Swinemoor

 A pretty ordinary week on the whole, apart from a good visit to Swinemoor to see the Snow Geese at last. I don't usually go to see rarities unless I can walk to them but this was an exception as Snow Goose has been a wish-to-see bird for ages. I haven't been to Swinemoor since June so I was well overdue.

Panorama view of the site - just south of Beverley

I got there as the Pink-footed Goose roost was clearing out so I hoped I wasn't too late. I wasn't.

I could see the two birds in with Greylags but it wasn't a particularly good view. I took a few photos for the record and walked on to enjoy the morning, hoping I'd get better views on my way back, with perhaps flight shots ideally (see later).

Two Snow Geese with domestic geese and Greylags

A decent profile shot of one of the geese

The number of Wigeon at Swinemoor has to be well over 5,000. They were everywhere.

Mainly Wigeon

Wigeon in flight

Guess what

As well as Pinkies, Greylags and Wigeon there were large numbers of Lapwing, Teal and several Shoveler too. In with the Lapwings were a few (10) Golden Plover. My Pied Wagtail count got to four, Little Egret no more than one and Starling got stuck on two 😂

Other species seen and counted were Moorhen (3) Redshank (8) Mute Swan (1) Grey Heron (1), Common Gull (5) and Oystercatcher (2). I heard a Cetti's Warbler too which is a new bird for me here. I didn't count Herring Gulls or Black-headed Gulls or the other commoners.

Along with Snow Goose the highlight was a single Greater White-fronted Goose, keeping itself to itself and away from the hoi polloi Greylags.

White-fronted Goose

Little Egret on the river

Teal

Lapwings

Lapwings with Starling and Golden Plover

Beverley Minster

A couple of Redshank

On my way back a whole host of Greylags got up from the field on the other side of the River Hull - with them were the Snow Geese so I managed some flight shots, even though they were more distant than I'd have wished for.

Snow Geese in flight

A good morning's walk with great birds so I really enjoyed myself. All this with provisions provided by my nearest and dearest - what could be better!?!