We did a bit of a whistle stop tour up north yesterday, starting at Penberi Reservoir, where the Lesser Scaup was still present, although always at the far end whilst we were there, along with a couple of Mallards. The odd-looking hybrid drake (presumed to be the one noted there by Clare Ryland on 11th Feb.) was at the far end too. It seemed a similar size to a Mallard but possibly has an element of Teal thrown in for good measure (or whatever?).
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| A Mallard of dubious parentage! |
We then went up to the Nevern estuary where we could not find the Green-winged Teal although there were Teal in some creeks above the Iron Bridge that we could not see very well and so we might have missed it. Duck numbers were fairly low but included at least 33 Teal (most seemed to be in pairs), 30+ Wigeon, 30-40 Mallard and 5 Shelducks. Good numbers of mixed gulls were bathing/resting at low tide, including 100-120 Common Gulls, and three un-ringed adult Mediterranean Gulls. Waders included a few Redshanks, 3 Dunlin and a couple of Curlews but these did not include the tagged bird seen there recently, and a few Oystercatchers. A smart adult Heron sporting full breeding plumes dropped into the reedbed to feed, perhaps one from the Velindre Farchog heronry, or might there be another nearby heronry?
Then at Goodwick Harbour we were entertained by the very confiding drake Common Scoter in late afternoon. It spent quite a lot of time loafing and preening in between a few feeding sessions before it got bored with us and flew low over the water somewhere towards the landward end of the harbour bay as the light fell near dusk. A distant Red-throated Diver and an equally far away Black Guillemot in full breeding plumage were also noted, plus another heron in full breeding plumage (perhaps this one was from Priskilly?).
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