Last twitch of the year

Monday was my first opportunity to go for the Brunnich's so I arranged to meet PB and MC at 7.00 am. I was a bit late as the alarm hadn't gone off, but as the plan was to drive through the awful weather and arrive as it cleared around 12.00, there was no rush. We stopped for breakfast and a drink and again for a comfort stop and to fill up. We arrived around 11.30 to a grey sky with patches of blue beginning to show, although it was still very breezy. A birder pointed us in the right direction and as we walked along the quay, the bird was showing really close but a little way ahead. By the time we got level it had swum a little way out.








We watched it diving and coming up a fair distance away and then we lost it. We stood around a eventually relocated it across the other side where it disappeared into the naval base. Just as we decided to go and have lunch it was refound and it headed back into the marina. The sun had appeared by now and we had much better views but it went behind a boat and reappeared well right by the breakwater and then headed back into the naval basin.

















We decided to go and look for the Hooded Merganser at Radipole and then the Glossy Ibis. The merganser was with a flock of tufted ducks right in front of the visitors centre and the ibis gave good views in the play park. We then headed home after a thoroughly enjoyable day.



















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