The early bird.... on the Great Ouse
So it wasn't cold and it wasn't windy but just a bit damp at times for our annual early morning birdwatching trip down the Great Ouse unlike the beautiful sunny mornings in the past two years. Consequently we were a bit unsure whether we would get anywhere near the 50 we logged last year.
There was a large difference in the birding knowledge of some of the passengers with someone saying to me " are 'Canada Geese and Greylag different then? when I pointed out to her the two species and one passenger so enthusiastic she had already booked another trip in two weeks.
Once again I had the job of making the list and scribbled down the names as people called them out to me, many of them spotted only by Paul who even recognised the silhouette and flying motion of a lone common sandpiper as it flew ahead downstream close the water surface. Soon I had 20 then 30 and as we pulled into the mooring we spotted a pied wagtail bringing the total to 49, just one less than last year although we didn't see a cuckoo or kingfisher this time.
All the usual species spotted, warblers, geese and common garden birds together with several mallard families with tiny ducklings, a family of Greylags and some day old cygnets with their parent.
Sadly the cloud didn't make photography very suitable but - I did manage a couple of shots but at least we escaped the downpour as we made our way home.
There was a large difference in the birding knowledge of some of the passengers with someone saying to me " are 'Canada Geese and Greylag different then? when I pointed out to her the two species and one passenger so enthusiastic she had already booked another trip in two weeks.
Once again I had the job of making the list and scribbled down the names as people called them out to me, many of them spotted only by Paul who even recognised the silhouette and flying motion of a lone common sandpiper as it flew ahead downstream close the water surface. Soon I had 20 then 30 and as we pulled into the mooring we spotted a pied wagtail bringing the total to 49, just one less than last year although we didn't see a cuckoo or kingfisher this time.
All the usual species spotted, warblers, geese and common garden birds together with several mallard families with tiny ducklings, a family of Greylags and some day old cygnets with their parent.
Sadly the cloud didn't make photography very suitable but - I did manage a couple of shots but at least we escaped the downpour as we made our way home.
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