MID-NORFOLK: Brisley church wildlife safari

14th January 2023

There are not usually many outdoor wildlife events in January, but on the 14th county lichen recorder Rob Yaxley hosted a family wildlife safari at Brisley church. It was raining as we drove out to Brisley, but there was still a reasonable turnout for the event. After a brief talk in the church we went outside and had a look for some of the mosses and lichens present on the walls of the church and on the gravestones. Some of the highlights included the lichens Myriolecis (Lecanora) crenulata, Physcia tribacia and Bacidia rubella, plus the moss Orthotrichum anomalum. We then went back into the church for tea and biscuits, followed by a look in the old crypt room and a look at some bat droppings. We were made to feel very welcome and more events are planned for later in the year, so do keep an eye out for details of them.

NORWICH: Early January 2023

1st week of January 2023

I saw in the new year at home, 'celebrating' the stroke of midnight by trying to get my daughter back to sleep after people inexplicably began letting off fireworks from about 22:30. This inauspicious start continued later in the morning - usually I get my year list off to a nice start with 10-15 species seen from the living room window, but this year it was a paltry five, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Starling, Blackbird and Black-headed Gull.

We had a quick family walk at Whitlingham, racking up about 20 species, including Little Egret, Little Grebe and three colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls.

Over the next few days a steady flow of common birds were added - House Sparrow, Feral Pigeon and Jackdaw at my inlaws in south Norwich, a flock of Pink-footed Geese over the city centre on 3rd, Goldcrest, Wren and Jay at New Mills and a Song Thrush along Lakenham Way. I also heard and then spotted an Egyptian Goose high up on the office block on Queens Road, quite a way from water.

A noisy Egyptian Goose one morning on the former Marsh building opposite St Stephens multistory car park.

WHITLINGHAM BIRD REPORT 2022

I have finished working on the Whitlingham bird report for 2022, which you can now download here. A big thank you to everyone who reported sightings from Whitlingham last year and who allowed photographs to be used in the report.

In particular thank you to Justin Lansdell for providing an article about the changing number of Pochard overwintering, to Robin Chittenden for providing some excellent photos to help illustrate the articles and systematic list, and to Stephen Vickers for providing updates on the local ringing work.

A reminder that you can report locally ringed Mute Swans via Norwich Swan Project sighting submissions  and Black-headed Gulls, Greylag Geese etc here: Seen one of our birds? – Waterbird Colour-marking Group (waterbirdcolourmarking.org)