Look what I found...

Another day of pottering up and down a sea-wall somewhere in deepest Gloucestcestcestershire (well Oldbury actually but anyhoo...). Whilst counting the Teal couldn't help but notice the vertical-striped little fella pictured below. Presumably this is the same bird that frequented Slimbridge in early December, you'd have thought it might have been seen elsewhere in the interim mind; perhaps it had arrived overnight on a monstrous westerly we all failed to notice. Either way, it was feeding on Lagoon I before a genius of a dog-walker decided that there just aren't enough places to walk a pooch, went off-piste and blazed a new trail right round the margins of the pool. At this point the teal relocated to the tidal reservoir (later, the incoming tide pushed it back onto the lagoon).

A scene of pre-disturbance bliss.

 

"Hello ladies, if this was the 1940s I could impress you with my endless supply of chocolate and stockings. Mind you, if this were the 1940s this lagoon wouldn't be here, hmmm, this chat up line needs more thought."

 

Post-flush snooze; in the meantime three Siskin flew NE (ish), a fly-by Shelduck hybrid was followed up-river by 25 Barnacle Geese, and a Little Egret flushed from the same ditch it was in on the 8th,... that must be a mighty fine ditch. In fact, I know it is a mighty fine ditch because, rather than feed elsewhere, the egret stood a little way off looking as grumpy as an emo version of Jack Dee with piles. I hope he doesn't self-harm due to momentary loss of minnow action.