Birder. He wrote.

As most of the locals are working/sickening/Scillying etc. I guess it behoves me to keep the blog alive, at least for this week, after that I’m off to Scilly myself and what do I care:-)

I’ve strategically taken off days throughout September and October in order to whizz off and see the fabulous Birds being found during the autumn. Unfortunately the Birds had a slightly different strategy and apart from a certain Phalarope my days off have coincided with nothing, nada, nil. We don’t talk about the Acadian Flycatcher, which due to a disastrous mix up arrived a day too early. Today was one of those days that was supposed to see me gadding off to Norfolk for a haul of Rare, or at least a large haul of Scarce, but again the Birds were seemingly not copied in to the memo.

So Reservoirs it was then. (I shan’t bore you with the ‘overnight rain, strong winds, must be dripping in Waders’ nonsense, so let’s move swiftly on) I thought I would check the log book in the Fisherman’s permit room in case there was anything new recorded and was delighted to find this well considered observation; I later bumped into the Community Engagement Officer for the Walthamstow Wetlands project, I wonder if she will take the suggestions on-board.

Thanks Mr. Miluck (is that rhyming slang?)

Stepping past the untidy gateway, and making sure I didn’t ingest any of the clearly dangerous water, I proceeded towards the Lockwood to see what the Wild Trust had released into the aviary today.

A 2^nd winter Yellow-legged Gull on the weir by the Low Maynard is what, and amazingly it didn’t flush on first sighting me, like everything usually does from here, oh no, it waited until I had set up tripod, scope, phone adaptor, glasses and started to focus, then it did the off:-(

A Skylark flew over the Lockwood and a there was a fine 1^st winter male Wheatear along the East side. A passing Lol joined himself to me and we continued on to the South side.

Lol hadn’t seen the Black-necked Grebe and I was happy to see if I could improve my picture of it from Sunday, it was still there, but the light did not lend itself to successful photography.

Bad

Better

Best(?)

A Water Rail was calling from the Northern Reedbed, I had a, presumably different, Bird in the Southern Reedbed on Sunday. The Stonechats also seen on Sunday had now split up with 1 still on the West Warwick and 2 on the East Warwick.

Having a chat

Singing Cetti’s Warblers were on No’s. 1 & 2. A dozen House Martins, possibly locals, were around the Filter Beds and the female Goosander was still on No.4. I think it is oiled as, it is constantly preening and, it’s stayed on the same reservoir for days, they are normally so flighty. Siskins and Goldcrests were much in evidence, the former as flyovers and the latter invisible but vocal in various corners of the patch.

Goosander (or as it's a female should that be Goosegoose)

Nothing to set the notebook alight but 63 species was not bad and would have made a great set of padders if only we had had the big one for which to pad.

@birdingprof