Connaught Water

I popped into Connaught Water on the way home from work today and bagged a few year ticks and a bonus pair of Goosanders which even in the gloom of todays weather had me running back to the car for the camera.

Goosander

Goosander

Goosander

Goosander

Goosander

Goosander 

The island at the back of the lake now holds over twenty Mandarin where last week it was hard to find a single bird. A cracking pair of Goosander are wintering on the lake and the female is a little more approachable than the male who likes to hold territory in the middle of the lake although I did witness him making a couple of sizable catches. A short detour into the forest by the picnic table delivered several Treecreeper and Nuthatches along with a Tit flock that contained Long-tailed, Blue, Great and Coal Tits along with a few Goldcrests. Two Great Spotted Woodpeckers were seen, a Green Woodpecker was heard and a Buzzard came over before being chased away by the local corvids. Ring-necked Parakeets flew noisily over the lake but I found no sign of the Smew that has been reported. Plenty of Tufted, Teal and Pochard were seen.

A cracking hours birding taking the year list to 121