When I mentioned the Shoveler brood I'd seen at Pannel Valley the other day to Ingrid, she was really eager for us to pay a visit so that she could see babies of her joint-favourite bird. So in the late afternoon and early evening we dropped in to this wonderful little reserve. We quickly found not one
Shoveler brood but three: females with 10, five and four young. The drake
Garganey was showing a little better this time and I was pleased to pick out a female at the back of the scrape.
Little Ringed Plovers,
Avocets and
Mediterranean Gulls were also busy on the scrape and there were several broods of
Gadwall, a group of six
Teal and a couple of
Pochards. One
Cuckoo flew close past us and another sang from one perch for some time.
Cetti's,
Sedge and
Reed Warblers made themselves known and a pair of
Marsh Harriers appeared overhead.
 |
| male Cuckoo |
 |
| female Garganey |
 |
| drake Garganey |
 |
| Shoveler brood |
