Pea Soup

I traveled in style up to the reservoirs to see what it looked like in the mist.

I passed the misty marshes on the way.

At the reservoirs, the fog was thick and atmospheric.

Along the Lockwood...

and from out of the pea soup…

… another patcher did appear.

Between us, a pipit flew up from the Lockwood bank. Lol picked out its singular ‘viisst’ call making it a Rock Pipit. Meadow Pipits give a burst of ’ist, ist, ist’ type calls. Something I didn’t know. Thanks, Lol - especially since I’d never seen one on the patch before. 

A walk around Lockwood produced:

Two Stonechats

A Batman Cormorant

A Common Sandpiper

And a Green Sandpiper (with smaller pied wagtail to right for size reference)

 On the East Warwick a small party of Wigeon mingled.

I checked the log book at the office and interestingly, Pete noted he had had Brambling calling overhead earlier in the morning.

The Rock Pipit takes my Walthamstow list to a nice round #130.  

Thanks, Lol.

Tufties (in pea soup)

@leevalleybirder

Autumn Stroll Around Walthamstow Marshes

With the little flurry of London Hawfinch activity over the last few days, I headed over to the paddocks to check out the finch flock.

Before browsing the finches, I checked the flood relief channel. There was a lot of activity down there. Three Grey Wagtails, numerous Pied Wagtails, six Egyptian Goose, four Song Thrushes and a Jay among the usual Dunnocks and Blackbirds.

At the rear paddocks, the finch flock was bulging. There were at least 40 Chaffinches, with maybe 20 Linnets and 8 Goldfinches, but no Hawfinch. 

C'est la vie.

Joined by Sue and Mark, we carried on towards the Horseshoe Thicket, not before a Sparrowhawk swooped over our heads in ‘red arrow style’, stooping in an attempt at a smash and finch grab.

A flock of 30 Redwing and a calling Fieldfare flew north over our heads as we approached the north of the paddocks. Then a Skylark was heard and then seen flying northwest over the marshes. 

The Coppermill Lane Peregrine shooed off a gull then took position on its pylon.

A Cettis Warbler was heard from the reed bed in the Horseshoe Thicket.

A Meadow Pipit called from the Bomb Crater Field.

 @leevalleybirder