With Ted and Benji at the dog groomers, I took Theo for a walk around Radipole. Unfortunately it was very flooded, with the both the Buddleia track and North Hide track under a good 20 inches of water in places.
Even the main path, which runs right through the centre of the reserve was flooded, and only passable with wellies or by taking your shoes and socks off to get through it, as one guy did.
Despite the restricted walk, there was still plenty see and hear, with the main highlights being 3 Chiffchaff and 2 Goldcrests.
Birds Recorded:
4 Cormorant
1 Grey Heron
6 Mute Swan
Mallard
Tufted Duck
1 Buzzard
Water Rail
Moorhen
Black-headed Gull
Mediterranean Gull
Herring Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Common Gull
Wood Pigeon
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Cetti's Warbler
3 Chiffchaff
2 Goldcrest
Bearded Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Reed Bunting
How big was that fish you caught!!! A Cormorant drying its wings out.
And a Grey Heron having a preen
This pair of Mute Swans are really..............
.................... fighting against the strong current of the River Wey.
A fly-by Mute Swan
Two drake Tufted Ducks flank a duck.
Drake number one and.........
...........drake number two with quite a plume showing.
And of course the duck Tufted Duck
A very dark coloured Common Buzzard soaring over the reserve
A Moorhen feeding on the........
.............Buddleia Loop.
Four Black-headed Gulls on the left and on the right two Herring Gulls and a Common Gull.
A fly-by adult Herring Gull
A very smart looking Lesser Black-backed Gull
And the much larger Great Black-backed Gull
I put a few mealworms on this bench and within a few seconds this Robin came down for a free meal.
A very olive-coloured...........
............Chiffchaff
A male Chaffinch
A partially hidden male Reed Bunting watches.......
............his mate feeding on some bird food on the bench.
General Shots:
The main track through the centre of the reserve was under water as was.........
...........the track to the North Hide.