Strange how things work out. The plan for this afternoon was drop the dogs off at the groomers then just over 2 hours spare at Fly Flatts before I picked them up again. The thick fog stopped Fly Flatts and a fall out with the groomer who had double booked so a good hour wasted by the time Id dropped the pup off at home and arrived at Ogden.
The sky was grey giving dull silhouette light off the water with the cloud base just above the tree tops . My throbbing neck and Billy Bad Head soon disappeared as I looked over the water to see a group of ducks way out in the centre which definitely were,nt Mallard or Teal. A scan through the bins revealed 16 Wigeon and a pair of Shoveler.
A few record shots in case they did a runner then round to the east bank watch point to try get some half decent shots given the distance and grim light.
After sending a grapevine text out a call from DJS who was on his way after seeing this group of ducks earlier on Mixenden but he was too far off to identify them. As I was talking to Dave on the phone I had to cut him short when I heard geese approaching then 43 Pink Footed came over the water heading West which were also picked up by Dave.
With a bad reflection on the water I scurried round to the west bank hoping for better visibility but it was actually worse so another dash back to the east bank which was cut short by a phone call from Dave who was steaming across the golf course shouting RED KITE into his phone. A good scan round found the bird just in time over the north plantation before it disappeared into the mist >NE. This in turn lifted all the gulls up and as Dave arrived on the prom I looked to point out the ducks and there they were, GONE. The commotion of the gulls towards the Kite must have spooked the Wigeon into leaving. All that was left was a drake Teal and the Moorhen near the feeding corner but what an hours birding.
So a week of watching Ogden daily paid off with firstly 12 Teal then today, 16 Wigeon, 1pr Shoveler, 43 Pinkies, 1 Teal, 1 Red Kite and a Moorhen. Stick at your local patches and you,ll always get rewarded in the end.
BS