Mandarin & Various Chicks, Ducklings & Goslings

Abbey Farm & Roydon Common – Thursday 28^th May 2015

Almost Clown Like Mandarin Drake

We left home just after 3pm it was bright with a stiff breeze and the temperature was 17˚C. We arrived at Abbey Farm at 4pm and fortunately the hide was empty.

It was quite surprising to see so many young birds as many raptors visit Abbey Farm, although many of the young ducklings and goslings had a long way to go before they would be able to fly.

We normally get surprised by something at Abbey Farm. The first was the amount of water in the pools and it seemed to have a milky colour whether it was because it had been filtered through the rocks (it is spring fed there) or there was an algal bloom of some sort we don’t know. The other surprises it gave us today was a Mandarin drake and a Hobby both of which we have not seen at Abbey Farm before.

The Mandarin drake was as its name suggests an introduced species into Europe from China. It was originally kept as an ornamental Waterfowl in private collections but escapees gradually established themselves in the wild particularly in Southern, Central and Eastern England. It is now spreading slowly all over the country. The RSPB report that there are 2,500 breeding pairs in the UK and the population grows to 7,000 birds in the Winter. As far as we could see today and from the visitor’s record book there, this is a lone drake and it has been there for a few weeks (our last visit was at the end of last month).

Duck & Large Ducklings

(There Is A Video Of Them When They Find A Frog On Our YouTube Channel)

Today we also saw at Abbey Farm for the first time, a Hobby but it didn’t hang around so it may have just been a passing visitor. We had a long look at a Red Kite that lazily glided over the farm in their usual way with just the odd flick of its tail and very few wingbeats. They’ve got a long way to go yet but I wonder how long it will be before they are as numerous as the Buzzards of which we saw 4 today. This bird didn’t carry any tags so it wasn’t possible to trace its origins.

We had to wait a long time today before catching a glimpse of one of the Little Owls tucked into the tree roots mainly because the nettles are now so high in this particular location.

Leaving the farm at 6pm we just caught sight of a Blue Tit leaving a nest box in the car park.

Making a stop at Roydon Common car park on the way home we saw something which confused us for quite a while. A family of Mistle Thrushes the 4 fledglings hadn’t quite got their adult plumage and their heads were grey more reminiscent of a Fieldfare. While sitting in the car park there, we also saw some Skylarks and a male Grey Partridge in his comical brown shorts (hopefully the female was sitting on a nest somewhere). We were hoping to hear some Nightjars but we were far too early, really, it needed to be nearer dusk which at this time of year is around 10pm.

We also had a brief stop at Grimston Warren Car park.

Grimston Warren

A good afternoon and evening’s bird watching and not nearly as strenuous as yesterdays efforts.

What we saw:

Greylag Geese & Goslings*

Moorhen & Chicks**

Coot & Chicks**

House Martins**

Swallows**

2 Pairs Stock Dove

Wood Pigeon*

Canada Geese**

Mallard & Ducklings*

Pair Shelduck

2 Pair Gadwall

2 Pair Tufted Duck

Lapwing**

Crow**

2 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Herring Gull

Jackdaws*

Pheasants (male only)**

Pair Red Legged Partridge

Mandarin Drake

Black-headed Gull**

Oystercatcher**

Hobby

Kestrel

4 Buzzard

Red Kite

Goldfinch**

Little Owl

Pair Collared Dove

Blue Tit

Skylark**

Grey Partridge

Family 6 Mistle Thrush (2 Parents 4 fledglings)

Hare

Rabbit*

* = Too many to count

** = Several

Sunset Over Norfolk

Keep your eyes peeled and good spotting.