Urban Birding

Saturday 7th
I had to make a trip in to Poole and the B&Q centre for some plumbing items that were needed. As the old dishwasher had given up and some bits and pieces were different and leaked on the new one.
So I took advantage of the time down this  way and went over to Holes Bay to look for the female Smew that as been hanging around for a few weeks, sadly I did not find the Smew but what a place to just unwind after spending time in the store. The bay is just a stones throw away from a busy cycle path, bypass and retail park yet the bay can be packed with birds.
The main problem though if parked in the Mc Donald's Car park you after cross this busy bypass which be a bit hectic, anyway cross the road I did and the first birds I saw were Teal right on the edge of the shore line they would have made a great photo being so close but I did not have my camera and it would been no good taking it as the battery as run low and I have found out to my cost that the charger is no longer working which mean I need to get a new charger to charge the battery before using the camera again which was such a shame because not only were the Teal close I had great close up views of Redshank, Common Sandpiper, Little Egret.
Out in the bay there were large rafts of Wigeon with some Gadwall, Avocets .
At the out flow drain I saw Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail and a Buzzard in a tree that took flight out over the bay close to the shore line mobbed by gulls, drift along the shore line and glide across the cycle about head height behind a couple walking along the path.

8th February
After lunch we went over to Longham lakes again as my son likes to walk round the South lake
so this time as I knew the camera was not in working order I took the little Nikon coolpic I gave my son after i brought the SLR it is not great and is rubbish at taking distance shots of birds.
I was hoping to get to see the Goldeneye that as turned up on South Lake as this year I am recording the number of birds I can see in the year on the lakes and surrounding fields and hedge rows and this would be a nice addition to the list which is up to 43 species.

North Lake viewed from the central causeway

I did not see this species of diving duck which is not to surprising really as my son likes to keep moving and get fed up when I keep stopping to scan the Tufted Ducks and lake, but we have fun walking round in away I wish I took him when he was a lot younger .

Out on the lake the were Tuftys, Pochard, Shoveler Great Crested Grebes, Little Grebe, Coots, Mallards, Cormorants and on the island Canada geese, Greylag geese more cormorants and a little Egret. In the field pools we spotted some Teal another Little Egret and Mutes Swans .

As were made our way round the lake the Jackdaws were being noisy as ever a Green Woodpecker alarm calling. Up on the little island by the settling pools Tufted Duck were washing and preening and a Grey Wagtail ( my favourite wagtail) searching the bank side gravel for tiny morsel of insects.

South Lake and a view across to the large island

As we made our way along the path I noticed a Duck close to the shore, I bring the bins up and low and behold it is the female Scaup oh how I wished I had the camera and big lens with me, but like my son always tells me if you take the camera you never see anything good anyway and I seem to when I leave it at home at least this time I had a good reason for leaving at home. I tried to get a shot of it with the little camera but it is rubbish so this is a warning bad photo alert and record shot of
winter female Scaup coming up.

Female Scaup

Tufted Ducks

Female Scaup tends to hang round the Sticks on the east? side of the lake or if you like the water works side. It is a largish duck with large round head, large white but stained patch at the base of the bill, the bill is wide and pale grayish colour with small black nail,body a dull brown with lighter/pale grey brown flanks with some grey vermiculations on the back and flanks.