Today Jackie and led a group from the local Poole RSPB group around Longham Lakes. After we gathered at the Bridge house hotel we headed off to the lakes. At this time of year waterfowl and gulls are the main species to look at and of course there was always the chance that the Penduline Tit may be still hanging around.
As we had a large group we split into two Jackie headed off counterclockwise I went clockwise. I started with looking through the closest group of duck Wigeon, Teal, Mallard and Gadwall. Moving on and scanning as we go we added many of the more common species like Robin, Blackbird and Dunnock. Looking back over the south lake Black-headed, Common and Herrings were also present and someone picked up a small group of four Little Grebe. Further round Tufted Duck, Shoveler a couple of Grey Heron and a single Little Egret and a few Blue Tits and a Meadow Pipit or two over. We had a good look around the two small ponds at the south end but found little then a small flock of small finch's with yellow wing bars flew across the high pitched calls identified them as Siskin. Half way around we met up the Jackie and her group and found they had seen much the same as we had but had found one or two that we hadn't so game on. I concentrated on the gulls and found the first of these a smart winter plumaged adult Mediterranean Gull in fact I'm pretty sure there were two everyone had good views and we moved on. On the North lake another we hadn't seen a small group of Pochard and better views of Great Crested Grebes.
We also had good views of Reed Bunting, Buzzard and when we met up with Jackie's group again they added Long-tailed Tits and Green Woodpecker to the list.
Our return to the Bridge House only produced Starlings and the common corvid's but by now we were all looking forward to our Christmas lunch in the restaurant. In fact we had a side room and a very nice meal a fitting end to a very nice morning.
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