106 Canadas
1430 hrs and a cold and windy Cold Edge Dam with cloudy skies and a fresh W>6 raising to near gale W>7 up on the banking.
With a report from Calderbirds of 2 Barnacles present at the weekend , one with a leg ring, I thought I,d better check it out and luckily the flock of 106 Canadas were all together by the Spring Mill Dam with just 1 Barnacle present. At such a distance as well as in grass and surrounded by Canadas and Mallards it took a while to even see if it had a ring and then a whole stack of photos to get the digits. I should have had the scope with me but never have when I need it. I,ve sent the details off so should have a record of the bird within a week.
A single Little Grebe showed itself briefly on the Spring Mill Dam but then disappeared into the reeds not to be seen again.
A check on Leadbeater dam produced 2 female Goldeneye in a gale force wind and water like the North sea whilst an Oystercatcher appeared landing on a rock in the water. Since I got home and checked through the photos it was actually on one of the first photos by Spring Mill Dam which I failed to pick it out concentrating on the Barnacle.
Nice to talk to a resident of Cold Edge as he passed in his car telling me he had both Barnacles at the weekend but only seen one since. The other bird is possible our old friend Barnie but we,ve no way of knowing.
BS