And The Lord said: "Let there be floods"

And lo, the River Thame burst it's banks. Only a tiny bit, but enough to attract some wildfowl...

A perfect end to 2010, I step outside my front door and am greeted by a new species for the area (the 99th to date), a calling Nuthatch. The northern fields are devoid of interest, with most of the snow gone:

Badger tracks:

But things pick up out east in the Thame valley: a Marsh Tit in a mobile flock of Long-tailed and Blue Tits is the first record away from the woods and then I notice the small flood. It's only viewable by clambering down a steep wooded slope but even at a distance it is clear there are duck out there: first a small group of Wigeon and then right at the back a real surprise:

A pair of Gadwall! Another new species for the area, the second new species today! It is also the 100th species I have seen in the Cuddesdon area and the 91st for 2010 (which is one species more than I recorded in 2009 ... which goes to show how little variation there is in bird species in these parts).  A great end to the year though.