Scaup at Collingham

Saturday, and I didn't get up quite as early as planned, so my visit to Collingham was a bit rushed, before an 11am meet for hockey. Mons Pool was looking good, with the 2 Avocets still present, plus my first patch Dunlin (3) of the year; at least 3 Chiffchaffs were also in song. 

I'd envisaged giving Ferry Lane Lake a cursory look on my way out of the site, but noticed a sleeping duck with a grey mantle; it looked like a Greater Scaup (which it proved to be), but due to the distance and windy conditions (scope wobble), I had to dash down the track to get a bit closer to double-check it wasn't a Lesser... I managed to get to my hockey meet only a few minutes late.

Today I did my WeBS count at Girton Pits - late as ever. Wildfowl numbers were low, as expected, but there were at least 3 Green Sands around the site. Most annoyingly, I had been specifically checking for Kittiwakes, including at Spalford Pit - only to be rang up by Graham Gamidge (once I was at Sunday lunch with the in-laws) to be told that he and John Ellis had just found one, at Spalford Pit! My only consolation as that a) it flew off so presumably wasn't twitched by any yearlisting rivals, and b) it wasn't at Collingham. Collingham was much the same as yesterday, except the Scaup was nowhere to be seen.