I Don't Need to Tell You...

Bumped into Adam W as I arrived at the Reservoirs, we both had a similar idea in mind, me to see yesterdays Dunlin and him to photograph it. I don’t need to spell out what occurred....

I did have a very distant Swallow drift North but couldn’t get Adam onto it. No.5 was not very inspiring, No.4 even less so. The old orchard at the top of the East Warwick held 3 Blackcap including a singer. Mike M arrived at this point, he had just seen a Peregrine catch a Moorhen but fly off without it, perhaps they taste funny!

As there has been little news from the West Warwick lately I decided a bit of pioneering would be worthwhile, sadly (for us) a visiting South London birder, sorry didn’t get your name, beat us to it and also beat us to a Woodcock which he saw disappearing into the clump by the railway line in the North-east corner. A couple of Reed Buntings and a distant Buzzard were the only highlights, but then a single Meadow Pipit over became a trickle then a torrent, alright I exaggerate, but we probably had over 60 in an hour or less, all going North-ish. There were a good few Sparrowhawks knocking about too, difficult to say if they were locals or migrants, perhaps both, four in the air together was the highest count but there were possibly two or three times that many around, including one buzzing the Buzzard.  

The highlight of the day was probably the five species of Butterfly that appeared just after I said 'I can't believe there are no Butterflies around' (Small Tortoiseshell, Green-veined White, Small White, Peacock and Brimstone)

Obviously Raptors were now up so we decided to join Dave B and Jonathan N up on the Lockwood for the spectacle. Jonathan had been ‘raving’ down on the marsh earlier and had had the Cetti’s still along the railway line bushes by the underpass mural along with Redwing, Blackcaps and way more Chiffchaffs than were on the reservoirs (suddenly gone very quiet with them, perhaps all the wintering birds have gone now?).

Dave B had had the pair of Scaup (which will no doubt disappear the day before AWPW3) and 3 Wheatear. As we joined him a 2^nd Buzzard appeared but news then broke of a Puffin on the Thames and we bailed out leaving Mike skywatching. I don’t need to spell out what occurred....

PW @birdingprof