The Beauty of Big Waters

Got away from work a couple of hours early so off to Big Waters.  It was extremely dull

but there was quite a bit of stuff liberally scatter around the pond but unfortunately the birds

I had come to see where just too far away to be photographed but did pose nicely for views

through both bins and scope.  These were the 2 Bewick Swans and the 2 Male Goosander.

Also on the pond were 13 Whooper and 41 Mute Swans, the Mutes being a new record for

Big Waters but Alan J needs a quick check through his copious records to confirm it.  The Otters were

out and about a couple of times although the Ducks seem a bit more tolerant of them and dont

move around like dimented dimenters although the Gulls are forever harassing them ,  Also the

Wigeon numbers are staying around the 140 mark, with the Mallards increasing alsos.  At least

8 Goldeneye were on parade looking extremely smart, 3 Shoveller, one of them being a very

dapper male, 3 Pochard, a couple of Tufted Duck and the normal interspersing of Coots and

Moorhens with the family party of Canada Geese dropping in at the end of the day. 

The gaggle of Greylags arrived at 16.00 as it was getting too dark to count although  Mr Johnstone

did have a go but then it was too dark to read his clicker, although we did make out the

2 Barnacle Geese that normally tag along with them but no White fronted unfortunately.

Anyway a nice afternoon with Alan, whoops forget to mention the copious amounts of Fieldfare

and Redwing that are about and a couple of largish flocks of Lapwing, the bigest being 145. 

Cant do a post without a picture so heres one I took about 15.30 when the sun came out

for a few minutes and made the pond look even more stunning than it usually is.