A 2+ hour 'recce' around Stockers and Bury Lakes (Rickmansworth), in preparation for an RSPB trip, on the 1st produced sightings of a female goosander, a male goldeneye, a kingfisher, lots of siskins and three chiffchaffs (either that or the same bird was following me around the lakes). Predictably, there was a gull ID problem - a first winter bird on one of the islands at Stockers Lake. I have put it down as a yellow-legged gull: take a look at the image below and see if you agree with me.
First-winter Yellow-legged Gull (left hand bird)? with First Winter Herring Gull, Stockers Lake, 1 December
The following day saw me driving round the M25 to Junction 8 to look for a female ring-necked duck at Priory Pond, just outside Reigate. The pond was fairly small, but this long-staying bird did not give herself up easily, spending most of the time that I was there sitting on some partially submerged tree branches that could only be seen from the far side of the pond. Despite its small size the pond held a decent selection of water fowl, including wigeon, and on a sunny afternoon I spent some time photographing ducks, gulls etc. flying or swimming in contrasting light conditions.
Female Ring-necked Duck, Reigate, 2 December
Female Wigeon, Reigate, 2 December
On the 9th I made the trip to WWT Slimbridge. Setting off at 6.15am gave me a full day to wander the grounds and photograph the wild birds and the collections. Numbers of Bewick's swans wintering at Slimbridge have fallen away recently, presumably due to climate change as birds don't need to travel all the way to the UK to winter in ice-free conditions. However, I did see about 20 birds, including three family groups. Slimbridge is an excellent place to observe water rails, which have become quite tame as they forage below bird feeders. At least two birds were seen in the company of squirrels, rats, rabbits and teal (!) as they took advantage of food dropped by the sparrows, tits and finches using the feeders. What a strange mixture of wildlife! Large, but distant flocks of lapwings, golden plovers and dunlin were seen on the banks of the river Severn, but there were few waders on site and, unusually, no white-fronted geese were seen.
Bewick's Swan Family, WWT Slimbridge, 9 December
Bewick's Swans in Flight, WWT Slimbridge, 9 December
Water Rail, WWT Slimbridge, 9 December
Water Rail, Grey Squirrel and Woodpigeon under a Bird Feeder, WWT Slimbridge, 9 December
I treated myself to a final trip to the Norfolk coast on the 15th. I was really lucky with the weather, swapping Royston's December gloom for wall to wall blue skies and sunshine. Photography was the order of the day, although I did add the 232nd and last species to my 2021 UK year list, as a flock of four juvenile common eider flew past me over the sea whilst I was on the beach at Titchwell.
Bar-tailed Godwits, RSPB Titchwell Marsh, 15 December
On the 21st I visited three sites in south-west Hertfordshire - Gaddesdon Row, Startops End Reservoir and Wilstone reservoir. The first site held a large flock of crossbills last winter. None had been reported this year so I wasn't surprised by their absence, although I did see a flock of 20-25 siskins there. A female or first winter red-crested pochard was at Startops End, whilst at Wilstone I was able to catch up with my main target - a flock of eight Russian white-fronted geese that had recently arrived in the area. Indeed, December saw a significant arrival of Russian white-fronted geese in the south east of England, with a couple of individuals elsewhere in the county.
Red-crested Pochard (with Coot), Startops End Reservoir, 21 December
Five (of Eight) Russian White-fronted Geese, Wilstone, 21 December
I noted a female ringed teal (presumed escape) on a photographic visit to Verulamium Park (St Albans) on the 22nd. A kingfisher appeared briefly, but I was unable to get any satisfactory images. The remainder of the year was taken up with family visits and low key Christmas festivities, leaving my bird year list on 232 species - not bad, considering the Covid-19 lockdown in the first part of the year and the fact that I didn't leave England at all during 2021.
Female Ringed Teal, Verulamium Park, St Albans, 22 December
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