Gotcha!

Nipped over to Radipole this morning for a bit more ringing, always good fun!

Lightning Luke wasn't around today, meaning a big catch was never on the cards. Considering this then, four birds wasn't too bad at all. Three of them were...

At last a photo that shows a Coot's true personality!

The fourth was very special to me, very special indeed...

A first-winter female Tufted Duck in my lap

I have ringed a couple of Tufties at Radipole, but this baby was special because I caught her! My first self-caught Tuftie :-)

I could see her flashing her unringed legs at me, so when she drifted a little closer I always kept one eye on her. She started to dive, and evey time she popped up she was always quite close. She went down again so I followed the bubbles, waited 'til they came right below me, nudged a couple of Mute Swans out the way, then 'splashed and grabbed!'. Well worth the wet arm :-)

I was hoping the adult Ring-billed Gull from last week was still knocking about around the Visitor Centre but no luck. The best I could find were a few of these...

Not far off full summer plumage that one on the right