A quick spin

Yesterday I took a quick spin around the Park to see if I could add any more and also photograph the lingering Goosanders. Yes to the first question, no to the second - they seem very mobile having been seen on Eagle Pond at Snaresbrook and the Basin in Wanstead Park. I've tried to photograph them four times now and only once have they been there for longer than about a minute and twice they have not been there at all. Instead I papped a Poch.

I also year-ticked Tim, Sean, a Teal and a Grey Wagtail, but only two of those count towards my total. Interest was sustained by two drake Mallard doing their level best to drown each other - a prolonged fight for no apparent reason that I could see, no females anywhere nearby at all. Bread related perhaps?

The scrap went on for ages and this was the least aggressive behaviour I saw - the favoured point to strike seemed to be the back of the neck!

Still lots of Redwing about, not as many Fieldfare, and all the ice from before the weekend has now completely melted, which presumably means the lakes will all go back to being boring once again. My next quest will probably take me to Bush Wood for the annual Treecreeper and Firecrest hunt. The great thing about patch year listing is how different is each year....