For the second day in a row, I was lacking motivation to get up and out somewhere, though I also didn't want to stay at home all day. I decided that I should head out for a walk locally with no particular route or targets in mind. I would just see where I ended up and see what I could. If I managed a few photos then all the better.
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| Mute Swan |
It was around 1310 before I headed out. Herring Gulls, Feral Pigeons and Carrion Crow were first onto the list, with a Woodpigeon next. House Sparrows chirped from a hedge. A Blackbird flew low across the road and into a garden. A pair of Jackdaws flew over the street ahead of me. I headed along Mains Terrace but things were rather quiet though a Greenfinch display flight gave a new species for the day. I headed next to Swannie Ponds.
Things were also rather quiet at the pods with not as many gulls around. Quite possibly some have already moved on to breeding sites elsewhere. The usual Mallards, Tufted Ducks and Mute Swans mingled with Herring Gulls, Black Headed Gulls and a few Lesser Black Backed Gulls. There was also a single female Goosander still around. A single Moorhen wandered around on the small boating ramp before sliding into the water and heading back towards the island. I looked for ringed birds among the gulls and eventually found green JN69, 1 of the Norwegian Black Headed Gulls.
With things quiet at the ponds I decided to head for City Quay and after a bit of a sprint I managed to catch a bus into town. I walked the short distance to the harbour area expecting to find Dave the Diver in his fairly usual location near the north-west corner but there was no sign. There were very few birds around, though the area by the dry dock had a few Woodpigeons, an Oystercatcher and some Herring Gulls. The gulls quite possibly already establishing territories. There were no birds in the outer section of the quay either. No Dave.
There have been a few times when others have looked for Dave at City Quay and drawn a blank and there have been also days when I've only had brief views of him on the surface and then lost sight of him and not seen him again. This seemed different somehow. I walked back along to the bridge across the quay to scan from there again. Still nothing to see. I checked along the channel linking the two parts. No birds. Back I went to the outer section again, but there were no birds there either. The lock gates had obviously been repaired as Marigot was moored beside the lightship. There certainly was no sign anywhere of Dave.
Either he had found his way out into the river and kept going, either through choice or via the currents and tides, or his injury or illness had contributed to an unseen demise. Even if the former was the case, the likelihood for longer term survival appears slim at best, with his inability to fly and any period of bad weather likely to mean that he would end up severely weakened. Not good.
Rather deflated with that thought I checked the river for birds but found only a few Cormorants around Submarine Rock as well as a few Oystercatchers. I walked up into the city centre finding a Blue Tit outside St Paul's Cathedral. After a wee check of a few places for some 'new' books I headed for home, adding a few flyover Goldfinches as I neared home.
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| Goosander |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Mute Swan |
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| Mute Swan |
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| Black Headed Gulls |
Only 19 species seen - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Cormorant, Goldfinch, Goosander, Greenfinch, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Feral Pigeon, Tufted Duck,Woodpigeon.
