Off Piste (Part II)

  It's been a long time, been a long time, been a long lonely, lonely, loneley, lonely, lonely time!

but here it is at last - Led Zeppelin

Returning to our Sunday (at long last we hear you say) visit to Longham Lakes it is true to say that numbers of Wildfowl remain low, just a little too early for good numbers that Winter will surely bring. However, apart from the more common Geese, such as Greylag and Canada, which seemed altogether absent, there were a few representatives of most others usual species.

GREAT CRESTED GREBE

for instance

were few and far between while there were more flyover

CORMORANTs
than those few that were settled.

A strange mix of
TUFTED DUCK (female) and

COOT

were getting no closer than mid-water
TUFTED DUCK (male)
but the brief distraction from an almost over vocal and occassionally visible

CETTI'S WARBLER

were both welcome sights and sounds which might have been described as going 'bonkers'!
It was then that we encountered Dr George Green again, a second time in as many weeks, who was still waxing lyrical about the couple of

MERVIELLE du JOUR MOTHs
he was shown at that last encounter. Fact was he had returned home only to catch his very own that same night. As if that were not enough he also had some reassuring news about the scarce bird most of us were still seaching for which was that it had been seen that morning. The waterfowl continued

with
GADWALL (male) and

female along with both sexes of

WIGEON

(female)
before attentions were turned again to the land again at the appearence of a

male

REED BUNTING
but in all that only a single male

POCHARD

Back at the Island where the Green-winged Teal still remained 'head under wing' the

SHOVELER
(male)

(female)
had shaken themselves out of their slumber and showing very well.
However, that lasted but a couple of minutes as our hearts desire was spotted close to the shore but feeding which meant frequent 'diving' causing some frustration to say the least.
To the delight of the small gathering this was the very first sighting of a

GREAT NORTHERN DIVER

at

LONGHAM LAKES

which is not an uncommon winter visitor to our seaways and harbours

but an unusual candidate for a relatively small

Inland Lake.

However, having said that there is something of a case for

lightning striking twice in a similar place as in 2017 / 18 this

BEAUTY

overwintered on the lake at nearby

Poole Park,

while on departure another Birder not seen for many a day

KEVIN LANE
all too brief!