Early summer birding.

 I divide my year into two seasons. Summer and winter. Winter starts on the day in October when the clocks go back an hour. Summer starts on December 22nd when the daylight hours start to increase on an evening. 

So this is my first bit of birding in the first days of my summer. Not the best of starts as the clutch on my car started to slip, so it needs replacing, an expensive start to 2023. Scarborough was my first bit of birding, when I went to pick up my granddaughter.

No sign of any divers or auks in the harbour, a single redshank and turnstone.

Near where I parked my car, fulmar were cackling to each other.

Today, Friday the 23rd, I took my granddaughter to Cambridge, and then I went to Grafham Water. My first visit to this area, so I looked at a map whilst enjoying some tomato and basil soup in the cafe,

After lunch I then walked to the first hide. Inside the hide were two chaps who had been fishing, but they stopped because of the rain and cold.

As you can see from the above photo, the water level is still low. From the hide I could see 2 swans, but they were mostly out of sight due to the tree. The swans were busy feeding, and as they lifted their heads out of the water, I could see lots of mud on their heads and beaks.

On my second visit to the hide, the sun was shining and I managed this shot of one of the swans.

Lots of coots, a few goldeneye, mallards and wigeon. A small flock of teal were asleep near the waters edge, but I was unable to find the green winged teal, which had been reported. Several views of a green woodpecker as it flew in front of me. A song thrush was sat in a bush drying out after the rain.

Planning on a return visit to the area tomorrow on my way home.