6th March.....

A lovely sunny afternoon, but no migrants yet. 2 Goosander, 13 Ruddy Ducks and 3 Mandarins were the only notable birds in a quick look around Dudney area. No birding at Grafham over the weekend just gone - due to being in Cornwall for 50% of it.......

25th February....

Not much change. A quick look this morning produced a 2nd-winter Yellow-legged Gull, a drake Goosander and 11 Ruddy Ducks.

23rd February....

This afternoon produced adult Med Gull, 1st-winter Yellow-legged Gull, Common Sandpiper and 2 Dunlin (a year tick - I blame the high water levels, currently 100% full!)

GW Year List: 85

19th February....

No sign of Kumlien's Gull in roost this evening.

Three Red-crested Pochards have appeared, including a leucistic female (all 3 having been further down the Ouse Valley in Bedfordshire until recently). The only other birds of note were a Common Sandpiper and a Black Swan (just my second at Grafham in almost 10 years!).

GW Year List: 84

18th February....

The gull roost contained a good number of large gulls... and I picked out an adult Kumlien's Gull amongst them. It was present from 5.15-5.30pm at least. This is the first record for Grafham Water (although several years ago, another adult I saw in the roost was probably also of this race). It was presumably the same as that seen yesterday roosting in Bedfordshire.

The other highlight was 2 vocal Curlews flying around during the evening. In the morning, I missed a flock of 181 Black-tailed Godwits that flew through during WeBS count.

GW Year List: 83

10th-11th February

Two very quiet days, and two poor and distant gull roosts. The only highlights were two different leucistic Black-headed Gulls on seperate days. The first was the regular bird which has been returning for several winters (all white, apart from a small ear-spot and jet black primaries), but the second was a new individual, which was creamy white all over, had no ear-spot, and dull brown/creamy primaries.

8th February....

Very crisp under foot this afternoon, due to the cold burst of winters snow, but the drop in temperature has had no effect on increasing wildfowl numbers. The unexpected highlight was seeing 2 Grey Plovers making their way NE over the res at 3.30pm. Otherwise just a 2nd-winter Yellow-legged Gull of note.