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Stockers Lake

With a brisk clear morning I decided that it was time to get out for a little birding after all the rain so a drive down to Rickmansworth was in order. There seemed to be fewer birds on the lake than I would have expected. Plenty of tufties but only one pair of red crested pochard, no common pochard and one or two wigeon although there were a fair number of great crested grebe. A kingfisher was a welcome extra, presumably preferring the lake to the turbid waters of the Colne which was in full spate. Away from the lake birdsong was becoming far more spring like and a wren and a goldcrest were nice suprises.

At home the robins have paired off and I suspect that a wren (or a pair) has settled in the ivy on the side fence. I suspect that it won't be getting the haircut that I had planned to give it a couple of weeks ago if the weather had permitted. The feeders are getting a reasonable amount of activity with goldfinch regular visiters as well as the tits. My stock of fat bars will probably be cleaned out once the starlings hatch.
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