Burnt goose...

Canada Geese (with Greylag friend) including neck-collard bird 'AJE'

I haven't blogged-off about Canada Geese before - which for a lad at my level of #Wildfowl #elite seems utterly remiss. 

Much like Peter Scott before me, I really need to disseminate this knowledge and passion. 

I put search phrase "goose" into my Google Photos archive and after 16 hours of viewing and deliberation I was able to identify the following photos to share: 

Feeding Cacklers at Slimbridge back in 2009

Back in 2018 - the Two Jonnies co-hosts knew what was up

This is a baby Canada Goose - photo taken in 2015

Back in the first winter period 2023 we had a Barnacle Goose x Cackling Goose wintering at Walberswick:

Barnacle Goose x Cackling Goose, Walberswick, February 2023

This bird is likely coming across the north sea from feral goose populations in the Netherlands. Even better than that, this winter the same flock is holding a Richardson's Canada Goose: 

Richardson's Canada Goose - Walberswick, 25th October 2025

I've also seen a Todd's in Lothian back in October 2022, an absolute cracker:

Todd's Canada Goose - Skateraw, Lothian, 23rd October 2022

Todd's Canada Goose - Skateraw, Lothian, 23rd October 2022

When I visit the BTO Nunnery Lakes, to assist Nick with his patch birding, I also like to further science by reporting the neck-collard Canada Geese. On my last visit I saw three neck-collard birds, I was able to read the digits on two of them 'AHT' and 'AJE'. I had recorded AHT on a visit back in January, so it was good to re-sight it at the end of the year too: 

Canada Goose 'AHT' Nunnery Lakes, 09th January 2025

Canada Goose 'AHT' Nunnery Lakes, 05th December 2025

These neck-collard birds were ringed back in 2009 and have ventured as far as East Wretham Heath - almost 6 miles to the north east of Nunnery Lakes. As well as Riddlesworth 7 miles to the east. Serious stuff. 

Headstarted Curlew

Colour-ringed Curlew - Titchwell 09th November 2025

This is one of my least impressive colour-ring recovery records, my scientific prowess and observation skills remain unmatched, this is just a slightly lazy Curlew... 

Colour-ringed Curlew - Titchwell 09th November 2025

Wild Curlew eggs have been collected from military and civil airfields where they would otherwise be destroyed and have been 'head started' at Wild Ken Hill. Not a place I've visited - but it is 11km / 7 miles to the south west of Titchwell RSPB reserve.  

Titchwell is where I spotted this beaut - a Curlew bearing a yellow flag '3H' over orange on the left leg and a yellow colour-ring over the knee right.

Colour-ringed Curlew - Titchwell 09th November 2025

In summary, this bird was released at Wild Ken Hill on 06th August 2025, moved to the Titchwell RSPB reserve area on 21st August, It has variously flaunted itself for Titchwell visitors ever since - with the latest keen-eyed observer - my bad self, sighting the bird on 09th November. 

Colour-ringed Curlew - Titchwell 09th November 2025

I don't know what the moral of this story is? I've learnt something. Who knows. What is even right or wrong at this point?

Limosa limosa

 

Colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwit - Blythburgh, Tuesday 19th August 2025

Still reading rings and reporting colour-ringed birds. I don't stop to be honest. Just a total beast. 

The latest ornithological triumph is this colour ringed Black-tailed Godwit seen on my beloved Blythburgh patch last week. It was colour ringed red with white spots on the left leg and green, black then yellow above the knee on the right leg. 

The bird was ringed in French France during it's birth year back in September of 2023 at a place called Moëze, which is half way down the west coast. 

It has subsequently been sited at Seaforth Nature Reserve, Liverpool in June 2024 and further south (than the ringing site) at L'Aiguillon-la-Presqu'ile, France in July 2024. 

No sightings thereafter for a full year - until some absolute legend picked it up on the Blyth last Tuesday... 

Colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwit - Blythburgh, Tuesday 19th August 2025

Colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwit - Blythburgh, Tuesday 19th August 2025

Lachmöwe

Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls - Livermere 26th June 2025

June to August is the peak period at Livermere in my oh so humble, expert opinion... 

It is outside of shooting season, firm under foot, large congregations of breeding/ post breeding birds and the potential for almost anything to drop in...

I mean, probably not a Griffon Vulture or a Puffin - but certainly dispersing wildfowl, gulls and waders. 

I've seen some great birds mid-summer; there is currently a Ruddy Shelduck in attendance and Black Tern, Black-necked Grebe, Whinchat and Wood Sandpiper have all been logged in August. There is inevitably others I've forgotten... 

There is also the thrill of the first juvenile Yellow-legged and Mediterranean Gulls of the year. Scaly juvenile Meds are a particular favourite. Expectantly searching out these gems keeps an inland birder away from alcoholism / recreational drugs / midlife crisis during the sultry, summer months.  

Another favoured past time when views allow is ring-reading. Tantalisingly, I've seen one colour ringed Yellow-legged and two colour ringed Black-headed Gulls recently, all of which kept just out ring-reading range. 

There was one Black-headed which did the honourable thing, coming into ring reading range. Turns out it is a German!

Black-headed Gull 'A730'

I gratefully received the birds history - in German - luckily I am completely fluent and could read every word. The bird was ringed on a lake called Binnenalster in Hamburg back in March of 2013. It has since Rotterdam in 2013, 2022 and 2024, Poland in 2017, Birchington, Kent in 2018 and 2019 and finally - it graced the mighty Livermere on 26th June 2025. 

This is a very, very high level of science. 

I am going to leave you with a gratuitous Yellow-legged Gull photo, because there is currently double figures at Livermere and I like them.

Yellow-legged Gull - Livermere 25th June 2025

Audouin's Gull - Fish Eating Beauty

It's a toss-up between Slender-billed and Audouin's for the best European gull. I know there are better gulls elsewhere in the world e.g. Sooty. But it's Monday morning and I cannot deal with that right now. 

I am not discounting Little and Ross's Gull, they are dainty stunners - they're just not proper gulls. I am talking about the chip-eating, bin-diving, paint covered monstrosities that surround me at all times. I am literally typing this from within a Lesser-black Backed Gull colony. True story. 

Audouin's Gull - adult summer bird Mallorca May 2025

Audouin's Gull - 2nd summer bird Mallorca May 2025

I cannot think about Audouin's Gull without my mind wandering to one of the best ever rarity finds and finders accounts ever. The Sheffield Audouin's. Seriously, read it. Instead of the usual dweeb recounting hours pouring over a an east coast hotspot or island and then becoming 'surprised' they've found a mega... this lad is just happily birding urban Sheffield, Either side of the working day, and absolutely kicks it's tits to the moon by finding an inland Audouin's! 

I am not sure how inner city, industrial Sheffield tallies with this species allegedly been strictly coastal, pelagic and otherwise only dining on fish? I've certainly watched them eyeing chips in a Mallorca all-inclusive holiday resort, that was still a stones throw from the beach, so more believable. 

Anyway, as well as furthering ornithology by simply visiting other Jonny in Mallorca and efficiently over-hydrating, I also furthered science with some ring-reading! Can you believe it?

I had this darvic ringed individual 'CUVJ' just to the south east of Can Picafort, at Finca Son Real on Saturday 10th May: 

Ringed Audouin's Gull Mallorca May 2025

I lost a little bit of respect for this gull when the limited history came back announcing that it had never visited Sheffield, or indeed any lesser Yorkshire towns like Leeds or Bradford. The only detail received was: 'it was a ring  11/06/2021 in Islote de Na Guardis, Mallorca by IRBI'.

As a Spanish speaker I can tell you, what the respondent is trying to say is 'it was ringed' on 11th June 2021 at an island called Na Guardis off the south west of Mallorca. Nobody knows what IRBI means. 

So, a 4 year old bird and a movement of some 50 odd kilometres as the Audouin's flies - and assuming it flew in a straight line and not around the coast or via Sheffield. Pretty impressive. 

Equally impressive is the fact that this isn't the first time I've ring-read an Audouin's this year! I also saw 'BM90' near Barcelona Airport back on 12th February:

Ringed Audouin's Gull Barcelona February 2025

Ringed Audouin's Gull Barcelona February 2025

Ringed Audouin's Gull Barcelona February 2025

Ringed Audouin's Gull Barcelona February 2025

BM90 was ringed in Valencia some 300km to the south -west of my Barcelona sighting, on 13th June 2013. Far more impressive, it was also sighted a year later in Morocco at Sidi Moussa Lagoon Nature Reserve on 31st October 2014. Over 1,300km to the south west of my sighting! 

The fact that BM90 then went unnoticed for 11 years is solely down to the quality of observers. It just required a more sciencey, ornithologist - like me - to break the chain of secrecy.

… and for that - you're most welcome.