On the whole you could say not much has happened over the past couple of weeks but just occasionally something did happen that I wasn't expecting.
Last Sunday, I returned to the QEII as a female smew had been reported for two days in succession. I couldn't find it over a two hour session but did spot a juvenile red-throated diver at considerable distance, and there have been no reports of them for a while.
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| Juvenile Red-throated Diver |
Numerous gulls and tufted ducks turned up and I wasn't surprised to spot a couple of great crested grebes near the bank. But another distance shot of a mystery item hanging around with the mallards had me scratching my bird brain for answers.
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| Hungry Mute Swan |
Similarly I didn't see the apparently injured whooper swan, which hopefully wasn't accepting bread offerings from the irresponsible tourists at the motel complex.
But while I was checking a reed bed for the smew, this mute swan decided to get up close and personal. It was clearly begging for food and I could easily have reached out and stroked it.
Thinking of another mute swan I had seen earlier that was sitting motionless by the path and looked in poor condition, I decided it was best not to lay hands on the King's property and moved on.
In any case the last time I got anywhere near as close to a swan while fishing as a kid, it was hissing at me and threatening violence.
The trend to slightly unexpected but not monumental sightings in the garden has also continued.
Last time I mentioned the occasional visits by nuthatch, woodpecker and blackcap and the set was complete when a marsh tit visited the nuts last week, albeit briefly.
Nice surprises also were the appearance of a song thrush, which doesn't happen often and the fact that a pair of bullfinches, which usually lurk shyly around the back fence picked up enough courage to come and visit the peanut feeder.
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In fact Mrs Bullfinch has visited again today.
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