This Great Northern Diver was photographed on West Warwick, the south-westernmost of the WR complex, feeding happily at the southerly end this afternoon. Thanks to Lol Bodini, who found it around midday, I was able to cycle down and make elaborate excuses en route as to why I wasn't somewhere else I was supposed to be.....
Hence it was a frantic, against the clock visit, cycling through the park, across the marshes, speed-walking round East Warwick, almost-crawling through the tunnel over to the West, and (bumping into Paul Whiteman en route), rounding the reservoir to get the light behind us.
With a few minutes at most to spend, thankfully the bird came up pretty close in front of us giving excellent views, and often diving for extended periods.
Unbeknown to us at the time, another familiar local face was also getting good views from the bank opposite - running through the photos a few minutes ago, a certain Clapton Common-dwelling, bagel-stealing Mediterranean Gull (assuming it's the same one, which is more than likely) is peering over innocently in the background. The phrase "thank **** it wasn't a Franklin's" springs immediately to mind.....
