Is there a better place for Tufted Ducks in the whole of Dorset? Today there were six broods of young to very young Tufted Ducks on Longham Reservoir South, numbering c10, 11, 7, 11, 16 and 6. That’s a total of 61 chicks, beating last year’s total of 54. There were also some early broods, so productivity is sky-high at this site.
All in all it was a good duck day, with some broods of Mallards, 3 well grown young Shelduck and the juvenile Mandarin. Post-breeding birds that are here to moult included 2 Pochard, a Teal and 2 Shoveler.
Soon there should be some more waders, with today’s 3 Common Sandpiper and 5 Lapwing a sign, I hope, of what is to come.
