Water, water everywhere...

Lade - mild, overcast, sw 2 - 0830hrs- A gloomy day throughout with occasional drizzle. On south lake first thing eight Goldeneyes constituted something of an influx, otherwise just the usual stuff.
RSPB - Accompanied MH on a spin around the bird reserve. First port of call New Diggings where the Black-throated Diver was still present. Over the road on ARC 200 Gadwall and the usual Great White Egret from the causeway road. We checked the geese on the fields at Boulderwall but could only find Greylags. On Dengemarsh more Greylags, another Great White, two Shelducks, eight Dabchicks and three Marsh Harriers, plus a Common Buzzard on the way out. On Burrowes hundreds of common wildfowl from Makepiece, plus two each of Goosander, Smew and Goldeneye.
A quick chat with NH, who was working on the access road, confirmed that the water levels on the bird reserve are almost at an all time high; infact another 1cm and the record will be broken. As I sit here tapping away at the keyboard I can hear the rain hammering on the window outside and with more to come over the coming days a new high level water mark seems assured. Still, on the plus side it remains nice and mild.

                                ARC from the causeway road

                               `Cormorant island`, ARC (or what remains of it)


Scotney - Just the usual stuff here. We couldn`t locate either of the rare geese or the Long-tailed Duck, although I`m sure the latter was lurking somewhere at the Kent end.
Galloways - A drive round the range road this afternoon drew a blank with hardly a bird noted.