I was doing my WeBs count at Shardeloes this morning when the flock flew over. They were already just past me when I noticed them flying through just above tree level and I immediately thought 'Goosander'! Shardeloes tick!! and a repeat of the 6 I had over College Lake yesterday. When I got my bins on them though the bird at the back of the flock had a nice rusty breast band and I realised it was a drake RED-BREASTED MERGANSER! In a state of disbelief and panic (Shardeloes is not the seabird hotspot of Bucks!) as the flock was heading away up river I quickly flicked onto the others to see at least two others with brown on the breast and another looking more contrasty than the other two. They were starting to disappear behind trees by now, the other two birds just looking grey with obvious white patches on the secondaries. I ran up the slope but lost them behind taller trees further up the river. Probably one of the last species I would've expected to see here.
Also present today was a Little Egret just downstream from the weir, 8 Little Grebes, 12 Pochard and 12 Gadwall (Rob Andrews)
Sunday, 12 December 2010
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