Egrets Galore!!

I wasn't planning on walking around Liden Lagoon this afternoon, as I had planned to visit the CWP to see some Smew, but I'm so glad I changed my mind.  When I arrived at the Lagoon, there only appeared to be gulls, ducks and geese, but as I walked around towards the bank close to the A419, there were 3 Little Egrets sunning themselves on the branches overhanging the north island. A good scan with the binoculars showed that "my" Egret with the leg rings was not one of them. Underneath them was a Grey Heron and on the pontoon that joins the two islands there was a Cormorant also sunning himself.

A trio of Little Egrets

Little Egret

Little Egret

Grey Heron

Grey Heron

Cormorant

Surprisingly there were only a few Tufted Duck with just 2 drakes and one pair. The two drakes seem to be synchronised in everything they did. Twins!! The number of Mallard and Canada Geese seems to have increased with at least 30 geese, including the goose with the orange collar.  Around the southern tip of the south island there were a good number of Moorhen and in total there must have been around 15 on the lagoon. Coot were easier to count with just 6 birds noted.

The "collared" Canada Goose

Synchronised drake Tufted Duck

And again

Further around to the water outlets a Herring Gull sat and posed for me and as I took a picture of him, I could see 2 brownhead Goosander swimming behind him. As I walked on up to the fence overlooking the lagoon I also picked out another two, this time a pair swimming towards the Cormorant on the pontoon which didn't seem to be too impressed and dived into the water.

Herring Gull

Goosander "brownhead"

Two "brownheads"

Goosander "brownhead"

Goosander "brownhead"

Drake and "brownhead" Goosander

Also about was a Redpoll flying around with the Goldfinch and they all settled in the alders on the north island. And around the edges of the lagoon the House Sparrows were having a bit of a splash.

Goldfinch

Goldfinch

House Sparrows bathing

Other birds noted were: 2 Mute Swans, Black-headed Gulls, Wood Pigeon, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Long-tailed Tits, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Wren, Magpies, Rook, Carrion Crow and Chaffinch.