Red-necked grebe at Thorpe and Whitlingham

A scarce bird for the Norwich area has been attracting birdwatchers to two different wetlands by the River Yare.

The red-necked grebe was on St Andrew’s Broad at Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s Thorpe Marshes nature reserve on 14, 15 and 16 January, before moving to Whitlingham Country Park.

Red-necked grebe at Whitlingham Country Park, 29 January 2025 (Drew Lyness)

“The grebe’s stay at NWT Thorpe Marshes helpfully coincided with the monthly guided walk on 16 January”, says Chris Durdin, from Thorpe St Andrew, who has been leading guided walks on the nature reserve for more than ten years.

Ann Greenizan from Trowse was on the guided walk. Ann says: “It was a privilege to observe this winter visitor to this location, being so close to Norwich. Chris pointed out the red-necked grebe on the open water. The group watched it dive repeatedly before it swam away from us."

Alison Ward of Norwich said: 'it was exciting to see something rare on our doorstep – it shows the value of local nature reserves.”

Many other birdwatchers came to see the red-necked grebe as word spread. One of these was John Sharpe from Norwich, a former RSPB colleague of Chris's and currently vice-chair of Norfolk Wildlife Trust. John is an advocate for ‘zero carbon birding’, and was pleased to see such a good bird locally – he came to Thorpe Marshes by bike.

Red-necked grebe at NWT Thorpe Marshes, 15 January 2025 (Drew Lyness)

Isabelle Mudge. NWT’s Wilder Learning Manager was on the guided walk. Isabelle said, via email: “It feels like we were very fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time! Another sighting that puts Thorpe Marshes on the map 😉"

Red-necked grebes are similar to great crested grebes when in winter plumage. “The yellow base to a rather stout bill is a good identification feature,“ says Chris. “It helps that many adult great crested grebes are already in their spring plumage.” The red neck in the bird's name refers to its breeding plumage.

“Though red-necked grebes are fairly regular in Britain in winter, especially by the coast, they are never numerous – the British Trust for Ornithology estimates 50-60 wintering birds. I expect it was the recent cold weather that brought this bird inland to Norwich,” said Chris. Red-necked grebes occasionally breed in the UK.

The most recent records of red-necked grebes in the Norwich area, according to Norfolk Bird Reports, are a single bird at Whitlingham Country Park on 31 December 2013, one day only, and a longer staying bird, also at Whitlingham Country Park, from 17 January to 20 February 2010.

This winter's red-necked grebe moved from Thorpe to the Great Broad at Whitlingham Country Park on 17 January and was still there until at least 9 February.

This blog is an expanded version of an article first prepared for Just Thorpe St Andrew magazine. With thanks to Drew Lyness for the photographs of the red-necked grebe. More reports of wildlife from NWT Thorpe Marshes are on www.honeyguide.co.uk/thorpemarshes.htm 

Chris Durdin, 12 February 2025