Paul & I did a walk around the Southern sector this pm in dull, drizzly but thankfully milder, conditions, and it was pretty much 'business as usual' on that section of the patch, neither of us seeing any new species for our respective year lists.
Most notable were 'Elsie' the long-staying female Eider, now in the area for exactly a month - quite why she favours the no.5 res, and what she feeds on is a mystery to me - plus the 2 female Scaup, also long-stayers (one with little white on the face), still present on the West Warwick.
Other than our current 'star' winter duck, there were single RN Parakeet, Goldcrest & Meadow Pipit, a few Redwings and a flock of c35 Fieldfare by the no.5, plus a Water Rail again heard responding to Paul's iphone by the bridge next to no.1 and 3 Little Egrets establishing themselves on their nesting island. This sign, together with a much greater number of birds in song, suggests that spring cant be too far off...
LB
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Reservoir Logs - October 24 round-up
This distant male Hen Harrier is likely to be bird of the year pic @FinchleyBirder What seems to ...
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A confiding Avocet spent the morning on High Maynard pic @lolcumming The generally mild weather helps explain why the winter ... -
Woodcock are an expected March maigrant pic @Elliott 1758817 A flock of Cro... -
A winter Bar-tailed Godwit is a genuine rarity in London pic @Chris_Farthing A resting Bar-tai...
Hi Lol, I think it's thought that Eider in the London area (they are often relatively long-stayers) are thought to feed on invasive Zebra Mussels. See here >
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebra_mussel