11th December 2010

Dunlin - Pillinge Lake

Goosander - Stewartby Lake

Great Northern Diver - Stewartby Lake

I was pleased to see that the two female-type Goosanders were still present when I got to Stewartby Lake. I initially saw one of them from the gullwatch and then got a lift round to the sailing club bank where I took a couple of distant record shots of the Great Northern Diver.

Later I got a few, again rather poor, record shots of one of the Goosanders on Stewartby Lake not far from the visitors centre. These were the first Goosanders photos I have taken on the country park so I was pleased to get them even though they weren't great, and I was pretty sure I'd get the chance to get better ones over the long weekend. As it turned out these were the only photos I got of them...

Whilst I was watching the Goosander I had a phone cal from Bob Hook saying he had just found a Dunlin on the Pillinge, another bird I hadn't photographed on the park so I walked round to meet him. Fortunately, the bird was feeding on one of the small island when I got there and I got some digiscoped photos and video from about 100 yards range.

A Coal Tit appeared on the bird feeders at my parents in the afternoon. I had photographed one in their garden before, but not on the country park. Unfortunately, it spent the whole time in either my parent's or their next door neighbours garden this afternoon rather than venturing on to the park...