Oystercatcher Catchup

Discussion over a drink last night led to the topic of why some stuff is strangely scarce on one patch, say Walthamstow, whilst just a few kilometres away in, Wanstead to use a random comparison, they are common as muck. Of course the opposite is true. My companion bemoaned the lack of Oystercatcher as a typical example, I sympathised as it is my current ‘oiseau insaisissable’ though at least they do turn up on the patch.

We discussed how they must get from A to B somehow and the inevitable wistful hope that one would one day fly over the house in the middle of the night, piping its little head off.

Scroll forward 11 hours, I had decided not to set the alarm this morning and let nature (or my bladder) decide when to wake me, nature won I’m glad to say, no problem in that department (yet). It was a bit later than normal when I walked across the Lammas fields on my way to the bus stop, I usually don’t crank up the Ipod until I am past the park, you never know what you might hear. Usually nothing.

KLEEP!

What the....I froze waiting and listening, pretty much like I did three weeks ago on the reservoirs when nothing else happened, only this time it did.

KaLEEP...KLEEP!

An Oystercatcher was suddenly overhead, about twice Tree height. I wondered what to do next, run back the 300m to the house and try for a house tick, text my drinking companion? The bird made my mind up for me as it flew low South-east destined not to make it onto the house list nor for any early birders at Wanstead to collect. Still a patch year tick is a patch year tick and it made the prospect of work seem not quite so dismal.

I always look down the overflow channel of the River Lea as I go over it on the bus, people say you get Little Egret in there, I usually don’t see any! Today there was a Little Egret in the channel.....maybe I should start a bus list!

On this date: 11 08 84 Wind NW1 sunny; 12 Lapwings, 1 juvenile Common Sandpiper and 1 Snipe. 4 flighty Greenshanks and 1 juvenile Spotted Redshank. 1 Reed Warbler in orchard and 1 Swift seen! 4+ Common Tern.

PW