Winter visit to Stockers Lake

A sunny but cold started off well from the car park with at least 4 Red-crested Pochard on Bury Lake with Wigeon, Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Great-crested Grebe and Little Grebe all seen before the walk had started!!

Feeding Red-crested Pochard

Then walked around the first lake where there where plenty of thrushes mainly Redwings and a few Song Thushes singing along with a lone Mistle Thrush with a few Wrens singing from the reeds beds.
We got to the main waterfowl viewing point where we had more great views of Red-crested Pochards and displaying Goldeneye with up to five together and a Kingfisher flew past before getting chased upstream by another one. Plenty of Waterfowl on the water with lots of Wigeon, Pochard, Shoveler, Gadwall and Mallard but surprsing only two were found.

Displaying Goldeneye

Then walked around wet woodland which was very productive with a big flock of Siskins found and a very active Treecreeper. We then walked around the edge of the lake where we found a super male Blackcap and Goldcrest in with the flock of Long-tailed Tits before witness the sight of a Cormorant trying to eat a pike which was a sight to be seen but in the end the Cormorant gave up because the fish was just too big.

Male Blackcap

Cormorant trying to eat a pike

Then walked up to Stockers Farm where there was lots of House Sparows and Thrushes around the flooded field with lots of Redwing and a few Fieldfare while overhead a few Red Kite drifted over. Ended the walk along the River Colne where a Water Rail was heard and Great Tits were already calling for a mate.