RED CRESTED PLASTIC

27/02/10

an early tip of of 3 red crested pochard at upton was initially ignored with the slav grebe being the main target, i so wanted the slav, then

'no sign this am'

bugger.

so lets settle for the plastics(very beautiful plastics)

and a few hours later, there was were, sitting in the east hide at the moors scanning around, and for a good 20 mins, no sign...

but we finally cought up with the oystercatcher:

after a bit of time scanning with my bins i picked up a drake on the opposite side of the lake, darting in and out between a patch of willows. before i called it out i wanted to get my scope on the bird(just to be 100%), but i nedent have worried, a perfect, immaculate, unringed, fully winged drake RED CRESTED POCHARD(lifer 203). the birds wer initially distant:

i got the rest of the hide onto the bird, and soon after another drake popped out, then followed by a female bird, confirming all 3!

after a bit they all moved closer and stopped at the 'tern box' island and all climbed onto the island, showing their un-'bling'd' legs, and this was followed by wing flaps etc, confirming they had not just jumped over 'the wall'(well not recently), but proberbly from the cotswalds population.

they stopped on the island for a very long time, with great scope views. and as per, the inner photographer in my bursted out, (yuck), and i started snapping away...

the bird's then preceded to swim closer to the hide.

where a pair started doing this:

the bird's were observed 'doing it', and with advice from one of the upton wardens, we thought it right to disclose the info and pictures.(just in case):

A few of the small flock of teal were outside the hide, and only when really quite close, do you reallise how great looking these birds actually are, there great:

and the last 30 or so minuites were spent counting the differnt bird no's around the moors:

Mute swan 4

Canada goose 5

Shelduck 3

shoveler 29

Teal 34

Pochard 27

RED CRESTED POCHARD 3

Tufted duck

Little grebe 1

G c grebe 5

Coot 33

OYC 1

Lapwing (only) 22

Curlew 3

Snipe 16

the main reason for the lasck of lapwings was because most were feeding on plowed fields to the south, out of view, presumably curlews here too.

MB