A sunny pond

A pleasure to be out today with bright sunshine, no wind and more importantly no rain so my walk to toft shallows with Keith and Bob may not have produced any new arrivals but all the usual suspects still present. Both the Great-northern Diver and the Long-tailed Duck seem to have changed their feeding areas so were more elusive out in the centre while the male Smew was very mobile appearing off farborough bank, toft bay and rainbow corner.

Toft shallows had two Water Rail showing very well along with Treecreeper and the albino Grey Squirrel.

On my return to the visitor centre while Bob and Keith continued on their circuit 150 Golden Plover flew over and a distant Little Egret was behind the Kites Hardwick Fishing Pools.

Other sightings included 20+ Goosander, Raven, 6 Buzzard, 40 Wigeon, 4 Pochard and 140 Great-crested Grebe.

Bob and Keith arrived back a little damp from a mid-day shower having added Tree Sparrow and Red-breasted Merganser.