After the Lord Mayor's Show

I guess it is no surprise that today was a bit of an anti-climax after yesterdays exploits but as I am going to have little, if any, time for birding in the next couple of weeks I thought I should make an effort.

The ‘road to perdition’ continues to be built alongside the top of the High Maynard, thus ensuring that no Common Sandpiper ever calls that particular corner home again. Although water levels are a bit higher on the Lockwood, wader numbers remain unchanged at zero.

Two Peregrines are now hanging out on the pylons to the North, they seem to be fairly reliable lately, despite not seeing either of them in flight they did disappear from time to time, a good trick.

The pair of Scaup were on the West side of the Lockwood, often in company with a pair of Goldeneye, they stick together these Northerners.

It was a bit of a let-down on the South of the site too. There did seem to be a few more Pochard around and Shelduck numbers were up a bit with about 20 birds on the big island of No.5. At that point news broke of a Short-eared Owl over Wanstead but, try as I might, I couldn’t ‘borrow’ it. What’s happened to them over there, time was they used to share their birds with Walthamstow?

A fine cock Pheasant had discovered the re-seeded area by the Beam house, along with a whole bunch of Feral Pigeons, I didn’t realise until I walked away that there was a female tucked in with them too. 1 out of 10 for observation! I did spot a single Redwing hiding in the bushes opposite the Meccano bridge, hence the 1.

I spied Pete coming back from the Banbury but apart from a couple of Gadwall he too had drawn a blank. I guess it’s up to the weekend boys to grab all the prizes.

Why?

Late edit: I've just had a sneak preview of the 2013 LBR and there is some late news for the patch. Black-tailed Godwit was recorded, nice but not mega, but also Grey Partridge was seen down on Walthamstow marsh, pretty mega indeed, last ones were probably the breeders 40(?) years ago to the North-east of the Lockwood, where the (not so) new houses are now. The 5 year cumulative patchlist has been updated accordingly.

@birdingprof