Goosanders at Stanton Park

I had a brief visit to Stanton park this morning before the rain started. Pleased to note at least half a dozen goosanders on the lake, plus a male teal.

Also seen at Stanton, grey heron, black headed gulls, mallards, mute swans, moorhen, blue tit, great tit, robin, dunnock, blackbird, coal tit, long tailed tits,tree creeper and goldcrest.

glimpse of a gold crest

coal tit on the feeding station

Lower Moor Farm

It started to drizzle as I arrived at Lower Moor Farm, but I went down to the first hide and watched the bird table for about 20 minutes. There were a lot of tits, including blue tits, great tit coal tit and long tailed tit.

blue tits

coal tit

Also visiting the area  were robin, wren, chaffinches and reed warbler .

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reed warbler

Finally they were all seen off by this mallard who landed on the bird table and proceeded to tuck in.

Lechlade nature reserve

First proper frost of the winter so far, though I was surprised to see the lake was frozen in the middle at Lechlade, just a few mallards dabbling around the edge, whilst the blackheaded gulls just stood silently in the middle.

Coate water

I wrapped up warm for a visit to Coate Water this afternoon. Lovely blue sky but a cold wind. At Hide 1 there were mallards, tufted ducks, cormorants,  mute swans, pochards, shovelers, great crested grebes, wigeon, heron,coots and moorhens. Also saw red kite which was being mobbed overhead.

Swans flying in

Great crested grebe with a fish

 At the feeders were several great tits and blue tits, and a greater spotted woodpecker, and robin. A squirrel also decided to come and take his fill of bird food on the ground feeding area.  Other species on and around the main lake were canada geese, black headed gulls, feral pigeons, and pied wagtails. 

greater spotted woodpecker (female) 

great tit

blue tit

robin

grey squirrel helping itself to bird food

Stanton Park

Took a quick walk around Stanton Park today, the usual birds on the lake included mallards,( and a few hybrids) coot, moorhen , mute swan and blackheaded gulls. On the bird table I saw nuthatch, coal tit, blue tit, great tit, robin, m and f chaffinch and blackbirds.  

mallard amongst autumn leaves

one of the hybrid ducks

nuthatch and chaffinch on birdtable

Keyhaven nature reserve, New Forest

Spent a lovely day in the New Forest with Matt and Bex and Eliza. A rather blustery but sunny walk  at Keyhaven Nature Reserve produced the following:

                                                                              

mallards, mute swan, coot, tufted duck, wigeon, pochard, teal, pintail, little egrets, canada geese and brent geese, oyster catcher, blackheaded gull, herring gull, lesser blackbacked gull, robin and a few New Forest Ponies. 

Whelford Pool

Very quiet at Whelford Pools today, cloudy and rather a damp autumn day. Birds on the lake included cormorants, mute swans, mallards and tufted ducks, others seen were robin, bluetit, several goldfinches and a flock of redwings gorging on berries.