Pre-edited version of the 'Wildlife roundup' published in the Summer issue of 'Tern' magazine by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust by Robin Chittenden

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This winter will go down in UK birding history for the unprecedented arrival of Lesser White-fronted Geese to Norfolk. In my teenage years, in the late seventies, there used to be a couple of thousand Greater White-fronted Geese that wintered at WWT Slimbridge in Gloucestershire. Occasionally a Lesser White-fronted Goose would inadvertently join this vast flock, having arrived with them, from Northern Europe and Siberia. It was just a question of scanning through the vast herd until you spotted one. You had to look out for a Goose that was a bit smaller with a tiny pink bill, a more extensive white front (that is the white bit on the forehead) and a yellow eye-ring. It usually took a pleasant couple of hours or so, although not helped by the fact that most geese usually had their heads down, and out of view, as they grazed the vegetation.

 

Norfolk is famous for its wintering Geese, especially the thousands of Pink-footed Geese that mainly breed in Iceland. A few hundred Greater White-fronted Geese also winter here, but as winters are not as severe as they used to be, not so many feel the need to migrate as far as the UK and instead weather it out in northern Europe. This, and more importantly, the fact that the Lesser White-fronted Goose had in the meantime declined to tiny numbers meant the Lesser White-fronted Goose had become an incredibly rare vagrant to the UK.

 

The Swedes were well aware that their population of breeding Lesser White-fronted Geese had collapsed. To combat the extinction of this Goose as a breeding bird in Europe they began a project in the mid-seventies (Project Fjällgås) to breed and release Lesser White-fronted Geese into the wild. Having weathered a few setbacks, the last few years have seen the fruits of their labour come to fruition with the most successful breeding of Lesser White-fronted Geese in the wild for years. To quote the project ‘a minimum 100 young Lesser White-fronted Geese have fledged in the past four years, compared to just over 30 in the previous four years’.

 

These birds then usually go on to winter in the Netherlands and Germany. Imagine the jaw dropping moment when a flock of twenty-four Lesser White-fronted Geese were found at RSPB Titchwell this winter. An unprecedented arrival to the UK. They then moved to Ken Hill Marshes. This wasn’t the end of it though, nine more were found between Wighton and Warham, which later moved to NWT Cley Marshes and then seven more were found at Stiffkey (these also visited NWT Cley Marshes). Coloured rings on the legs of these birds confirmed them as having originated from Sweden. They were in family groups, and as the juveniles learn migration routes from their parents, could we be the start of the establishment of a regular wintering flock in Norfolk? Lesser White-fronted Geese will be on birders radars next Autumn to see whether they do.

 

But why did they come here in the first place? Perhaps they got lost in foggy conditions and inadvertently crossed the North Sea, helped by favourable winds. No-one will ever know but at least they found Norfolk to their liking as they spent the whole winter here. If they do come back next year do try and see them. They have an endearing high pitched gabbling call compared to the noisy oinks of the Pinks and the Greylags.

 

Some of the wintering favourites stayed for the whole winter The female Pallid Harrier was regularly seen in the afternoon at Warham Greens and was occasionally seen during the day nearby at scattered locations including North Point Pools (Wells-next-the Sea), Stiffkey, Warham, Wighton and Sustead.

 

The Shorelarks remained a firm favourite with birders as news of them being present came out virtually everyday at the two favoured wintering spots at Holkham Gap and between Old Hunstanton & NWT Holme Dunes.

 

A Glaucous Gull was also a treat at Old Hunstanton where it fed on a dead Seal and another scavenged around the Grey Seal colony between Winterton and Eccles-on-Sea. Adding a splash of colour a Glossy Ibis wintered at Stiffkey and another was at Burgh Castle. Inland a Red-necked Grebe was at NWT Thorpe Marshes and then Whitlingham CP, a Slavonian Grebe was at Hickling Broad NWT and single Great Northern Divers were briefly at Wroxham Broad and Barton Broad.

 

The Long-billed Dowitcher had not returned by the end of March, buts it’s not too late yet. This was not a Waxwing winter only one was seen at Dersingham for a couple of days. As I write this warm weather saw the emergence of a few Butterfly species including many Brimstones. The males being a bright sulphur yellow and the females light green. Adders emerged from their hibernacula.

 

Reference https://jagareforbundet.se/Projekt-fjallgas/english/