Garganey: One bird I was hoping to see up close this year and one bird I've found really difficult to catch up with the year. There has been a bit of a warm south-easterly wind which might have contributed to a remarkable large influx of garganey to our shores.
I've dipped then at Leighton Moss and twice at Penny already this year and when I did catch up with a pair at BMW they were both super far away! Typical.
I would have missed this bird too if it wasn't for Michael who stopped me to say at outside of the Bunting Hide, he pointed me in the right direction back to the Teal Hide where this superb drake was.
When I arrived the bird was roosting on the solitary island in the middle of the lake, perfectly camouflaged against the white shingle and mottle brown stony banks. I waited a short while before one of the resident gulls spooked it and it came right in front of the hide to feed amongst the bright green Crassula.
There were also five brambling showing very well at the bunting hide, it was just a shame there were ignorant selfish so called birders (minus the binoculars) who were having a good old fish-wives meeting! I'll have to go back and try again, hopefully without the noise they will come closer.
