Appendices

Species that would otherwise appear in categories A or B except that there is reasonable doubt that they have ever occurred in Britain in a natural state.

there were no reports in 2020.

APPENDIX II – CATEGORY E SPECIES

Species that have been recorded as introductions, transportees or escapees from captivity, and whose breeding populations (if any) are thought not to be self-sustaining. Where a species is also placed in other categories of the British List, this is indicated in the species’ summary.

WHITE-FACED WHISTLING DUCK  Dendrocygna viduata Breeds in sub-Saharan Africa and much of South America.

Livermere Lake: May 17th; June 7th

BAR-HEADED GOOSE  Anser indicus

Breeds by lakes in central Asia from Mongolia to the Tibetan plateau. Winters throughout the Indian subcontinent and Myanmar (Burma).

All the records below are thought to refer to the same pair, except for that at Lakenheath fen.

Minsmere: feb 8th; then two, Apr 14th, May 19th and 21st, Aug 15th, oct 28th and Nov 4th Thorpeness: two, Aug 15th, flying north, same as Minsmere birds Aldeburgh Marshes: two, Sep 5th Snape Wetlands: two, Aug 30th and 31st Sudbourne Marshes: two, Dec 9th, 16th and 25th Boyton Marshes: two, July 22nd; single, Aug 2nd, then two Aug 17th, Sep 13th and 30th Hollesley Marshes: regular pair from Jan 1st to Mar 1st, then June 16th to 24th, July 3rd, July 16th to 27th; oct 14th, Nov 12th, Nov 22nd to 25th; Dec 17th, presumably the same as at Boyton Shingle Street: two, Jan 25th Lakenheath Fen: June 14th

EMPEROR GOOSE  Anser canagica

Breeds north-eastern Siberia and western Alaska. Winters from southern Alaska to northern California.

Levington Creek: June 26th

SWAN GOOSE  Anser cygnoides

North-eastern Asia, winters central China. Category E.

Carlton Marshes: three, June 7th and 8th Snape Wetlands: juv, June 1st; adult June 2nd and 7th; July 14th, 21st and 25th; Aug 29th Hollesley Marshes: Mar 31st Parham: single, found on the same large pond for the last four years (and previous Parham records back to 2010), Jan 26th; feb 9th; May 17th

BLACK SWAN  Cygnus atratus

Throughout Australia and Tasmania.

Minsmere: oct 10th to 17th, with second bird, oct 11th; oct 29th Ramsholt: two, June 30th; July 2nd to 28th; Aug 1st to 7th Trimley St Martin: Loompit Lake, oct 22nd; Nov 14th Trimley Marshes: May 14th and 15th; June 14th; Sep 10th; oct 25th and 28th; Nov 4th and 11th Landguard: west, Apr 17th

Stour Estuary: cattawade, two, Jan 11th; two, feb 7th and 8th; three, Mar 1st; single, Mar 15th. Brantham, two Jan 12th and May 29th. Hogmarsh island (Brantham), Mar 27th; May 4th Stour Valley (TM03W): precise location not given, but two birds, Aug 4th and 20th. Possibly two of the estuary birds taking a trip up river Ingham: Jan 8th Kedington: with Mute Swans on the river Stour, oct 25th

RUDDY SHELDUCK  Tadorna ferruginea

Morocco and Turkey east through Central Asia to Tibetan plateau. Winters to south of breeding range, with majority in Indian subcontinent. Feral population breeds in northern Europe. Categories B, D and E.

Landguard: west, Sep 3rd – third site record Livermere Lake: June 1st and 4th, apparently paired with an egyptian Goose, remained until July 27th at least Thetford: Bto Nunnery Lake, two apparent hybrids with egyptian Goose, May 9th to 25th; then one, Sep 21st to Dec 1st, with two on Nov 29th Cavenham Pits: May 31st Denston: Nov 7th (apparent hybrid with egyptian Goose)

SOUTH AFRICAN SHELDUCK  Tadorna cana

Widespread across most of South Africa north tp Botswana and the highlands of central Namibia.

Minsmere Scrape: Mar 14th to 20th Havergate Island: female with canada Geese, feb 7th

MUSCOVY DUCK  Cairina moschata

Southern Mexico to northern Argentina and Brazil. Category E.

Withersfield: sewage works, two, May 5th

WOOD DUCK  Aix sponsa

Canada to northern Mexico, Cuba and Bahamas. Categories D and E.

Thorpeness Meare (and vicinity): female, Apr 11th, May 30th, June 1st, July 11th, Aug 1st, Sep 30th and oct 12th. on the first two dates it was observed trying to pair up with a drake Mallard.

AMERICAN WIGEON  Mareca americana

North America, wintering south to Central America. Categories A and E.

Flixton; Gravel Pits, escapee, seen regularly from Apr 5th to May 24th (big release on Apr 5th? – see also red-crested Pochard and ferruginous Duck)

WHITE-CHEEKED PINTAIL  Anas bahamensis

Discontinuous distribution in the Caribbean and South America.

Lackford Lakes: Nov 8th

RED-CRESTED POCHARD  Netta rufina

Breeds western Europe to central China. Winters to south of breeding range. Categories A, C and E.

Flixton: Gravel Pits, up to 26 birds, seen regularly from Apr 5th to May 24th; then 12, June 20th; single, Aug 18th Weybread: Gravel Pits, pair, Mar 17th and 22nd; female May 16th Cavenham Heath: Jan 4th Lakenheath Fen: male, May 17th

CANVASBACK  Aythya valisineria

Breeds on the North American prairies. Winters from British Columbia and Great Lakes southward along both coasts to central Mexico. Categories A and E.

Flixton: Gravel Pits, up to six birds, seen regularly from Apr 26th to June 20th

FERRUGINOUS DUCK  Aythya nyroca

Breeds Southern and Eastern Europe to central Asia. Categories A and E

Flixton Gravel Pits: two or three regularly from Apr 5th to June 20th

NEW ZEALAND SCAUP  Aythya novaeseelandiae

Endemic to New Zealand.

Flixton: Gravel Pits, Apr 6th

HOODED MERGANSER  Lophodytes cucullatus

South central Canada to south-eastern USA. Categories A and E. the male with a yellow ring on its left leg at the Wilderness Pond, christchurch Park in ipswich was present from August 2019 into 2020. When not in christchurch Park, it was seen on the upper reaches of the river orwell between West end road and Stoke Bridge, and the lower reaches of the river Gipping. A female was released on february 14th by the ipswich Borough council Parks and evening Star, but did not pair with the male as hoped, but was only interested in the site’s female Mallards! it is not clear if this was the same bird that was seen at Staverton on february 28th.

Blythburgh: present from Dec 2019 – adult male, Jan 1st to Mar 3rd. Wantisden: Staverton Lakes, adult female feb 28th, Dec 26th to 31st Ipswich: christchurch Park, long-staying colour-ringed male, Jan 3rd to Mar 5th, May 1st to 18th, and July 22nd to Sep 27th, attracting plenty of press interest, especially when it wandered into a local cosmetics shop one day in January!

HELMETED GUINEAFOWL  Numida meleagris

Widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa.

Horringer: four, Apr 16th

GOLDEN PHEASANT  Chrysolophus pictus

Forests of central China. Category C and E. it appears likely that this species will now remain in the escapees section as there is no longer a self-sustaining population in Suffolk.

Euston: released male, feb 17th and then several dates to Mar 18th. intriguingly a second male was reported on feb 18th

INDIAN PEAFOWL  Pavo cristatus

Breeds throughout the Indian subcontinent from eastern Pakistan south to Sri Lanka. Category E. reported from significantly more sites than in 2019 (four), with only two sites in 2017.

Barsham Marshes: May 2nd Southwold: sewage works, June 9th Westleton: July 24th Minsmere: May 20th Martlesham Creek: May 23rd Levington Creek: Apr 24th Witnesham: five, Apr 25th Hadleigh: cosford Hall, female present from Jan 16th to late May, then left as mysteriously as she had arrived Chevington: female, July 24th Livermere Lake: three, Sep 24th Lakenheath: Maidscross Hill, June 2nd

LAUGHING KOOKABURRA  Dacelo novaeguineae

Eastern and south-western Australia. this is thought to be the same bird as was reported from Long Melford in Suffolk Birds 2016 being there in 2015 and 2016 (then not identified to species level) and is thought to have been present since then, showing impressive survival skills through uk winters!

Glemsford: present during much of the year, mainly observed by non-birders

SAKER FALCON  Falco cherrug

Breeds from eastern Europe east to Manchuria, winters south to Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia. Category D and E.

Worlington: probable Saker x Peregrine hybrid, May 17th

BUDGERIGAR  Melopsittacus undulatus

Drier regions of Australia.

Lowestoft: tonning Street, June 14th Ipswich: ivry Street, Sep 8th

GREY PARROT  Psittacus erithacus

Resident in equatorial Africa.

Thetford: Nunnery Lakes reserve, Nov 20th

BRAHMINY STARLING  Sturnia pagodarum

Resident in Nepal and India.

Newmarket: adult visited the observer’s garden, July 17th

ATLANTIC CANARY  Serinus canaria

Resident on the Canaries, Azores and Madeira.

Minsmere: May 25th