White-billed Diver
Distant shot showing habitat
A bonus year tick
Kirby-on-Bain Gravel Pits
Ring-necked Duck
With Saturday being just ballistic I didn’t have chance to check any bird news until late into the evening. I certainly didn’t expect to see a White-billed Diver reported at Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire. This species of Diver is one that I’ve been after for a long time and given when & where they are best seen in Scotland it wouldn’t really be cost effective to go.
After an early breakfast the bird appeared again on the news with photos so fancying my chances I headed north east to Lincolnshire. The first part of the journey was very smooth but the last 30 minutes did appear to take ages and roads were very flat & boring. Sadly no postcode was posted initially and it took me another five minutes to find where everyone else had parked in Ferry Road.
I parked by another local birder who joined me as we headed up the River Witham on the cycle path towards Southery. It was probably a good twenty minute walk until we found the splendid looking Diver from the arctic coasts of Russia being watched by around fifty birders and photographers. The scene was a bit of carry on as the Diver dived and then came up around 100 metres on way or other. Apparently it was heading north first thing but in my time it only headed south. The bird appeared to be in overall good condition. The bird at times was only 30 metres from the bank where all the birders were so everyone managed to get brilliant views. Many locals stopped to see what the fuss was about. Some 3 or 4 years ago an injured bird of the same species was found on the same stretch of river but a mile further south, very strange birding is at times.
Satisfied with first life tick of 2017 I made the five mile drive to Kirby-on-Bain Gravel Pits where there was a very smart drake Ring-necked Duck & a female Scaup among the Wigeons, Tufties & Gadwall.
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