Ambling around Amwell

Dragged myself over to Amwell NR today on a day off. Only a few birding days to go until my year list starts all over again and I would really like to get it to 160. This by any normal birder standards is pretty meagre but I’m not someone who dashes all over the place to see everything that has rare wings.

I mean I could have gone to Berks for the Buff-bellied Pipit at the Queen Mother’s Reservoir but decided to just enjoy a leisurely, if somewhat muddy stroll around one of Lee Valley’s better birding spots in Amwell. I had hoped for barrow loads of Smew with a splattering of Goosander and perhaps a smidgen of Waxwing or Hawfinch. No such luck.

Instead I had to be satisfied with a 1st winter drake Scaup that swam around with a small flock of Tufted Ducks on Tumbling Bay Lake. And to give it its due, it is the first Scaup I have seen for a couple of years and it has rocketed my list total up to 155. So I have a little under two weeks to find another five species – won’t be easy but not out of reach.
Scaup
Other birds of note included at least 3 Goldeneye (1 drake), Buzzard, 40 Lapwings and a Water Rail.

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