Wild

In as many weeks, another quality self-o with two Bewick's Swans at Broom.

Another good Saturday morning

Another go through some brick pits this morning on the way up towards Priory for a look at the Fudge duck. A bit of deja vu at Chimney Corner south; last week's family party of Bewicks gone but this week a group of 12 adults in the middle of the water. Only new things from the pits for me were Lapwing, Great Blackback and a Green Sandpiper on a flooded bit of field.
Earlier I had been through some likely habitat in my wellies near the A507 and picked up a couple of nice Jack Snipes and a flyin then flyout male Mandarin at the same site before finally adding a male Shoveler to my SFYL at Flitwick STW further down the road.
A Barn Owl this evening north of Luton makes it seven for the day so not a bad haul but the best, the Bewicks Swan did not impact the list. I was almost temporarily disappointed at the point when I knew they weren't Whoopers ! Crazy thing this listing and numbers game...

Bewick's bonus

Decided to hit the wet stuff for the first time this year and had just ticked the easy Teal, Wigeon etc at Chimney Corner, when I noticed a greyish looking juvenile swan on the bank at the back of the lake. Instantly switching from ducks to swans, some other heads were seen to pop-up and Bewick's hit the back of the net. Not only a superb SFYL bird but also actually the first time ever I had found this species in Bedfordshire. Two adults and juveniles, initially two then three, and reports from later observers indicated that a fourth had been with them, presumably hidden by the bank as only ever saw three in one go.

Moving on to the Pillinge, a Med Gull was sitting very visibly on the front of the roosting gull flock. I admit to hearing about it sixty seconds before just as I approached the watchpoint but I am claiming the find none the less as it was impossible to miss on the first scan of the group. (Same rules as multiple finders on the lunchtime run...) Same bird as the one in the Stewartby roost previous weekend perhaps ?

The curse of technology caught me out however on the Slav Grebe at Stewartby, I had not found it on scans of the lake from the sailing club and near Lagoon Corner so text news of its presence in Marston corner before I set off for a look there and the sewage works means another decent self-find for the year had to go begging unfortunately, but still a nice clean bird to look at.

N-Ice birding

Dipping in to Blunham again on 9th found the ten Tundra Bean Geese on the open water, along with my first drake Mandarin of the year and seven Goldeneye. Another dump of snow over night on 9th resulted in more new birds turning up on 10th, with six Bewick's Swans and two Smew around the ice hole at Wyboston Lakes.