Monday 13th. February 2012

Having been in all day yesterday , I was none too pleased when I looked outside this morning to find mist shrouding everything . Regardless , when ready , I dropped Carol in the town and headed off to Sevenoaks Reserve . 3C was showing on the car thermometer , but I must admit . it didn't feel like it . A quick look from Grebe Hide , showed the West lake completely freozen over . A first scan from the viewpoint just beyond the car park , showed the East Lake almost the same , but with a small area of open water beyond the Public Hide . I knew that Snipe Bog Lake would be frozen over , so decided to head for the open water , rather than to Willow Hide , as is my usual first stop . As I made my way gingerly along the very slippery path , a Moorhen below in the marshy area caught my eye , the caught a glimpse of a Water Rail scrambling to hide amongst the fallen trees . As I tried to get another view of the Water Rail , a Woodcock flew off from the ground and in seconds was gone . Not only was the Water Rail my first sighting here this winter , but the Woodcock was a first ever on site for me . Reaching the Public Hide , the open water began some 15 metres beyond the end of the hide , and had attracted just about every one of the more common duck species  on the site , along with the usual Black-headed and Common Gulls , mostly engaged in their ablutions , but no sign of

any Goosanders . Way out in the middle of the lake 'life and death' was being played out , with two Carrion Crows picking over the carcass of what looked like an unfortunate goose . The open water extended into the bay behind the trees towards Tower Hide , so I made my way there . More of the common ducks , Little and Great Crested Grebes were diving for food around the margins and a few

Canada and the strange white Goose were also found . The walk to Tower and Slingsby Hides was uneventful , apart from several Wrens and the constant chatter of Siskins , high in the Alders .From Tower Hide , all viewable water was frozen and the only movement was a Rabbit trying to find

something that wasn't frozen solid to eat . The sentry at Slingsby Hide seems to have got a mate , so watch this space . I decided to head for Willow Hide , knowing in my mind that there would be nothing there , and there wasn't . Along the River Darenth , I found 3 Grey Herons , 2 saw me at the

same time as I saw them , but I just managed to get the drop on the third one , nearly . Back on the main path , the sound of geese arriving from over the visitor centre , had me watching to see where they would land , but aftter one lap of the East Lake , they seemed to decide on the fields beyond Long Lake . But , just as the tail enders disappeared from view , three birds flew in , and settled straight away on the open water that I had left 20 minutes ago . Trying to walk fast on the frozen paths was interesting , but I made it back to the Public Hide in one piece . Looking out onto the

water , nothing had changed , apart from an assembly of Coot , just on the brow of the slope down to the water . No sign of the thre birds that had flown in , so I headed back to the bay , out of sight from the hide , and after carelully doing a bit of 'Ray Mears' , managed to get behind a tree , and there

were a drake and a redhead Goosander . The other redhead was about too , and things were going fine , until another birder watched straight out into the open , and all three took flight . They kept low , so , hoping that they would land in front of the hide , I hot footed it back , where I found another couple of birder/photographers , with lenes that made mine look like a toy . 'Did they land ?' I asked . ' No , they flew one around the whole lake , and landed back behind the trees , where I had just come from . Back I headed , and this time , with a bit more 'Ray Mears' , found the three of them

hauled out on the ice . There was I happily taking shots , when the first birder returns from the direction of Tower Hide , and all three Goosanders moved off again , this time on the water , towards the Public Hide . Back I head to the hide , only to find the Goosanders are now diving under the ice , about level with the overhanging trees . Whilst waiting for their next move , a Common Snipe flies from below the hide to the first small island , and staright away gets amongst the vegetation . The other two birders and I comment that they never come out completely into the open . A little while

later , the Snipe steps out onto the ice , and starts walking back to where it had flown from

originally . It covered the 10 metres or so at a leisurly pace , disappearing from view behind the raised ground . That's the last time I comment on Snipe behaviour . A group then arrived at the hide and were keen to see the Goosanders , but they stayed their distance . I decided to go back to the

bay , and once again managed to get a few shots . I had to be home by lunchtime as I had an appiontment this afternoon , but heading towards the car park , I just had to have one last look from

the hide , and was presented with the drake almost as close as the ice would allow , but only very briefly before he swam down to the other end again . I know I was lucky to get what I did , but , if

only the sun had been out . The same goes for the Siskin shot taken on the way back to the car . The good news though , a noticeable thaw was under way .