I went to Kessingland recently by a "twitchers route" via Cley. This resulted in several year ticks, including White-fronted Goose and Red Kite, which although now common in North Norfolk are still rare in Lincolnshire and Suffolk. I also "year ticked" several friends. The hoped-for photo of the goose wasn't to be, but I reflected that I'd seen quite a few over the past few years. Pre-Covid, they had become scarce in the UK, and my previous sightings had been in Norfolk back in the 1990's. Over the past few years I have seen birds at Budle Bay (no I didn't twitch it, I was recovering my car from Shetland), Cley twice, South Lincolnshire and......a flock of seven at Frampton two or three years ago!
There have also been records in Essex and Martin Mere in Lancashire, but I am starting to wonder about origins of these birds. It will never be determined one way or the other, so don't worry, your ticks are safe, and to be fair the vast majority of sightings are with Brent Geese, but many are young birds, so have they come from afar or a flock of seven? They weren't at Frampton long, a matter of a few hours if I remember, but at least six were juveniles. I didn't see them well or get decent photos as I wasn't that interested at the time, but many years ago there was a tiny feral population in Suffolk.  As an aside, there was a single known escapee near Kirton, and birders were seen avidly scoping it as the last wild Great Bustards in the UK flew over their heads! They couldn't hear the shouts! 
So could some of these vagrants have originated in the UK, a few Brent Geese oversummer in Britain so they could easily attach themselves here. I personally don't think it likely, but certain authorities might view the situation more negatively. This of course brings us to the whole question of escapes, and there have been many birds, rejected for years, that have found their way on to category A. Why was there any controversy about the Canvasback in Essex, as suggested in Birdwatch magazine? I dipped it on the way home from the Waterthrush, so I suppose I should be among the doubters, but no-one queried the Welney/Wissington bird in 1997, Britain's first at the time, although a record was accepted from Cliffe in late 1996 it was probably the same bird. Why then, did we have to wait, if we cared, for the Minsmere Baikal Teal or the Kirky-on-Bain Falcated Duck. And what of the Abberton White-headed Duck (funny, 
now all the Ruddies are gone White-headed Ducks no longer escape). the two Marbled Duck at Stiffkey Fen, or Wood Ducks in south-west Cornwall.




 I think most birders make their own minds up, although problems arise if you're a competitive lister.
The fact is the BOU have an impossible task as they have to all-but prove a bird is wild for admission on to Cat. A, and, unless it is ringed or clipped there is little evidence. Wildness is no criterion, I've seen wild Wood Duck in the USA perched on the back of a park bench. If birds become habituated to people they're not going to suddenly become wary because they've migrated, even if they went the wrong way. People feed the ducks in many countries. Some species are from feral populations on the continent, such as the Ruddy Shelduck at Cley the other day, or did it come from Kazakhstan? Or the tiny population on Madeira. 





(I'm currently taking an interest in wildfowl because I'm re-doing several pages on my website, and I'm promoting it. Initially set up to sell rarity photos, its main function now is to bring photos and some interesting facts to anyone that cares to look. I've frankly been surprised at the interest others have shown, but it does give me something to do in retirement when I'm at home. Soon there will be a link to the blog so you won't have to go on Facebook. If you like it please tell others https://www.aabirdpix.com.)

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