January 2018 News
Monday 1st January [Rain showers] New Years Day 2018
Happy New Year! Wishing everyone a healthy and happy 2018.
I walked down to the lake before dawn and stayed through the rain showers until I had to go back for breakfast with my family. During that time I saw 2 Black-necked Grebes Podiceps nigricollis (Wood Bay & Rugmoor as usual), the Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos, circa 10 Siskins Spinus spinus, a ♂ Stonechat Saxicola torquata and an Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca of note. Mark Hynam, helped me catch up with a couple of species, added a Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita and another seven resident or regular wintering species that I missed, and saw the Rugmoor Stonechat too. Between us we got the site list off to a respectable 61 species (see Bird Year List).
The adult ♀ Brambling Fringilla montifringilla was still visiting local gardens today.
As promised, I've posted an update to the Blagdon Site List in line with the new BOU list. If anyone has any corrections, additions or comments please get in touch.
Tuesday 2nd January [Mizzle]
News from Paul Williams of a ♂ Scaup Aythya marila from the dam at 1300 hrs, that stayed until dusk at least. Both Black-necked Grebes Podiceps nigricollis (Wood Bay & Rugmoor) were present all day and the Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos was on the dam early afternoon. I saw the adult ♂ Pochard x Ferruginous Duck in Wood Bay while I was going through the Aythyas, and the gull roost contained an adult winter Mediterranean Gull Ichthyaetus melanocephalus (note new generic name). It was nice to see Paul Williams, and Julian Thomas on one of his rare forays over the Mendips (I hope you found the Med. Gull).
I received an email this morning from Mike Noel-Smith who photographed and videod an Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta on Butcombe Bank about 400 metres from the Spillway on Friday 29th December. Mike watched it from 1028-1032 hrs before it flew off towards the North Shore. This is just the 2nd record for the lake, with the first in 2006. I have added Mike's record, and a photo taken with his phone camera, to the Avocet page. Thanks for the record Mike, that was one that very nearly got away!
Wednesday 3rd January [Windy & mainly overcast]
The adult ♂ Scaup Aythya marila was still at Cheddar Water and easily viewable from the south end of the dam, and I saw just one of the Black-necked Grebes Podiceps nigricollis, although both were likely to be present given the overnight storm conditions. The Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos was on the dam again, and I had a a pair of Peregrines Falco peregrinus (one at least an adult) circling together over Top End / Hatchery upsetting the Carrion Crows Corvus corone. I bagged a few regular species and have taken my lake year list up to 61 spp.
Thursday 4th January [Windy & mainly dry]
Today's visit was mid-afternoon, and at the dam end the adult ♂ Scaup Aythya marila, Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos, and adult winter Mediterranean Gull Ichthyaetus melanocephalus were all still present. At Wood Bay one of the Black-necked Grebes Podiceps nigricollis, the adult ♂ Pochard x Ferruginous Duck, and an adult ♂ Pochard x Tufted Duck were showing well, and at Top End I caught up with my first Snipe Gallinago gallinago of the year. Earlier in the day, I could see white horses racing up the lake from the house, so I while I was at the lake it was a pretty hopeless task to try and spot the other Black-necked Grebe that favoured the Rugmoor area. The Canada Goose Branta canadensis flock had grown since New Years Day, but there was still no sign of the 3 Barnacle Geese that had been with them until 31st December!
Friday 5th January [The wind finally dropped!]
My afternoon visit turned up some site year ticks, but wasn't otherwise terribly productive. I didn't see the Scaup Aythya marila that had beeen feeding close to the dam, but the Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos was still present. I had a look through the assembled gulls before 1500 hrs but didn't see anything unusual in the gathering roost. One Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis was in Wood Bay but, again, I didn't see the other one that had been spending most of its time near Rugmoor Point. In addition, I counted 211 Canada Geese Branta canadensis.
NOTE: This afternoon, I found a key that had been dropped beside the Fishing Lodge. If it's yours, please email me and we can arrange for you to get it back.
Saturday 6th January [Dull, with cold breeze.]
Sorry, I didn't visit the lake today and have no news.
I understand that I haven't been the only one to have had a problem accessing the site recently, but hopefully the problem has now been sorted and normal service has been restored.
Sunday 7th January [Sunny, with a bitter north-easterly wind.]
I birded this afternoon with Mark Hynam. He thought he'd probably seen a Marsh/Willow Tit at the Hatchery late morning, so after coming up to the house for a warming cuppa, we both went down to look for it again. We were out of luck though, and so it proved to be for much of the rest of the afternoon. We couldn't see the Black-necked Grebe anywhere, or the Mediterranean Gull in the gull roost, but to be fair, with the wind blowing hard down the lake most of the birds had moved across to the north side. I spotted the 3 Aythya hybrids over towards Rugmoor, and watched a small falcon come bowling down the middle of the Top End low over the water that can only really have been a Merlin, but the view was so brief it'll have to remain a 'probable'. Mark found a small group of Siskins Spinus spinus this morning and I spotted a couple this afternoon, while 6 Barnacle Geese Branta leucopsis had appeared with the Canada Goose Branta canadensis flock today (a site year tick).
The adult ♀ Brambling Fringilla montifringilla was still visiting local gardens today.
Monday 8th January [Dull, misty & cool]
There were a pair of Goosanders Mergus merganser off Butcombe Bank this afternoon, and the Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis was back in Wood Bay and showing well, along with the adult ♂ Pochard x Ferruginous Duck and a ♂ Stonechat Saxicola torquata . I added Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea at Flower Corner to my site year list while I was at the lake, and heard a Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major drumming for the first time this year, but I saw no sign of the 6 Barnacle Geese that dropped in yesterday.
Tuesday 9th January [Dense fog]
Due to the fog not lifting until late afternoon, I didn't visit the lake yesterday. I had a presentation to give at the Lake Users Meeting in the evening. News of interest to birders coming out of the meeting is the proposal by BW to upgrade the two pull-ins at Heron's Green and Herriott's in the Spring - probably April.
I realised that the website access problems had still not been entirely bottomed out yesterday, and we found that there was a problem with hosts Go Daddy that they have not been able to resolve since last summer for a number of their clients. As a result we have moved the website to another host, Bravenet, which should fix the recent access issues. Apologies.
Wednesday 10th January [A beautiful sunny day]
I had a meeting at the Fishing Lodge this morning, after which I had time for a quick'ish look around in the beautiful sunshine before heading off to Weston-Super-Mare STW to meet Ellie Phillips of Wessex Water, with a view to bat trapping there later this year. Anyway, as always happens when you write 'showing well' the bird disappears! However, I eventually spotted the Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis over towards Rugmoor Point, and confirmed that the other bird has definitely gone. The adult ♂ Pochard x Ferruginous Duck and one of the adult ♂ Pochard x Tufted Ducks were in Wood Bay, and the wintering Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos was back on the dam. I added House Sparrow Passer domesticus to the site year list.
Apologies for the recent website downtime, we are still trying to get everything transferred over to Bravenet, and it hasn't been without its problems either. Nearly there.
Thursday 11th January [Another beautiful sunny day]
More humble pie! There were 2 Black-necked Grebes Podiceps nigricollis on show this afternoon; one betweeen Wood Bay Point and Rugmoor Point, and the other off Rugmoor Point/Indian Country, as it was yesterday, feeding in a mixed group of Coots, gulls and diving ducks. Both were fairly distant. I suppose they have been present throughout though, in mitigation, the viewing conditions have been pretty awful since the New Year, until yesterday. The wintering Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos was on the dam, and all 3 Aythya hybrids were present. I had a look through the gull (pre-)roost, despite many of them having already flown off to Chew, and spotted the adult winter Mediterranean Gull Ichthyaetus melanocephalus again.
We had a ♀ Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla on the garden wall by the back door this morning - my first of the winter.
Friday 12th January [Sunny after early mist]
There was a 1st-winter Mediterranean Gull Ichthyaetus melanocephalus in the pre-roost mid-afternoon, but no sign of the adult winter at the time. I could only find one of the Black-necked Grebes Podiceps nigricollis in a brief look from Wood Bay Point, and only one of the adult ♂ Pochard x Tufted Ducks, plus the adult ♂ Pochard x Ferruginous Duck. With the light breeze blowing from the east, there was no sign of the Common Sandpiper on the dam, as is usually the case with waves breaking up the wall. I heard 2+ Water Rails Rallus aquaticus squealing in the reedbed at Pipe bay while checking the gulls.
The adult ♀ Brambling Fringilla montifringilla was back in the garden this afternoon.
Saturday 13th January [Cool & grey]
I didn't visit the lake today. There is a report on Avon Birds that a Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis was present, but I don't know who reported it.
The adult ♀ Brambling Fringilla montifringilla was in the garden again.
Sunday 14th January [Cold & mainly sunny]
There is a familiar ring to the report, with 2 Black-necked Grebes Podiceps nigricollis (one between Wood Bay & Rugmoor Points, and the other on the Indian Country side of Top End), and the adult ♂ Pochard x Ferruginous and adult ♂ Pochard x Tufted Ducks in Wood Bay. I decided to check the gull roost at dusk, but it was way over towards Butcombe Bank making viewing rather distant. However, it wasn't a wasted effort because, although there were no unusual gulls, there were 14 (6 adult ♂ & 8 ♀/juvs) Goosanders Mergus merganser displaying and cavorting in the mouth of Butcombe Bay.
The adult ♀ Brambling Fringilla montifringilla was present in the garden.
Monday 15th January [A strong breeze from the west with early rain]
There were still 2 Black-necked Grebes Podiceps nigricollis present this afternoon, and the the adult ♂ Pochard x Ferruginous Duck and adult ♂ Pochard x Tufted Duck were both in Wood Bay as usual. An adult ♀ Brambling Fringilla montifringilla joined the Chaffinches Fringilla coelebs attending the Lodge feeders, and it looked awfully like the one we get in our village garden (present again earlier today) - perhaps it's following me around! As dusk came in with a black cloud and more rain, I picked out an adult winter Mediterranean Gull Ichthyaetus melanocephalus in the roost.
Tuesday 16th January [Sunny morning, then the wintery weather arrived.]
2 ♂ Scaup Aythya marila were new in today, and were showing very well from Butcombe Bank public footpath at 1400 hrs. Further up the lake, the 2 Black-necked Grebes Podiceps nigricollis were in Wood Bay and off Indian Country towards Top End, while the adult ♂ Pochard x Ferruginous Duck and adult ♂ Pochard x Tufted Duck were both in Wood Bay. After filling the feeders at the Lodge, I stopped and watched them for a while and was pleased to see Nuthatch Sitta europaea among the 12 species that came in, but there was no sign of the Brambling. The rain, sleet and hail helped me decide to give the gull roost a miss this afternoon!
Wednesday 17th January [Sunny & windy]
There was no sign of the Scaup this morning but at least one, probably two, Black-necked Grebes Podiceps nigricollis were still present. I also saw the adult ♂ Pochard x Ferruginous Duck and adult ♂ Pochard x Tufted Duck both in Wood Bay. Wayne Tucker who came over from Bath to see the grebes, also spotted the wintering Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos at the Spillway just before we met up too. The wind was pretty wild, and although I had the intention of going to look the through the gull roost later, I decided to give it a miss in the end.
Thursday 18th January [Sunny & cool]
All the two's today...
The 2 ♂ Scaup Aythya marila ARE still present after all. Despite looking into Butcombe Bay every day from the dam, I hadn't seen them since the first sighting. However, they were asleep in the flooded trees on The Island this afternoon (opposite side of the bay from the public footpath), which might explain why no-one's seen them.
The 2 Black-necked Grebes Podiceps nigricollis were both in their regular feeding spots when I walked along the south shore with Frankie, a new birder to the area. One was in Wood Bay and the other along the Indian Country bank at Top End.
Then, to complete the two's, I found 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls Ichthyaetus melanocephalus in the roost at about 1530 hrs, one in full winter garb, and the other just about in breeding plumage.
Other sightings included my first Lapwings Vanellus vanellus of the year, when a flock of 60-70 flew west past Rainbow Point, 5 (4 ♂♂) Pintails Anas acuta in the gull roost, a Peregrine Falco peregrinus at Top End, and the adult ♂ Pochard x Tufted Duck was in Wood Bay as usual.
Mike O'Connor saw the Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos on the Spillway.
The latest issue of BTO Bird Study dropped through the letterbox this morning, and in it is a paper entitled 'Sexual dimorphism and sex determination in Black-necked Grebes Podiceps nigricollis: on the need to account for geographical variation in morphology and sex ratio'(Pedro Sáez-Gómez et al, Bird Study, 2017. Vol. 64, No. 4, 502-512.) It makes several interesting points, the chief among which is that sex discrimination factors developed for ringers using a sample of grebes caught in Spain do not work for grebes in the USA, which comprise a different sub-species viz. P. n. californicus. Secondly, that the males in the nominate race P. n. nigricollis measured in Spain were on average larger and heavier than the females, although there was an element of overlap (non-moulting birds were assessed). Thirdly, differences were pronounced for bill length, head-bill length and tarsus length, so can be used as sex predictors. Fourthly, visual sex differences could be useful in determining sex, but only by very experienced observers (and presumably in the hand rather than in the field). Fifthly, the discrimination function developed in Spain based on head-bill length was correct 91% of the time for adults and first-years (compared with DNA analysed birds). Lastly, and most interesting to me as a field observer, was the authors assertion that juveniles have brownish-red eyes compared to the intense red of adults. I had used this to age birds arriving at the lake in September in the past, but read somewhere recently that this was an unreliable feature for ageing, so consequently stopped using it. I guess it depends on when the iris colour starts to change as the birds lose their juvenile characters. Perhaps I will start to use it again, at least for birds seen in early autumn, or, until I can find the source of confusion! Anyway, the bird frequenting Wood Bay is probably the bird that has been wintering at Blagdon for a number of years (its behaviours suggest it might be). In the sunshine yesterday it showed an intensly bright red eye. And, to answer several people who have enquired, it rarely seems to associate with the other bird on the lake, at least while they're feeding.
Friday 19th January [Mainly sunny & still cool]
There were 2 Black-necked Grebes Podiceps nigricollis present again today, but both were quite far out near Rugmoor Point and Indian Country. I looked for the Scaup from the dam on a couple of occasions during the day without seeing either, and when checking through the gull roost late in the afternoon I saw 17 (8♂♂) Goosanders Mergus merganser that had flown in to roost on the reservoir. Colin Hunt reported seeing an Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca this afternoon on Holt Farm.
Saturday 20th January [Foggy early, clearing later.]
I wasn't able to visit the lake today. Mark Hynam spent the morning there and saw a Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis in Wood Bay, and a number of Chiffchaffs Phylloscopus collybita from the Top End hide. He looked for, but didn't see the Scaup in Butcombe Bay, though he did see a Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis, the first site record of the year. Thanks Mark.
Sunday 21st January [A deluge]
I wanted to try and catch up with the Chiffchaffs Phylloscopus collybita Mark had seen yesterday, and he wanted to see a Mediterranean Gull or Scaup. Happily for me, he managed to deliver, and I got my Chiff, but I'm ashamed to say I couldn't return the favour. We spent from 1400-1630 hrs or so in the pouring rain, but we couldn't really identify all the gulls in the gloom and poor visibility. We spotted both Black-necked Grebes Podiceps nigricollis, with one in Wood Bay and the other off Rugmoor Point, and there were 3 Barnacle Geese Branta leucopsis and an Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca with one of the two Canada Goose Branta canadensis flocks.
Most of the lakeside and roads hereabouts are flooded, and the water was finally going over the overspill as the lake made top level during the last 24 hours. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a bit drier, as we have the WeBS count to do. I'm glad we hadn't arranged to do it today like many teams will have done around the country!
Monday 22nd January [Dry, mild & mainly overcast.]
We delayed starting our WeBS count this morning, as I was able to point out the 2♂ Scaup Aythya marila asleep by The Island and the adult (near-summer plumaged) Mediterranean Gull Ichthyaetus melanocephalus to the team from the dam before we started. We finally got underway at about 1000 hrs, and as we counted the waterfowl in Butcombe Bay the Scaup swam into the trees at the back of the Island and more or less out of sight. Little tinkers! I was counting grebes and some dabbling duck species, but could only find one Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis, in Wood Bay, although with the water at Top End being highly coloured it is possible the other one had relocated and was missed. We heard at least one Water Rail Rallus aquaticus squealing from Pipe Bay reeds, and saw a Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita at Top End when checking for Snipe Gallinago gallinago. The Chiff was a different bird to the very grey-looking individual Mark and I saw yesterday, which was a pututive Sibe. Unfortunately that bird didn't call in the pouring rain and, of course, it didn't want to show itself today when I had my camera with me...
Full details of the WeBS count are on the WeBS Page as usual, and included counts of 894 Tufted Ducks Aythya fuligula, 891 Coots Fulica atra, 260 Canada Geese Branta canadensis and 194 Pochards Aythya ferina. The water level was 100%.
Tuesday 23rd January [Mainly dry & mild, until showers came in late afternoon - when I went down to the lake!]
Again, I didn't see the second Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis, just the one off Rugmoor Point, and although I looked from the dam into Rugmoor Bay, I didn't see the Scaup either. So, what did I see? Well, not a lot really, there were just the 2 (clearly, three's a crowd) Barnacle Geese Branta leucopsis with the Canada Goose Branta canadensis flock today, and the Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca looking forlorn and alone. I counted a couple of groups of birds gathering at dusk, which included 34 Great Crested Grebes Podiceps cristatus and 17 Goldeneye Bucephala clangula, with others of both species undoubtedly also on the lake - making both counts made yesterday a little shy of their respective marks, although new birds could have flown in, of course. I heard Great Tit Parus major and Song Thrush Turdus philomelos singing for the first time this year too.
Mike O'Connor told me he'd seen a small flock of 7 Lapwings Vanellus vanellus this afternoon, and Ian Hayes reported seeing the Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos on the dam. Thanks to both of you.
Wednesday 24th January [Rain this morning. Grey and dismal.]
More rain this morning, flooding on the roads, and much of the lake was brick red with soil washed into it from surrounding farmland. I think that quite a few of the diving ducks have moved on as a result, but the 2♂ Scaup Aythya marila were just off the southern end of the dam at Cheddar Water showing well this afternoon. I thought it was going to be a tall order finding the Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis, but with the wind in a more southerly direction it was, in fact, easy to spot from Rainbow Point in Wood Bay, as was the other one that had been 'missing' for a few days. It was further up the lake towards the Top End off Burmah Road. I went through the large flock of gulls on Holt Farm fields, mainly Common Larus canus and Black-headed Chroicocephalus ridibundus, but couldn't spot any white-wingers. With the water at top level and coloured, many of the remaining Mute Swans Cygnus olor had moved onto Holt Farm as well - must be the sweet 'organic' grass!
After a break of several days, the adult ♀ Brambling Fringilla montifringilla was in the garden again.
Thursday 25th January [Mainly dry with a few showers]
Not too much to say about the lake today. The 2 Black-necked Grebes Podiceps nigricollis (Wood and Rugmoor Bays) and the 2♂ Scaup Aythya marila (The Island) were all still present this afternoon, as was the Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca with a Mute Swan Cygnus olor. It's curious that the Mute Swans feeds on its own in the fields near the end of Long Bay with the goose, instead of with the wintering flock, and I'm wondering if it was the partner of a swan that was recently predated in Long Bay.
I spent the morning with Tony Moulin of YACWAG at a meeting convened with some landowners, agents and other interested parties to discuss how they might manage their land better to benefit bats in the West Wiltshire, B&NES & North Somerset areas. It looks like an interesting project which it was agreed to proceed with beyond today's inaugural get together.
Tonight, I'm going to 'OTTERS ON MY DOORSTEP' an illustrated talk by Gill Brown, founder of YACWAG Otter Group and one of the original patch reporters for BBC Wildlife magazine. It is 6 years since the launch of the otter group and Gill will be sharing an update of this good news story. This is a FREE EVENT - all welcome. Light Refreshments will be served. Congresbury Old School Rooms, 1 Station Road, at 1930 hrs.
Friday 26th January [Dry and sunny. Cold northerly breeze.]
There were 15 adult Mute Swans Cygnus olor and the Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca on Holt Farm fields today, and 8 Lapwings Vanellus vanellus flew East past me at Green Lawn. A Snipe Gallinago gallinago also flew past me while walking around Holt Bay, and when I got to Wood Bay I was able to see both Black-necked Grebes Podiceps nigricollis. There were 2 Siskins Spinus spinus feeding in the Alders at Hellfire Corner, and circa 50 Meadow Pipits Anthus pratensis on the meadow at Bell's Bush. I then took to the lanes, to West Town, before taking the footpath to Butcombe Bay where I saw one of the ♂ Scaup Aythya marila moving through the trees at The Island, and counted 3 (1♂) Goosanders Mergus merganser and 22 Wigeon Anas penelope. There was a Siskin calling from the top of a tree at the Inspection House, and a pair on the feeders at the Lodge when I got back.
Saturday 27th January [Wet all day until about 1600hrs]
I didn't bother to go to the lake during the day in the rubbish conditions - I wouldn't have been able to see much anyway.
Sunday 28th January [Mainly overcast & mild]
I spent the morning with some local bat workers checking a few Mendip caves to count hibernating bats, then visited the lake with Mark Hynam this afternoon. We found a lone ♂ Scaup Aythya marila feeding in the entrance to Butcombe Bay, a pair of Goosanders Mergus merganser in Butcombe Bay, 4 Barnacle Geese Branta leucopsis on Holt Farm, and saw 2 Black-necked Grebes Podiceps nigricollis from Wood Bay Point. There were probably over a thousand Black-headed Gulls Chroicocephalus ridibundus in the roost, but no sign of any Mediterranean Gulls when we checked, although gulls were still arriving when I left site at 1710hrs.
Monday 29th January [Miserably wet and windy am, gloriously sunny pm.]
This afternoon the weather improved dramatically, and I happened to meet Phil K. on the dam who told me he'd seen the Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos on the Spillway and 2 ♂ Scaup asleep in the middle of Butcombe Bay, and I was able to see them through the scope too. We walked along to Wood Bay to see if we could find the Black-necked Grebes Podiceps nigricollis. At least one, and I think both, were off Rugmoor Point but I couldn't be absolutely sure. We saw 3 Barnacle Geese Branta leucopsis in the bay, plus the Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca and 18 Mute Swans Cygnus olor on Holt Farm.
Tuesday 30th January [Sunny until mid-afternoon when drizzle set in]
I went for a walk this afternoon, just as the drizzle started, but had quite a good time nevertheless. The 2 ♂ Scaup were in Butcombe Bay, and the Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca and an amazing 21 Mute Swans Cygnus olor, including a 1st-winter, were on Holt Farm. At Green Lawn there were 48 Lapwings Vanellus vanellus, with 3 Barnacle Geese Branta leucopsis on Rainbow Point and an adult ♂ Tufted x Pochard hybrid just off the point. A stop and stare at Wood Bay Point allowed me to note both Black-necked Grebes Podiceps nigricollis off Rugmoor Point and the adult ♂ Ferruginous x Pochard hybrid in Wood Bay to my notebook. As I headed on towards Ubley Gate, I heard a Great Tit Parus major singing "teacher, teacher" in Holt Copse, and on the way back I saw a Green Woodpecker Picus viridis and heard a ♂ Tawny Owl Strix aluco there (my first of the year). When I got back to the Lodge it was 1700 hrs, but I decided to have a look through the gulls and spotted 2 Mediterranean Gulls Ichthyaetus melanocephalus, one in full summer plumage and the other in near-summer plumage too. Whilst scanning, I saw 9 (5♂) Goosanders Mergus merganser displaying off Butcombe Bank, and heard 2 Water Rails Rallus aquaticus squealing at one another in Pipe Bay reeds.
I'm off to WWT Slimbridge tomorrow so probably won't visit the lake, which means I've ended the first month with 76 bird species at the lake - a steady start in comparison to recent years.
Wednesday 31st January [Sunny spells with a cold wind]
I didn't visit Blagdon Lake today, so here are a few images taken at WWT Slimbridge. Enjoy!
Sunlit Willow, Rushy Pen, WWT Slimbridge, Glos. 31st Jan 2018
Black-headed Gull White 2P33, WWT Slimbridge, Glos.
Redshank, Spotted Redshank & Ruff, WWT Slimbridge, Glos. 31st Jan 2018.
Spotted Redshank & Ruff, WWT Slimbridge, Glos. 31st Jan 2018.