A quick visit this morning to KGV Reservoir.
Arriving at 7.30 I'm just in the middle of unlocking the gates when the phone goes. Brian has had the same thought as me and within ten minutes he's joined me at the car park. We are greeted with blue skies and after reaching the top of the grass bank an almost glass smooth water surface.
Normally it's a case of bracing yourself against something and holding on to your scope here. With winds blowing a gale straight across the reservoir, straight into your face.
This morning it's as calm as I can ever remember it being on a visit here. Probably for the first time this year I didn't need the coat or the gloves. (but to my regret I still took them).
A quick scan of the southern half of the south basin produces at least double figures of Goldeneye, with at least four males among them. Then as I start to walk on a year tick appears in the form of a Sand Martin. Brian spots it and I'm on to it quickly. It flies around our heads for a short while and then moves away.
Back to the business of locating the female Scaup that I had made the trip for. Another scan of the water surface and it's found. It's all on it's own away from a small group of Tufted Duck.
This has been a frustrating species to add to my year list this year. Having missed birds at several locations around the country.
After getting good scope views I took a couple of very poor and very distant photo's of the bird.
Moving on towards the North basin, another scan found a couple of female Goosanders way over on the Western side of the Southern basin.
At the causeway a couple of smart looking Grey Wagtails were found along the Southern edge of North basin, and after a further walk the Long-tailed Duck is located among a group of Tufted's.
Just to illustrate how calm the conditions were this morning I took this shot below.
A ten minute trip bags two more year ticks and it's off home for breakfast.
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