Monday, November 26, 2007

Monday 26th November

An overcast start to the day but very still so not as cold as I expected. A single Little Egret in the SE corner of the main lake this morning and at least 4 Herons spread around the main lake.
The Mute Swans that came in yesterday had moved on leaving only the lone female with two of her cygnets on the main lake. The other cygnet was on east fingers practising his flying but soon attracted the attentions of the new resident pair and he was chased off the lake, seeking sanctuary in one of the fishing swims on the east side of east fingers. It tried to get back in the water a little later only to be chased off again, finally finding sanctuary on lillypads tucked away down one of the fingers.

On arrival at the park there were 19 Shoveller, 8 Pochard and 2 Tufted ducks. A later count revealed a third Tufted duck.

Had a Kingfisher fly across the main path from the main lake to fingers as I walked down to the beach.

Headed down to the crescent to find a pair of Wigeon on east fingers and 5 Little Grebe. A Water Rail squealed in the crescent reed bed. Just a Moorhen and a pair of Mallard on Lillypads. As I headed back out onto the main path, down to the beach again, another/same Kingfisher flew across the path in front of me. It had a small fish in its beak and was being chased by a couple of BH Gulls.

Spoke to Tony P who was trying to locate possible Chiffchaff in the South east corner of east fingers. Sadly what ever it was went quiet when he got close to the original call location. While we were chatting a Single Siskin flew over and dropped into the Alders on the far side of the flood channel. It sounded like there were more Siskins already there but we were unable to spot them. Saw Tony again later and he said he had a single Siskin in the trees by the Crescent reed bed.

At Kramer hide there were two Herons and a pair of Shoveller. Further round Fingers heading towards the Sedgewick seat there were 9 Gadwall tucked away round the back.
A male Great Spot was calling from the sheep pen. At the dead seat I counted 5 Shoveller, 3 Little grebe and a Heron. I am pretty certain that the 5 Shoveller were from the 19 on the main lake as a later count of those on the main lake revealed only 14. Difficult to say whether the pair from Kramer were 2 of the 5. Also fairly certain that the 3 Little Grebe were 3 of the 5 from East fingers as there had been a group of 3 near the channel between east and west fingers.
From the main lake hide there were 32 Cormorant and 47 Great Crested Grebe. Also had a Kingfisher fly straight down my binoculars, well almost!

Headed along the back river up past the boat club moorings where, just up stream there were 20 Canada Geese and 2 Mute Swans (an adult and a cygnet).

During the morning had 1, 2, 7 and 30 Fieldfare over south.

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