I had a meeting down warwick this morning so early start at Draycote Water to hopefully add Lesser Scaup to the year list.  The rain was a pain but it stopped on my arrival and I headed straight for Toft Bay as this is the place the bird has usually been seen.  I did not do a full birdwatch as I did not have much time but I did note Blue Tit, Blackbird, Wood Pigeon, Carrion Crow, Coot, Mallard, Grey Wagtail, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Chaffinch, Little Grebe, Pied Wagtail, Tufted Duck, Rock Pipit, Great-crested Grebe, Gadwall, Meadow Pipit, Goldeneye, Teal, lesser Black-backed Gull and Wigeon.  I did several scans over the Tufted Duck flock but could not locate the Lesser Scaup.  There was a good size group of Tufties over by the Valve Tower but I did not have time to get over there.

 

 

I got down to Whitemoor just as it was getting dark to check out the gull flock.......and had a massive shock.  Not one gull was on the water.  First of all, birds noted were Wren, Tufted Duck 44, Robin, Pochard 49, Wigeon 22, Carrion Crow, Mallard 10, Teal 4, Black-headed Gull couple flying over, Canada Geese see end of write-up, Yellowhammer 2, Magpie, Blackbird and twenty Lesser Black-backed Gulls that flew over the pit, circled then flew off.  Thanks.  I don't know whether work at the quarry had scared off the birds but nothing was on the water at all.  I am just hoping they were around the corner.  The single Canada Goose has been seen in the same place for the last three nights, on the left hand side of the lake.  It is hiding in deep grass and I fear this bird could be a victim of careless shooting.  Yes, I know it is only a Canad Goose but it is still a living creature.  I am not against shooting.  I have shot many birds in the past and have stalked many deer with a friend of mine (legally of course), and I am looking forward to shooting one myself soon.  What I hate is the hunters who shoot just to get rid of the birds.  They don't collect them up, they lie and rot.  If they are injured then they become fox fodder.  When I lived on my own in Wales I virtually lived on venison, pigeon, pheasant, teal and rabbit.  Cost?  Nothing.  Taste?  Beautiful.  I hope this goose proves me wrong and flies off soon.   Rant over.