ICE STATION DRAYCOTE.

On Wednesday morning I went over to Draycote Water which as most people know can be as cold as Siberia in the Winter.So why did I go there then ? I wanted to get some shots of the Great Northern Diver that had been seen off the Farborough Bank the last few days.

Parked up at just after 10.00 AM and reluctantly paid the £2.50 car park fee.Put on loads of layers to keep out the cold and climbed up to the Farborough Bank path.Two things immediately depressed me the first was that it was pretty misty and the second one was I could see no birders along the pathway.Oh Dear !! Had it gone ??

Only a few metres short of the spit I spotted the GND through the mist not that far from the shore.Thank God it was still here !!! I followed it for the next 90 minutes it favoured a stretch of water 200m either side of the spit.Pics were poor to start with but quite soon it brightened up and I did OK.

Just before lunch It came in a bit closer to check out my photo skills and I'm damn sure it wasn't that impressed because it appeared to be laughing at me.

Went back to the car for lunch and as I was eating a very nice chicken roll I noticed a few Winter Thrushes in the trees at the far end of the car park.I carefully drove a bit nearer and managed my best shots so far this year of these chaps.

I went to the new cafe to check it out for the first time and get a cup of tea.It was very busy with many visitors enjoying an Xmas lunch.It was also very warm in there so I thought I'd better shed some layers but the zip of the second layer down a thick fleece jammed solid and would not budge.I drank my tea quickly because I was sweating bucket loads.

The only other bird I took shots of was a female Goosander.I didn't see the Long Tailed Duck.At 2.00 PM the fog was forming up again so I headed home.