Paul's Birding Diary

Wednesday 28th December 2011 Some photos here of the female LESSER SCAUP taken this afternoon from Robbie Garnett hide at WWT Slimbridge. The photo above was taken in one of its rare and all too fleeting waking moments, as most of the time it looked like in the photos below, bobbing around among the Tuftys and Pochard. In fact I spent so long trying to get a decent 'head-up' shot I hardly had time to study the thousands of other birds on the Tack Piece, including Dunlin , Golden Plover , Lapwing , Black-tailed Godwit and Wigeon .

Friday 9th December 2011 'Always rather distant' - but you can see the yellow legs! The TEMMINCK'S STINT was at Shorncote again yesterday. I arrived at the hide overlooking pit 84 at around 1.50pm to the news that it was there earlier but had 'flown left'. I was getting a distinct sense of déjà vu after arriving to the same news last Saturday and dipping. At 2.15pm however, it flew right and back into view. I watched it for a good hour and it was still there when I left, quietly feeding on the muddy margin at the back of the lake, and for a period dozing / basking in the sun (photo). The views were always rather distant (c240m - I measured it on Google Earth), but at least it was nicely lit in the afternoon sunshine. Other birds noted included 16 Teal , 30+ Lapwings , and at least three Water Rails were squealing from within the reeds in the area.  View from the hide overlooking pit 84, Cotswold Water Park (West)

I am grateful to Paul T for alerting me to the fact that the apparent Little Stint I saw along with the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper etc. on 20th November, was in fact a SEMI-PALMATED SANDPIPER ! For some photos, see the Chew Valley Birding website . My second of the year and I didn't even realise it at the time; must try harder.