Teal

Winter is a time when migratory birds grace the UK with their presence. If these Teal spoke, their native language would be Russian or German, or some other northern European tongue. Fewer than 2,800 pairs of Teal are resident in the UK. This population increases to 220,000 during the winter months.

I love the compact size of this bird and its colouring and markings. The dark green eye stripe is bordered by what appears to be white eyeliner that defines the border of the colour from the rest of the chestnut brown head. At the tail end there is a lovely, muted yellow patch on its side.

We saw these on our recent visit to Stanpit Marsh and I know I have shown you the image below already, but I love the synchronicity of these two birds as they come into land on the water. The extended wings also have a patch of that beautiful dark green.

Saturday redeemed

Miggy, the cat, unimpressed with the flooded garden

It really did not look promising. The back garden was under water and the rain did not look like it was going to stop, ever. A pyjama day with the TV remote in one hand and a snack in the other was the most likely scenario. But, the forecast offered a glimmer of hope. Filled more with hope than confidence in the met office prediction my son and I headed out on a 20 minute drive to Stanpit Marsh.

We arrived and the rain stopped! A lot more of the nature reserve was under water than usual. It was difficult to see where the land finished and Christchurch harbour started. The light was both fascinating and challenging. There was cloud cover one moment followed by bright sunshine casting long shadows. Every photo needed a different set up and we were fighting with the controls all afternoon.

We were rewarded with a joyous two and a half hours of exploring the accessible parts of the reserve. We saw waders, egrets, herons, ducks, geese, pipits, wagtails, sparrowhawks, kestrels. It was noticeable too, I don’t think I imagined it, that the birds were noisier than usual.

Back at the car park we compared sightings with another birdwatcher. He used binoculars rather than a camera and was enthusiastic to hear what we had seen. He had seen a hen harrier, which we missed. We had both heard reports of a glossy ibis on the reserve, but neither of us got a sighting this time.

Satisfied, we got back in the car and headed home. We got as far as the first roundabout a few hundred yards and I had to turn on the windscreen wipers as the heavens opened again.

Pintail takeoff against a backdrop of redundant beach huts

Sparrowhawk causing panic among the smaller birds

Curlew landing – a very distinctive call

Male Kestrel – competing with the Sparrowhawk

Oystercatchers walking (do these birds fly?)

Oystercatchers flying (oh yes, they do – always together)

The Teal

Although fewer than 2,800 Teal nest in the UK, it is estimated this population increases to 220,000 in the winter due to migration. We saw these birds at Stanpit Marsh this afternoon, just north of Christchurch, UK, where the rivers Stour and Avon feed into Christchurch Harbour. These ducks are a little smaller than the Mallard. The male has a chestnut brown head, green eye-patch and yellow patch on the side of its black tail. The female is slightly duller.