Predictably, there's been no further sign of the American Golden Plover in the days since my last posting and it's very much winter birding on the Meadow now. Indeed, over the last few days the floods have been increasing in size until now we're back in full "lake mode" with the presence of a drake TUFTED DUCK yesterday bearing testament to this new phase. Indeed the waters are so extensive that there is now only a narrow strip of grass separating the floods from the river and near the boats the grass is now completely underwater. I always enjoy this particular mode of Meadow birding as the birds often congregate along the narrow grass strip and by viewing from the river towpath you get nice close views. Today however, a trio of canoeists managed to flush all the close birds and they ended up on the North Shore where they were much more distant. Over the last couple of days there have been a REDSHANK, a RUFF and a few DUNLIN around along with the large golden plover flock still. The gulls enjoy the enlarged floods and there was a huge roost tonight with several YELLOW-LEGGED GULLS and common gulls in the throng.Over the last couple of weeks I've been getting the odd report of GOOSANDER coming in to roost on the floods and Ian Curtis reported one on Wolvercote lake as well.
Last week Pete Styles (c) took this great shot of some flying Snipe
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