No joy in the cemetery..........

After yesterday's fiasco at the "Titchfield Haven Nature Reserve", i thought i'd spend a few hours tucked away in a quiet corner of the local cemetery.

I've read and heard by word of mouth how full of wild life, established cemetries can be. There are two part to our local cemetery, the older of the two has grave stones dating back the early 1600's, while the newer part only dates back to the early 1900's.

Of the two halves, the older half is full of mature trees and bushes of various sizes.

So i took my little stool and found myself a spot tucked away in some bushes, ahead of me was a light airy clearing which had about a dozen head stones, all standing at different angles, it's clearly been years and years since any maintenance has been undertaken in this part of the cemetery.

As with yesterday, i could here the birds all around me in the trees and bushes, but there were also lots of cats walking and stalking about the place.........!!

So despite putting out lots of seed, peanuts and sunflower seed, after three hours i'd seen, a Robin, a pair of tits, lots of wood pidgeons, about twenty blackbirds, and heavens knows how many crows and seagulls. But the only creatures i was able to get any amount of focus on were the local cats........!!

On my way home i stopped off at Brockhurst Moat. Result. The Heron was stood on top of the wall. All i had to do was wait until he decide to swoop away and that would be today's blip.........three quarters of an hour later and the bugger was still stood in the same spot.........

I'm thinking that my time in the cemetery and waiting for the Heron to launch were all part of a greater plan, for there in the corner of my left eye were these beauties.......!!

I'd never seen any of these ducks before, could they be a rarity........??

Evidently not, Aythya fuligula, more commonly known as the "Tufted Duck" can be seen across most of Northern Europe.........

Larger Tufts on Larger Ducks............

It may be common, but it's my first sighting, and today it was my "Blipping Saviour".........

"Long live the Tufted Duck"........!!!

j.