Long-tailed Duck again off Southmoor.

Friday 2nd December 2022.

Three Great Crested Grebes along with the Long-tailed Duck (top bird) in the channel in front of Long Island, Langstone Harbour. 

I had a couple of hours around the Southmoor and Broadmarsh Car Parks this morning I came up trumps with reasonable views of the elusive immature/female Long-tailed Duck and an added bonus of a Light-bellied Brent Goose off Broadmarsh. The weather was good again with very little wind, bright and sunny, though cold with temperatures hovering around the 8 degree mark.

The bird eventually latched onto a flock of Goldeneye. This photo shows a pair of female Goldeneye with the Long-tailed Duck. 

On arrival, I noticed a couple of birders already scanning the harbour through their telescope and so after parking, I made my way adjacent to them, but keeping a respectful distance. The tide was out within the harbour, but it didn't take me long to pick out a female Goosander fishing along the shoreline, which was a good start to the trip. Viewing the stretch of water in front of Long Island, I could pick out at least a dozen Great Crested Grebes as well as a small flock of 4 Little Grebes. Red-breasted Mergansers were a lot further out within the harbour, though a small flock of four Goldeneye were much closer.

Another photo of the Long-tailed Duck with the Great Crested Grebes. This bird must have been a third if a mile away and always remained. 

The Goldeneye, three females and a drake, were busy fishing close to Long Island and that's when I came across the Long-tailed Duck. I thought I would do my ‘good deed for the day’ and so walked over to the other birders and told them where to look for the Long-tailed Duck, of which they were most grateful.  The ‘LTD’ was always distant and so forgive me with my rather poor photos, but I was lucky as the bird was again fishing and diving frequently. The bird fished with the Goldeneye and so one didn't have to look too far away.

A small group of Pintail off Broadmarsh Car Park.

Other birds noted included a Sandwich Tern that was first seen perched on a buoy within the harbour and after a while, began fishing. I could even hear it calling at times and wondered if there was a second bird around. Greenshank were calling all around and a pair flew high over my head having come off Budds Farm perhaps? Looking through the scope, the mudflats were actually teeming with bird life, with good numbers of both waders and wildfowl. Another birder, with his partner, came over to me and asked if I had seen anything of note. I pointed out the Long-tailed Duck, which he had seen earlier and he kindly told me that he saw a Light-bellied Brent Goose off Broadmarsh Car Park. I scanned the area through my scope and though distant, with my bionic eyes, I picked it out among the forty or so Brent present. 

Some obliging Redshank feeding off Broadmarsh Car Park.

I really fancied a closer look and so called it a day here and headed off to Broadmarsh and hopefully grab a photo or two of the bird. However, when I arrived, something had flushed all the Geese and wildfowl that were there as I watched them fly east along the shoreline and distantly settle on the shoreline with the sun behind them. Bugger! There were five Brent still present as well as a small party of Pintail and three close Redshank to take photos of instead and so I made my way back home.

Yet again, the Grey Phalarope is still entertaining the crowds at Farlington Marshes along with the Black Brant and Russian White-fronted Geese. Apparently, one of the Short-eared Owls DID pop out late yesterday afternoon in the Point field area after all!