A Duck Day

Lade - 0830hrs - cold, sunny, nw 3 - A Stonechat was the first bird of note on the storm beach scrub, while even more ducks seem to have moved on to south lake. A quick tally up revealed 350 Gadwall, 150 Tufted Duck, 100 Pochard,100 Teal, 50 Shoveler, 50 Wigeon, 50 Mallard and 500 Coot. Two Marsh Harrier over the back and a large mixed flock of Lapwing and Golden Plover.
ARC -  A run out with MH this morning and at the south end our first Smew of the winter was in the bay close to the causeway road, plus hundreds of Gadwall and Teal further out on the lake. From Hanson hide 5 Goldeneye amongst hundreds more diving ducks as well as Great White and Little Egret and a close Grey Heron in front of the hide. Also noted Marsh Harrier, Water Rail and Reed Bunting.

                                Grey Heron, ARC

                                Great White Egret, ARC

                                Smew, ARC

Scotney - The duck count continued with all the expected Wigeon and diving ducks, 20 Pintail and feral geese. On the grass a scattering of wildfowl, Lapwing, Redshank and Dunlin. At the entrance to the farm the Long-tailed Duck was hiding amongst a Coot and Tufted flock and at one stage came ashore and sat on the bank. A flock of distant Shelduck on the working quarry completed our suite of ducks for the day.
Caldecote Lane - A distant flock of 35 Bewick`s Swans in a rape-seed field included 5 juvs.
Galloways - All we could muster up here was 3 Stonechat.
Burrowes  - From the vc hundreds more common wildfowl, while another Smew was reported in front of Scott hide and a pair of Hen Harrier earlier.