February 2024 Trip - Grafham Water
Date: 28/2/24
Grafham Water has two visitor centres. Marlow Park gives access to the dam whereas Mander Park near Perry Village is where the fishing boats are kept and gives access via the cycle track to the birdwatching hides.
This time we were visiting Mander Park and wandering along the shore to the hide at the part of the lake designated as a nature reserve and closed to fishing and other water based recreational activities.
The weather was dull but the wind was light so the water was calm and it was possible to see bird activity for a good distance. On the shore we had Mallard and Black-headed Gulls
with Coot and Teal a little further out. Goldeneye were present with the males standing out with their white chests and white cheek patches easily visible.
We passed a few common woodland birds as we walked through to the hide by the creek where there were a large number of Redshank. There were also a large number of Teal , the Eurasian common variety, which we scanned looking for any Green Winged Teal that might be with them but it seems that the recently reported rarer birds must have been further down by the
dam.
A small number of Woodpigeons and a few Stock Doves were sitting by the water’s edge with a solitary cock Pheasant at the back.
As we walked across the water-logged grass we could hear Skylarks but they were harder to see. A Red Kite was soaring over the adjacent arable field. In the copse before the next hide we found a Coal Tit and several Chaffinches and Robins.
The view from the hide over the nature reserve revealed Gulls, including a Lesser Black Backed Gull, and several perched Cormorants. Some of these large black birds had white patches towards their hind quarters indicating that they were in breeding condition. One Cormorant had a noticeably grey head, which is typical of the southern and European birds.
We saw a few pairs of Gadwall but most of the Wigeon had departed on their return migration northwards. Two Little Grebes were diving by the buoys and several Great-crested Grebes were seen.
We saw few geese or swans, possibly because there was so much water-logged ground in the countryside that they preferred grazing there to sitting on the lake. On our return walk to the visitor centre we heard Green Woodpecker.
Unfortunately, the Great Northern Diver that has been spotted frequently recently failed to put in an appearance. There’s always next time!
Words by John
Library Pictures from Melvyn