Norfolk part 4

I was looking through the tourist bumf at the barn and noticed in the Pensthorpe leaflet that it mentioned Willow Tits as a notable species there. Pensthorpe is where they filmed Springwatch so I thought it seemed like a good place to go, and interesting regarding their captive breeding programs.
Pensthorpe has a wierd and wonderful wildfowl collection which we spent a little time admiring, but I concentrated on the birds that turn up either on migration or as rare vagrants in Britain. I was disappointed to find out on arrival that their advertised Willow Tits were in fact Marsh Tits, an error which almost made me not pay the admission fee! However, we were there so ..

 

A Red crested Pochard with a normal Pochard in front of it

Now accepted onto the British list, the Hooded Merganser. These drakes were continually displaying. Surely the cartoon characters of the duck world.

The two females look notably unimpressed by proceedings

The bill is unmistakedly that of a sawbill.

A very handsome drake Smew

Goldeneye, of which we saw many wild examples during the week, but not this close!

and of course the inevitable pair of Egyptian Geese. These weren't part of the collection, and neither were the Mallards!

The furthest hide looks over a large scrape and we spent most of our time there looking through the flocks of "proper" wild birds. Everything was a bit distant for photograghs, but for the record, species seen in no particular order: Common Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Barnacle Goose, Canada Goose, Egyptian Goose, Greylag Goose, Pintail, Shoveller, Coot, Moorhen, Gadwall, Teal, Wigeon, Avocet, Tufted Duck, Redshank, Lapwing, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Marsh Tit, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Dunnock and Robin. 

On arrival back at the Garden Barn, there were 12 Pied Wagtails lined up along the roof, all equally spaced as though someone had stuck them there while we were away. Very odd.