We like it at the lake

The  Safari saw a Flickr pic from PE the other day after we'd visited Stanley Park lake to have a look at the Scaup, but he hadn't posted Scaup pics but an interesting looking hybrid duck, presumably a male Pochard x Tufted Duck. With a bit of decent weather and hopefully some sunshine we arranged a lift with CR for an afternoon visit. 

There were a lot of Tufted Ducks on the lake but it didn't take long to locate the Scaup, they'd hardly moved since our previous visit a couple of days earlier.

The Gadwall didn't seem to like the Scaup coming too close and regularly acted aggressively towards them

The light was marginally better today but all the Scaup were asleep, a small number of Pochards were having a doze nearby.

It was when we were checking these few Pochards we noticed that the hybrid was with them, and like them was mostly asleep.

We took a good many pics but only these few showed it with its eyes open.

Gulls swimming close by and a Cormorant made everyone wake up and shuffle about, even the Scaup.

The hybrid woke up and had a little swim round too.

It's not often we get a mix of Aythya ducks like this round our way...impressive.

Aythya ducks - Left to right - - female Tufted Duck, 1st W Scaup, the hybrid, male Pochard

After filling our boots with the ducks we had a quick look over the rest of the lake, 30 Cormorants on the far rail and one in the water, no Goldeneyes, a fair few Gadwall and behind us in the woods a punter tempted a Blue Tit down onto his outstretched hand with some tasty morsels but it was too quick for our camera...or our reactions more like. In the distance a Nuthatch called but there was no sight nor nor sound of the Ring Necked Parakeet today.  From there went for a look at the other part of the lake especially to see what was with the gulls on the rail there, when we got there there was hardly a gull to be seen apart from a few Herring Gulls and Black Headed Gulls in the far corner. 

Where the children feed the ducks we had a check of the few Coots' feet to see if we could see any rings bit all the ones we were able to get a look at were blingless today. As you walk up to the rail at the water's edge a hopeful flotilla swims towards you and the waiting vultures (aka Feral Pigeons) swoop down expectantly from the boathouse roof. Among the Coots and Mallards were a few Tufted Ducks, which although shyer than the others still come quite close if you don't move too much or too quickly.

We were in no position to move quickly or move much at all being at severe risk of being goosed by this ferocious scary beast that snuck up behind us.

Yet another quality safari and many thanks to C for the lift and the company.

We got to the nature reserve again this morning and bunked in on the hedgelaying crew, it;s still early days and clearing out was order of the day rather than swinging the axe and laying any 'pleachers'; we have to admit we got a little impatient and snuck one in, right at the 'wrong' end of the hedge. No wildlife was spotted other than a nice flock of Long Tailed Tits working their way through what's left of the twiggery.

Where to next? There's a conservation day at one of the top quality local 'Flagship' ponds tomorrow.

In the meantime let us know who's snoozing in your outback.