28th January - a lunchtime visit was greeted with much the same variety as yesterday. The 3 regular drake Pintail were asleep amongst a flock of Wigeon near to the island - these are generally split into 2 birds and a single, the single having a nice long tail feather, the other 2 birds don't seem to have developed theirs - maybe 1st year birds?
A 1st Winter GBB Gull caught my eye as it descended to the near spit, as it had a black darvic ring on its left leg, with a metal BTO type on the right. I haven't seen a ring on this species before, so was keen to read it, but unfortunately it hopped off its perch out of the water into the lake and then flew to the back of the spit where reading was impossible. The brief view I got suggested yellow letters on a black ring, though these could have been dirty white and the first letter looked like a J. I hope it returns to be read properly.
I decided to take a walk to the SE corner to view the NE side hidden from the west bank. A very muddy walk and hard going, however, worth it, as a further pair of Pintail were roosting there - a male with a long tail feather and a female, so 5 birds in all. A Little Egret was also roosting in a bush near the NE bay.
A sizeable flock of Fieldfare, about 110 birds flew north chattering, alerting me to their presence and a single sweep of the Snipe on the spit came to 90 birds - I'm sure more were hidden. They are back on the spit at the moment, as the muddy flood meadows where they were feeding in large numbers has become re-flooded following the thaw.
I dropped in at the nearby Roach pit on the way home to take a look at the long staying juv female Scaup - she is looking more adult like by the day, now having a broad white face patch above the bill and some grey vermiculations on her back and flanks.
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