A Long-tailed Duck at Abberton

7th December 2022

After a very successful morning at Holland Haven with the Purple Sandpipers, time for a quick visit to Abberton to see if the Long-tailed Duck is showing closer than on our last visit. There are now three Redshanks feeding along the Layer de la Haye causeway and all much tamer than usual allowing some close-ups to be taken. Just look at those orange legs under the water.

Great White Egrets are now common at Abberton, but I still can't resist taking a shot of these most elegant birds.

Most of the Goosanders this year seem to prefer the area of water between the two causeways and this pair were fairly close in the SE corner of the Layer Breton causeway.

At the Layer de la Haye causeway the numbers of Goldeneye are still well down compared to usual winter numbers, but are still noticeable as the huge 1000+  flock of Aythya ducks seem to have departed, perhaps to another part of the reservoir.

On our last visit the Long-tailed Duck was way out in front of the tern raft but today was somewhat closer and was associating with a small flock of Goldeneye.

Still not close enough, but mustn't grumble.