It was looking like ending up a very disappointing week, but today Earlswood came to the rescue. Although there has been a Water Rail lurking near the stump feeder at the southern end of Terry's Pool for some time, my visit was inspired by a pair of Egyptian Geese reported by John Chidwick to be standing on one of the rafts on Engine Pool.
I arrived in time to see them. Although this is a naturalised species, its appearance locally, though annual, is usually brief. Earlswood seems to be the hotspot, and there had been one here in the first half of the year. However, that had been seen at dusk and was gone the next day, so this was my first chance of 2025.
It was tempting to sex the grey one as female and the browner one as male, but from reading up on them it seems that variability is typical and not necessarily an indication of gender. It does seem likely that they were a pair anyway.
Since my last visit about a month ago the lakes have filled up with water and there is no longer any semblance of a muddy edge. The Tufted Duck flock has burgeoned to 30 birds, there were three Goosanders, and I counted 14 Snipe on the raft with the Egyptian Geese.
I gave the Water Rail fifteen minutes, but it didn't appear. Meanwhile the Egyptian Geese flew off towards Windmill Pool and may have left altogether.
Earlier this week my wandering took me to Upper Bentley, 36 species and no highlights, and on Thursday to Hob Hill, 25 species with no special birds but a nice view towards Beoley.
