The first unusual duck sighting of December was a male red-crested pochard on the 19^th. The first wigeon (below) of winter was seen on the 20^th, a female which only stayed briefly. The first shelduck of winter was a male which first visited on 22^nd, and became a regular fixture for the rest of the month.

Probably the most unusual duck of the month was a hybrid mallard x common pochard (below) which was seen on the 31^st, the same bird had been seen at Walthamstow Wetlands in November. Some duck hybrid combinations are more common than others, with intergeneric hybrids such as this being at the scarce end.

The only unusual gull seen in December was an adult yellow-legged gull on the 16^th, but amongst the more common gulls, there were a couple of very familiar birds. A colour-ringed adult black-headed gull (below) with the tag 2PNK was very regular here in December, and this was the seventh consecutive winter the bird has been seen here. Another black-headed gull with a yellow ring bearing the code 2KXP also visited for the sixth consecutive winter. 2KXP has never been reported from outside the UK but 2PNK has been reported in Sweden several times during the breeding season.  

High mute swan numbers have been a feature of the end of 2021 and they peaked at 25 birds on the reservoir, though this number did tail off by the end of the year. Snipe numbers have been low this winter with a maximum of three being seen, and water rail activity has been less than usual.

Both thrushes and finches have been plentiful through the month, with multiple song thrushes singing here every day and redwings beings frequent along the woodland trail. Mistle thrush and fieldfare have also been seen. The feeders along the woodland trail have been popular with greenfinch and chaffinch.

The total number of bird species seen here in December 2021 was 60, equalling exactly the average figure for the previous five Decembers.