Little Hadham Birding: Amwell Visit

This morning I set off for my local reserve, Amwell, managed by the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust. An excellent reserve, offering great views from 3 hides and several viewing points.
I arrived at the main viewing point to scan Great Hardmead Lake. As usual, plenty of coot, black headed gulls, tufted duck but pleasingly, a good quantity of wigeon and pochard and 4 rather flighty goldeneye. These couldn't make up their mind as to which area of the lake was best so they seemed to be up and down, but always too far for a photo. I wandered along to the Gladwin Hide, where the usual suspects were noted: canada geese, more wildfowl and a large group of greylags coming in from Stansted Abbotts direction. A short sequence of their arrival here.

2 drake pochard

From here, I walked north, firstly checking Tumbling Bay where more tufteds and pochards were to be seen. I scoped the whole length of the lake and a fair way off a single red headed smew was constantly diving near overhanging willows. As I walked back along the tow path both dunnock and goldcrest were noted in the hedgerow, as was, a little later, a most confiding robin.

Dunnock

Next year's Christmas Card design sorted!

A quick check on a small pool where a pair of great crested grebes were beginning to come into breeding plumage. Lovely to see at such close quarters. Overhead, a red kite and in the distance, a calling Common buzzard.

From here, I visited the James Hide to see if any bitterns, water rails or kingfishers were about, but after 20 minutes nothing had stirred so off to the largest hide on the reserve, the White Hide. This place gives great views over the island where heron and cormorant were to be found, roosting in trees. It also permits views all the way down Gt Hardmead lake. Near the hide, a party of wigeon and, in the far distance, the 4 goldeneye. Not too much else to note here apart from 2 carrion crow on the small island feeding on what looked like a dead greylag goose.
Back over the River Lea and into the wooded area where the alders had attracted a large group of siskin of 75+. In amongst these, several lesser redpoll whilst a treecreeper called from a tree trunk. By now the light was too poor for woodland shots.