Right here comes the solar – 10,000 Birds

Ten days with out a glimpse of the solar is a miserable expertise, however that’s what we skilled right here in England for the primary 10 days of November. They had been actually 10 days with none climate in any respect, as we had neither rain nor wind, as a result of an virtually stationary band of excessive stress over the nation. In the summertime excessive stress means sunshine, however in autumn it normally ends in gray skies and morning mists. It’s not nice climate for birding, both.

Whooper Swans at sundown

The gloom lifted, in the end, on the eleventh, so I celebrated on the twelfth by venturing out for a day’s birding with my pal Andrew. We opted to go to the Wildfowl and Wetlands Belief’s (WWT) reserve at Welney, unquestionably the very best website in japanese England for seeing large flocks of wildfowl. Welney is a part of the Ouse Washes, a crafty draining system devised by the Dutch engineer Cornelius Vermuyden method again within the seventeenth century.

Vermuyden managed to empty the Fens, as soon as an enormous space of tidal and freshwater marshland. It should then have been a implausible space for birds, however right now the Washes nonetheless appeal to hundreds of geese, geese and swans all through the winter. The Washes are 20 miles lengthy and half a mile vast, masking practically 6,000 acres. Greater than half the realm is owned by conservation our bodies, with WWT controlling the biggest and best space for birds. The WWT reserve has a number of hides, together with a really spacious, glass-fronted constructing which enjoys the uncommon luxurious of central heating, making it an incredible place to observe birds on a cold winter’s day.

It wasn’t actually very chilly on the day of our go to, although there was ample wind to remind us it was November, regardless of the nice and cozy sunshine. Wild swans are the principle attraction: in 2021, no fewer than 12,500 Whoopers wintered right here. Bewick’s Swans used to happen in large numbers, too (with peak counts up to now of over 6,000 birds), however right now the UK wintering inhabitants has declined by 96%, so numbers battle to succeed in 1,000. This is because of short-stopping, with milder winters permitting the birds to stay on the near-continent. 

The wedge of yellow on the beak identifies the Whooper (above and beneath)

No Bewick’s Swans had been reported up to now this season, so our possibilities of seeing any weren’t good, however there was no downside in seeing their bigger cousins. The Whoopers that winter at Welney come from Iceland. They return to Welney in October, and there have been already a number of thousand within the space. Most, nevertheless, had been feeding on the arable fields surrounding the Washes, with only some hundred on the WWT reserve. Meals is plentiful early within the season, so the afternoon swan feeds offered by the WWT aren’t at present attracting many swans. Fewer than 20 birds had been drawn in on the day of our go to, however in a month or two there are prone to be scores, if not tons of, of hungry birds jostling for place at feeding time.  

Even the standard Mallard appears good within the solar

Nonetheless, if there weren’t many Whoopers to be seen, there have been loads of different birds. Estimating the numbers of Wigeon and Teal was tough, however each had been current of their hundreds. With them had been smaller numbers of Shoveler, Gadwall and Mallard, with just some Pintail. Numbers of the latter will rise significantly through the winter. As a result of the Washes are shallow, dabbling geese dominate, however flocks  of Pochard (beneath) at all times collect in entrance of the principle disguise. 

The Pochard flock is male-dominated. Feminine pochard (like my spouse) don’t just like the chilly, so they have an inclination to winter farther south than the extra hardy drakes, so for each 10 drakes you see, there’s normally no a couple of feminine. 

Drake Pochard usually outnumber the females (beneath) by a ratio of 10:1

Just like the Bewick’s Swans, numbers of Goldeneye wintering in japanese England have fallen markedly in recent times, as they’re additionally short-stopping. Thus I used to be delighted to see half a dozen of those diving geese among the many pochard. All had been females, they usually by no means stopped diving, so counting them was tough as they spent most of their time beneath water.

A feminine Goldeneye

A passing pair of Greylags

The identical pair of Greylags on the bottom

Although no Bewick’s had been reported, there needed to be a superb risk that the odd pair had arrived. So it proved. A pointy-eyed fellow birder, working laborious together with his scope, introduced that he had discovered a pair. They weren’t straightforward to see, however inspection by way of Andrew’s scope revealed their distinctive beak sample, with noticeably much less yellow than that of the Whooper. By the way, the Collins Chook Information calls these Tundra Swans, a reminder that they’re first cousins of the North American swans of the identical identify. Bewick’s Swan takes its identify from Thomas Bewick (1753-1828), a celebrated ornithologist and wooden engraver. It’s identified in France as Cygnet de Bewick, whereas the Dutch (moderately unimaginatively), name it the Kleine Zwaan (Small Swan).

A Canada Goose punch-up

One of many nice pleasures of visiting Welney is solely watching birds. The vista from every of the the hides is panoramic, and there’s by no means  a second when there’s nothing taking place. It may be a patrolling Marsh Harrier, flushing a couple of hundred Teal and Lapwings into flight, or maybe a Nice White Egret flapping with lazy wingbeats low over the washes in quest of recent fishing. The Canada Geese may be indulging in a loud squabble, whereas squadrons of Wigeon take to the air, the drakes making their beautiful wheoo whistling calls. Black-tailed Godwits in flocks hundred sturdy give a show of synchronised flying, whereas wisps of snipe drop into the marsh, immediately disappearing from view.

A patrolling Marsh Harrier

Loads of room within the disguise

Finest off all, although, are the swans. Household events come and go all day, whereas generally a lot bigger flocks flight in after feeding within the surrounding fens. They don’t seem to be only a pleasure to the attention, however their atmospheric and far-carrying bugling calls delight the ear. Winter on the Washes is at all times a deal with, particularly when the solar shines.

The top of a November day: sundown over the washes