Snow Goose, Long-tailed Duck and Pintails

An early morning trip on Saturday to see blue morph Snow Goose Simon had reported on Friday at Tayock. I chose the footbridge at the Railway Station which wasn't as close as Tayock Hide would be, but it did give me height to look through the vast numbers of Pink-footed Geese which had roosted overnight. I didn't attempt a count but 30,000 would surely be an under-estimate.
It turned out that Tayock would have given a closer view when I found the Snow Goose to the right of one of the large flocks, thankfully it wasn't sleeping and even walked about a bit, then of course it either moved or flew off to feed.
Also seen from the station, in the channel in front that leads west, at least 16 Pintails and an unexpected female Long-tailed Duck. As it was so cold, I decided to go home and watch the rugby, but got heated up a bit and moved on to Maryton Ditch, photos below.

Vast numbers of Pink-footed Geese, spooked by a light aircraft, click here for video

Hen Harrier video related to previous post, click here

Little Egret politics from the Wigeon Hide, click here

Black-headed Gulls were fishing all along the shallows and catching two species of fish and shrimps

This one has a fish, the third photo in the sequence above

There were 3 Greenshanks at Maryton, but despite my best efforts to hide in thorn bushes I was spotted and they stayed a save distance away

There were quite a few, perhaps 40 Goldeneye earlier on this year but I could only see 6 today, and they wouldn't come in

The Goosanders were in three flocks, fishing their way up the basin as the tide came in, I counted 123 birds on the water

Grey Herons roost to the west of Maryton, I think these two were flushed by a dog. It seems that a few people "exercise" their dogs on the mud, to save polythene bags!! This is common on beaches everywhere, they expect the tide or the "poo fairies" take it away.....

Grey Heron, upstream of Maryton Ditch