Duck's Ditty - Kenneth Graham

Drawing more or less a total blank on home turf yesterday and with c3 'scarce' or maybe even 'rare' birds to some across Longham Lakes it was thought time to try and cut our losses.

CASPIAN GULL

which proved ellusive on a previous search,

CATTLE EGRET
which has already been seen on a number of visits this year and

SIBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF

were all certainly worthy of a try!
We will end the suspence here - we didn't find one of them!!
With other fair which either never enter our home air-space, along with others that are infrequent visitors we didn't return to base empty handed.

Not the start we would have wished for as the Lumberjacks were already in action
sawing down the remaining Sallow trees, having already put the large Gull flock to flight.

The elegant

GREAT-CRESTED GREBE

isn't even on our "might appear one day list"

our tiny puddles being totally inadequate for

such a hunter.
(now hoping for Sod's Law to happen in reverse)
A common and often numerous resident on our patch is the

STONECHAT
which for whatever reason somehow seems somewhat out of place at this location.
All to infrequent also are a combination of

POCHARD 

“All along the backwater,
through the rushes tall.
Ducks are a-dabbling,
up tails all!
by no means annual, the magical

MEDITERRANEAN GULL

which is an occassional passage bird (already having graced our Patch this year)

and also attracted in numbers to the plough.

While regular readers will recall the appearance of half-a-dozen
Female SHOVELLER

this year

male's still remain
Mighty Ellusive 

Ducks' tails, drakes' tails,
yellow feet a-quiver.
Yellow bills all out of sight,
Busy in the river!”

and finally the equally dapper

but even more infrequent, in both sexes, the

WIGEON