Some winter birds

I've spotted a few interesting things recently. The cold weather seems to have emboldened many animals.

I spotted this small flock of Siskin (Carduelis spinus) at Cromford Canal in Derbyshire just after Christmas. First of this species I have ever seen. With all the big lakes frozen at Watermead the rarer ducks have been forced onto the canal making them easier to see.

A male (top) and female (bottom) Goosander (Mergus merganser) in the canal. A drake Teal (Anas crecca) in its lovelly winter colours.

And this Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) is the first I've seen down at Watermead.

Slightly further afield I spotted this Red Kite (Milvus milvus) at Eyebrook Reservoir over in Rutland.

Pintail at Watermead

Trust me to have the wrong camera at the wrong time. Today down at Watermead we spotted a pair of Pintail (Anas acuta) and I didn't have a good camera on me. The best I could do was with my family Compaq. Still its the first of this species I have seen and so was a welcome sight. At the weekend I was able to go to Rutland water and take advantage of the fact that none of the animals were camouflaged any more to get some great shots in slow motion.

And also, not for the first time but certainly in the greatest number I have ever seen (17! Flaming eck!), I bring you Egyptian Geese (Alopochen aegyptiacus)!

Another nice day down with the ducks.

Ahhhhh! Look what I found down at Watermead. A Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus) busy feeding on all the bread that has been thrown down for the swans. You could look at this way, these rats are clearing up after us. Who are the disgusting species really?

In another lake this Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) looked resplendent in his short no-nonsense winter plumage.

Another winter visitor is the Shoveler (Anas clypeata). Most of the time these are quite shy but can sometimes be caught by surprise.

Gadwalls at Watermead

New species (for me) down at Watermead. That must be about 102 birds now, but I am actively recounting just to be sure. The Gadwall (Anas Strepera). I suspect that I have seen these before but have failed to recognise that they were not female mallards. I only noticed these were something else when I noticed a male and female together. Now very few Gadwalls actually breed in the UK so it is most likely these are just wintering here.