I know its a bit late but I have got behind with all the comings & goings of this month. The last month of this already memorable 2013 year has been extraordinary and was to end on a real high for us all. It all started with the finding of a possible Baikal Teal near Marshside, Southport, Lancashire. The presence of a hybrid type Teal/Wigeon duck put a few of going, but myself and Bob K had a quick dash to the area. About 100 fellow birders assembled along a banking and watched a drake Baikal Teal in amongst a mass of Wigeon and Teal. It was fully winged and un-ringed. A really attractive bird and certainly not coming to bread! A Bewicks Swan flew over the area and a large flock of Pink Footed Geese landed close by and began feeding. Could it be a wild bird? During the next week the North of England was subjected to some pretty severe gales and flooding but the Baikal Teal was still present. So, myself Chris B and Steve K went for another look on the 7th December. A really nice winters day birding and after a fairly long wait the Baikal Teal was seen from the main road. We had to rescue Steve K from a local breakfast haunt before the first sausage bit the dust! Great views of the bird in winter sunshine,what a cracking bird. Its now up to the birding gods to decide if its a real bird (just how do they do it?) The search for a Rosss Goose at Marshside only revealed a farmyard type bird the Rosss had disappeared for a couple of days we were told. Walked full length of the RSPB Marshside reserve and enjoyed lots of birds.
