A visit to Draycote Water.

I've not been able to post any reports for a few days now but not because of the weather which has been a bit grim but because of an electrical problem at home.

Got up Tuesday morning to find there was no heating and no hot water.My sharp brain realised straight away the boiler had packed in which was excellent timing as the annual service was due that afternoon.Using my electrical skills (none) I soon found out a fuse had blown so no power was getting to the boiler.

Once I'd located which fuse had blown I replace the fuse wire (yes it's an old system) and switched the mains on only to be greeted with a loud BANG.Oh Dear!!! I cancelled the boiler service and arranged for a local electrical firm to have a look at the problem.I picked a local firm because they would not be expensive (how stupid can you be).

It turned out to be a wall socket in the garage was shorting out.It took the engineer 30 minutes to isolate the socket and make everything safe but it cost me £85 + VAT. Ouch!!!!! He also said the system was old and needed an update to make it safe.I won't tell you how much the quote I've had is as you might start crying.

All these problems prevented me going to Norfolk where I'd planned to join up with Steve Seal and Pete Walkden.There have been some cracking birds there this week and I bet they've got some great shots out but I see that the weather has been a bit grim there.

So on Thursday morning I was pleased to go out in nice weather with the camera.I'd chosen to go to Draycote Water as a Lesser Scaup had been seen recently.Headed straight to the outfall where I met up with Richard Mays and Bob Hazell who told me the Scaup was off the end of the jetty.

It was a bit distant and must have been very hungry because it spent a lot of time diving and when it finally came in a little closer it was sleeping.Here are a few shots.

The only other birds I saw where 4 Ringed Plovers but apparently there was a Ruff,a Dunlin and a Pintail around as well.