Tuesday 6 December 2011

A feast of geese.

The sun was shining first thing, but when I made a move to take the Westies for their walk, work was needed on the car to free it of last nights snow and frost. Nothing on the flash just a few gulls feeding in the field close by, mainly Black-headed, and a couple of Common. Roy has seen Little grebe on the reserve but not much has been happening on there either.
Back home weather still fine so decided to head off to Soddy Gap on the off chance that the Long- tail duck would still be there. I had just got onto the A 66 heading West when  a text came in I pull into the next lay by to read it, it was from Roy saying 93 wf geese between Langwathby & Little Selkeld. Also 5 w swans & 4 Barnacles, consequently I never got to Soddy.
In fact on arriving at the field Roy was still there, and as well as the above listed , there was  also the odd Greylag, and Pink-footed mixed in, only 3 or 4 short of a full house.

In view Whooper Swan, Barnacles, and White-fronted

2 Whoopers and White-fronts
It was a terrific sight and in fact there could easy have been up to 100 White-fronts, spread across 2 fields,

Just looks like the Whooper is guarding the White-fronts

One snap shot doesn't give the whole picture, there was masses of them.

Whooper.

Juvenile Whooper, with Barnacles and White-fronts

View from high ground Penrith looking over to the Lakeland fells this morning.
Hopefully the weather will be good tomorrow and I might make it to Soddy, toodle pip.