Gosforth Park....Binless !!!

Last week I paid a visit to Gosforth Park, when I arrived at the feeding station  I automatically reached for my bins to find I had obviously left them on the hall table , how the hell I can come out without them  is beyond me as even if  I'm not going birding I will still put them in the car, so I had two cameras monopod and clamp,Scope  flask and sarnies and had to resort to using my 400 lens to check stuff out. Well I was out so make the most of it and I walked around the entire reserve then back to the hide, most bird life was on the south side where I also encountered a Roe Buck crossing the field, got into the hide set the scope up and had a look through the wildfowl which was mainly Wigeon, Teal, Gadwall, 2 Mute Swans ,2 Canada Geese I'm not a fan of Canadas the feral population has grown enormously over the years this must have an impact on other water birds. Well birding without bins is a complete waste of time how those guys go around Prestwick etc: with just a camera is beyond me , I headed back to the feeding station which is starting to run down as many birds have paired off and looking for nest sites so I headed off home where sure enough my bins lying just where I had left them...!!

Roe Buck with the nearby housing estate in the background he is in a hurry to get over to the woods

...........and he seems rather excited !

 A few Wigeon came near the hide so you have to take advantage of such opportunities as they soon moved much further off

 A very common wildfowl but nevertheless a nice bird either in flocks or individuals

 Male Wigeon

Filtering out food through his bill