I managed to get out on Easter Sunday and headed to Bodenham Lake nature reserve (halfway between Hereford and Leominster). Redwings, Fieldfares, Redpolls, Siskins and a yaffling Green Woodpecker initially brightened things up on this freezing cold and dull day. I set off insearch of Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and failed so scoped the ducks on the lake counting 10 Goldeneye, c.30 Teal and 52 Eurasian Wigeon. I noticed an odd looking female Wigeon floating about in the flock, I only had distant views and managed some record shots of what I'm convinced was a female American Wigeon - I shall probably not submit a description seeing as I didn't see its greater coverts of axillaries for clinching the ID, but I'm happy it was one and Phil Whittaker, another visiting birder, also saw the bird a couple of times.
Female American Wigeon, Bodenham Lake Nature Reserve, Herefordshire. 31/03/13.
Female American Wigeon (left) and female Eurasian Wigeon (right), Bodenham Lake Nature Reserve, Herefordshire. 31/03/13.
Anyway, I had to get back to Hereford for Easter Sunday lunch and left the bird. I came back later and had more poor views. I bumped into Paul Downes (he of CCC fame....) and we had another look before heading off to Wellington gravel pits. At Wellington we had good views of the drake Lesser Scaup Paul had found a couple of weeks earlier and also managed to see two drake and a duck Garganey hiding on one of the 'hidden' pits (I'd managed to see both these species late of Good Friday too). Otherwise things were quite with just a couple of Chiffchaffs representing spring migrants, although 74 Shovelers was a good count.
Drake Lesser Scaup, Wellington Gravel Pits, Herefordshire. 31/03/13.
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