Time for a Visit to Abberton Reservoir

4th March 2016

A bright and sunny albeit chilly day so time for another visit to Abberton Reservoir. As is traditional breakfast was taken on the Layer Breton causeway, followed by a cursory scan of the reservoir with the bins. Nothing of note was observed so I settled down to see what came along. The only early action was a fly-by heron which flapped lazily past the causeway to the other side of the reservoir.

I then spotted a pair of Smew tucked under one the of islands some 150 yards away. After some time they swam out from the trees and started moving towards me, so fingers crossed. My luck was in as they ended up diving in front of the reed bed by the sluice. I had heard that this was one of their favourite spots, but never when I have been there.

I then moved on to the reserve in the hope of getting some Sky Lark flight shots, but surprisingly in view of the calm conditions and sunny day the Sky Larks were few and far between and fairly quiet. However, this Meadow Pipit sitting in one of the newly planted hedges was satisfactory compensation.

Finally I went down to the Layer de la Haye causeway where a male Stonechat was posing nicely along a fence-line towards the southern end.

Due to the calm conditions the reservoir was like a mill-pond and a large raft of Aythya ducks were making the most of the still water, like this striking male Pochard. Something was also spooking the Teal causing them to wheel around in the afternoon sunshine.

But the star of the show today was this cracking male Goldeneye which was diving continuously in the shallows next to the causeway providing some excellent opportunites for some close-up shots.

Abberton Reservoir never disappoints.