Psilos Bird Journal
Friday September 15th 2006
     
"A golden mile"
     

     
Ok it wasnt exactly, a mile, more like three quarters but it was certainly golden in more ways than one. Decided to visit Doffcocker today. It was late when I got out, passed six oclock and because of holidays and ill health I hadnt been there for several weeks. So I decided it was time I caught up on what was happening. The walk all the way round the lake is very pleasant. It passes through a variety of habitats and is flat and easy walking, a must for someone like me that can often not walk very well at all. Today though I was painfree and happy to be out enjoying the last hour of what was a beautiful evening.
     

     
The most dramatic news concerned the swans. Last year they were very successful and managed ti raise five cygnets. This year they have not done well at all. Five cygnets hatched out but to date only two survive and the most distressing news is that the male bird has disappeared and hasnt been seen for some time. This same pair have mated on this lake for a few years and his fate along with the three cygnets remains a mystery. This evening I watched the lone female leave her cygnets and go into the back lake where she swam continuously up and down calling out but getting no reply.
     

     
Tufted duck love Doffcocker and can often be seen here in large numbers. However they are very transient and do not stay for long. Tonight I counted three dozen birds all huddled together mainly sleeping. In the last hour as the sun went down their eyes shone like liquid gold.
     

 
Also sat amongst the tufteds was a pair of Great crested grebe. Always alert even when napping they look much plainer for having lost their breeding plumage.
 
 
Great crested grebes thrive here. There are three pairs in total and they can be quite approachable at times.
 
 
Walking down to the far end of the lake I see all the regulars plus the usual bread throwers to the mottley crew of mallards and geese. Sometimes some interestig hybrids can turn up so I was standing and scrutinising the ducks that were feeding. What I didnt expect to see was a small slim bird that surfaced at my feet three feet from the edge. It was a juvenile great crested grebe (photo above) and he was busy fishing.
 
 

This little bird was totally unconcerned by my presence and continued to fish about a foot from the edge of the bank. His technique whilst looking somewhat clumsy and slow as he trawled his beak in the water was actually very impressive and in less than ten minutes he had caught four good sized perch. Sadly for me he was a very difficult bird to photograph. The sun was going down fast giving poor light and the bird was never still. After several attempts I gave up frustrated that I had gotten no decent photos of him catching anything. No matter though maybe I would come back tomorrow.

Walking back to the car the sun had finally gone down. The sky was full of Housemartins and I could hear their constant twittering call as I walked along. Reaching the reserve gate my ears suddenly pricked up to the sound of a martin alarm call and I looked up to see a Kestrel hovering directly overhead at thirty feet . Excitedly i pointed my camera and took several shots. The sound of my camera almost giving up the ghost at 1/10 of a second made my spirits drop. Just minutes before I had been photogrpahing the sunset with an iso of 100 and of course that was wholey inadequate now. By the time I had changed it and pointed my camera skywards the bird had gone and I had to console myself that because of the poor light it was never going ot be a good shot anyway, sigh...