Black Scooters at Swithland Res 27th March 2008.

While I was booking my Citroen C2 Loeb in for a service,I got a pager message of about 16 Common Scoters at Swithland Reservoir that afternoon, so I decided not to do my weekly food shop at Morrison's, which I was going to do after servicing the car, but instead headed for Swithland Reservoir.

Before I reached Swithland, I phoned John and Skev, about the Scoters, which there would try to see later in the day after family and work commitments.

Viewing from the stone wall on Kinchley Lane, I scanned across the reservoir,firstly picking up the long staying pair of Smew,then a group of seven Common Scoters in the middle of the reservoir.

Digiscoping the flock I took a few records shots of the Scoters.

At around the same time,another birder came round the corner,and asked if the Lesser Scaup was still showing?

Scanning further right over the reservoir, I saw the Lesser Scaup was close to the dam, and told the birder it was showing from the dam, which he thanked me and drove to the dam.

After taking a few more shots of the Scoter flock, I moved to the dam, to view the Lesser Scaup.

Watching the Scaup, I noted more features of the bird's plumage which I couldn't see on the bird the previous Sunday due to distance and light.

With time pressing, I moved onto the southern causeway of the reservoir to look for the other Scoter flock.
From the causeway, I could see another nine Common Scoter (eight males and a single female) just right of the railway viaduct.

While digiscoping the flock,Mark Skev announced his arrival, with a loud blast of his car horn,to which I reply with the two finger salute!

After showing Mark the Scoter flock, Mark then showed me a couple of moth specialities for Swithland Reservoir, which I could only describe as brown in colour and tiny in size (Sorry Mark!).

Leaving Mark at the causeway, I finally got do to my weekly food shop, two hours after originally planned, but pleased I had seen Common Scoter in Leicestershire once again.