With still 9 species to find to achieve my minimum yearly target, I was pleased to notice that a knot had been reported at Farmoor Reservoir. It was a sunny afternoon with a bit of chilly wind as I reached the car park before heading up to the shores of the reservoir. As the knot had been reported on the eastern side of F2, I turned south rather than heading straight for the causeway as I usually do.
I couldn't see any photographers along the eastern bank, not could I see any waders, so I began to think the knot had departed; through my binoculars I could only see a few crows and black headed gull on the shore line. But then noticed a slightly smaller bird beyond them, was it the knot? I approached cautiously and was pleased to see that the wader was, in fact, the knot I had been hoping for. I sat on the wall and waited to see if the bird would venture closer which it eventually did and I was able to take some photos.
I continued around this part of the reservoir, the larger of the two sections, then took the path leading to the Shrike hide and meadow. There were a few common darters about, and I waited a short time in the hide but there was no kingfisher around nor much else apart from a moorhen and wood pigeon.
Back on the reservoir, I returned via the causeway, where I found a couple of dunlins and a juvenile ringed plover. A large number of cormorants were resting on the rafts; there must have been up to a hundred in total. I also noted a few little grebes, great crested grebes, tufted ducks and mallards, greylag geese ( and feral snow goose) and plenty of coots.
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