Draycote Water :: 24 September 2011

We thought that we should get out together for a walk as we hadn't managed that for a few weeks; the next few weekends are going to be impossible too. We plumped for Draycote Water, somewhere right on our doorstep but where we had never visited before. On arrival we met a chap called Ray who advised on the best location and what may be about. He turned out to be right about the whereabouts of the stoat but unfortunately it was only he who managed to see and photograph it. Nice chap.

We stayed on the one side of the "pond" looking along the fringes and had a relaxing time seeing an arctic tern and the first greenshank of the winter. Our species count totalled 26 this time, including: house martin, raven, rook, mute swan, coot, black-headed gull, mallard, pied wagtail, little grebe, carrion crow, woodpigeon, yellow wagtail, ringed plover, dunlin, tufted duck, great-crested grebe, canada goose, long tailed tit, blue tit, great tit, chiffchaff, dunnock, meadow pipit, arctic tern, greenshank and moorhen.

We also happened upon a "Clouded Yellow" butterfly - not sure I've ever seen one of those before. Weird eyes!