Welney waders, ducks and swans

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The weather didn't look very promising, misty and dull but at least not cold, wet or windy.  Being the only available day for a visit to the Wildfowl Reserve at Welney and the knowledge of a good meal available in the restaurant, we decided to make the trip anyway.  Our fears were realised when  the fog seemed to come down as we got nearer and we really wondered if we would see much at all but just as we approached Welney, it lifted into a mist and the visibility was reasonable.

The heated Observatory provided a warm viewing spot though the glass in the windows did not allow for very clear photos.  However all the usual ducks were present (teal, mallard, tufted, shelduck, pochard, wigeon and pintail) together with Mute and the Whooper swans for which Welney is known and Canada and Greylag geese. We also managed to see a number of waders including black tailed godwits, dunlin, lapwing, snipe and a curlew which was the final species for this years list.

As expected a delicious Christmas lunch awaited in the café from where we had good views of treesparrows.

 Tufted duck
 
 Whooper Swan
 

 View from observatory
 
 Canada and  Greylag geese
 
Whooper Swan
 

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