With the family I had a beautiful day out in the Lake District yesterday. We parked up at Glenridding at the top of Ullswater and the lads went over Hellvelyn and down to Thirlmere on the other side whilst Fiona and I did a 6 mile walk around the lake. What a walk. I didn't prepare any notes for the walk I just took it as it came but all the geology and ornithology reading came through with understanding the rocks and identifying the birds but my knowledge of the smaller birds wasn't good and there were several species nesting in the Juniper and Gorse bushes . The top of Ullswater has a mini delta and when we scanned the reeds with the binoculars , we saw a diving duck that we couldn't recognize at the distance , around 300m, but we did identify it later. The weather was crystal clear and the low lying pastures rich with vegetation. Trotting along we saw out first buzzard just taking off and going into its circling routine to get height to allow it to find food . Looking up at it 50m away against the backdrop of the crags behind it was thrilling! At our turnback point we were munching the sarneys and spied the same diving duck we saw at the head of Ullswater but it was still to far off to see the details but I did briefly glimpse a hook at the end of the beak so it must have been a Sawbill , which got us very excited but which one ? When we got back to the car we went around to Thirlmere via Ambleside and just as we were coming up to the Thirlmere car park the boys had just come onto the road having descended Hellelyn . Good timing and I knew they would take no more than 4 hours ! Good fit doggies and they were as fresh as collies and keen to go to our next adventure . This was rowing there lazy parents around Derwent Water at Keswick and they grabbed the oars and off we went . A very nice surprise awaited us at the first island because we could see the diving duck we saw at Ullswater but very close and it was a Sawbill and I claimed it was a Goosander in summer plumage . Wrong as I found out when I got home . The pair of Sawbills we were looking at were feeding very close to the bank and speeding underwater in the shallows , you could see their wake on the surface and completely oblivious to our presence . Magic . I knew we would see something interesting further up on the opposite side of the lake so we drove the lads to row us over there as quickly as possible ! In a mini delta area where a stream entered the lake there were two Sawbills roosting on the water and as we approached they went into their feeding routine and we guided the boys to slowly and carefully turn the boat so we got the best view of them with the binoculars . Total magic. Best view of a diving duck I've ever had: about 20 feet away . So. we were running out of time and it was a mile back over the lake so we got the lads really pulling on those oars to get us back and hopefully see some more Sawbills . We did : not feeding but 4 male and 1 female were doing a mating dance the males crooking their necks back and thrusting their beaks in the air and rushing at other males to barge them out of the way. Sort of feathered slam dancing ! Magic! We ate at the Loose Box , the same meal as a week before then home and Star Trek . A wonderful day with my lovely family . We have now established a pattern for the lads to walk together at young mens pace, nice and brisk, and Fo and I doing the geology and nature bit . The Sawbills that we saw were Red Breasted Mergansers. Lovely duck!