November 26th 2009

It was another windy night with occasional rain showers becoming clear, dry and blustery by dawn. Bob picked me up just after 8am and while he did his circuit I checked out the reservoir from the shelter of rainbow corner. With some sensational sea birds being reported in the country John, Bob and I live in hope for a petrel or skua but alas it wasn’t today but there were two new arrivals with a Shelduck by the outlet and 2 Redshank in rainbow corner. The elusive Great-northern Diver was distant off biggen before appearing briefly close in shore off hensborough bank before disappearing again and a Peregrine was very high over biggen looking for its next meal.
By the time I had my coffee and butty 14 enthusiastic souls joined me for a walk to toft bay with the windy picking up and becoming a wee bit chilly. There were opportunities to look at a group of Gadwall and some male Goldeneye before I gave them the challenge to find the immature Ruddy Duck amongst a group of Tufted Duck but the highlight was a Buzzard that circled over our heads giving excellent views. We arrived in toft bay and the group soon became acquainted with the male Green-winged Teal as it dabbled in the shore line foam doing its best to hide amongst the 60+ Teal present along with more Gadwall and a few Wigeon.

One of my souls had seen a Great White Egret earlier in morning at the Swift Valley Country Park Rugby and managed a record shot with his camera phone and could have been the Brandon Marsh bird.

I have to thank JJ for putting me on to this snippet of info which has appeared in my local paper the Rugby Advertiser in its fishing round up page which quotes the following comment from the long serving Draycote Water fishery manager Keith Causer and his wife Margaret that "The Fishery is closing in 2010 to facilitate alterations to the Visitor Centre and car parking and that Severn Trent Water will be making public their plans for the scheme shortly” Hopefully they will come clean in what’s going on but every time we ask they say zilch.

Richard