Notes on birds/wildlife from a nature enthusiast & photographer (copyright Peter Ransome)
Saturday, 10 January 2026
East Norfolk birding
On Saturday 10th January, I travelled to Filby, driving past 'Filby Heath' I saw a Red Kite quartering the fields at Filby Broad I parked up and walked across to the Boardwalk. A boat rowing out had disturbed the Smew, so no sign initially. Very little initially seen talking to Dave and Christine H., saying we hadn't seen much a chap siad he had seen the Scaup. sure enough, a female Scaup swam out from the reeds seen by the western edge of the Broad, and swimming out wih her was the excellent female Ring- necked Duck, a second Scaup seen with the female later which looked like an immature male. The same chap spotted the excellent redhead Smew right at the back swimming around the reeds in the south- west corner of the Broad. I bumped into John H. and caught up with news, before leaving and driving up to Ludham airfield and just west of Market road, by the Gas Cannister dump/ Norfolk recycling I scanned from the car and saw a flock of 14 wild Swans, on the left were 6 fine Bewick's Swans and on the right the larger 8 Whooper Swans. I then stopped at Rollesby broad, were a male Goldeneye seen. On Ormesby broad, another male Goldeneye seen and 2 females plus 5 Pochard including 2 males. A large group of c50 Tufted Ducks seen too. still ice on the perimetre of the Broad. I checked the Bird Guides app and Russian White- fronted Geese and 2 Bean Geese only just seen 3 miles away just west of Repps. I drove there and saw a large flock of Pink- footed Geese only problem was I was looking almost directly into the sun, structurally I saw 2 birds that looked like Tundra Beans. A chap stopped and said he was the farmer and the Geese were on his land eating the crops he would drive onto the land in 20. inutes time. So I moved the car round to the west and had a great more distant view and scanning what must have been at least 400+ Pink- footed Geese, included 2 obvious Tundra Bean Geese complete with orange legs and and orange at the base of their bills. Another 70 or so Pink- feet flew in and then suddenly the whole flock got up and flew north, the same farmer I had spoken to earlier was as good as his word and he was driving down in his Land Rover, at least he had given me 20 minutes to see them. I then drove down to Fleggburgh and just before the road to Acle, I parked opposite Roselea cottages and looking west distantly over the marshes near the Mill, I spotted an excellent flock of 21 Cranes, 3 initially flew up and they then walked north along. Back in the garden Jenny put some food out we had a Herring Gull, 5 Black- headed Gulls and an adult Common Gull flew down and briefly settled to retrieve food.
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