January 8th 2009

One look out the window and it was back to bed – cold, misty, grey and dull. Surfaced mid morning to Coal Tit and female Siskin in garden. The mist looked as if it was starting to lift so I went to Draycote Water. Well I got that wrong – visibility down to 50 meters and less in places but managed the Red-necked Grebe and male Smew off farborough bank as I walked with Richard Dawkins and Dave Hutton. The muck eventuality lift early afternoon and there seemed to be a lot of duck about and gulls present. Red-throated Diver made a brief appearance off hensborough back and flying around the reservoir near dusk and 3 Great-northern Divers out in centre. The two Shag were off hensborough bank and valve tower and the first winter male Scaup and Jack Snipe remained in biggen bay though the snipe was difficult to see due to the vegetation. Med Gulls roosted early with first winter off rainbow and adult winter reported off toft bank, adult Caspian Gull off draycote bank and adult Yellow-legged Gull and first winter Iceland Gull off dunns bay though the Iceland came in very late. Still plenty of Snipe especially in the surrounding fields with 77 counted including 33 in one field. Other birds seen were Great-spotted Woodpecker, Pochard 70, Goldeneye 34, Goosander 37 and Ruddy Duck 4.