The Golden Pheasant of the Wolferton Triangle - an update!

It's no secret that I love bright and colourful birds, and the Golden Pheasant at Wolferton Triangle is no exception. Having last seen this magnificent bird over a year ago now back in December 2014, we took the opportunity to revisit the area at the end of 2015 during our trip to Norfolk in an attempt to get further views of this most charismatic of birds.

Dividing birders opinions, with many regarding him as part of the “Plastic Fantastic” crew, I am firmly in the ‘admirers’ camp, loving the touch of colour and vibrancy that he brings to the woods of Norfolk. Love him or loathe him, there is no denying that with a fiery golden plumage and sporadic sightings, the Golden Pheasant is a very special bird indeed.

Parking up at the favoured spot where he is most often seen (on the northern edge of the triangle just before the ‘Give Way’ sign), we watched and waited for any hint of crimson and gold amongst the thick Rhododendron undergrowth.... 

Waiting for the Golden Pheasant to emerge.....

With mornings being the best time of day to catch a sighting, we were there bright and early, arriving at just after half 8. We didn’t have to wait long – a little before 9am we struck gold – a hint of vibrant yellow and striking red emerging slowly from the hedge line – our Golden Pheasant.

We watched on as he ventured across the verge and on to the road, stopping to pick at seeds along the roadside edge before crossing over to the other side. Foraging for around 20 minutes, this was our longest encounter by far, and we enjoyed fantastic views as he paraded in front of the car in all his fiery glory, eventually disappearing back in to the undergrowth of his favoured triangle. Always an amazing experience with this bird, it was brilliant to watch him at length, and interestingly, unlike our visit a year earlier, this time we didn't see any Common Pheasants in the area at all.

With a number of birds once present in this particular location, it is now possible that sadly just one male remains. Comparing my photos from this winter with those taken over a year earlier and studying the head markings, it is clear to see that this is the same individual - the feather patterns on the neck match up perfectly.

Both photos show the extensive dark patch in the bottom corner of the golden hood.

Not as easy to see on the bird's left hand side, looking closely, both photos show the same black stripe patterns and gold spacing.

I also took a look at many of the recent photographs of the Wolferton Golden Pheasant taken in the past few months to ascertain whether these too were all of the same individual. Again, looking at the patterns on the neck feathers, the position and thickness of the stripes are identical, indicating that they are indeed all of the same male. In particular, the thick patch of black stripes in the bottom corner of the bird's right hand side can clearly be seen on all photographs.  

Photos kindly supplied by David Johnstone (Top Left), Christopher Teague (Top Middle) Max Hellicar (Bottom Left) and Harry Murphy (Bottom Middle).

Whilst not as obvious, the black stripes and the gold spacing in between are also identical on the bird's left hand side. 

Photos kindly supplied by Steve Gantlett (Top Left) and Harry Murphy (Bottom Right)

Whether there are indeed other individuals present in the triangle remains to be seen - there could well be females remaining undetected in the secrecy of the Rhododendron cover or other males that rarely venture out on to the road, meaning that the same showy male gets repeatedly photographed. However, the fact that each photograph I've found over the past year depicts the same individual indicates it is highly likely that he is indeed the very last Golden Pheasant in the Wolferton Triangle - an extremely sad fact if true. If anyone has any photos that possibly depict a different bird, or if two birds have been seen together, I would be interested to hear. 

One thing is for certain, once this particular male’s time is up and he is no longer found to be strutting proudly around the triangle, it will become much harder to see this elusive species in Britain, and the Wolferton Triangle will most certainly be a lot less colourful as a result.

For a further look in to the history behind the Wolferton population and an in depth analysis of the genetics regarding the black throat patch on the birds, check out last year’s blog post here. 

Hooded Merganser - Corsham Lake, Wiltshire - will it get accepted on to Category A?

With the Hooded Merganser at Corsham Lake in Wiltshire presenting a tempting opportunity having never seen this species before, even in America, on Saturday I made the 3 hour journey down south so me and Alex could decide for ourselves just how genuine a vagrant this particular individual was.

Having been present at the lake in the grounds of Corsham Court since the Monday, we arrived just after lunch and squelched our way through the mud to the water’s edge. Scanning the lake, we could see several Mallards and 4 Goosanders resting on the opposite bank, as well as numerous other ducks out on the water, but no sign of the Hooded Merganser –  surely we couldn’t dip a potential escapee (the shame!).

Speaking to the birders present with scopes already lined up and cameras poised at the ready, it transpired the bird had simply moved left down a channel behind the reeds and was busy feeding temporarily out of sight. Reassured, we headed that way, and soon managed to lock on to it – constantly diving in the shallow water and taking advantage of the apparent rich source of food amongst the reeds. Success! One Hooded Merganser showing exceptionally well….. perhaps a little too well?!

Watching the bird for the next hour, we obtained excellent views as it fished in front of us, at one point coming to within just a few metres. Expertly manoeuvring through the channel, it often came to a patch of open water not obscured by any branches or reeds, offering a great opportunity to really take in the oversized head and fluffy crest during the moments that it surfaced.

So, was the Hooded Merganser getting just a little bit too close for comfort? Usually when vagrant wildfowl are extremely confiding it can often be a sign that they have escaped from captivity, in many cases resulting in the individual not getting accepted or instead, getting placed firmly on the dreaded Category E of the British list. Indeed, Cinnamon Teals, Mottled Ducks and even White-headed Ducks have all met this fate in Britain, having never made it on to category A and instead getting resigned to the depths of categories D and E. As captive wildfowl are extremely numerous in Britain with birds often escaping, such records should always be treated with caution.

White-headed Ducks - sadly resigned to Category E of the British list despite many candidates

Hooded Mergansers have always had a troubled journey when it comes to getting accepted on to Category A of the British list – it wasn’t until 2008 after careful scrutiny and consideration that the first was accepted – a female or immature male present on North Uist from the 23^rd October to the 1^st November 2000 (a whole 8 years after the sighting). Since then, 7 records in total have been accepted.

In general, certain points always need to be considered when assessing whether a species of bird that is often kept in captivity is indeed a genuinely wild vagrant. As well as the obvious essential features such as being unringed and having unclipped wings, the bird’s wariness of people is a key indicator, as is its behaviour in terms of feeding – natural sources are a yes while coming to bread (in terms of wildfowl) is often seen as a no go. The Corsham Hooded Merganser has been seen to be unringed on both legs, often displaying its legs to observers whilst preening and at some points even coming completely out of the water and on to the bank – clearly displaying a lack of rings. The wings also appear to be unclipped.

No bling!

Its apparent tameness however could prove to be an issue. Whilst the Hooded Merganser was indeed seemingly unperturbed by the 10 or so birders lining the bank, it should be noted that it was extremely focused on hunting for fish and other morsels in the shallows. One interesting theory in particular is that when the Mallards swam close to the bank, they disturbed the sediment in the water and this in turn made it easier for the Hooded Merganser to catch larvae and other invertebrates that were disturbed by the movement.

Another point to consider is that over in America where Hooded Mergansers are native, they often come to within a few feet of people, sometimes even taking bread or other food - as the three videos below demonstrate perfectly. 

The Corsham bird’s apparent tameness is therefore certainly no reason to cast any doubt over its wild credentials. Whilst it has been reported to have been feeding on bread on some occasions, Goosanders have also been observed to do this in the wild, and it would make sense for any wild bird to take advantage of whatever food source is offered.

Other key points that need to be assessed in the case for genuine vagrancy is the bird in question arriving at the right time of year to tie in with natural migration, as well as departing in good time to continue with its journey. Whilst the Radipole male in Dorset apparently arrived during fierce storms that battered the south coast, the fact that it has not moved on since and is still present 8 years later completely destroyed its case as a true vagrant, as did the fact that it arrived in June.

With the Hooded Merganser at Corsham Lake having now departed after a stay of just 6 days (whilst we were there it was constantly diving for food – perhaps feeding up before moving on), this can only strengthen the argument of it being a wild bird.

Turning up in February is also a positive point for the Corsham bird, as wild Hooded Mergansers in America are very early spring migrants, leaving their wintering grounds in February and March. This winter saw huge Atlantic pressure systems bringing many American wildfowl species across, with numerous Green-winged Teals, American Wigeons, Lesser Scaups and Ring-necked Ducks all present in good numbers in the UK. 

Ring-necked Ducks and Lesser Scaups all regularly make it over to the UK

With several records of Hooded Mergansers in the Western Pal this winter, including presumed wild individuals in both the Azores and Iceland, as well as other vagrants such as American Coots, it is highly likely that the Corsham bird could have been blown over the Atlantic during the extreme weather conditions seen in November and December when the winds originated strongly from North America, arriving elsewhere on the continent before the urge to move on kicked in.

It's also worth noting that the female reported in Forth in Scotland back on the 2^nd February for two days could well be the Corsham bird. First seen on the pond at the Safari Park in Blair Drummond, it is essential however that an escapee from there is eliminated first and foremost. Escapees from any centres nearby to both the Forth site and the site in Wiltshire will then also have to be ruled out for the Corsham bird to have any chance of being accepted.

Whilst the fate of the Corsham Hooded Merganser is uncertain, regardless of whether or not it is accepted it was still a fantastic bird to watch and to get such good views of. I’ll certainly be keeping my fingers crossed that it does indeed tick all the required boxes of being wild and earns a place on to category A.

The sweet taste of Fudge - Ferruginous Duck at Caldecotte Lake, Buckinghamshire

With a drake Fudge Duck having been present on Caldecotte Lake in Buckinghamshire since the 4th of February, and with Ferruginous Duck being my number one target bird on Bubo for over a year, it was only a matter of time before I gave in and made the 2 and a half hour journey down to Milton Keynes in an attempt to catch up with this extremely attractive species of duck.

Prior arrangements and a trip to Portugal meant the first real opportunity I had was last weekend, and after a casual drive down we arrived on site at just after 2pm. A smattering of rain couldn’t dampen our spirits, and we soon located the handsome drake on the South East end of the lake, associating with a group of Tufted Ducks and viewable from the wildlife screen. Fantastic and well worth the trip!

Scoping from the edge of the lake, we watched this impressive drake as he began to dive for food, the white patch on the under tail distinctive as he ducked under the water. Moving over to the opposite side of the bank and viewing from the other screen, we were able to get much closer views, taking in the rich chestnut colouration and bright pale yellow eye before he eventually swam off towards the centre of the lake and over to the trees.

Having a preference for the far more attractive drake ducks in terms of lifers as opposed to the usually duller females, I had so far resisted going for one of the number of females that have been present in the UK recently – indeed, this has been the first relatively nearby drake I’ve been able to twitch since I first dipped a Fudge Duck back in 2011! With females present in Norfolk and Yorkshire, the regular drake in Hampshire, and a drake of unknown origin associating with the captive Ferruginous Ducks at Washington WWT in Durham, our Buckinghamshire bird appears to be part of a mini influx of sorts this winter.

Despite the fact a known escaped bird has been frequently seen at Dinton Pastures in Berkshire, plus the suspect natures of two WWT birds recently, our Caldecotte drake was bearing no rings and appeared extremely wary – the real deal and as good as it gets.

Alex's photo shows perfectly the lack of any bling on the legs

Being one of my top ten targets, Fudge Duck has definitely been a long time coming, especially since dipping two previously and only managing to see a hybrid Ferruginous x Tufted in the Norfolk broads a few years back. Well worth the effort and thanks to Alex for coming along (even though he has already seen 4 in the UK!) 

Norfolk Birding - Shore Larks, Rough-legged Buzzards, Bean Geese and the Golden Pheasant of Wolferton

Me and Alex decided to take a New Year’s trip to Norfolk in order to catch up with all the birding goodies that were on offer in what is surely one of the most productive of counties for birds. With a wealth of species concentrated in a small area near Kings Lynn, we had three days to connect with an impressive line-up of great birds.

Staking out Flitcham that afternoon for the resident Pallid Harrier unfortunately drew a blank (although we had already seen an individual last autumn in Somerset) but we were rewarded with a beautiful flock of feeding Bramblings, a hunting Merlin and a pair of gaudy Egyptian Geese as consolation prizes.

Phone-scoped shot of one of the Bramblings

The next day saw an early rise and the obligatory trip to the now famous Wolferton Triangle in order to catch up with the resident Lord of the Estate – the legendary Golden Pheasant himself, before heading over to Choseley Drying Barns to try and spot one of the two Rough-legged Buzzards that have been calling this area home. 

After eventually finding the right location and after a fair bit of driving and scanning fields, I managed to pick out a pale coloured Buteo heading over the ridge with pronounced black carpal patches and a white upper tail – our target bird.

Enjoying brief views, we drove over to the field in question and after some careful scanning, I picked up our sought after Buzzard, this time perched in the field next to us. Taking flight and being harassed by two persistent crows, we both got excellent views as this majestic raptor flew along the edge of the field, the white inner tail above distinctive along with the much paler wings and characteristic markings.

With the Rough-legged Buzzard now out of sight and perched in a distant tree, we headed over to Cley for our final stop of the day in an attempt to catch up with one of the four Bean Geese that had been present on the reserve associating with the regular Pink Feet. Travelling past many farm fields, it was a refreshing change to see coveys of both Grey and Red-legged Partridges in large numbers as we drove through Norfolk, with both species being plentiful.

Arriving at Cley, we immediately locked on to a Barn Owl gracefully quartering the reeds in the afternoon sun, while several Marsh Harriers patrolled the reserve.  Entering the hides, the Bean Geese were extremely difficult to pick out amongst the large flock of Pink Feet, and after some careful scanning it wasn't until the other birders in the next hide along pointed them out to me that I was able to pick them out. Extremely similar to Pink Footed Geese, the good views really enabled us to note the subtle differences - their orange bills really stood out from the pink bills of the Pink Feet. Having only ever seen one Bean Goose before at Telford a few years ago, this was a great opportunity to really get my eye in on these two confusion species.

Two orange billed Bean Geese interspersed with the Pink Feet

A quick check on the fields further up the track resulted in us also trying to pick out the Black Brant that had been present in the Brent goose flock for several weeks. Alex eventually managed to pick it up in what was becoming fast fading light, and we both admired this attractive American subspecies - my first in the UK. 

Differing from our Brent Geese by sporting a complete white neck collar and having much bolder white markings on the sides, once we had our eye in we could easily pick out this American stray amongst the hundreds of Dark-bellied Brents. 

The Dark-bellied Brent Geese - Black Brant at the bottom left!

With the light now disappearing, we headed back to the hotel for a feast of pizza and pasta before our final day in Norfolk and what would be our first birds of 2016. 

With New Year’s Day dawning and just one full day left, we decided to head over to Thornham Harbour where 3 Shore Larks had been present on the shingle beach next to the estuary mouth. One of my favourite small shore birds and a species I don’t often come across in the North West, I was keen to catch up with these delightful Bumble Bee patterned larks.

Stopping to admire the flock of around 30 Twite that had been feeding amongst the salt marsh plants right next to the car park and giving excellent views, we headed off in to the dunes to locate the Shore Larks.

With an ever present stream of New Year’s Day birders having scopes set up watching the birds, they weren't hard to find, and we were soon enjoying close views as the three birds fed along the tide line in the debris washed up by the waves.

Having only ever seen the Rossall Point bird last winter, it was great to admire these brightly coloured birds as they went about their business and it was a fantastic end to what had been a hugely successful trip to Norfolk.

Birding in North Wales - Snow Buntings, Hawfinches, Purple Sandpipers and Black Redstarts!

There have been some fantastic birds present in North Wales recently, with a whole host of great subjects for photography all along the coast.

After Alex first found a Snow Bunting at Horton’s nose near Kimnel Bay back at the start of December, a pair of these attractive buntings were found a little further down the shore at the start of January – presumably the same bird Alex found relocating up the beach. With up to 6 birds having been reported (along with records at Pensarn, Llandullas and Point of Ayr) the two seem to have now taken a liking to this small stretch of coast and what is now a regularly seeded area at SH 986 808, offering amazing views and a great opportunity to study these charismatic little birds up close.

Luckily I had my camera with me when I called in to Kimnel Bay, and the single Snow Bunting that was present when I visited allowed fantastic views as it fed unperturbed on the seed.

Being the first bird I travelled some distance to see at Kimnel Bay 5 years ago, it is great to see them returning to the North Wales coastline after a considerable absence for some years, and hopefully the numbers will be able to get back up to the 14 or so birds that were present back in 2011.

The Hawfinches at Llanbedr-y-Cennin are also providing excellent views this winter after proving to be very elusive back in January and February 2015. With over 20 birds reported to be present, we had a flock of 10 fly from the trees lining the field at SH 76007 69740, before flying back in to land, offering excellent scope views as seen from the cattle grid. 

With a huge bulky appearance in flight and prominent white patches on the wings, we soon became familiar with their silhouette, making it much easier to spot individuals as they flew from tree to tree. The trees around the churchyard and the field at the above grid reference seem to be the best places to spot these huge billed finches.

The Purple Sandpipers at Rhos Point continue to be found in low numbers at both high and low tide on the rocky shoreline while the Black Redstarts on the Little Orme are also producing great views this winter, with up to three individuals having been present. There is an excellent supporting cast of Red-throated Divers, Shags and nesting Fulmars on the cliffs and on the sea, while the seal colony at Angel Bay below holds double figures of Grey Seals, often hauled out on the shingle or with heads poking above the waves. This is a great opportunity to study these pinnipeds through the scope from the cliff top path, and we got great views of several large males and females resting on the sand.

Fulmars!

Little Auk makes landfall at Connahs Quay!

Having sadly missed the influx of Little Auks to the East coast last November and with Little Auk being one of my top targets for last year, I thought I had missed the boat when it came to seeing one of these tiny arctic visitors. When an alert popped up on my phone in the middle of January telling me a Little Auk had been seen at Connah’s Quay Nature Reserve in North Wales, I opened it up expecting the report to be just a fly-by – the typical view of Little Auks over on the West coast. I was therefore shocked to read there was one apparently swimming around the inland pools outside Dee and Middle Hides!!

I was determined that I wanted to see my first Little Auk up close as opposed to a distant dot flying over stormy waves, and knowing that it could fall victim to a marauding crow or gull at any moment, we left Alex’s house in record speed (I’ve never got ready so fast). With Connah’s Quay being a permit only reserve, I had luckily bought Alex a key for Christmas – money that was now definitely well spent!

Despite a few setbacks where the Sat-nav kept insisting on directing us to a random field, we were soon on site, just missing this dainty alcid by moments with it having just that second swam around the bend. A small chase of cat and mouse then ensued, where we attempted to follow it from hide to hide before eventually pinning the elusive Auk down to Middle Hide – relief and my first UK Little Auk, a much wanted bird for some time!

Little Auk swimming along the channel at Connah's Quay NR

We watched as the tiny Auk swam swiftly along the back of the pool before powering off to the left hand side of the channel and out of sight – a much speedier swimmer than I’d anticipated! Heading back on to the road and over to where it looked to be heading, we were surprised to find it had beat us to it and had completely disappeared - seemingly vanishing in front of the assembled birders eyes – presumably taking shelter in the large rocks that lined the banks.

With no sign for a good hour or so and with the bird having either taken shelter in the bank or forced its way through the small weir blocking the access in to the estuary (unlikely!) we headed over to Burton Marsh to enjoy the views of Short-eared Owls, Hen Harriers and Bewick’s Swans that were present. With reports just after lunch that the Little Auk was back in front of the hide again, we made the decision to head back to Connah’s Quay – it’s not every day you get to see a Little Auk so close after all!

Arriving at the hide to find the Little Auk had climbed on to the grassy bank at the side of the water, it was clear that this particular individual was not in completely good health, having seemingly injured one of its legs. 

Watching it for some time and following it down the channel again when it eventually swam off, we enjoyed fantastic views just metres away as it powered past us towards the weir again, and unable to pass, it once again positioned itself in the rocks out of sight to rest.

Little Auk is an excellent record for North Wales, with birds occasionally seen as fly-bys on sea watches during the winter months, and it was even more exceptional that it was found on the pools at Connah’s Quay instead of the harbour.

The small channel the Little Auk kept favouring

With our Little Auk making a final appearance just before dusk, again showing exceptionally closely before swimming off back up the channel and out of sight, we can only hope that under the safety of darkness it managed to make a getaway and head back out to sea. A report of a Little Auk flying west past Hoylake subsequently had the optimist in me hoping that this was our little bird and that he made it to safety! A truly fantastic experience and one I certainly won’t be forgetting in a hurry. 

Back to Black - Black Scoter off Stag Rocks, Bamburgh, Northumberland

With news that a Black Scoter had been spotted associating amongst the raft of Common Scoter regularly seen off Stag Rocks near Bamburgh in Northumberland during the week (it transpired that the bird had in fact been present since the 15^th Jan), we made the decision to make the long journey up to the North East to see this vagrant American sea duck. Only recently spilt from our Common Scoters in the last decade or so, and with just 13 accepted records, this was a great opportunity to finally nail this mega duck after not managing to get up for any of the previous individuals that have graced the East coast and Scotland over the past 5 years or so and being too young to twitch the long staying individual that resided off Llanfairfechan back in 1999 all the way through to 2007. With birds seen off the Northumberland coast in 2011 (in both the spring and winter) and again in 2015, it is highly likely this could be the same returning individual, especially as the April 2011 bird was actually found off Stag Rocks.

With strong gales and rain forecast for the Saturday however, we decided to call our journey off, thinking it would be near impossible to locate the Black Scoter in stormy seas and driving rain. A report at just after 11am on Saturday morning soon put paid to that theory however, and after booking a last minute hotel 10 minutes away from Bamburgh we were soon on our way north hoping the weather for Sunday would stay calm and dry like predicted.

Nearby Bamburgh Castle

Sure enough, we awoke to an extremely calm and still morning (with Alex soon picking out an Iceland Gull from the hotel window before we were even out on the road) and by 10am we were on site ready to track down the Black Scoter. Being nailed down to a regular site unlike last year’s Northumberland bird, I was hopeful we would connect and joining 30 or so other birders overlooking the sea we were soon watching a distant Scoter flock to the north of the rocks. Despite some of those present convinced one individual had a much brighter bill than the others, the birds were just far too distant to get adequate views and confirm it as the Black Scoter.

A map of where we viewed from - our two viewing spots in red and the car park in yellow

January Birding!

There have been a whole host of great birds during January in Cheshire, with some returning favourites such as the Burton Mere Long-eared Owl putting on a great show in the Hawthorn tree leading up to Inner Marsh Farm  hide, to finally getting a Green-winged Teal at my local Neumann’s Flash.

Long-eared Owl - Burton Mere RSPB

Record shot of the Neumann's Green-winged Teal

The start of the month also brought my first Cheshire Pallas’s Warbler in the form of the well twitched individual at Heswall on the Wirral. Present for nearly two weeks in the scrub around the sewage works on Target Road and associating with a group of Goldcrests, Long-tailed Tits and Chiffchaffs, we got great views of what is one of my favourite warbler species bumbling through the branches next to the sewage tanks. Giving fantastic scope views through the wire fencing, the yellow rump stood out a mile (a feature I didn’t manage to see on the Norfolk bird) as did the bold eye stripe, while the colouration was noticeably different from the accompanying Goldcrests, being much more of a green-olive colour on the back.

The Great Northern Diver at West Kirby Marine Lake also continued to show well throughout the month, and we managed to catch up with this impressive diver on the far side of the lake after seeing the Pallas’s Warbler just as the sun had started to go down. 

Great Northern Diver - West Kirby Marine Lake

It’s always lovely to see these beautiful divers up close, and this particularly confiding individual came to within just a few metres of the side whilst diving for fish and crustaceans.