Wonderful Wildfowl

The only patch birding I've done today was a mid afternoon gander at Black Hole Marsh. I could only see two Curlew Sands amongst the Dunlin and Ringed Plovers, eight Blackwits were roosting on one of the islands. Overhead, three female-type Pintail continually flew up and down the valley looking lost...

Locally these are quite scarce - so very welcome. They are identifiable in this photo if you enlarge it!

This morning, I had an off patch jaunt for a spot of ringing. Radipole Lake was my destination....

Both the species I ringed were new for me; three Mute Swans, and best of all....two Tufted Ducks!! Here's a few pics with captions...

The proper way to overpower and ring a Mute Swan...they are bloody strong!

And this is the Swan between my legs in the top picture, now back with Mum and Dad

Me with my top treat... an adult drake Tuftie :-)

Just look at that eye.... phwoar!!!

I promise the last photo of him!

This is the adult female Tuftie I ringed - as you can see it is in VERY heavy wing moult!

Whilst over this way, I popped in to Ferrybridge with high hopes of either re-finding that stonking stint from last week, or finding a Kentish Plover. Neither became reality, but I did see singles of Little Stint (juv), Sanderling (juv) and Turnstone. Also a few Wheatear around the car park.