After yesterdays announcement of a second lock down, I decided to go out today whilst I had the chance. Rather than waste time travelling I decided to stay local and go to North Duffield Carrs.
Although you cannot see many/any birds in the picture, there were lots of them. The birds were much closer to the hide than on my last visit. I managed to count 125 pink footed geese amongst the greylags and canada geese. However it was this young swan that I concentrated on to start with.
I was trying to see any colour on its bill, but it was either preening or feeding.
I was eventually able to see its bill and was satisfied that it was a juvenile whooper swan. The only whooper swan on the reserve. A family of mute swans were feeding and moving from area to area.
I then turned my attention to the wildfowl closest to me.
As well as swans there were pink feet and greylags.
mallards, wigeon and a few teal were also present. A redshank was feeding at the edge of the water.
On a further stretch of water there were lapwings, black headed, common and great black backed gulls, 8 ruff, 2 golden plover and 21 shelduck.
The geese were either feeding or resting, when suddenly they raised their heads, The pink feet started to call and flew away. They circled for a while before landing. This happened several times, giving me an opportunity to try to get some flight shots.
I am not sure what disturbed the birds but the gulls, lapwings and shelducks also took to the air.
As I have mentioned before there was a murmuration here last year and there were a large number of starlings flying around today.
I hope to go back one evening before lockdown to see if there is a murmuration.
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