Linacre - Two Visits

 Over the last week, I've had a couple of visits to Linacre (last Sunday and this morning). 

Last week's visit was in the afternoon, when it was 20 degrees, with sunny spells. I managed to see a few insects, including one Small White, which may be the last one of the year, two Tachinid flies, Syrphus sp hoverflies and a few Common Carder Bees. Other highlights included 10+ Pied Wagtails by the main entrance, 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (2 adults and 1 juvenile), 7 Cormorants, 3 Coots, 2 Teal, 2 Great-crested Grebes and, best of all, a breeding plumaged Little Grebe (the first since March).

Little Grebe

Today's visit (7.30am to 9.30am) was also sunny, but just 13 degrees, and felt very autumn-like, with my first Linacre Pink-footed Geese of 2026. Two skeins were heard, but just 1 (of 68 birds) seen, heading east.

Pink-footed Geese

Other birds seen were: Buzzard (1 on the fence posts, by the main entrance), Raven (1 over the Top Reservoir), Skylark (heard going over), Chiffchaff (at least two, in the willows, by the Top Reservoir), Woodpigeon (c.100 flew out of the trees),  Mallard (70), Tufted Duck (14), Mandarin Duck (8), Teal (3; 1 male and 2 females), Coot (3), Moorhen (6), Cormorant (9), Grey Wagtail (3), Pied Wagtail (c6, by the main entrance), Great-crested Grebe (2 on the Middle Reservoir) and, best of all, a flock of 14 Canada Geese on the Middle Reservoir- the highest count since August 2024!)

Canada Geese

Mandarin Duck

Buzzard