Andy's Lake

Today I headed off to South Cerney to fish the annual Pike Competition at Andy's Lake.

I arrived at 8:15am in swirling fog which lasted right up until 10:30am. I drew peg 28, which was just 3 pegs down from the Car Park, so at least I had a short walk for a change. Arriving at my peg I could just about make out a Tufted Duck and a few Coot on the water in front of me; the fog was dense.

The view from my peg

The sun trying to burst through.

In the distance I could hear a few Canada Geese and every now and then a Great Crested Grebe calling.  Overhead a few Siskin were flying about and it made me wonder how birds manage to fly in "pea soupers".

Eventually it lifted and as it did so a pair of Mute Swans landed right in front of me.  It was only an hour later that I discovered they were interlopers. The resident pair had been hiding in the fog and were in no mood to allow a another pair on their stretch of water. After a few brief laps up and down the lake, the interlopers soon left, with the resident cob showing off in defiance.

The cob and his triumphant display having seen off the interlopers

Peace and tranquility resumed

With so many pits in the Cotswold Water Park, it's not surprising to see so many birds overhead passing from one water to the next. To the east of Andy's Lake, is Pit 12 and quite a few gulls had been roosting there.  One bird that caught my eye was Black-headed Gull with a broken leg and a few primaries missing.

Black-headed Gull with broken leg

In amongst the Black-headed Gulls were Herring Gulls, Lesser Black-backed Gulls and a pair of Common Gulls.

The view from my peg with the fog gone.

As the sun came up, so more and more birds became evident.  Behind me in the brambles Great Tits, Blue Tits and Dunnocks were foraging, whilst in the tall trees behind them Carrion Crows surveyed their surrounds.  Next to me an Alder became the focal point for some Long-tailed Tits, Siskins, Goldfinches and a pair of Redpolls. I tried to get a decent photo of the Redpolls but a record shot of their underparts was all I could get.  Having said that I must confess I hadn't realised how white they are from below.

Carrion Crow

Dunnock having a stretch

 Long-tailed Tit having a rub

The underside of a Redpoll

On the water a pair of Great Crested Grebes were courting with both birds stretching up from the water and shaking their heads. Another pair were later seen, much to the annoyance of the male courting at the east end of the lake.

Courting Great Crested Grebes

And finally it wouldn't be right not to mention every angler’s companion on the riverbank, the Robin. From the moment I arrived to when I packed up 7 hours later he and his mate were within a few feet of me throughout the day. Needless to say, tit-bits were thrown their way, whenever they came close.

The humble Robin

And his mate

Considering I was sat in one place for nearly 7 hours I reckon my final tally of 38 birds wasn't too bad. Here's the final tally:

Great Crested Grebe 2 pairs, Cormorant several overhead, Mute Swan 2 resident +2, Canada Goose, Tufted Duck 1 pair, Goosander 2 flew east, Coot 12, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Common Gull 2, Feral Pigeon 1, Woodpigeon, Great Spotted Woodpecker 1, Skylark 1 heading east, Starling 60+ headed south, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Wren, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Robin 5, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Siskin, Greenfinch, Bullfinch, Redpoll 2 and Reed Bunting. Total 38

PS. In case you were wondering how I got on fishing. I blanked, but then did it really matter..............