YARE VALLEY WILDLIFE

This Dark-bellied Brent Goose flew west over UEA & Earlham Marsh on 1st Jan where it was photographed by Nick Robinson. An excellent start to the year.

This 1st winter Mediterranean Gull at Earlham Marsh on 4th Jan was another great find in a purple patch for this site. Photo by Will Soar.

Flight picture of the rather impressive Glaucous Gull at Gt Yarmouth in mid January. Photo by Drew Lyness.

Two images of the Siberian Chiffchaff at Strumpshaw Fen relocated from the end of 2015 in the same place. Where had it been for a month. Maybe not a classic but calls are right. Photo by Ben Lewis.

This Mediterranean Gull was a brief visitor to Whitlingham CP on 8th Feb, the species remains very scarce this far up the valley. Photo by Jake Gearty

This Bittern was a welcome and scarce visitor to Whitlingham CP. Photographed in late February by Justin Lansdell.

The Great White Egret from Bowthorpe is back for another spring. Photo bt Stewart Betts.

Jack Snipe are a regular if hard to observe species at Strumpshaw Fen so Ben Moyes did well to get this photo of one outside Fen Hide in late February.

This pair of Garganey appeared at Buckenham at the end of March. Possibly the pair that had been at Strumpshaw in previous days, Photo by Jane Ferguson.

This Penduline Tit gave birders the run around for several weeks before being seen and photographed by several people from the final day of March. This photo by Ben Lewis.

This Little Gull added to the early spring excitement at Strumpshaw Fen. Photo by Steve Smith from the Tower Hide in early April.

This White Stork roosted at Halvergate in early April. No rings could be seen on this bird so origin could wild, but Thrigby casts doubt over all White Storks in our area. Photo by Peter Allard.

Many Ring Ouzels were seen on the East Anglian coast in early spring, but few in our area. This one was found and photographed by Tommy Corcoran in Gt Yarmouth cemetery.

7 of the 8 Common Scoters found at Whitlingham CP by Drew Lyness in early April. Photo by Justin Lansdell above and Chris Stone below.

This pair of Mandarins were a good find by Chris Baker at Whitlingham CP in late April. Photo by James Emerson.

This nasal saddled Tufted Duck was photographed by Drew Lyness at Thorpe Broad, Norwich in early May. It will be interesting to find out its origin.

Spotted Flycatchers are more likely to be seen on passage than as a breeding bird in our area nowadays. This one was photographed by Tommy Corcoran in Gt Yarmouth cemetery in early May.

This Osprey was a late May visitor to Strumpshaw Fen. Photo by Steve Smith.

This juvenile Little Ringed Plover was outside tower hide at Strumpshaw Fen in early August. Although a pair bred at an undisclosed site in the mid Yare Valley, this bird was probably a migrant. Photo by Steve Smith.

Wood Sandpipers are regular but scarce passage migrants in both spring and autumn. This bird was one of two at Cantley sugar factory in late August. Photo by Steve Smith.

This Ring-necked Parakeet flew over Blofield Heath at the start of September. We've had several reports of this species over the past months in the Norwich to Brundall area, presumably all relating to one wandering individual. Photo by Dave Bryant.

This Fulmar was a surprise at Breydon Water, where they are a scarce visitor, but its presence was not welcomed by the local gulls. Found and photographed by Tommy Corcoran in early September.

As well as being a scarce resident breeder in the Yare valley, Grey Wagtails are a less than common passage migrant. These two in Gt Yarmouth cemetery, were a good find in early October by Tommy Corcoran, who also photographed them.

Ring Ouzels were a feature of the early October 'fall'. This one found and photographed in Gt Yarmouth cemetery by Tommy Corcoran.

This Lesser Whitethroat, possibly of an eastern race, was part of the early October fall on the east coast. Photographed by Tommy Corcoran (top) and Jeremy Gaskell (bottom) in Gt Yarmouth cemetery.

Common Scoter is a scarce visitor to Breydon Water. This bird found and photographed by J Halls in mid October is a very good record.

As the last quarter of October came and still east winds a couple of Great Grey Shrikes appeared on the 21st. one at West Caister and this one at UEA. Photo by Jake Gearty.

This Cattle Egret was found and photographed by Steve Smith west of Gt Yarmouth in late October. Only the second for the Breydon area.

Stonechats remain scarce visitors to the Norwich area and therefore this smart male (one of a pair) at Thorpe Marshes, Norwich was much appreciated. Photos by Ricky Cleverley

A juvenile Rose-coloured Starling in Limpenhoe in early November proved popular. Photos by Drew Lyness (top) and Alison Allen (bottom).

These 2 Waxwings were a good find on Buckenham railway station,away from the flocks in Norwich at the start of December. Found and photographed by Chris Booth.

Another Cattle Egret was found at Surlingham along the entrance track to Wheat Fen in early December, making a potential 5 to date in the Yare Valley this late autumn/winter. Photo by Steve Smith.

Several Tundra Bean Geese were found during December in the local flocks of Pink-footed Geese. The one below at Browston and the ones right at Beighton/Hassingham, Both photos by Jane Ferguson.

This Knot was a good find at Earlham Marsh on 3rd Jan where it was photographed by Jake Gearty. Perhaps surprisingly several inland Norfolk records come in mid winter.

This young Glaucous Gull was found by Neil Matheson in Gt Yarmouth in early January. Photo by Tommy Corcoran, taken on the Beaconsfield football pith.

The Lesser Yellowlegs was still making erratic appearances at Breydon Water and Burgh Castle into the New Year. Photographed here at the latter on 17 Jan by Rob Wilton.

This dark male Marsh Harrier was seen at Strumpshaw Fen in January. Photo by Ben Lewis.

Water Pipits are a regular feature in the mid Yare valley in winter. This one photographed in February at Strumpshaw Fen by warden Ben Lewis.

This Firecrest was an excellent find by Rich Moores at Thorpe Marshes on 3rd Feb. Photo by finder

This drake Mallard x Pintail hybrid was found at Whitlingham Country Park in December 2015 and remains in the area in February when it was photographed by Jake Gearty.

This young Caspian Gull made an all too brief visit Breydon Water on the 7th February. Found by John Harris and photographed by Tommy Corcoran.

Early spring migration started with this Spoonbill at Breydon Water in early March. Photo by Tommy Corcoran.

This Green-winged Teal was an excellent find by Steve Smith at Cantley Marshes on 13th March. Photos by Justin Lansdell

More wildfowl. This drake Common Scoter was seen on Easter Sunday at Thorpe Broad, Thorpe St Andrew. Part of a countrywide inland influx. Found and photographed by Justin Lansdell.

It was a good spring nationally for Firecrests, so not unexpected to find some inland birds in our area. This one photographed by Murray Smith in early April at Strumpshaw Fen (above). Coastal Firecrests also in evidence with this one in Gt Yarmouth cemetery (below) photographed by Tommy Corcoran.

A record shot of the drake Garganey at Hardley Flood on 6th April. Photo by Justin Lansdell

A 1st summer Great black-backed Gull at Hardley Flood on 6th April. Despite being a frequent and occasionally abundant species lower down the Yare Valley it is very scarce further up the valley being just about annual at Whitlingham for example. In the mid Yare Valley over summering immature birds such as this bird at either Hardley Flood or Buckenham Marshes perhaps surprisingly represent the best opportunity to see the species. Photo by Justin Lansdell

This Iceland Gull made a brief visit to Breydon Water in April. Record shot by the finder Tommy Corcoran.

This Whinchat was a mid April passage migrant at Buckenham Marsh. Much scarcer inland than on the coast. Photo by Steve Smith.

With two pair of Garganey present at Buckenham Marsh in the spring, distinguishing between the two was easy as one pair had a dull plumaged drake. Photo by Murray Smith.

One of 2 Black Redstarts found and photographed in Gt Yarmouth cemetery by Tommy Corcoran on May 4th.

A nation wide influx of marsh terns in May, brought sevral Black Terns into our area. These two were from a party of three found and photographed by Drew Lyness at Whitlingham Lane CP.

Above,record shot of the Caspian Tern which came into Breydon Water late evening on 19 June. Found and photographed by Tommy Corcoran. Left, another shot of the Caspian tern at Breydon taken the following day by Jane Ferguson.

This young Garganey was at Buckenham Marsh in early July, not one of a brood of six that was also present. This could be a tenth individual seen around this time. Photo by Steve Smith.

A good early autumn passage of Greenshank in the valley resulted in double figure counts of the species at Cantley. These 3 were accompanied by a moulting adult Spotted Redshank. A species also prominent on the east coast in late summer. Photographed in late July by Steve Smith.

Glossy Ibis are now a regular if scarce bird in the UK. This bird at Strumpshaw Fen in late August was, I believe, the first in our area this year. Photo by Mick Davis.

Pied Flycatchers are a regular feature of early autumn migration on our east coast. This one photographed by Tommy Corcoran on the last day of August in Gt Yarmouth cemetery.

This Caspian Gull was a good find on Gorleston beach on September 1st. Found and photographed by Jeremy Gaskell.

This Red-throated Diver was found and photographed by Tommy Corcoran on the east end of Breydon Water in mid September. The same bird was seen later in the day from Burgh Castle.

This autumn has seen an amazing one for Yellow-browed Warblers both localy and nationaly. This one was photographed in Gt Yarmouth cemetery in early October by Tommy Corcoran.

Bramblings were another feature of the early October fall. This one was at Caister and photographed by Steve Smith.

As mid October approached the Yellow-browed Warblers were joined by a few Pallas's Warblers. This one turned up on the 10th in Gt Yarmouth cemetery. Found and photographed by Tommy Corcoran.

This Shorelark was one of three found and photographed by Drew Lyness on Gt Yarmouth north denes in mid October.

We are used to seeing Bearded Tits in the reed beds through the Yare Valley, where they breed, but these two were on Gt Yarmouth south denes in late October. Presumably migrants fresh in from the continent during an easterly wind. Photos by Steve Smith.

Record picture of the Dusky Warbler at Warren Rd, Gorleston/Hopton in late October. Photo by Steve Smith.

This Velvet Scoter was found and photographed by Justin Lansdell on 8th November at the same time as a huge coastal wildfowl movement

Another 3 Cattle Egrets graced the Breydon area from early November. This time on the south wall marshes. This record shot taken by Pete Allard in late November.

This Scaup was a good reward for WeBS counter James Emerson at Whitlingham Lane CP in mid December.