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Over 40 species were seen - although it must be
said that it was 'The Day of the Kingfisher'.
There were at least 5 sightings of this beau-
tiful bird and one male obligingly posed in a
tree for a good five minutes enabling all
members to obtain marvellous views through
'scopes" and binoculars. The colours were
magnificent - the head appeared emerald green,
the breast bright orange and the back a
brilliant blue as the bird finally took flight.
The high point of the day, though, was
undoubtedly the Water Rail which we viewed from
the weir area. It was no more than a few
yards away, at first searching for food on the
bank, then walking along the water's edge in
full view, which was a wonderful sight. (As
John Bath commented, 'Nobody has told him he is
supposed to be a secretive bird!') The
camouflage was so good that when on the bank
with no movement it was hard to discern and the
easiest way to locate it was to look for its
reflection in the water and work upwards.
This sighting was a 'first' for one member
which made the day an extra special occasion.
Other notable sightings were:
Pintail
Goldeneye
Smew (2 female 'redheads')
Goosander
Wigeon
Gadwal1.
For members keeping records, other species seen
were: Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Teal,
Cormorant, Grey Heron, Mallard, Tufted Duck,