Great Northern Diver, Thurlby Pit

Grahame Hopwood · **Posted:** Sat Dec 03, 2011 6:55 pm

Just got home from work to find an email from Mick Paine who found a juv Great Northern Diver today on Thurlby Pit.

This has got to be the recent Girton (Notts') bird unless anyone can tell me different!

Cheers

Grahame

David Jenkins · **Joined:** Wed Oct 25, 2006 7:13 am **Posts:** 240

Still there today 4th Dec.... Very close in right in the bay by the usual 5 bar gate entrance.
Also 2 Green Sands and 7 Red C Pochards ( 4 male )

David

Mark Paver · **Posted:** Sun Dec 04, 2011 2:20 pm

A long search this morning finally located the Great Northern Diver, very illusive but finally showed for about 2 minutes offering great views in the far left corner, then disappeared not to be seen again. Suggest it probuly dived and surfaced in the bright sun.

Birds seen today
Large Lake

1 Great Northern Diver
1 Juv Whooper Swan
4 Mute Swan
2 RC Pochard
1 Green Sandpiper
6 Little Grebe (Black Necked not seen today)
At least 12 Goldeneye
12 Great Crested Grebe
11 Canada Geese
plus usual other ducks etc.
Other birds around include a flock of 20 plus Redwing, 7 Bullfinch,1 Kestral.

Small Lake
6 RC Pochard
2 Mute Swan
Lots of other usual ducks
Other birds around include a flock of mixed Fieldfare and Redwing.

Was also nice to meet Freddy (hope you manage to fix your tripod).

Mark

Freddy Johnson · **Posted:** Sun Dec 04, 2011 2:46 pm

Hi Mark,
Yes, it was hard work looking for the GN Diver - especially given that I had every bit of a 10-second view in the far left corner ( where it had moved to after David J's earlier views closer to the entrance gate ) before meeting up with you.

I was surprised to find the juvenile Whooper Swan still around on its own......I wonder if it has flight problems ? The 8 adults disappeared 3 weeks or so ago.

The 'Small Lake' (nearer to Norton Disney ) is a great find and the 6 RC Pochard showed very well in the good light, especially the 3 smart drakes. Thanks for showing me the Lake - I'm sure we'll meet up again in the Thurlby area.

Freddy
PS. I'll start on the tripod repair later :roll:

Chris Grimshaw · **Posted:** Mon Dec 05, 2011 5:23 pm

Still there this afternoon; after an hour of looking it suddenly appeared 100 yards in front of me
More a fish than a bird judging from the amount of time it spent under water
Appeared to swin into the corner by the sailing club and by then it was to dark to look further
Also 4 pair of red crested pochard
No sign of last weeks green sandpiper and black necked grebe

Freddy Johnson · **Posted:** Mon Dec 05, 2011 8:44 pm

Chris,
I see your report has gone down as a Black-throated Diver on BirdGuides. :roll:

Freddy

Chris Grimshaw · **Posted:** Mon Dec 05, 2011 8:51 pm

Oops typo - no wonder they sent me an email about it???????
Now corrected

David Morison · **Posted:** Tue Dec 06, 2011 3:32 pm

Couldn't find the GND today but others there may have seen it, such a vast area. 4 Red crested Pochards still on smaller pit.

Plus:

Little Egret 3
Green Sandpiper 1
Redpoll c25
Siskin 5
Bullfinch 8
Fieldfare and Redwing - countless
Pochard c120
Tufted c80
Wigeon c 40
Coot c180

David

Chris Grimshaw · **Posted:** Tue Dec 06, 2011 5:29 pm

The Diver showed fairly well about 15:00 - circularing the lake and then flying across it towards the rowing club corner
4 Green Sandpipers
1 Whooper Swan
Gulls a very impressive number c20,000(?) by dusk but nothing unusual!
Nige Lound and I actually had 9 Bullfinch

The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Great Northern Diver, Thurlby Pit

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