A free day so off early to Staines Reservoirs in search of Great Northern Diver. I haven’t been to this site for years. The large areas of water and the limited access mean that it is very easy to miss birds here. I will be honest and say that I only had hopes of a distant scope view, but I took the camera anyway in case there were other birds I could photograph.
The bus from Heathrow Central to Stanwall goes via Terminal 5. As we were leaving the ring road we pass over some ditches in the area where Perry Oaks SF used to be. In one of the ditches was a Little Egret.
Anyway I arrived at the reservoirs and began to make my way along the causeway which rubs between the north and south basins
First sightings include Gadwall, Shoveller and Tufted Ducks on the bank. 3 Little Grebes and a Great Crested grebe are also present, but despite scanning the water there is no sign of a diver. I continue along the causeway and then I spot a large bird close into the causeway on the Northern reservoir. Surprise, no distant view but really close and very confiding as it bobs along the water coming towards me. It gets level and I get some photos and then walk with it as it continues back towards the Stanwall end. Eventually it tires of my company and makes its way out from the bank. Now if only all birds were that easy.
Day List 31 species
Greylag Goose [sp] (Anser anser)
Canada Goose [sp] (Branta canadensis)
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata)
Gadwall (Anas strepera)
Mallard [sp] (Anas platyrhynchos)
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)
Eurasian Teal [sp] (Anas crecca)
Common Pochard (Aythya ferina)
Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)
Common Goldeneye [sp] (Bucephala clangula)
Great Northern Loon (Gavia immer)
Little Grebe [sp] (Tachybaptus ruficollis)
Great Crested Grebe [sp] (Podiceps cristatus)
Grey Heron [sp] (Ardea cinerea)
Little Egret [sp] (Egretta garzetta)
Common Moorhen [sp] (Gallinula chloropus)
Eurasian Coot [sp] (Fulica atra)
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
Common Gull (Larus canus canus)
Common Pigeon [sp] (Columba livia)
Common Wood Pigeon [sp] (Columba palumbus)
Eurasian Collared Dove [sp] (Streptopelia decaocto)
Rose-ringed Parakeet [sp] (Psittacula krameri)
Eurasian Magpie [sp] (Pica pica)
Western Jackdaw [sp] (Coloeus monedula)
Carrion Crow [sp] (Corvus corone)
Eurasian Blue Tit [sp] (Cyanistes caeruleus)
Long-tailed Tit [sp] (Aegithalos caudatus)
Common Starling [sp] (Sturnus vulgaris)
Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii)
Pete's Favourite Things 