and left the 400mm behind.
Dense fog to start the morning, not clearing until after 0900 hrs leaving it hazy and full cloud on a light SE>1 at 9 degrees.
Despite the little man in my head telling me I was making a wrong decision I swopped the 400mm lens for the 75-200mm, due to the fog, and thinking at lease I could get some atmospheric scene shots if nothing else.
With no visibility over the water I trudged the west bank with quiet trees until I got to the Alders where there was 9 Bullfinch feeding high up in the tree tops but no Siskin or Redpoll.
As the fog started to lift, a flock of around 30 Redwing flew above the tree canopy >W, which is only my second sighting this year. On the water I could hear Canada geese and as the fog lifted there was a count of 28 across in the NE corner feeding on what is left of the shoreline weeds along with several Teal and 3 Tufted along with the Mallards.
Walking back along the west bank towards the prom, 3 small ducks were out in the centre of the water, and as I was expecting them to be the Tufted I got a surprise to see 1m and 2 f Mandarin duck, my first at this site for 5 year and only my 2nd sighting of the year, the other being a single male at Leeshaw back in March.
It was now that I should have listened to the little man in my head, who was at this time laughing at me. There I was, in the middle of the west bank with 3 Mandarin duck at distance, and in poor light, and me with a 200mm lens.
They were moving towards the NE end so a quick dash round to the east bank, which is not easy with 2 dogs wanting to stop and sniff at every bush, but as I got to a good vantage point, the 3 Mandarin had got the same idea and gone across to the far NW corner, game over as out of time. I spoke to 2 more birders there so hopefully they were lucky but its probable that the 3 would'nt stay long once the fog had cleared.
More fog for morning on a light SE at 9 degrees and a cloudy day.
BS