Bean Goose, Remenham. 3rd Jan 2007

After news broke that a Tunda Bean Goose had been spotted at Remenham, nr Henley on Thames late afternoon on the 2nd January i decided to head off in search of it.
On arrival the Bean Goose was soon found feeding alongside a group of Mute Swans in the fields between Remenham Church and Aston and just inside the Berkshire border.Unfortunately i had missed 4 Bewick Swans that had been seen earlier in the morning and since departed.Ring-necked Parakeets were calling as they flew along the river and as many as 15 Red Kites were seen flying over the Hambleden Valley.A flock of Golden Plovers and Lapwings were in acrobatic flight over the fields.
Having lived at Hambleden Lock previously for a few years this area became "my local patch" and i watched it most days, i have a good knowledge of the area and hoped to put it to some use by locating the Bewicks.Local birder Adam Bassett and i wandered off along the River Thames footpath checking the fields as we went, a small flock of Ring-necked Parakeets were calling noisely from the trees at Hambleden Marina.
Crossing the fields by Hambleden Lock we flushed a solitary Snipe which was only a few feet in front of us and above Red Kites were gracefully soaring in the strong winds.Black-headed & Common Gulls were sat on top of the mooring posts and a small number of Canada Geese were sat on the river at the lock.Further along the river at Temple Island a small flock of Geese including Canada, Greylag and a Snow Goose(Escapee) were preening on the towpath but no sign of the Bewicks Swans.We walked back across the fields towards Aston before stopping along a small backwater ditch, a Little Grebe popped up out of the water before disappearing again beneath the surface.
I decided to return to Remenham late afternoon in the hope that the Bewick's may return and roost there, as i left home i spotted a Song Thrush sat in a tree and further down the road i also added Mistle Thrush to my year list.I stopped at the Henley Management College gates and looked across the meadows knowing that many of the local Geese and Swans often feed here and use the ponds, i found 4 Egyptian Geese that were asleep alongside 14 Mute Swans and a few Mallard but little else.
The Bean Goose was still present at Remenham late afternoon when i left and roosted there.