February Foray

 ATTENBOROUGH ANTICS - THE RETURN

February 23rd 2015

 

 

This months outing sees the Babes returning to Attenborough - our birding skills are going to be tested to see if we have made the required levels of progress over the year. Unfortunately Maggie hasn't been able to join us this time so she will have to be tested next time.

Despite the dire weather forecast the outlook was quite good when we gathered at the visitor centre for coffee. We had plenty of time for a good gossip whilst we waited for Pam to arrive - the folly of following the satnav and ignoring the road signs!

 

These ones come to meet us!

 

Egyptian Goose - enjoying the sun 

 

 

These ones were  bit harder to spot!
 

Lynn has built in binocular vision

no artificial aids for her!

 

The wind was extremely cold so we were very grateful for the shelter of the hides, thankfully there was nothing untoward happening in them just other mad birders. The oystercatchers were a highlight although I think they were probably a little bit disappointed by the lack of oysters.

 

Spot the Goldeneye

 

Now you see it.......

Now you don't!

 

Such a pro!

 

Jo had to leave us at this point to go to work - I think she probably knew what the weather had in store for us later. We walked on along the river, still in he sunshine and thankfully out of the worst of the wind.

 



 Come on girls - time for lunch!

 

We headed back to the café at the visitor centre for lunch - it was extremely busy - why aren't all these people at work? But we finally got served and found a sheltered spot on the veranda outside to sit. The food was very good - broccoli soup was very tasty - and warming!

And if we weren't feeling chilly enough Helen J taunted us with tales of Tobago!

 

Scarlet Ibis - a very rare site at Attenborough

 

After lunch we gathered in the visitor centre to plan the afternoon activity but the weather took a very dramatic turn with rain, snow, sleet and hail blowing in.

The weather!

 

It was decided that coffee and cake was called for as none of us intended venturing outside - even Helen J wasn't tempted by talk of the elusive bittern!

 

The cake!

 

Bird  List for the day:

 

Black-headed gull

Blue tit

Buzzard*

Canada geese*

Chaffinch

Cormorant (‘spotting’ the one in full breeding plumage; also renamed a ‘Liver bird’ and confusing all non-GBs in the hide!!)

Crow*

Dunnock

Egyptian goose (escapee)

Feral pigeon

Great crested grebe (flirting a bit)

Great tit

Grey heron

Goldeneye (duck of the day; a dipping and a diving and being somewhat elusive )

Goosander*

House sparrow

Little grebe*

Long tailed tit*

Magpie

Mallard (scrapping quite a lot)

Moorhen*

Mute swan

Oystercatcher* (noisy bird of the day)

Pied wagtail

Red crested Pochard (escapee)

Robin

Shoveler*

Teal

Tufted ducks

Whooper swan (GB first)

Wood pigeon

Wren*

(32 birds in total for the day (including a feral pigeon which doesn’t appear on our spreadsheet)

45 for the year and it is only February!

Those marked * are new this year. 

 

This one gets my vote for duck of the decade!

 

All in all a lovely day and we all seem to be achieving our targets!