Lade - Warm, dry and sunny, SW3 - This morning`s Ted walk took us out on the shingle ridges checking for Dartford Warblers where a single bird was located along with several singing Linnets, Sedge Warblers and Whitethroats. South lake was pretty quiet apart from the usual Tufted Ducks and Great Crested Grebes, a pair of Goldeneyes and a pair of Oystercatchers looking to nest on the raft.
Moving on to Kerton quarry where the pair of Red-crested Pochards from yesterday were still present in front of the southern island. It`s always difficult to make any sense of such a record as while the northern European population is migratory, many are kept in wildfowl collections from which they regularly escape. Nonetheless, a smart pair of ducks. Whilst on the subject of wildfowl, an interesting behavioural quirk has been evident recently concerning a drake Shelduck that appears to have adopted a family of Egyptian Geese! They make for an unusual sight, a trio of adults shepherding the young across the water. Whilst scanning through the waders and gulls they suddenly all took flight (including five Whimbrels) as though a raptor was abroad; however, what appeared to have caused their ire was a high-flying White Stork that I assume they`d mistook for a bird of prey.
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