19 March 2023 - Hollingworth Lake

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Common Scoter, 3 Sand Martins, pair Gadwall, Buzzard

Quite a productive morning today. I arrived at the lake front to find a distant duck, which proved eventually to be a drake Common Scoter.  I subsequently spent some time trying to get a decent photo, but it always remained pretty much out in the middle of the water.  At the overflow, a nice male Grey Wagtail dropped in briefly and was gone before I could get a sharp photo. From the path, a couple of Bullfinch were feeding on the ripening buds, and a Magpie sat up in the sunshine, showing off its iridescence.

A pair of Gadwall were on the reserve, skulking on the reed fringes at the back of the pool, and as I came out of the hide, a Buzzard soared briefly over the field behind the hide and then disappeared over the reserve. Shortly afterwards, while watching the Scoter, suddenly a little group of 3 Sand Martins flew through, low over the water and were gone in an instant. 

I turned round and walked back anti-clockwise and when I reached the road an Oysteratcher flew around briefly.

Common Scoter, 1/500 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 320 (view full size image)

Common Scoter, 1/500 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 320 (view full size image)

Common Scoter, 1/640 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 200 (view full size image)

Grey Wagtail, 1/500 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 2500 (view full size image)

Bullfinch, 1/640 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 250 (view full size image)

Magpie, 1/640 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 320 (view full size image)

Gadwall, 1/640 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 1000 (view full size image)

Buzzard, 1/640 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 100