Friday, December 14, 2012

Freezing, Foggy Farmoor for Falcated

On 11th December as Farmoor Reservoir Oxfordshire, was only a short drive from where I was working, I went to a Freezing, Foggy Farmoor for the Falcated Duck.
Parked up and walked up to view the reservoir near the tower on Farmoor II, first birds seen Cormorant, Black-headed Gull, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe and then a Kingfisher on the raft. 

Also seen on Farmoor II as I walked towards Farmoor I were Tufted Duck, Goldeneye, Coot & Pied Wagtail.
Then I started to walk around Farmoor I in an anti-clockwise direction, Mallard, Greylag Goose, Carrion Crow & Magpie added, then about half way along this bank with the Tufted Ducks & Coots was a Salvonian Grebe.


I turned the corner to go up the far side of the reservoir, then from the trees out flew a Buzzard, and feeding in and under the trees & bushes were, Woodpigeon, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Starling, Greenfinch & Goldfinch. Back to the water and the search for the Falcated Duck, seeing Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler & Pochard. In the NW corner were a large amount of Mallard and in with these was the Falcated Duck, the bird is unringed and surprisingly wary, swimming away from the 
shore at speed, before any of the Mallards it seems to be associating with.
Falcated Duck (for more images go to http://oxonbirding.blogspot.com)

I then continued round along the causeway and near one of the hides, close in was another Salvonian Grebe. Year list now at 227.

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