The Water Birds of Blenheim Palace Lake

We had a days fishing out on a punt on Blenheim Palace Lake and saw plenty of water loving birds there on our perambulations around in search of some very hard to find fish. A large contingent of resident cormorants was a spooky sight having all but stripped their chosen perch clean of leaf and twig.

There were plenty of them seen at range, perhaps fifty or more but they scare easily and when we got within shooting distance many had fled and by the time we were under the tree most were gone  leaving just the more ballsy individuals to eye us warily as we passed them by...

This single black swan was a highlight. An aggresive cob who strutted by feathers fluffed up in display giving out his weird singing warning and telling us interlopers in boats in no uncertain terms that this was his territory and beware!

There were no other swans of any species on the lake and I don't remember much in the way of ducks either, but then again the mind just ignores mallards as part of all watery scenery in britain. There were moorhens of course, no coots and quite a few herons - a much larger population than I'd have thought though I don't know if they nest in the area.

We witnessed a fast flying kingfisher buzz across the whole width of the lake in what seemed like just a few seconds but by far the most entertaining birds seen were the great crested grebes who were working ceaselessly to feed their young. Efficient anglers they are catching one after the other tiny perch and hardly ever coming up from a dive empty beaked.

As night fell a vast flock of large gulls flew in from the north and occupied at least an acre of water just under the cormorant roost. It was many hundreds strong if not the full thousand. When we eventually sculled back to the boathouse they all as one flew up into the sky and disappeared, presumably to return once the coast was all clear. They had been far too far away to identify unfortunately but whatever they were they were certainly not uncommon!