17th November

Arrived at the park at around 08:30 and did a scan of the main lake. A kingfishers call caught my attention and further scans picked it up skimming low above the lake from the Beefeater corner to the island where it perched for a while. Another quick scan and to my surprise 3 Little Egrets were in the South West corner of the main lake with a couple of Herons. They remained until 10:00 when two left but the third was still there when i left just after 10:30.

I headed off down to Fingers and along the spit. A couple of Shoveller were in Lillypads swimming from the reedbeds to the far end where they joined up with a another 3 Shoveller. A solitary male Teal was under the overhanging trees near the dead seat.

At the north end of the spit another Shoveller flushed from close to the bank of East Fingers. Also on East Fingers were a pair of Gadwall, which flew off and a Tufted Duck, 4 Little Grebe were in the south east corner.

On the return along the spit another pair of Shoveller flew into Lillypads. Little of note in the Crescent so I headed round to Kramer hide where, as usual, there seemed to be little about but a scan with the bins located a female Gadwall and a couple of Little Grebe on the south side. Two male Teal flew in and commenced their strange bleating calls.

Leaving the hide I continued around the back of Fingers past the Sedgewick seat locating a further 3 male Teal and two pairs of Shoveller. The Rough was very quiet with only a few Goldfinch making themselves known. A Kingfisher flew to a perch in the trees by the dead seat.

Leaving Fingers I did a circuit of the main lake. At the hide there were two Pochard and another Kingfisher was heard. By the time I reached the south west corner only 1 of the Little Egrets remained. I did a quick count of the Great Crested Grebes when I got back to the visitor centre and got to 53 but there were almost certainly more skulking behind the island.

And to finish off another Kingfisher flew low across the water to the Beefeater corner of the lake. A very good, if cold, morning. Why not join us next weekend (Sunday) when Errol will be leading another guided walk around the park. Meet, 9am, at the visitor centre.