Thursday 28 August 2008

Albinos, Hybrids, everything but a Wryneck!

I was in the Durham area today and thought it would be rude not to check out the wryneck that had been seen at Hetton Lyons Country Park, Hetton-Le-Hole, for the last three days.
I had never even heard about the reserve until tuesday and thinking about it I haven't really explored the Durham areathat much.
As I arrived at the site there were at least ten people scanning the trees in the car park.
I got out and asked what the crack was and found out that the Wryneck had been seen at 7:30 this morning in the car park.
I then found out that the best place to see it was on a track to the left of Stephensons angeling lake.
I spent about two hours on the track and had a breif explore of the other lakes but no sign.
Then I tried the field behind the factorys where it has been seen roosting in a elderberry tree but nothing there either.
On the second smaller lake there were a good number of Coot familys and an Albino Mallard which at first I thought was an Aylesbury but on closer inspection was definetly an albino.
On the third and largest lake there were more Coots, Moorhen, Mallards and BH Gulls as well as a strange Hybrid Duck which looked like a cross between a Mallard a Pintail and a Garganey?
If anybody has any information about this duck then please leave a comment as I am interested to find out what it is.
Also of note were 20+ Goldfinch, 3 Linnet and a Grey Wagtail overhead.
With a Sabine's Gull, Hobby and various waders Holy Island looks like the place to be, its a shame I'm not going until October. Hopefully I'll catch some migrants even a Wryneck.... someday.

No comments: