Day at the Quays!

There have been regular reports of a Long Tailed Duck at Surrey Quays. The Quays are a part of the Surrey Vice County recording area hence the visit. The origins of this bird were unknown with reports it had taken bread on occasion. Throughout the week I have been monitoring the rbnUK messages and the Surrey Bird Club website run by Dave Harris. The bird had been reported Friday so with the weekend in sight I decided to use my railcard and take a jaunt up there to see the bird for myself.

Three trains and 50 minutes later I was stepping out of Canada Water overground station to view Surrey Quays shopping centre and a small area of water which held quite a few ducks and other regular species.

(Great Cormorant)

Two carp anglers were set up at the bottom of a small ramp so the fish stakes must be healthy here which explained the presence of the Cormorant and the Grey Heron.

(Grey Heron)

House Martin were hawking insects over the water and Reed Warbler were heard and seen in the small patches of reeds. A small platform held Egyptian Goose.

(Egyptian Goose)

Oh if you hadn’t guessed there was no sign of the Long Tailed Duck but I was still keen to look around this new location to my birding travels. I grabbed lunch from Tesco’s and walked through a small underpass which led me to larger quay which hosted sailing and canoeing and some resourceful breeding Coot and Great Crested Grebe. Sand Martin had also occupied a pipe just above water level. Not bad I thought for a site surrounded by concrete buildings!

(Great Crested Grebe)

The weather by now was looking grim so I made my way back to the station and just as I got back to Surrey Quay the British weather did not disappoint with the heavens opening!

Rain is forecast tomorrow!