27 May 2011

A strange day at Westport, I missed a early start after a night out last night, Nick Smith had 2 groups of young Willow Tits but not a lot else, the weather was rather cold with a strong north west breeze, on the playing field I had 5 Greylag Geese feeding with the Canada Geese, a couple of Tufted Ducks were on the boating lake with another 8 on the main lake, also on the main lake 5 Great Crested Grebes, and really that was about all I had.

I'd just been back in the house about 5 minutes when I received a text from nick saying 4 Arctic Terns on the main lake seen by Jeff Jones and Alan Hancock, so I rushed straight back sadly not in enough time as they had already left, as I stood on the back a Oystercatcher flew in, it flew around the 2 lakes for a few minutes before heading off south.

A couple of Mute Swans came into the boating lake, one I managed to read the ring of which was on a blue ring number 7FBB, those that come down to Westport on a regular basis will know that there has been a unusual Coot around for a few months, it basically looks like a Coot that has been bleached, however if you look closely at it's head this is a normal black colour, see the picture below.