Gambelli White-fronted Goose

Huge surprise on the patch, the 'Greenland' White-fronted Goose that has been around for the last couple of days, looks like it is of the subspecies 'gambelli' - the bill on it is huge! More on Gambelli here.

White-fronts

2 White-fronted Geese among the 80+ Greylags in front of the house today, I didn't see White-front on the patch at all last year so it's good to get them UTB so early.

Top photo - not snowing, bottom 2 - snowing!

November

A few highlights from November -

Buzzard - over the patch on the 27/11, not only a year tick, but a patch tick !

The Great Tit remained in the garden until the 20/11.

Scaup, Gadwall, Pochard and Goldeneye - a nice selection for such a small Loch.

Short-eared Owl - 1-3 birds around the patch until the 19/11.



White-fronted Geese - 4 birds on the marshy bit behind the loch on 13/11 and 19/11.


















A few other highlights were - Green-winged Teal on the 19/11 and a flyby Lapland Bunting on the13/11.

The Weekend

Friday - A quick dash around the patch in the afternoon, and a year-tick - Pochard on the Loch ! Elsewhere around Scatness 4 Short-eared Owls, 4 Robin, a Grey Plover, a Woodcock, a Greenfinch and the ever present Great Tit.

Greenfinch

Pochard

Saturday - The Great Tit and Greenfinch remain in the garden, plus flyover Peregrine and Merlin

Today - Being as there seems to be Bean Geese everywhere, out on the patch on a goose chase, the only flock at Scatness was a party of 20 Greylags plus 4 White-fronts, a single Pink-footed in front of the house and another 4 flying north, but no Beans ! There was another year-tick on the go though, a Scaup has joined the Pochard on the Loch, a few migrants were notable - 3 Wood Pigeons, 5 Robins and 5 Snow Buntings. Still plenty of Blackbirds and Fieldfare knocking about.

Pink-footed Goose

Scaup (last 2 with Pochard)

Greylags plus 4 White-fronts

More White-fronts.

At last, something to look at (well sort of !), 3 White-fronted Geese (ad + 2 juvs) in front of the house mid afternoon. Now that the autumn seems to be over this could be the highlight of the winter ! Only 6 months until spring tho', and several months in between of short days, long nights, rain, gales and S.A.D.

White-fronted Geese.

Y Fronts.

A text from Rob saying that there were 2 White-fronted Geese in the field behind his house and, after a quick walk up the steps in the garden to the garage, these were then added to the garden year-list - now on 124 ! I don't think that Rob realised, at the time, that I can 'scope that field from the garden.

White-fronted Geese.

White-fronts.

Ad Iceland Gull at Quendale & 2 White-fronted Geese at Spiggie, and then heavy rain stopped play (just in time to watch Fulham get stuffed by the unstoppable force).


White-fronted Geese.

White-fronted Geese.

Iceland Gull.

Iceland Gull.

November 8th 2008. White-fronts.

6 Woodcock, 2 Goldcrest and a Black Redstart around Sumburgh Farm, 5 White-fronted Geese flew south past the House mid afternoon, 1 Robin in the Garden.

White-fronted Geese.