No pain, no gain...no show!

Well predictably the possible Lesser Scaup failed to materialise, despite quite a bunch of birders searching Walthamstow today, (thanks for coming out) on the up side at least nobody found THE bird and said what a fool I was for even thinking it was interesting. You had to give it a go, didn't you?

I won't be claiming it as a Lesser Scaup for the simple reason that I couldn't get the real clinching views necessary for such a subtle bird. I think I will stick to finding big obvious species. White Stork in the spring will do.

Todays coverage also failed to turn up the Smew, though Goldeneye and Goosander numbers were up by a few. The male Pintail has relocated to the High Maynard, nice to get that on my year list, a few other species made it onto the yearlist today too not least a couple of Water Rails, one in the No.1 channel and one at the southern end of No.3. I was pointing out to Dave B where Water Rail often get (I've heard one once there but he's only a visitor to the patch so I thought I'd show off, a quick blast of Water Rail call on the iphone and lo.....one called back, I could tell he was impressed. I was amazed!)

A handful of Redshank were seen, there could be as many as five on the complex plus probably 5 Green Sandpipers and someone reported Lapwing but no one it seems could find Common Sandpiper, there was at least one after Christmas so should be still around somewhere.

PW