Scaup at Westhay and other bits & pieces

 
Jon Mattick
 
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Jon Mattick
Total Posts:  95
Joined  12-12-2015
 
 
 
06 January 2026 16:35
 

Scaup still there at 3pm today but was difficult to find, spending a lot of time underwater - seems to have an identity crisis, is now generally associating with a group of 6 Shovelers.
All the large water bodies on London Drove are frozen over except for a couple of pockets obscured by reed or islands holding some birds. There was a large mixed Finch/Tit/Warbler flock foraging the Alders on the path to North Hide, at least 9 species involved and included around 30 Redpolls and 10 Siskins.
A flock of about 100 Golden Plover in a field on Godney Moor, south of Westhay Moor Drove and about 1/2mile east of its junction with Lewis Drove.

 
Jon Mattick
 
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Jon Mattick
Total Posts:  95
Joined  12-12-2015
 
 
 
05 January 2026 17:06
 

Took an afternoon drive around my local area today – there was a visible Water Rail on the muddy bank of the Mark Yeo on Pill Road, just after the speed limit sign as you leave Rooksbridge towards Mark. A little further towards Mark I stopped to check out a flock of Lapwing and flushed a Green Sandpiper from the bank of the Yeo.
There were small parties of Lapwing in most fields from Mark village travelling towards Tealham on Littlemoor Road and on Tealham Moor itself. In the field opposite and to the east of Littlemoor Farm there were a dozen Golden Plover amongst the Lapwing.
Lots of showy Stonechats at various locations and a pair of Reed Buntings on Tealham.
There was a female Scaup with Tufties on the roadside pool adjacent to the west side of Oaks Drove at Westhay – also another showy Water Rail venturing out of the reeds and onto the ice on the west side of the same Pool.