Trip reports

Staines Reservoirs and Virginia Water

Sunday, 8 February 2009

Six of us ventured out in fine, cold, breezy weather on the first weekend after the big snow. We started on the half-mile causeway across Staines Reservoirs - having a telescope a definite advantage! Star birds were a pair of scaup quite a distance away. Among the wintering ducks, there were golden eye displaying. We also saw red-breasted merganser, green sandpiper, and ring-necked parakeets in the surrounding trees.

Moving on to Virginia Water, there were loads of hyperactive toddlers and dogs - not ideal for bird-watching! Nonetheless, we added a few woodland regulars to our list, including long-tailed tits and jay. We topped it off with 7 mandarins - 4 ducks and 3 drakes - swimming under the overhanging rhododendrons.

We had a total of 47 bird species for the day - and one grey squirrel.