Lesser Scaup in Gloucestershire

Tuesday 20th February 2007
I found myself able to make an early getaway from work today, and as I am out of the county for the next couple of days, decided to go for a twitch down at the Cotswold Water Park. I found the drake Lesser Scaup where last reported, lurking near lakeside trees in the south-east corner of pit 16. I tried at first to view from the footpath that runs alongside the lake, but with bushes, fences and glorified beach-huts in the way, I decided to head back to view from the bridge by the car park. This gives a much better view, but by scope eyepiece has had to go to hospital after getting a bad case of rising damp a few weeks ago, and the eyepiece I borrowed wasn't up to the fading light conditions. Enter Nick to the rescue, who was having tripod issues, so we combined forces and eventually got a better look. This species is a first for me and it's nice to get it in Gloucestershire, after it initially turned up across the border in Wiltshire. I even got home in time to make the pancakes!

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