Raw as only a squally November afternoon can be at Marshside today, but at least a drake Green Winged Teal amongst the hordes of Common Teal made the walk down to Nels worthwhile.
The bird was feeding away just under the screen halfway between Junction Pool and Nels, at about 1.45pm, but with so many Teal around (at least 4,000) it'll probably pop up again.
More than 2,000 Blackwits on Marshside One, with a smallish gull roost (one argentatus Herring), 800+ Golden Plover, and bizarrely 5 Twite which landed briefly on an island tussock before heading off south again.
Things took a turn for the gruesome when an adult GBB managed to catch and eat a male Wigeon.
The big bruiser didn't wait on niceties like the death of the duck, preferring to eat what it could while it was very much alive.
A female/immature Goldeneye fishing in front of Nels in the choppy shallows, refused to sit still long enough for a decent pic.
Bazzo had great views of a Water Rail in the gap in the reeds to the left of Nels, but the bird had melted back into cover when I arrived.
Earlier I'd watched one with John Aitcheson looking mighty confused in a squall to the north of Sandgrounders.
At least 10 Pochard on the Sandplant Pool, and on the outer marsh, Peregrine, Merlin, Stonechat, Little Egrets galore and good numbers of Pinkies.
Lotsa Snipe about in the perfect damp conditions.
An adult male Hen Harrier had been through earlier, but I couldn't relocate it.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies.
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Anybody else notice an increase in finches to their garden feeders during the past few days?
My Goldfinch numbers have more than doubled to about 20 here in Churchtown.
Ron
Hay John, nice to see the green wing back, hopefully I'll managed to catch up with it again this winter... out of interest, what is an argentatus Herring gull? I've heard it talked about before but am not quite sure how it is different to others???
thanks always Lee Harrison.
Put simply Lee, argentatus is a race of Herring Gull, larger and darker mantled than our breeding argenteus birds, and hailing from the northern and eastern parts of the gull's range.
I think folk call 'em Scandinavian Herring Gull these days.
They usually show much bigger white primary spots than our birds too.
Welcome to the world of pain that is gull subspecies.....lots of headaches and no ticks.
23.11: 60+ Whoopers just beyond the old railway bridge at top end of New Cut Lane.