Grafham Water - 28 March 2013

Yet another cold morning with remnant snow drifts along the dam road and a welcoming biting easterly wind though not feeling quite as raw as it has been during the last few days. 

Spent five hours from 8.00 am working the site along the north and south shores. 

A first-winter drake Velvet Scoter was the highlight but was unfortunately too far away to be photographed and has apparently been present since the  24 March, the drake Smew was off Hill Farm, the Slavonian Grebe initially off the Dam then flew to the west end, c 86 Goldeneye still, 210 Shovelers were massing at the lagoons, just 6 Redshank were counted, 6 Yellow-legged Gulls comprised 2 adults, 3 second calendar year birds and 1 third calendar year, 8 Dunlin together were on the shore west of Marlow. 

Passernes were in short supply, 3 Chiffchaffs, a single flock of c.30 Fieldfares, a scattering of Redwings, 6 Linnets and 2 Siskins were logged. Finally a Sand Martin which flew west over the Dam against an unlikely backdrop of snow looked strikingly out of place 


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