Another Thcwewy Duck...?!?

Skipping forward to nigh-breaking news....

Well, Tuesday, anyway.!


You will be amused when you read a later post, but to start with, news of what was at first a Smew [!!] and then a Long-tailed Duck on Fernworthy had me most vexed.*

I was daft enough to believe the forecast of abysmal conditions on Monday, so didn't go.. Then said 'stuff it' and went on Tuesday. Comapre Monday's fine afternoon and Wednesday's sunshine with Tuesday's howling gale and constant mizzle...

Yeah yeah...

But anyways, I went. Behold, the extensive view from the hide again;

Hmm, what's out there...?

Three Tufted Ducks..

G C Grebe

Also a Little Grebe which was lurking by the north edge and easily evaded the lens.

Missing something?

Hmm...

A Crossbill flew over calling, which was nice, but not a sniff of anything whiter.

I eventually was forced to conclude it was not there and headed back, in not a great mood it must be said.

This cheered me up a bit;

Bullfinch strikes pose.

Backward Birder nearly faints..

Inevitable scenery;

Yellowleg Bonnet

Up river

Despite it being nearly six and the weather being possibly even worse, I still stopped by the overlook to be absolutely sure nothing was hiding in Dog Bay. (You know, the bit you can't see from the hides or even the shore by them. The bit where you don't get birds as it's where the 'walk round the reservoir' path reaches/leaves the water side and where all the dogs seem to like to go swimming [thus the name]. [[It's the little inlet on the north shore]])

You know what happens next, right?

Yup, there the little $**&$%@@*&^&^&)!!@££!@ was.. With a couple more Tufty and another GC Grebe, even!

The overlook is very exposed [all the trees there having been hacked down] and it was properly raining sideways. Still, with the aid of a telegraph pole - to keep my lens steady and at least slightly dry - I gave it my best to get a record shot.

Dog Bay

Thornworthy Tor on the skyline, dam off to the right. You will want to look at about 2 o'clock from the tip of the right dead tree...

The dark blob is a Tufty, 

to the right and behind is the 

long white flank of the LT Duck

How's that for awful??


A lot better through the scope, really it was.




You know, she'll probably stay for a week or three now....


Ahem.


Be Seeing You...



[[*Considering the inland site - LTDs are far more likely on or right by the sea - and numbers of RC Pochards down** this winter, Smew is actually more likely..]]
[[**Both most likely coming from the same site; Cotswold Water Park]]