Sunday 16 February 2020

Storm in a Teacup - The Fortunes

Another abysmal weather forecast and another warning of a ‘named’ gale predicted 
to be with us during the mid-forenoon, so whatever the decision it had to be before storm 
Dennis became a Menace!
Across our usual morning cicuit another male 
TUFTED DUCK
was found on the Gravel Pit 
while a little further on across the flooded
 Northern Horse Paddocks
 were found a host of wind-blown Gulls mostly
Black-headed (centre) Herring Top and
 LESSER BLACK-BACKED
 also among these were c2 winter plumaged
 MEDITERRANEAN GULLS
which simply would not lend themselves to the Canon
but nevertheless an addition to the RA Year List
a decent number of 
PIED WAGTAIL
there too but what wasn't anticipated was this
TREECREEPER
flying directly into the
Viewfinder
Gone mid-morning and still little sign of
Dennis
 the sensible choices were between heading back to barracks or acting on
information recieved from our Broadwey correspondant of a worthwhile
bird just a 30 minute drive away and in the heart of the 
New Forest
is a much favoured location in the Forest but on the day seems the public
had chossen my abandonded option, with no one there at all,
but the object of our desire was, a fine looking
male
 GOOSANDER
 and after a full hour alone with this beauty
 and the cessation of
Flying Stations
 It can be seen by comparisson of the stills and heard via the
sound tracks that
DENNIS 
had struck