Reservoir Logs - April 2022

                Arctic Terns graced the Wetlands at the month's end pic @rudraskh9

     April started very slowly but picked up in the last few days to just about deserve its reputation as the best birding month of the year. The final week saw the first Spotted Redshank since 2017 and first Barn Owl since 2018 with a run of stunning Arctic Terns as well as a Spring Black Tern. 

    Overall, summer visitors at the reservoirs - as in the rest of the country - were late and certainly later  than last year which was notable for an early Spring. Cold northerlies in the UK and rain in southern Europe got the blame for some pretty barren days. But by the end of the month most of the expected species had been seen, if in lower numbers than usual. 

    

                         Whinchat was one of the few species seen in higher numbers pic @AMP

         Passage Whimbrel,  Greenshank, Little & Mediterranean Gull, Willow Warbler, Whinchat, Yellow Wagtail, Lesser Redpoll and Siskin were new for the year as were Common Tern, Swift, House Martin, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat which will all breed at or nearby the Wetlands. April also brought a nice flock of Avocets and a semi-resident Black Redstart. 

   The 20 additions take the year list so far to 113 - seven behind last year's total but ahead of both the 109 in 2020 and 113 in 2019. Among the obvious gaps in the list are Redshank, Great Egret - there had been an incredible four by this time last year - and Red-crested Pochard while Ring Ousel, Nightingale,  Yellowhammer and yet again White Stork were seen just off site.  

            A female Black Redstart took a liking to the south end of Lockwood pic @ AMP

   

    Last year's first attempt by Barnacle Geese to breed at the Wetlands looks likely to be repeated with a pair arriving on the 12th - a month earlier than last year - and again taking up residence on the large No 5 island. They were joined intermittently by up to three more birds with pairs regularly seen flying over Lockwood. March's female Scaup stayed on West Warwick until the 10th, Five Goldeneye remained until 2nd with the final two last seen on the 5th - 14 days earlier than the last wintering bird departed in 2021 but the same date as in 2020. 

           Avocets resting up on Lockwood before resuming the migration  pic @Callahanbirder 

    Waders generally were few in number but, by the end of the month, there had been a nice range of species. The exception on low counts were the five sleeping Avocets seen early on Lockwood on the 11th which looked as if they may have roosted overnight. Lapwing continue to be scarce with the only record on the 13th. After a flurry of records in late March, Little Ring Plover were also less regular with two on the 2nd and singles on the 8th and 16th. 

     Whimbrel feeding happily on the side of Lockwood and High Maynard pic @Chris_Farthing

     April is the month when the first Whimbrel is expected but most don't stop. This year a very tame bird fed on the grassy banks of Lockwood on the 28th just metres from its admirers. The second Dunlin of the year dropped into East Warwick late on the 1st. The wintering Common Sandpiper on No 5 was joined by more migrant birds as the month went on with a peak count of seven across the site on the 29th.  Green Sandpiper numbers also built with singles on 11th and 22nd, two on the 16th and three on 23rd & 24th. 

       A winter-plumaged Dunlin dropped briefly onto East Warwick  pic @Apaturailia15

     Good odds could have been got on Common Redshank being the last 'shank' to be seen at the Wetlands this year but that's what has happened. While there has yet to be a Common Redshank record, JP found the first Spotted Redshank since 2016 on Lockwood on the 29th. When searching for it later, LB instead came across a Greenshank on the same reservoir to show that birds do drop in all the time.  

              The sole Little Gull of the month flew high over Lockwood  pic @CallahanBirder

     April last year was exceptional for terns and gulls with multiple records of both Kittiwake and Little Tern along with flocks of Little Gulls which had become a feature of recent Springs. There was no repeat this month with just a single Little Gull found by DC over Lockwood on the 11th. Two near-adult Mediterranean Gulls which went over calling were a bonus for those watching the Arctic Terns on East Warwick on the 30th.  

            The first Mediterranean Gulls of the year flew over high pic @rudraksh9 

     The first Common Tern was seen passing through on the 13th, nine days later than the first record last year but five days earlier than the year before. But our - hopefully - breeding birds were very regular making the long journey back from southern Africa to return on the 19th, exactly the same day as last year. Numbers built up as the month passed with pairs seemingly interested in both the rafts - complete with decoy terns - on West Warwick and on Lockwood. They included again a bird sporting a ring from the southern Africa scheme.

    Arctic Terns posing for the Wetlands photographers pic @OwlTurbot and below @rudraskh9

     Their noisy displays doubtlessly encouraged Arctic Terns to pause on the northward migration. The first two appeared on East Warwick on the 25th, with singles on the north side on the 28th & 29th before another pair put on a nice display on East Warwick on the 30th. A summer-plumaged Black Tern, found by RT as he was fly-fishing on the 26th, was not so obliging as it evaded all but T & PR.

           Sparrowhawks regularly displayed and hunted over the Wetlands pic @rudraksh9

 

   Red Kites were recorded on five days - one more than last year - with two on the 21st while single Buzzards were seen on six days, three less than in 2021. Sparrowhawks were seen regularly but Peregrines less so as they appear to be nesting closer to Walthamstow town centre this year. 

    Unusually, there was no passage Short-eared Owl this Spring but instead a Barn Owl was seen flying in broad daylight over the north end of Lockwood on the 28th before continuing along the flood relief channel. It is the first record since 2018 although occasional reports from the night security team of owls hunting over Lockwood suggest they may be more regular. 

    Swifts were late with the first only turning up on the 25th - fortunately on the final day of the Wetland's 'guess the arrival date' competition. It was the same date as the first arrived in 2020 but 12 days behind last year. Numbers had hardly reached double figures by the end of the month. 

             Sand Martins remained scarce until the last week of the month pic @rudraksh9                  

    The same story of late arrivals and low numbers was true of  martins and swallows as well. A single House Martin was seen on the 8th, three days later than last year. There was then a big gap until the 21st when three were feeding over their filter beds where they breed. Sand Martins remained very scarce - with some completely blank days - until the last week. Swallows were even more infrequent with just the odd bird feeding over the reservoirs until a rush at the end of the month with 50 on the 28th and 100 seen feeding over West Warwick next day. The second Skylark of the year was seen on the 8th. 

    It was a very poor year for Willow Warbler at the Wetlands. The first was a week later than usual on the 7th and there were only records on four more days with a 'peak' of two on the 9th when usually there is one day at least with nearly double figures singing across the site. Sedge Warblers were also slow to arrive with the first on the 11th, nine days later than last year although there were several singing by next day. The first Reed Warbler was heard on the 12th, again five days later than last year but, by the end of the month, they were chuntering across the site. . 

       Two Lesser Whitethroats were caught before they had actually been seen pic @ AMP

    Arrival dates for both Common and Lesser Whitethroat were also later than last year. The first Common was seen on the 14th, nine days behind last year although they could soon be heard singing in good numbers. An unseen Lesser Whitethroat was heard on the 28th with two birds caught during the opening ringing session of the year on the 30th. . 

         Whinchats were among the most enchanting visitors this month pic @Chris_Farthing

 

   A female Black Redstart was seen on the 24th, 29th & 30th on the north side suggesting it may be hanging around looking for a breeding partner. Whinchat was the one species seen both earlier and in larger numbers than last year. While it was not recorded in 2021 until May, the first this year was found by AMP on the 15th with others on the 21st, 24th and 27th. Wheatears were seen regularly from the 4th with a peak of six on the 13th.  By the end of the month, some showed characteristics of the larger Greenland race. 

                               Wheatears passed through in reasonable numbers pic @rudraksh9

    There was no repeat of last year's exceptional passage of Yellow Wagtails which saw a flock of 15 on one day late in the month. The first record was not until the 23rd, three weeks later than last year and well behind both 2020 and 2019, followed by four on the 28th and 29th and two on the 30th. SJ's sharp hearing added both Siskin and Lesser Redpoll to the year list with single birds going north on the 8th.  

           Yellow Wagtail were later and scarcer than last year pic @porthkillier

DB @porthkillier 

  

 

Reservoir Logs - March 2022 round-up

     

     

               A soaring White-tailed Eagle thrilled all who saw it pic @Chris_Farthing

     The Wetlands' first ever White-tailed Eagle was the stand-out bird of an excellent month which swept aside the doldrums of January and February. The eagle will long live in the memory of those lucky enough to see it but there was also plenty of interest - from first to last - for those not at the reservoirs that day. Among the highlights were multiple Garganey, Black Redstart, Curlew and Scaup  - each more notable than anything which had turned up in the first two months of 2022. 

              Wheatear posing in front of the Engine House pic @HarringayBirder

    March also saw a nice selection of waders including the first Avocet, Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Little Ringed Plover and Black-tailed Godwits of the year. Summer migrants were a little later and slower to arrive than usual but the first Wheatear, Sand Martin and Swallow just about made it through the rain and cold. The month also saw the first Rook and Skylark along with a pair of Mandarin, the first  for 18 months. The 16 additions take the year list so far to 93 -  two behind last year but the same as 2020 and four more than 2019.  

   Garganey graced the Wetlands this month pic (above) @OwlTurbot and @giles_greenwood 

    Mandarin, like Red-crested Pochard, are surprisingly rare at the Wetlands despite being widespread in London. The pair which made a typically brief visit to the north side on the 29th were the first since August 2020. Garganey may be more frequent but they are also much more prized - and wilder. CF found the first three of the year on No 1 on the 22nd with what seems likely to be one of the two drakes staying until the 31st. What was presumably another pair was found on Low Maynard on the 30th. 

        

        Drake pic @porthkillier and female Scaup pic @Chris_Farthing arrived this month  

    It has been a good winter for Scaup in London but it looked as if the Wetlands, a traditional site, might miss out until a one-day drake was found on the 15th. A second bird - a female -  found on the 25th was more obliging and remained into April. Five of the wintering six Goldeneye - just like last year - also stayed to the end of the month while the last Goosander of the winter were a pair on Lockwood on the 12th.  

These two Dunlin made a brief stop on East Warwick pic @TG

    After two poor months for waders, March opened the tap. The first were two short-staying Dunlin on East Warwick found by TG on the 1st. They were followed by two Curlew photographed in flight by SN on the 5th with a third bird being seen on 27th and 28th when, unusually, it landed on the East Warwick island.

    

   Three Curlews in one month is a good showing pics (above) @sjnewton & @Chris_Farthing 

     Oystercatchers are among the Wetland's noisiest visitors and the first pair of the year on the 12th were hard to ignore with another on the 23rd. Avocet has become more regular at the reservoirs in recent years so the single seen flying south on the 14th was not as unexpected as it once was. It is the third year on the run this elegant wader has turned up in March and the third consecutive year it has been been found by LB from his loft overlooking Lockwood. 

 Oystercatchers making a noisy tour of the Wetlands pic @rudraksh9

    The first Little Ringed Plover was found by DC on the 18th, around the average arrival time but well ahead of last year when it did not turn up until early April. There were regular records until the end of the month, usually on Lockwood. Two Black-tailed Godwit high towards the Thames on the 29th was the first time since 2019 the species has made it onto the year list before July. Add in the wintering Common Sandpiper throughout the month with what was perhaps the first migrant on Lockwood on the 26th and Green Sandpiper again on the flood relief channel on the 7th and eight species of waders were seen. 

                        Little Ringed Plover were regular after mid-month pic @AMP

      March is also usually one of the better months for birds of prey and that was certainly the case this year. Red Kites were recorded on the 18th, 20th and 21st and Buzzard on the 12th, 22nd, 24th and 29th while Sparrowhawk and Peregrine could be seen regularly displaying over the Wetlands. But what those searching the skies did not expect to see on the 30th was a White-tailed Eagle drifting high south. 

    The White-tailed Eagle steadily gained height over the Wetlands pic @Chris_Farthing

    So large that it is known affectionately as the flying barndoor. it was first spotted by TR who immediately put the news of a large raptor out. The alert enabled LB to run up to the Engine House balcony and positively identify it as a White-tailed Eagle and CF to take the all-important photographs as it soared higher for its crossing of London. 

    Thanks to its tracking device, it could be identified as a second-year male from the re-introduction scheme on the Isle of Wight which was enjoying a tour of the country. It had travelled 667 km in five days on its way back to the south-coast.  While strictly not countable on the year list as the Isle of Wight population is not yet self-sustaining, it seems churlish to ignore such a big event and bird. 

    White-tailed Eagle flying from Norfolk to Newhaven via the Wetlands maps @RoyDennisWF

  

     

    Rather more humdrum, March lived up to its reputation as a good month for scarcer crows with Jackdaw being recorded on several days and a pair of Rooks seen going north by LB on the 23rd. Skylark is also expected in early Spring with the first on the 18th. 

    Rain over the Mediterranean and later cold northerly winds at Walthamstow probably explains why migration was both late and slow. The first Sand Martins did not arrive until the 13th - ten days later that last year - when four were found by DB & IH with the visiting RSPB North East London group. They remained scarce until April with daily numbers struggling to reach double figures compared to 90 counted on one day last year at the end of the month. The first Swallow scurried across Lockwood on the 29th on exactly the same date as last year but it was the only one seen this month. 

    This grey Chiffchaff's call and song confirmed identity as the Siberian sub-species pic @AMP

    Even these paltry numbers were better than for Willow Warbler with no records for the whole month when the first singing bird usually turns up by April. Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs did arrive and could be heard across the site. The Chiffchaffs included a singing and calling bird of the Siberian form found by CF on the 2nd which confirmed the probable but silent bird in the same area at the end of February.  It was seen and heard irregularly until mid-month. 

      An early female Wheatear oblivious to the happiness she sparked pic @HarringayBirder 

    The arrival of no species is more anticipated than the first Wheatear of the year. This March it was seen on the 22nd - six days ahead of last year when lockdown put much of the reserve out-of-bounds but six days later than in 2020. In keeping with the slow Spring, the only other records were an early female on the 25th and males on the last four days of the month. The Wetlands shared in a good migration of Black Redstarts across London this month with a male seen briefly by T &PR on the 25th and a female on the 28th & 29th.  The wintering pair of Stonechats seemed to have disappeared on the 2nd with a probable migrant seen on the 24th. 

           This female Black Redstart was one of two seen this month pic @Chris_Farthing

    Winter thrushes continued to be in small numbers with 10 Fieldfare on the 5th and 22 Redwing on the 29th among the highest count. One species which got away was a probable Water Pipit on the 11th so the species may now have to wait until the autumn to make it on the year list. 

    Good news is two species which have suffered serious declines in recent decades continue to make a strong recovery. House Sparrows, once restricted to colonies at the extreme north and south of the Wetlands, have now spread so widely they are now making use of the Engine House 'Swift' tower as a new nesting site.  Greenfinches, too, have bounced back and are singing and displaying across the Wetlands.  

                 Fieldfare were seen in small numbers this month pic @rudraksh9

DB @porthkillier 

   

      

Reservoir Logs - February 22 round-up

    

       The unusual sight of a Jackdaw on the ground at the Wetlands pic @sjnewton

    February continued the rather lacklustre start to 2022. It's not a encouraging sign when Jackdaw - even if they are inexplicably uncommon at the Wetlands - is the only photograph of a scarcity for the month. For while February also saw the first Lapwing, Brambling and Barnacle Goose of the year, none stayed long enough to be captured on camera.  

    There were, however, by mid-month plenty of signs of Spring and better days to come with a Mallard nest with eggs, Chiffchaff in song and Lesser black-backed Gulls back at their colony on East Warwick. Black-headed Gulls also seemed to be returning en masses to their favourite raft until Storm Eunice broke the anchor chain and left it beached on the side.  

    The four additions take the year list to 77, five behind last year when most of the reservoirs could not be watched because of lockdown restrictions. It is also fewer than in 2020 (81) and a long way short of 2018 (90) but just ahead of the similarly mild 2019 (75) although that month did see Scaup, Avocet and Black-tailed Godwit all recorded.  

                        Shelduck added a splash of colour in a drab month pic @AMP

    Perhaps the rarest bird of the month - even if almost certainly not heading to Greenland - was the Barnacle Goose seen flying north over Lockwood early on the 24th by LB. Shelduck were slow returning but perhaps five or six could be seen by the end of the month. 

                   Goldeneye could be seen in full display on Lockwood pic @alex_aspden

    The two drake Wigeon just stayed into February with two on the 1st and one still on the 8th. The wintering six Goldeneye remained with a seventh been seen on the 20th. Goosander were seen less regularly than in January with records on at least five dates with a maximum of three on the 8th.     

    Exceptionally strong winds in the second half of the month probably put paid to hopes of any early wader passage. A Lapwing on Lockwood on the 10th which soon continued north was the only sign of returning birds. The wintering Common Sandpiper could still be found on the largely out-of-bounds No 5 until at least the 20th and Green Sandpiper was on the flood relief on the 1st until water levels became too high.  Three Snipe were put off East Warwick on the 11th when the Wetlands team landed on the island to do maintenance, suggesting they are regular on the largely hidden scrape.   

     The wintering Common Sandpiper stayed on No 5 despite the engineering work pic @AMP

     Given that Jackdaws are common to north, west and east, it is a puzzle why they are so scarce at the reservoirs. And while February and March are prime months for passage birds, they usually just pass over so the bird feeding around West Warwick on the 20th was a surprising sight. Kingfishers continued to delight visitors, putting on a regular show on the Coppermill stream around the tower at the south end and from the bridge near the Engine House. 

    Blackcap was recorded on the first and last days of the month when it was heard in sub-song while Chiffchaff, whose numbers increased as the month went on, could also be heard on occasions practicing for Spring. Small numbers of Meadow Pipits  and the odd Fieldfare and Redwing were recorded while a pair of Stonechat were also regular. 

        Fieldfare numbers will likely increase as they gather to migrate pic @AMP   

    It has been an exceptional winter for wintering Brambling in the south-east but it looked as if the Wetlands was going to miss out until a male was seen - again briefly - on the 10th. The flock of Linnets feeding in the wild flower meadow dropped from a peak of 35 to around 20 by the end of the month. 

Roll on Spring.....

DB @porthkillier 

   

Reservoir Logs - January 2022 round-up

                The Lockwood Goldeneye going through their morning work-out pic @rudraksh9

    The New Year arrived, bird-wise, with something of a whimper not a bang at the Wetlands. After a solid 65 species seen on the 1st (one more than last year), only eight more were added throughout the rest of January. While the 73 species total is just one behind last year's monthly figure and two behind 2020, it was the lack of scarcities - probably a result of the settled mild conditions - which was most noticeable.

    With the Dusky Warbler on Walthamstow Marsh never making the short hop to the Wetlands before it seemingly departed on the 9th, January produced nothing to compare with the Bearded Tits, Firecrest, Black Redstart and White-fronted Geese of the last two years. Resident Wigeon, early Buzzards and a Red Kite along with a Blackcap were perhaps the most unusual sightings although the Kingfishers, now of national fame, compensated throughout the month.  

                          Wigeon were both unusually tame and site-faithful pic AMP 

    Wigeon don't usually linger for more than a few days so the two tame drakes which spent most of the month at the reservoirs - usually on High Maynard or asleep in the middle of the East Warwick island  - were notable.They were joined by a third bird on the 23rd. 

    It looks as if six Goldeneye are wintering, one down on last year's total and two below 2020's total so the trend is in keeping with the decrease across London. They have visited almost every reservoir but can most easily be seen on Lockwood where they can be surprisingly approachable. Up to three Goosander have also been seen daily but visited more regularly in the first half of the month. 

            Goldeneye - like the Wigeon - could give excellent views this month pic MLP 

    The only waders were the expected trio. The wintering Common Sandpiper continued until at least mid-month when the engineering work put its favoured No 5 reservoir out of bounds. A second was seen on the 10th. Single Green Sandpipers were also recorded on at least five days with its appearance depending upon low water levels in the flood relief channel. Frosty weather helped push single Common Snipe from the marsh onto the reservoirs banks or into the East Warwick 'doughnut' where at least two could be seen on the 13th.

Kingfishers are ever-present at the Wetlands but put on a great show this month pic @OwlTurbot

    Early Buzzards were seen on the 24th and 31st with the last day of the month also delivering the first Red Kite of the year. Most of the month's excitement came from the Wetlands' Kingfishers which put on a fantastic show along the Coppermill stream. They embraced their celebrity status after AR's film of them was featured on the BBC's Winterwatch and performed for photographers and patient visitors throughout the month. 

          The male of at least one pair of Stonechats wintering at the Wetlands pic AMP

    

   There was little out-of-the-ordinary among small land birds except for a Blackcap, a rare winterer at the Wetlands, on the 19th. Chiffchaffs were seen much more regularly as were Stonechats and small numbers of both Fieldfare and Redwing. Reed Buntings could be seen on calm days feeding on the seed heads in the No 1 reed-bed while a large flock for the Wetlands of 20+ Linnets fed in the flower meadow south of the Engine House. 

 Reed Buntings above (pic @sjnewton) and Linnets (pic AMP) were along main path

  DB @porthkillier

   

December 2021 - reservoir logs

         This smart first winter Caspian Gull made its home on High Maynard pic @Chris_Farthing

      December, perhaps not surprisingly, was the first month in 2021 which saw no new birds added to the year list. But despite the often gloomy weather, it did produce the year's second Caspian Gull and two Scaup, all of which hung around for a few days. The blank December means the year list was stuck on 143 - exactly the same as 2019, three behind last year's record but ten ahead of both 2018 &2017. 

    And 2021 could have ended on a much higher note if the Dusky Warbler on Walthamstow Marsh, which at times came within 40 metres of the Wetlands, had flown over the West Warwick fence. The only saving grace was that it would not even have been a new bird for the reservoirs. 

Unusually this female Scaup was the easier of the pair to pick out pic @samuel_ei_jones 

       Shelduck were slow to arrive back this winter with a maximum count of five and just three by the end of the month. Shoveler numbers crept back up with 13 on the 28th. Three Wigeon were seen on the 17th and 28th with lone birds on three other days. They included a tame drake on the last three days of the month. 

     This tame drake Wigeon took a liking to the grass banks at the Wetlands pic @IvorHewstone

    SJ, fresh from his triumph in finding the Dusky Warbler on the marsh on the 14th, found two tricky immature Scaup on West Warwick four days later, the first multiple occurrence for some years. They were eventually identified as an immature female and male and were last seen on the 28th before apparently turning up on the Banbury Reservoir just to the north. 

   The second Scaup with male plumage just beginning to show through  pic @samuel_ei_jones 

    Goosander continued to be seen regularly with up to three on the north side although the peak total was a flock of five flying over. The highest count of Goldeneye was six - the same as last December - on the 21st and 31st with Lockwood their favourite reservoir this winter. 

Flying drake Goosander pic @ OwlTurbot and with two wind-blown females (below) pic @AMP

    Four species of waders were seen but nothing unexpected. There were 10 Lapwing on the 21st and four next day and single Snipe on the 17th and 21st.  The Common Sandpiper remained throughout December and single Green Sandpipers were seen on five days early in the month before the water levels in the flood relief channel became too high. 

    Evidence that Great Black-backed Gulls are getting commoner - not unalloyed good news if you are a nesting bird - came in a pre-roost gathering of 16 on Lockwood on the 6th and a remarkable 40 seen from No 5 on the filter beds on the 30th. But the gull excitement of the month was the first winter Caspian Gull found by CF on High Maynard on the 11th. Unlike other records including the January bird, this smart individual hung around the northern reservoirs until at least the 30th. It even handily had a distinctive light patch on its upper mandible to mark it out from any lookalike 1W Herring Gulls. 

           The long-staying Caspian Gull was often more obvious in flight pic @rudraksh9

    Single Buzzards were seen on the first two days of the month and got the usual warm reception from resident crows. Up to 15 Fieldfare and a dozen Redwing could be seen feeding around the reservoirs at times with the berry bushes near the Engine House a particular favourite for thrushes. Stonechats are also wintering in small numbers while November's four Redpoll were seen again on the 2nd with a single bird on the 17th.  

                         Buzzard with its accompanying fan club pic @rudraksh9

     While 2021 did not add a single species to the Wetland's all-time list, unlike last year's Yellow-browed Warbler, it did deliver some excellent birds. They included the first catch-able Little Stints and first sight record of Grasshopper Warbler as well as numbers of such scarce visitors as Kittiwake, Little Tern and, in recent years, Cuckoo. It also saw an extraordinary run of Great Egrets with perhaps twenty separate birds, a dramatic increase on the previous record count of four last year, an unprecedented flock of ten Scoter as well as what seems likely to be the first Sand Martin and last House Martin of the year in London.  

      A Cormorant, which are already nest-building, against the dawn sky pic @rudraksh9 

     Main misses were Mandarin - recorded annually since 2015 - and Osprey which had been seen for five consecutive years. Among other species which are overdue at the reservoirs are Red-breasted Merganser, Grey Plover and Knot which have all not been seen since 2018. Happy New Year to everyone and let's hope for good birding and, in time, a more normal 2022. 

DB @porthkillier