Back from extended visits to Russia for work and thought I'd try to catch up with the black-necked grebe(s) at Draycote Water. On Friday there had been a stunning summer plumage bird join the long-staying one.
I wondered if the car park might be quieter, given the current worries about Covid-19, but it was heaving like usual. There were boats on the water (both leisure and fisherman), windsurfers, cyclists, and parties walking. Not a good omen.
I passed a single scaup on my way out to the Draycote Bank and eventually bumped into a bloke who said he'd seen the BN grebe an hour before. I talked to every other birder I came across but he was the only one to have seen it. I suppose it wasn't a surprise that it might be mobile given this level of disturbance.
Saw goosander, good numbers of goldeneye and my first meadow pipit of the year, but no BN grebe.
On my return from the valve tower I connected with scaup again, but this time all three (drakes) were together and sleeping.
I'll watch reports and maybe try again.
Sightings (30) included: black-headed gull, blue tit, canada goose, carrion crow, chaffinch, chiffchaff, coot, cormorant, gadwall, goldeneye, goosander, great crested grebe, great tit, greylag goose, kestrel, little egret, little grebe, long-tailed tit, mallard, meadow pipit, moorhen, mute swan, pied wagtail, reed bunting, robin, rook, scaup, tufted duck, woodpigeon and wren.
