Avez-Vous un Cuppa?

Another sighting I had yesterday included up to three Woodcocks around the country park, with two showing well from the Kingfisher hide and another flew over me on the water ski pit. Two shots of one of the Woodcocks at Kingfisher hide, Watermead CP North.

Here is a record shot of the female Scaup which I found a few days ago on the river between Cossington Mill and Wanlip North Gps. At this site a red-head Smew , a drake Pintail and a "dodgy" Ross's Goose have been present over the last week.

Well first off Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year to my friends and followers of my blog! Ok next here is a couple of photos of "Rocky" the RUFF!! at Watermead CP South. And here is another colour-ringed Lesser Black-backed Gull on the ice I saw this morning. Also to up date you on the other coloured ringed gulls. The Black-headed Gulls had come from Denmark and Norway and the large gulls had been ringed by the Severn Estuary Gull group.

Ok so it's been a bit of cold of late and yesterday's monthly duck count at Watermead CP was not too hard due to very little unfrozen water! The highlights during the count included the long staying female Red Crested Pochard on the water ski pit, 2 Ruddy Ducks at a site nearby, a male Brambling and Water Rail at the feeding station at Kingfisher hide and up to four Cetti's Warblers in the park! After finishing the count I nipped down to Watermead CP South to meet Mark Rossell and Conor Thornton who were watching a Ruff walking round the car park and feeding area and showing down to five feet away! I got the feeling that the bird was a bit knackered and was feeding like mad and didn't care to much about the passing public or the bare footed jogger!!   Ruff in the car park at Watermead CP South Talking to Mark he told me that he was selling his Canon D30 and before you could say Santa Claus a deal was struck and I said I would buy it off him!? With the deal stru

Here is some photos of another colour-ringed Black-headed Gull at Watermead CP south I saw this morning. I will hopefully find out in the next couple of days were it was ringed?

Over the week between work and home I have spent time at Watermead taking photos of the gulls and ducks, a quick trip to Groby for Allen Pocock's Waxwings and more gull watching down at Shawell. Here is a few photos I took over the week.    Male Goosander at Watermead CP South. Female Red-crested Pochard also at Watermead CP South. Waxwing at Groby Another shot of one of Waxwings in Groby!

Black-headed Gull at Watermead CP which had been ringed in Norway Another Black-headed Gull at Watermead CP Lesser Black Backed Gull at Albert Village Lake Here is a few photos of gulls which are coloured-ringed. The top Black-headed Gull was ringed in Norway and hopefully over the next few days I will found out were the other gulls were ringed?

With all the Snow and Ice over the last week I have been staying local except for the odd trip down to Shawell balancing lake. So here is a few shots taken from Watermead CP South over the last week. A tame Shelduck! Six Curlews flying south over the park!  The Mammoth looking at home in the snow! The adult Common Gull is thinking I didn't know Bean Geese occurred at Watermead CP!! 

Apart from looking at gulls,this week I have been listening to ELO "Mr Blue Sky" a classic tune!

 Yes I know it has Snowed for the last few days, so here is few photos I took of the lovely stuff!! Snow plant,Shawell. King Lear's Lake Watermead CP North This reminds of one of those 19th century English landscape paintings!

Over the last few days I been looking at more gulls at Watermead CP and Shawell Balancing Lake. Here is a few shots of the gulls I have seen. Caspian Gull? at Shawell Black-headed Gulls at Watermead CP South. Caspian Gull at Watermead CP south with Black-headed and Common Gulls.