Bitter Sweet Patch tick

This wasn't what I was expecting to find when I visited Deeping Lakes LWT after work, chasing a simple patch tick, Ruff. 

Having spent the past two weeks in Scotland and having seen plenty of dead Gannets around the shores of Shetland, but no live birds showing signs of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, you can imagine the surprise in finding a Gannet with HPAI on my inland patch in Lincolnshire!

At one point the Gannet was approached by an angry Mute Swan (pictured), the seabird still was alert enough to give the Swan a nasty nip. Perhaps the start of a spread of this deadly disease on my patch? We hope not but seeing what it has done on the coast has been genuinely heart wrenching.  

Nevertheless, despite the bitter sweetness of this bird; it is stunning a new species for the reserve and certainly livened up my Wednesday evening!

 

Scotland & Shetland bits

A fab few weeks on honeymoon, touring Scotland and Shetland. Naturally, not much birding done but we did see 7 Minke Whales, Basking Shark, Slavonian Grebe (scarce in Shetland in August), Golden Eagle (Scotland), heaps of Porpoise and of course the Northern Lights (see below). 

More Northern Lights

More Aurora from this morning, this time from our Scalloway balcony. We watched it for over an hour and even managed to capture a few 'shooting stars' in the dancing sky above Scalloway.

Aurora

Cape Gull- First for Britain

Today took an unexpected turn, when ace Cambs bird finder, found a first for Britain, in the form a sub-adult Cape Gull! Remarkable bird at a remarkable location! The harsh summer sun wasn't kind for photography but the bird put on a great show and was a true education and great to share with Dad.