Tuesday 3rd January 2023 - Chew Valley Lake.

 

Today the 3 Amigos for our 1st trip out for the year chose Chew Valley Lake as the weather was horrendous and at least we had the hides to shelter in while we spotted. We did stop at Herriotts but the rain was too hard to let us get out of the car, so it was birding through the window and these were only opened for a bit before we had to close them again so we didn’t get wet. We did manage to see the following Jackdaw, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, Black Headed Gull, Canada Goose, Shoveler, Shelduck, Tufted Duck, Teal, Great Black Back Gull, Magpie and Cormorant. As the rain was incessant we moved on to Herons Green as even though it was raining it was from a direction that allowed us to open the windows, so here we added Goldeneye, Great Crested Grebe, Pochard, Great White Egret, Lesser Black Back, Herring and Common Gull all day ticks. 

LBB Gull (archive photo) - Bath Birdwatcher

The rain abated a little so we took the chance to move on to Stratford here on the feeder were Great and Blue Tits, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Robin and a fly through Sparrowhawk. From the hide we ticked Wigeon, and Carrion Crow, but after scanning the rafts of water fowl for an hour and finding nothing else we returned to the car, and on the way found a Great Spotted Woodpecker pecking away at a tree making a real mess of it!!! From the car park a Pheasant was spotted in the field.

Pheasant (archive photo) - Bath Birdwatcher

Next stop Moreton where we needed to unlock the gates as authority is needed to enter this part of the lake, which we obviously have. While David was closing the gate I spotted a Grey Heron through the trees on the lakeside and in the trees to our right were 100+ Starlings with 50+ Redwing and a little further on a Buzzard flew from a tree above the road, and a little later I spotted a Jay flying low over the reeds, but the other 2 missed it but caught up later when we saw 2 more as we drove back out. Walking to the hide we found a Blackbird but again nothing new from the hide after again searching the flocks of water fowl. We returned to Herons Green for our sandwich lunch and here we added a lovely male Goosander with a less attractive female in tow. Nothing more so off to the picnic area and on the way added 2 Collared Doves sat on a telegraph pole. In the picnic area by the dam were a few Gadwall and these proved to be our last ticks of the day as the weather closed in again so we called short our trip and headed home.


 

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