30th November

There were 2 Common Sandpipers wintering on the River Severn at Leighton in the glorious sunshine during the morning along with a pair of Mandarin and 30 Goosanders.   A look at Venus Pool in the afternoon then produced good views of the long staying drake Green-winged Teal (a Venus Pool and Shropshire tick!) together with good numbers of wildfowl crowded round the small area of unfrozen water including 365 Teal (a record count for me here), 52 Shoveler, 40 Wigeon, 50 Mallard, 3 Shelduck and a single drake Pintail.

Record shots of the Green-winged Teal; it never came very close

Pintail

Shelduck

Another Windermere ringed Canada Goose was also present