Missing diver.

Hit Llandegfedd Reservoir this afternoon to sample the Great Northern Diver but neither a visit to the dam or walk around Green Pool and the Island was enough to locate it. Ironically, was told by a couple of visiting birders that the bird was present earlier in the day, never mind got some good views of nine Goldeneye in flight. Other noteworthy birds included Goosander, Kingfisher and fly over Skylark.

Now credit where credit is due Welsh Water staff both past and present deserve a pat on the back for the amount of proactive conservation work undertaken at Llandegfedd. From Sand Martin banks to Osprey poles to grassland management and winter bird feeding they really have sought to bring some diversity to the reservoir. But two inititives stand out. Firstly, three cheers for the retention of standing deadwood. So important for so many ecological reasons dead trees are all too often seen as a health and saftey risk and felled without question. Secondly, not a web cam in the grass but a tennis ball on a stick! Yes, this unlikely combination is for the benefit of Harvest Mouse. Not a mammal i've ever seen but survey work a few years ago confirmed their presence at the reservoir. The hole in the tennis ball is an indication of just how small the little critter is.