A Walk At Talley Lakes

Talley Upper Lake from the hide

 

Talley Lakes is just ten minutes or so from my house and is a Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales Nature Reserve.  The lakes are probably made by man and maybe the monks from the nearby Abbey ruins.  There is a pleasant walk through a lovely old churchyard and then along the western shores of the Lower Lake to the a hide in woodland overlooking the Upper Lake.  Today in more glorious weather I managed a very pleasant time.  There are always wildfowl and that made up most of my observations.

Talley Lower Lake

On the Lower Lake there we 15 Tufted Duck and 7 Goldeneye.  There were two males in the latter group and they were displaying by throwing their heads backwards.  There were also 9 noisy Greylag Geese and a couple of Mallard.  Overhead two Buzzards soared over a nearby larch wood.

Captive Great Scaup male photographed at Slimbridge

I soon made my way to the hide and must say I was very impressed by the new padded seats.  More Tufted Duck this time 20 but with a splendid male Great Scaup which I have only seen here once or twice before.  About 20 Teal kept to the reedy areas and a Little Grebe sailed into view calling loudly.  A pleasant walk and the Scaup a new bird for the year.