Ideal conditions greeted the twenty one members who assembled at Riverside Park for the first New Year Day walk in two years. Robins were in full voice and blue tits buzzed around the car park. A red kite swooped low overhead displaying its resplendent plumage. From a vantage point we could see across the river that small flocks of teal and lapwings were swimming on the flood. Blackbirds were active in the bushes as we made our way towards the lake. There the water was high and initially only gulls and tufted ducks could be seen. Closer to the island mallards and cormorants appeared and a pair of great crested grebes roosted on the water. Our approach to the marsh pool was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a buzzard being mobbed by crows; we were to have subsequent views of the bird perched close to us. On the marsh were some Canada geese and two Egyptian geese in the company of several shovelers. A kestrel hovered briefly as we crossed the reedbed on the boardwalk and back at the lake several common gulls had joined the flock. After an uneventful return to our starting point we paid a quick visit to Bower Lock and spotted a few long-tailed tits, a nuthatch and a pair of mute swans. An enjoyable walk produced a species list of 31.