A week's round up

Have been busy this week with 2 talks for the RSPB groups. Firstly, Aylesbury on Monday evening. En route I popped into Wilstone reservoir where, in gathering gloom, I recorded my 2nd water pipit of the year, along with many waterfowl and a few waders including 2 black tailed godwits and a redshank. Great crested grebe shown here in clearly fading light.

great crested grebe

Having travelled 60 miles west on the Monday, I had a 100 mile trip east on Tuesday to Thanet RSPB group for a talk on the Algarve and Baixo Alentejo. Again, in the evening light, I managed a brief visit to Oare Marshes. This splendidly compact reserve is always worth a visit and it did not disappoint. The highlight was adding my 211th bird for the year, a distant short eared owl being mobbed by corvids. This owl eventually put down in some long grass and did not reappear. Another SEO was briefly seen over the road whilst also a hen harrier patrolling the estuary margins and a barn owl over the scrape near the North Hide. The sunset was spectacular, too. Great place to be.

Oare Marsh sunset

Yes, it is an SEO!

Looking north from the estuary

I managed one wander around Hadham Hall to check the lagoon, but just a party of tufted duck present. One female had extensive white around the bill, which meant a quick check to rule out scaup. I did and it was ruled out! On returning home I was greeted by a solitary lesser redpoll in the birches outside my front door. Only my 4th parish record and the 2nd time I have seen them in these trees. Suspect they are there more often than I see them, so need to check this winter.

lesser redpoll

lesser redpoll from front door

interesting tufted duck (centre)

but a tufted duck is what it is. Here with another usual female