Dapplers

A late afternoon potter along Queen Adelaide Way looking at the Beet Pits and fields saw some dapper dabblers steal the show.  A good number of wildfowl on the pits included a fine drake Pintail amongst the Gadwall, Shoveler, Wigeon and Mallard.  Still amongst the Teal was the Garganey which, when in flight, appears to be missing some primaries and trailing a foot.  The poor migration condition of this bird suggests a strategic delay in southwards movement, there are of course risks to this and it will be interesting to see whether a spell of freezing weather will push it on, finish it off or prove it to be a resilient beast.

 

 

Out on the fields a blizzard of gulls followed the plough and Lapwing and Golden Plover were evident.  Hundreds of Goldies in folding V's and swirling clusters peppered across the cobalt skies.  Marsh Harriers popped up and down across the reedbed as we hoped, unrewarded this time, that a Bittern would do a brief roost flight.