue, where I added Stock Dove to the year list. I also managed to add a few bits and bobs to my TG2507 all taxa list, including Dog's Mercury, Lesser Burdock, Lesser Celandine, Turkeytail and three species of lichen.

Turkeytail (Trametes versicolor)

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