Saturday 22nd December

Another cold start with a thin covering of ice over most of the Finger lake complex. On arrival there were 11 Mute Swans on the main lake being pursued by the resident pair. The 11 eventually left, heading towards the sewerage farm, later in the morning.

Walked around the crescent on the way to Kramer hide and had a Water Rail squealing in the reed bed. The Fingers Swans were together in the small section of open water at the north end of east fingers.

Very quiet at Kramer hide this morning, just a small party of about 7 Long Tailed Tits in the trees directly in front of the hide. The male Sparrow hawk passed overhead and a pair of Shoveller were feeding at the back of the reed beds.

Continuing around Fingers another pair of shoveller were flushed from under the overhanging tree directly opposite the Sedgewick seat.

From the spit a single male Gadwall was with a group of Mallards on the far side of east fingers along with a couple of Canada Geese. There were also a pair of Bullfinch along the spit. As I walked around the crescent again 32 Canada Geese dropped into east Fingers, crashing through the ice.

From the beach on the main lake there were 11 Great Crested Grebes in that corner of the lake.

Main lake hide:
Kingfishers calling from either side of the hide.
2 Male Tufted Ducks
1 Redhead Goosander
42 Pochard (5f)
1 Little Egret in the first fishing swim after the closed section.
Approx 45 Shoveller although could be more as many tucked in tight to the island.
17 Cormorant

Heading down to the south west corner noticed the Little Egret on the move and it ended up in the south east corner. Caught up with the Goosander again by the disabled access fishing swim in the south west corner.

In the north west corner there were 4 Tufted Ducks (1f) but it is possible that 2 of the males were the 2 from the hide as they had flown off before I left the hide and I didn't see where they went.

Back at the car park 2 more Mute Swans flew over and dropped into the main lake on the far side of the island, attracting the attention of the resident pair who immediately set off in pursuit of the new comers. I doubt they hung around for long!

It's a guided walk tomorrow morning at 9am so why not join us for a pre Christmas stroll.