200 up! (29/12/11)

My final successful trip of the year (although I did go to the downs south of Oxford on news year eve but found nothing new there) was to Staines Reservoir where I was the only birder.

First up I found the juvenile Shag quite close to the causeway - it was quite actively feeding.  Next I picked up the drake Scaup in amongst the Tufted Ducks but couldn't find the female.

Next up was to try and find the Black-necked Grebes and Great Northern Diver.  I didn't try very hard for the BN Grebes but eventually pinned down the Great Northern Diver feeding on the south west corner of the south basin.

The last good bird of the year was a Water Pipit feeding on the western bank of the northern basin.

I popped over to Dinton Pastures to try and see the Bittern but with no luck.

So I pretty slow year (finishing on 200 species) but some excellent birds even though I didn't try very hard.