A Day of Mixed Fortunes

I got up early again and made my way down to the familiar haunt of Sizergh Castle, but the cordoning off of the best area for the birds meant that any hope of getting more good shots of these birds were instantly dashed. I sat in the car nearby and watched the small flock of these lovely birds through binoculars, but they clearly weren’t going to come any closer, so I drove off. The Richard’s Pipit at Ulverston clearly had something against me; I tried twice this morning and failed both times – wasting time, petrol and money. Very frustrating. In stark contrast, the rarity at Leighton Moss was a cinch. Having parked on the side of the road, I quick-timed it down the main track, past the Causeway Hide and along to Lower Hide (I was familiar with this reserve now). Once there, it was clear that the bird was on show, and I didn’t have to try hard to find it: a drake Lesser Scaup – with a female. So, it was then simply a question of making the most of the proximity of the pair of rarities (this was easily the closest I had been to this species, and the first time I’d encountered a female), and getting the best shot I could manage. Despite the dull conditions and the pale, colourless water, I was pleased especially pleased with the ones above and below – easily my best ever of this species. (There were also a fair few Common Teal etc. floating about close to the hide, birds that would keep me busy whenever the Lesser Scaup drifted further away.)