Christmas Birding

Having finally been blessed with a break in the weather, I thought I would take the opportunity to get out and have a final amble for 2012. Having cooked and consumed some of our avian friends in the last few days I felt I should make amends by visiting some of their live cousins in the field. I'd hoped for a trip to the Kent or Suffolk coast but with the forecast suggesting wind speeds nearing triple figures I thought it more prudent to stay local. So a short drive brought me to a soggy but bright Amwell reserve.

The day started with the inaugural field test of my new scope carrier. A spotting scope is a truly rewarding piece of equipment and if one is settled in at a prime vantage point or in a hide, then they are a joy to have with you. However, for more mobile birding they can be cumbersome and hinder one's ability to catch flighty and mobile species with the bins whilst trying to park the scope on the ground. So for Christmas the memsahib bought me a scope sac. Having affixed my scope to the carrier at home before leaving it was memorable to see the colour drain from her cheeks and observe the sheer embarrassment she felt at seeing me model my new kit. She said little, but I deduced she longed for a boyfriend whose passion was driving formula one cars or piloting aircraft: a hobby where she would not be forced to swiftly draw the curtains for fear of the neighbours observing my apparel.

The main lake held a variety of waterfowl including some charming widgeon and shovelers amongst others. A good scour of the reeds did not reveal the water rail I had been privileged to see in the open some weeks before.
Having read of a bittern the day before I moved on to the hide opposite the pool, but a near-hypothermic stay revealed no bittern. However, I did observe in the distance above the wooded hill to the West at least eight soaring and wheeling buzzards. A splendid site against the light blue hue of the sky, and all the more remarkable when one considers that when I was a small boy, a buzzard in Hertfordshire would have been a rare sight indeed. I'm not sure what the collective noun for buzzards is (if there is one), but based on their recovery in recent years, a joy would be an appropriate one.

I concluded with a walk along Tumbling bay and was delighted to see at least two male and a female scaup. I haven't knowingly seen one of these before and, until I refreshed and improved my identification skills since getting back into birding, would previously have most likely written it off as a tufted duck. Which is all the more shaming as it doesn't have a tuft!! They afforded excellent views in the winter light, and through the scope their green tinged head and blueish bill were clearly visible.

A pleasant end to the year and I look forward to continuing my birding and posting in 2013. Happy new year to my community of followers of this blog (Sharon, mum; thanks!).