Wednesday 31st December
Today overcast and very cold with little wind.
The floods were frozen over all day so a late afternoon visit found just a 100 odd teal standing forlornly on the ice with a few wigeon mixed in amongst them. There were also about half a dozen of the BLACK-TAILED GODWITS, a single DUNLIN and a couple of RUFF. About 75 or so golden plover also arrived to join the huddle but were rather flighty (see the video below) and ended up scaring some of the other waders away.
There were a few gulls around for the roost, including a couple of COMMON GULLS, though most of them didn't stay long and headed off west, presumably to roost at Farmoor.
A video of the birds standing on the frozen floods. To watch in high quality mode click here and select "Watch in High Quality"
The floods were frozen over all day so a late afternoon visit found just a 100 odd teal standing forlornly on the ice with a few wigeon mixed in amongst them. There were also about half a dozen of the BLACK-TAILED GODWITS, a single DUNLIN and a couple of RUFF. About 75 or so golden plover also arrived to join the huddle but were rather flighty (see the video below) and ended up scaring some of the other waders away.
There were a few gulls around for the roost, including a couple of COMMON GULLS, though most of them didn't stay long and headed off west, presumably to roost at Farmoor.
A video of the birds standing on the frozen floods. To watch in high quality mode click here and select "Watch in High Quality"