Soil Hill birding; updates from the week 26th September - 2nd October

 This week saw the end of September with an impressive 82 species recorded on the Hill, helped greatly by the end of the summer migrants followed by the first arrivals of winter migrants. However, the season moves on and October is now upon us. The weather has caused some difficulties this week, with more rain and strong winds on a number of days but others have seen good passage of VizMig in very pleasant conditions.

• There was one mega for me on Soil Hill this week, although I am aware other birders have seen it here before when a Merlin was hunting over the North Slope. It circled for a few minutes then headed off south. This was a patch tick for me, and is my 119^th species for Soil Hill. 

-Merlin

Visible migration was absolutely the highlight of the week, with days of nice steady passage being the best days birding. Often I have only gone to do the VizMig and spent barely any time searching the bushes, largely due to the strong winds and cold conditions. 

• Once again the largest movements have been of Meadow Pipit, with the largest counts being 341 on the 2^nd and 265 on the 27^th. But numbers have been variable and on some days there has been no movement at all, although this is almost certainly a consequence of the poor weather conditions on those dates.  

• The first Redwings of the autumn arrived this week, and they arrived with a bang with 75 all heading southwest on the 26^th. The highest count of the week however was on the 29^th when 104 passed through but in different directions. Otherwise most dates just had one or two individuals. It is lovely to hear their seeping calls again. 

• The movement of Hirundines remain intermittent during the week with just a handful of birds throughout the week until a very sudden burst on the 2^nd with 27 Barn Swallows, 7 House Martin and a single, but extremely late Sand Martin. Otherwise the weekly movement was limited to a handful of Swallows and a group of four House Martin that flew north on the 1^st. 

• Although there was not a significant movement of finches during the week, there was a scattered variety including a single Greenfinch on the 2^nd, an impressive nine Lesser Redpoll on the same date as well as 10 Siskin, plus nine on the 29^th and smaller counts on other dates. The most significant finch mover was Chaffinch, with 21 south on the 02^nd and 15 on the 28^th being the best counts of the week. 

• In tandem with the Meadow Pipit flocks could often be found a few Pied Wagtails moving south, normally in small numbers but on the 2^nd I counted no less than 36 birds flying south in three and a half hours! There were also a few Grey Wagtails during the week, with four also on the 2^nd being the largest count. 

-Redwing

Although there was no change in the composition, there was once again good movement of the expected wildfowl species during the week, plus the usual species frequenting their usual haunts.

• The start of the week saw very impressive movements of Pink-footed Geese, but towards the end of the week these tailed off with just single flocks on the 30^th and 2^nd. The best count was of 744 on the 27^th, during which 15 skeins passed being visible from Soil Hill, the largest being 146, during a three-and-a-half-hour watch. The next highest count was a much reduced 380 on the 28^th, which saw just five skeins pass. There were a few Greylag Geese during the week, with small flocks on three dates, the largest group being nine that flew south on the 27^th. 

• I had a new record count of Goosander with eight that went south as a flock of seven and a single on the 27^th. Singles were also seen on the 26^th and on the 30^th. The small group of Teal that has been around intermittently was again present on the NK Pond on the 28^th and again on the 01^st, when four were present. 

-Pink-footed Goose

-Greylag Goose

-Goosander

  Now that the autumn has fully arrived, and summer species are largely displaced by winter species, there seems little need to deep dive into passage migrants from the week. Needless to say Chiffchaff was the only warbler present during the week, with individuals recorded daily sometimes even singing. The highest count was of three on the 27^th.  The only other species I would classify here is Stonechat which continued on the Hill throughout the week with the highest count again being five, which were all together at the bottom of the North Slope on the 01^st. Goldcrest continued to be present every day, with the highest count being four on the 30th.  

  There were just a few waders on show this week, besides the Common Snipe that winter in the various ditches around the site. During the first couple of days of the week there were a few Golden Plover, with three flying north on the 26^th and a single also flying north on the 27^th. A Curlew was feeding on the bottom Cattle Fields on the 26^th and then again on the 28^th. 

  Other bits were limited during the week but it was good to see the Grey Partridges again, with all ten being seen as a flock of seven and a three on the 30^th, with the three also seen on the 28^th. A Great Spotted Woodpecker flew southwest on the 26^th, a pair of Raven was seen on the 26^th and then again on the 2^nd, and finally Bullfinch made an appearance with two individuals seen on the 01^st.

-Grey Partridge

Species List:
Soil Hill: Greylag Goose, Pink-footed Goose, Canada Goose, Mallard, Eurasian Teal, Goosander, Grey Partridge, Common Pheasant, Red-legged Partridge, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Common Moorhen, European Golden Plover, Eurasian Curlew, Common Snipe, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Common Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Northern Raven, Coal Tit, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Skylark, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Common House Martin, Common Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Mistle Thrush, Redwing, Common Blackbird, European Robin, European Stonechat, Dunnock, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Common Chaffinch, Eurasian Bullfinch, European Greenfinch, Common Linnet, Lesser Redpoll, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Siskin, Common Reed Bunting, 

Soil Hill birding; updates from the week 12th - 17th September

Sadly this was Lias last week on the Hill, as she returns the tropical climes of Brazil. And it was quite the send off as the first real autumn days rolled in this week, with a cold northerly wind and single figure temperatures, combined with glorious blue skies. In addition there was the steady transition of birdlife as the first winter migrants began to arrive, seeing off the final summer visitors. 

• The 14^th was a warm day once the early morning fog cleared, and it seemed promising for raptors but we were limited to six Common Buzzards. That was until we descended from the Hill and were walking back along Bradshaw Lane when we spotted a raptor high up that was immediately something different. Although distant, the photos showed it was a nice Marsh Harrier. It cruised slowly NW, taking it over the Soil Hill area, making it my second of the year.

As the autumn has progressed the number of migrants has continued to drop off with this week maintaining that course. Many of the summer warblers have now moved on, with just the last few hanging on. Not long before the thrushes arrive to keep things lively!    

• Almost certainly the last Spotted Flycatcher was actively feeding at the bottom of the North Slope on the morning of the 13^th, the last warm morning before the colder northerly winds set in. Its been a phenomenal autumn for this species here, with this individual bringing to the total up to seven in 2022! 

• Another species that has almost certainly run its course is Whinchat, with a single on Taylor Lane on the 14^th likely to be the last of the year. If this is the last of the year, it rounds off a truly phenomenal autumn with a total estimate of 16 different individuals.

• One species that has certainly increased in abundance this week is Stonechat. The first of the autumn appeared on the 13^th, when we were able to find four different individuals. Then we had birds on two other dates, although just singles. A single Wheatear was enjoying the horse paddocks from the 12^th until the 15^th, when it was joined by a second individual before they both departed. 

• A single Tree Pipit was heard flying south on the 13^th in a good passage of Meadow Pipits, in which 118 were counted in an hour, and an estimated 300 flew south in total. 

• This week there was just two Willow Warbler sightings, both on the 14^th and both on Ned Hill Track. In start contrast, Chiffchaff was seen on every single day, although the cold winds certainly contributed to numbers dropping off at the end of the week. The best count was seven on the 15^th, and six on the 12^th.

• Remarkably we were able to find three Common Whitethroat on the 13^th, but the only other record was one calling at the top of the North Slope on the 15^th. In the past the species has lingered on Soil Hill until the end of September, but there is no evidence that this year will have such a lingering individual, as we have searched hard for the last individuals. There was also a male Blackcap at the bottom of the North Slope on the 13^th, the only sighting of the week. 

• Small flurries of Hirundines kept moving during the week, but there was no sustained movement worth counting. There were House Martins on two dates, the 13^th and 15^th when groups of eight and 13 respectively flew south. On the 13^th there was a reasonable movement of Barn Swallow, with an estimated 50 individuals, and again the 15^th was the only other date of note with an estimated 35 heading south. Two Sand Martin again on the 13^th probably see the species out for what has been a very poor year for them on Soil Hill.

• This week Goldcrest returned to the Hill with individuals recorded on almost every single day, in a variety of locations. The highest count was still only three on the 13^th and 14^th, but it is good to at least hear these teeny birds on almost every visit.  

• On the livelier days there was finally an appearance of Siskin this year, with small groups recorded on the 13^th, 14^th and 15^th flying across the Hill calling. Having had none in the spring, it was good to finally get some, especially since the autumn seems quite slow for finches so far.

•  The only Jay this week was a pair that flew south together on the 13^th, which as you’ve probably gathered at this point was the liveliest day for movement of all species this week.

In addition to the usual passage and summer migrants that have been slowly filtering through, there has been a burst of wildfowl activity on the Hill this week. Although the species involved have not been super unusual, it still represents a good start to the autumn and a sure indicator that the season is progressing rapidly. 

• The highlight of the week has been the first skeins of wintering Pink-footed Geese returning from Iceland. Although nationally there had been numerous sightings in the preceding days, the first flock over Soil Hill did not occur until the 15^th when a skein of 177 flew southeast over Halifax, the largest flock of the week. On the 16^th there were 328 individuals that flew over in five skeins, and on the 17^th 359 headed southeast in eight skeins. 

• Another goose species appearing in numbers this week was Greylag Goose. I was informed that this increase in records is due to the feral English population moving to Scotland to moult during the summer before returning, and that Icelandic birds don't arrive until November. Interesting stuff anyway. Individuals were seen on four dates this week, heading in all different directions, with the largest group being 11 heading west on the 14^th and 9 going the same direction on the 17^th. 

• This week saw the first Goosander of the autumn, with a flock of seven heading distantly south on the 15^th, before a closer individual flew northeast on the 16^th.  

• Shockingly I have not seen Eurasian Teal on Soil Hill since October 2019, so it was pleasing to have three individuals on the NK Pond on the 15^th this week. They spent their time resting on the small shoreline that has appeared where they preened and were pestered by the local Moorhens.   

  The best of the rest was pretty limited this week. The standout was probably a Collared Dove that flew north over Taylor Lane on the 17^th, my first the 31^st August and only the third this year. The Grey Partridge were seen on the 12th and the 14^th with a male and two females sitting out nicely on the latter date.

  Remarkably the Curlew remained throughout the week, heard every day between the 13^th and the 16^th but never seen. Presumably feeding in one of the more distant livestock fields, but certainly not feeding quietly. There were just two dates for Common Snipe this week, with a single on the 15^th and a couple on the 17^th.

  The only notable other passerine sighting was a group of four Bullfinch that dropped in to the bushes at the top of the North Slope on the 15^th.

  And as a final note, there was another notable sighting this week when a Herring Gull with a darvic ring was in the reservoir field. Frustratingly the grass was just a little two long to get the full code, although I was able to get some of it. I sent it off to PC to see what he suggested, and he thought it could be a York bird and to maybe pass it to them. This is still on my to do list, but its unlikely it will lead anywhere. 

-Marsh Harrier

-Stonechat

-Spotted Flycatcher

-Eurasian Teal

-Goosander

-Greylag Geese

-Pink-footed Geese

-Herring Gull with darvic ring

-Lesser Black-backed Gull

-Collared Dove

-Dunnock

Species List:

Soil Hill: Greylag Goose, Pink-footed Goose, Canada Goose, Mallard, Eurasian Teal, Goosander, Grey Partridge, Common Pheasant, Red-legged Partridge, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Curlew, Common Snipe, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, Western Marsh Harrier, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Western Barn Owl, Little Owl, Common Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Eurasian Jay, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Northern Raven, Coal Tit, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Skylark, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Common House Martin, Willow Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Eurasian Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Goldcrest, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Mistle Thrush, Common Blackbird, Spotted Flycatcher, European Robin, Whinchat, European Stonechat, Northern Wheatear, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Tree Pipit, Common Chaffinch, Eurasian Bullfinch, Common Linnet, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Siskin, Common Reed Bunting, 

 

Soil Hill; Isolation week 4

The week suffered from an enduring north esterly wind which peaked between monday - wednesday. Although birding was still possible, there was a noticable blow with a chilly edge to it. Numbers of migrants seemed to grind to a halt as a result, with species such as Swallow being thin on the ground until the wind died down.

18 April

Visit from 08.45. Total 41 species observed.

It was cold early morning so I set off slightly later to hopefully get a few more birds. The female Ring Ouzel was still on Taylor Lane during the morning, and another, a male, dropped out of the sky at the summit. It sat on a wall for a few minutes before flying up and south. That brings my total number of this species this spring to five individuals, as a minimum. There was also a nice showy Goldcrest on the way up.

-Goldcrest

-Ring Ouzel

19 April

Visit from 07.15. Total 43 species observed.

Highlight today was an extremely distant Marsh Harrier over Ovenden Moor. A Buzzard also went over. Up to two Whitethroat now, with a second bird holding territory. Two Swallows also flew through. A single Wheatear was on the wall by the NK pond. 

-Marsh Harrier

20 April

Visit from 07.00. Total 39 species observed.

Despite the howling gale there was something of a patch mega when I had two Greylag Geese fly south from Thornton Moor Reservoir. They were extremely distant but the silver coverts were obvious even at this range. There were three Wheatears today, but the numbers of other migrant species were consistent with previous days

-Greylag Geese

21 April

Visit from 08.00. Total 34 species observed.

The strongest wind of the week was today, and as a result bird numbers were well down. There was nothing out of the ordinary and numbers of established migrants were down as a result of the conditions. 

-Song Thrush

22 April 

Visit from 07.30. Total 41 species observed.

Wind dropped off a little bit and there were a few more migrants present. The male Stonechat, presumably the same bird as the previous week, as on Ned Hill Track. Three Wheatear were in the cattle fields at the bottom. There were two Oystercatchers on the rubble at the bottom of the north slope, rather than in the fields surrounding the site. Snipe continue to be common this spring, and the Reed Buntings are still present in the same location.

-Oystercatcher

23 April

Visit from 07.15. Total 42 species observed. 

The wind had almost gone completely today, and there were a few more birds of note. The Canada Geese around Bradshaw had been joined for the morning by a party of Greylags which were visible from the greater Soil Hill area. One of these birds was nearly white but the structure and plumage of the other birds suggests to me that this is an abbarent bird rather than a domesticated individual. 

At least five Swallows flew north over the course of the morning, and a Sand Martin flew north with them, only the second time I have seen this species here. 

There seemed to be a bit of movement of Golden Plover. A single bird flew north calling, followed ten minutes later by a flock of eight. These birds seemed to loop round and I lost them round the back of the hill but a search in the fields around the summit failed to find them. I did find two birds on the top, one was certainly a Golden Plover but the other, when it flushed, seemed smaller and had a more rapid wingbeat. Frustratingly they both flew north in a direct line away from me so I was unable to get much more on them. I did get a look at this bird when it initially took off, but sadly it was directly into the sun, but the impression I got was of Golden Plover plumage, so who even knows. 

Up to three Whitethroat on the hill now.

-Golden Plover

24 April 

Visit from 06.45. Total 44 species observed.

After what felt like a slow week it was nice to end it on a high with a solid patch tick. I was at the bottom of the hill scanning the fields walls for Wheatears when I heard a distinctive ticking all behind me, certainly not the call of a Hill resident, but having not seen one for some time it took a moment for my brain to recognise it. I spotted the bird flying down the North Slope treeline, a Yellowhammer. The ammount of yellow suggested that it was a male but it lacked the bright yellow head, so probably a 1st winter male. Sadly it did not stop and carried on north, going with a purpose. An excellent patch tick as these are not common birds in Halifax (also a Halifax tick for me).

And that was probably not even the highlight of the morning, as the Grasshopper Warbler which had been silent all week burst back into life this morning with an outstanding show, singing from a wall no less. I have never seen this species as well. A brilliant bird. 

A Wheatear was present on the bottom fields, and there are now four Whitethroats dotted around the hill. A Buzzard flew north as did three late Fieldfare. Two Collared Dove were also a nice addition to the week. 

-Grasshopper Warbler

-Western Roe Deer

Species List:

Soil Hill: Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Mallard, Red-legged Partridge, Common Pheasant, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Oystercatcher, European Golden Plover, Northern Lapwing, Eurasian Curlew, Common Snipe, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Grey Heron, Common Buzzard, Western Marsh Harrier, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Little Owl, Common Kestrel, Eurasian Jay, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Great Tit, Eurasian Skylark, Common Grasshopper Warbler, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Willow Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Goldcrest, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Common Blackbird, Fieldfare, Ring Ouzel, European Robin, European Stonechat, Northern Wheatear, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Common Chaffinch, European Greenfinch, Common Linnet, European Goldfinch, Yellowhammer, Common Reed Bunting, Western Roe Deer, Red Fox, Stoat, European Rabbit, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, 

Ladybower Reservoir and Orgreave Lakes

I bought myself a new camera during exam period and so these were my first outings with it. I had football on Wednesday afternoon so could not go on any extravagant trips. I invited my parents down and we headed off for a walk in the peaks around Ladybower. The light was awful so its not really a true test of the camera, but there were also no birds which did not help. The best of it was a very obliging robin around the cafe.

-Robin

The next day I had football again so could not travel far. I headed to Orgreave where the light continued to be poor but there was a marked increase in the number of birds. Highlights were a flock of Seven Redpoll, a Jay and the usual good numbers of wildfowl. A pair of Talon twisting Kestrels was also pretty special. I took plenty of photos but with the light being so poor none of them are really worth including.

-Graylag Geese

The results are promising though and I look forward to taking it out for a spin on longer trips in better conditions.

Species List:

Ladybower Reservoir: Goldcrest, Robin, Mallard, Pheasant, Common Buzzard, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Blue Tit, 

Orgreave Lakes: Robin, Blackbird, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Starling, Black-headed Gull, Common Teal, Lesser Redpoll, Jay, Gadwall, Coot, Graylag Goose, Pied Wagtail, Canada Goose, Goosander, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Skylark, Kestrel, Wigeon, Grey Heron, Cormorant, Herring Gull, Bullfinch, Goldfinch, Mallard, 

Cambridge Holiday day 3: Fowlmere RSPB

For today my family were going to Duxford air museum. Having seen the pheasant yesterday and th weather being windy today I did not fancy going back for that, and all the other nature reserves that I wanted to go to is that I could not get to by public transport. There was an RSPB reserve near to Duxford and so that seemed like the best option.

It was a small reserve and I did not fancy spending all day there, even less so when birds were at a premium that would make soil hill proud. There were odd bits though having spent all day there so I gathered up around 25 species by the end of the day.

The first two hides had no birds in at all… but the third hide had a little bit more to offer, including Graylag Geese in good numbers, a few Canada Geese and a couple of Mute Swans. 3 Reed Buntings made an appearance too. The reedbeds were alive with the squealing of water rails but I did not see any.

-Graylag Goose

There was a Barn Owl box there which I could see a pale blob inside, presumably an owl, but could not make it out properly first time. Having said that, the second time round the bird had moved and now its face was clear through the hole, clearly making out that it was indeed a Barn Owl, happily dozing away.

-Barn Owl

I spent most of the rest of the time waiting for a Water Rail to appear from the reeds in one of the hides. I got a singing Chiff-Chaff and Teal added to my list. The real highlight of the afternoon was a Muntjac Deer that strolled along the hedge as I left the hide. I got a fantastic view of it and it did not even flinch when I got the camera out. However, I had it on auto-focus so failed to get it through the vegetation, and in the meantime it saw me and bolted, which I was a little gutted about for the missed opportunity but it was still a fantastic view.

-Muntjac Deer

That was about it though. It was nice, but most were species I could easily see at home, so it did feel a little like a day wasted. However, news broke in the afternoon that the Pheasant was now to fed with seed from tomorrow onwards, so I guess that’s tomorrows plans sorted…

Species List:

Fowlmere RSPB: Graylag Goose, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Mallard, Teal, Barn Owl, Little Grebe, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Common Snipe, Long-Tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blackbird, Robin, Wren, Woodpigeon, Moorhen, Coot, Chaffinch, Common Gull, Reed Bunting, Sparrowhawk, Chiffchaff, Muntjac Deer, Goldfinch, Dunnock,

Lakeland day 4

My dad decided that today, seeing as though it was boiling hot again, we would walk down to the reservoir and then go on the boat again, for the last time this holiday. The only issue was that there was now a serious haze building up to spoil the views. I caught a newspaper headling-"killer smog hits britiain", but I seriously doubt that this is killere smog, just some heat haze.

-Heat Haze
In the toilets there was anoth stunning moth that I had to remove to try and get a photo. I think its a carpet moth, but thats as far as my identification can go!

-Carpet moth
The walk was a good one, going from woodland to farmland, to woodland and then to the lake. On the way there I spotted an orange tip butterfly and an oystercatcher. In the second section of wood there was a split in the path, I went one way and my family went the other. My path went up to a large mound of rock, perhaps a roche moutonee! (Thats a glacial landform) but it gave great views of the surrounding countryside. When I left the hill ,I found another path that would take me around the the mound, across the road and into the woods next to the lake. I walked round to the boat facility, but my mum and dad were not there yet so I wandered around the back of the cafe in the scrubby woodland there. Good thing I did too, I got another new bird! It's one I have wanted to see for so long! everywhere you go they apparently live there, they live locally at Elland Gravel Pits But They have eluded me for so long. Yes Its the elusive garden warbler.

-Garden Warbler

The only issue was that it only stuck around for a few minuets! And then trying to track it down was an absolute nightmare. The call would normally be a good thing, but to the untrained ear (mine) it sounds just like a blackcap, which were absolutely everywhere in this wood. I must have followed about 10 calls all of them being blackcaps.

-Blackcap (male and female)

I caught up with my family for lunch and we then decided to go on the boats, our original intention. The row started as usual with the mallards and canada geese. But near the reedbeds there was a smaller grey goose associating with the graylags, and after photo analysis it became clear that it was a white-fronted goose. This bird I have only seen in Norfolk, in a huge flock. The fact that there was only one was making me doubtful as to weather it was genuine. It flew off quite well though, which infuriated me, because my photos were not great. I didn't see where it landed but I was hoping we would encounter it again.

-White fronted goose
there were lots of barnacle geese flying overhead which just highlights the blue sky and the lack of clouds. The geese look stunning against the blue backdrop.

-Barnacle geese
Near the island there were mergansers swimming about and also a female perched up high on a rock, which is not a usual view, as they are often swimming rather than perched.

-red breasted merganser
A bit further round there were some barnacle geese roosted, which suggests that they were happier on this new island, probably because of the lack of interference with their lives.

-Barnacle geese
On the return trip I spotted That there were a number of geese rested on the grassy back of the lakeshore and I wondered if the white-fronted goose might be there. I asked if I could have a look and my parents said I could and that they would pick me up after they had been shopping. When we landed I set off immediately and in good spirits, due to the potential of seeing a rare bird. On the way there I got a great view of a willow warbler resting above my head, which offered me potential to get some more willow warbler photos-willow warbler being a bird that you have never taken enough photos off!

-willow warbler
I made it to the Field where the birds were. They were still there, but to reach them I had to cross a sedge filled swamp-not nice. Luckily it was worth it because The white-fronted goose was amongst the graylag geese. It was roosted but I disturbed it and I immediately wandered if it was going to fly off. Luckily not, it just walked away, so I gave it a wide birth and tired to get closer from a different angle. I managed to get some decent shots, and these also prove that the bird had no ring on its leg, so i am now pretty sure that it is a wild bird.

-White fronted goose
There were also a few other birds there, notable the barnacle geese, probably grazing on the grass that they cant find on their wooded island. I cant imagine that they would be breeding but they sure look like they are.

-Barnacle geese
Having had my other memory card broken, I was having a bit of a problem with photo shortage so I was reluctant to take photos of things I didn't need. Luckily the white-fronted goose was very camera friendly, staying in the open and not flying away (but walking away!)

-White-fronted goose
It was kind of special to see all the different kinds of geese all in one place, there were also canadas there too which I had not mentioned. The star no doubt the white-fronted. I decided to leave as I could see that the geese were getting nervous, and so to avoid disturbing them.

-Barnacle geese, graylag geese (behind)
back at the boat depo there was a family of ducks with four ducklings, which are the first I have seen this year and therefore is quite special to me. It was a bit nerve racking because the males were still trying to mate with the female and the ducklings were ending up all over the place, but when I left there were still four so that's good.

-Mallard duckling

This has to bee the best day of the holiday, its sad that it has to be the last full day, but even so, There is still tomorrow to look forward to!