North Duffield Carrs - Geoff Smith Hide (Sunday)

Still playing catch up from the weekends activities... I spent the last two hours of light across at the Geoff Smith hide counting wildfowl. The wind was coming straight into the hide so it was a little blowy!

Highlight was a Barn Owl that landed so close to the hide that I couldn't focus on it! I managed to get the following photo on my phone! I also managed to catch up with the Great Crested Grebe that Alan found early last week.


Barn Owl in front of the Geoff Smith Hide

The following was recorded:

16x Curlew, 395x Lapwing, 350x Golden Plover, 1x Oystercatcher. There was a lot more Golden Plover and Lapwing but as I was half way through counting them and a (presumed) Peregrine went through and put most of the birds up - which then flew off! Other totals included:

11x Greylag Goose, 10x Canada Goose, 1x Whooper Swan, 54x Mute Swan, 16x Shelduck, 1173x Wigeon, 157x Teal, 30x Pochard, 12 Tufted Duck, 47x Mallard, 48 Coot, 4x Moorhen, 82x Shoveler, 28x Gadwall, 1x Great Crested Grebe, 4 Pintail, 1 Goldeneye plus Black-headed, Common, Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gulls.

Small stuff around the feeders included Tree Sparrow Reed Bunting, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Dunnock, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Stock Dove and Pheasant.