Dearth Wader

The Autumn is underway, as was evidenced by my first two returning Shoveler, one on the East Warwick the other on No.3. I was hoping for Waders, I’m always hoping for Waders but Waders there were none. I only did the Southern reservoirs as a couple of folk had been up on the Lockwood and seen Common Sandpipers and an LRP so I knew it would throw my blog title off if I went up there!

There have been Black-tailed Godwits at Amwell, Rainham, Beddington etc. where are ours? Even Wanstead is getting Green Sandpipers!

I diligently checked through Swifts for anything with an Eastern flavour but the numbers were really down on yesterday and I drew a blank. Kingfishers were a bit more obvious than of late, so perhaps we are seeing fledged youngsters in addition to the adults.

As I got up to the North bank of the East Warwick a Fox trotted off with a large Rabbit in its jaws, I tried for a photo but you know the score. When I got to the Southern end of the reservoir I saw the same thing, I thought it strange that it would have carried its prey all the way around the reservoir but on looking closer it was a different Fox (can’t swear it was a different Rabbit, all dead Rabbits look much the same to me) so not a good day for Rabbits.

As I had said to myself earlier in the year that I would check out Gulls a bit more I diligently went round to the filter beds. It was a bit early in the Autumn and the afternoon for much of a build up but I checked them out nonetheless, nada. I had a Yellow-legged Gull over the house yesterday so just about keeping the patch yearlist ticking.

Next stop was the Waterworks which was high on noisy visitors and low on birds, perhaps there is a connection somewhere? Two Swallows going North-west confirmed the earlier Autumnal theme.


Despite this Butterfly being on the old Essex filter beds it was in fact a Small Skipper.

GH