The Red-necked Grebe still present at the Swannery this afternoon & now back in the western embayment by the tank teeth. But I couldn’t find the Garganey, Scaup or Long-tailed Duck. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
2nd calendar year drake Scaup, Abbotsbury.
The Red-necked Grebe still present today in the Swannery embayment but the furthest east I have yet seen it, so not so close to the tank teeth. No sign of the Garganey, Long-tailed Duck or Scaup since the 4th but a pic of the latter from then. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
I remember a few years ago now there was a small flock of Whooper Swans that frequented a crop field in the middle of nowhere (no rights of way) between Buckland Ripers & Friar Waddon by a little tributary of the Wey. We only knew because 1 hit an electric fence & we got called out by the farmer.
There’s only been the 1 Scaup, so far this year, I don’t know where the report of 2 came from, just a misunderstanding I presume?
Well, so much for that theory 😂… we had the 2cy ♂ Scaup and the 2cy♀ Long-tailed Duck together in the Pochard flock this morning. The ♀ Garganey is with the Teal still & the Red-necked Grebe is still near the tank teeth. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Red-necked Grebe,♀ Garganey & the Long-tailed Duck all present in the Swannery embayment today but no Scaup. It seems the latter 2 are on a timeshare. Alternating between the east & west Fleet but never together here! Ringtail Hen Harrier too. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
The Red-necked Grebe, the ♀ Garganey & the 2cy ♂ Scaup all present in the Swannery embayment today. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
The Red-necked Grebe was still present at the Swannery this morning,near the tank teeth; whilst the 2cy drake Scaup was back in the Pochard flock. I couldn’t find the over-wintering ♀ Garganey though that was with the Teal again on Friday. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Long-tailed Duck with the Pochard flock again today, it was last seen a week ago. The Red-necked Grebe is still present too but it’s a little more camera shy. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
I think you might have mixed up your Stephs Steve…
The Red-necked Grebe is still present in the western Swannery embayment near the tank teeth this pm & @joestockwell.bsky.social picked out a 2cy Long-tailed Duck with the Pochard this am. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
The Swannery was approached about 20 years ago about being a possible reintroduction site for Dalmatian Pelican but thankfully nothing more came of it.
The Red-necked Grebe still present this morning but no Scaup & not a great deal else, the two lingering White-tailed Eagles not helping matters! 😏 @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Cheers, yeah, we’ve somehow missed out entirely on the grey goose influx this time around!
The Red-necked Grebe still in the western Swannery embayment late morning. Viewable from the tank teeth or distantly from Chapel Hill. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Then to round off the day a ringtail Hen Harrier! Another non-annual visitor. Though there was once a regular roost back in the day 😏
Scaup (2nd calendar year drake).
Red-necked Grebe (winter plumage).
Not a bad day at the Swannery! First a 2cy drake Scaup. Then we heard, & @joestockwell.bsky.social eventually saw, a Spotted Redshank. Then lunchtime I found a Red-necked Grebe. Both the latter not annual here & the way it’s going, the former may soon go that way too! 🙁 @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Yeah just something we’re going to have to get used to I guess 😏 I assume it was you I saw as I drove by Abbotsbury STW on your steps! 😁
Drake Scaup (seemingly an ad.) with the Pochard flock mid-day today but virtually all the teal disappeared down the Fleet as I arrived. Presumably due to the W-t Eagle relentlessly bothering the Coot again 🙄 @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Except Tit-lark was an old name for pipit! 😬😅
@swannerysteve.bsky.social Green-winged Teal from this lunchtime.
The 1st site record since February 2017 apart from a moulting 1cy drake in October 2022, that may have been a hybrid. As of this year though, back to being considered just a subspecies! 😏
I couldn’t find the female Garganey this lunchtime but I did find a drake American Green-winged Teal! In the western embayment near the tank teeth. Couldn’t get even a half decent pic but @joestockwell.bsky.social has. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Female Garganey again in the western Swannery embayment this lunchtime, having been elusive for a couple of weeks. Probably regretting its decision to overwinter 🥶😰 @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Herbury Gore is the actual peninsula, the bay to the NW was originally Langton Hive (hence Langton Hive Point) but since the attempt to drain it in the 18th c. it became known as ‘The Works’. The Swannery embayment was almost completely frozen over this morning & most of the Little Grebes dispersed.
White-tailed Eagle (immature), Abbotsbury.
Not much to report from the Swannery this morning, largely down to constant flushes (I wonder why?) & dreadful light 🙄 A lot of Teal & Shoveler but impossible to check through them all. @joestockwell.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Excellent find 👍🏻
Excellent find 🙂 No doubt the same flock @joestockwell.bsky.social had over the coast road a few days ago & clearly @luvaducksbutt.bsky.social’s Monkton birds. 👍🏻
It was a great morning to be out! Happy New Year to you too Ian 🙂
The Fleet from Buller’s Cliff, Abbotsbury this morning. 12 Golden Plover with the Lapwings over the Swannery meadows but still no geese!😏
