Sun-kissed on Walthamstow

Jonathan, Adam and myself soaked up the rays on the reservoirs and marshes today.

I spent a bit of time photographing a female Wheatear and the pair of Scaup still on Lockwood.

female Wheatear

male and female Scaup

I have my first birding sun burn of the year.

GH - @leevalleybirder

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

Dunlin

With thoughts of Saturday's Merlin and Little Ringed Plover fresh in my mind, I wandered out onto the Lockwood on Sunday morning in search of some migrants with the mother of all hangovers. 2 Wheatear and 6 Meadow Pipits were on the East Bank, before the hangover began to kick in and play havoc with my senses... As I neared the top of the Lockwood, a small raptor flew low over the allotments and perched on a distant pylon by the West bank, exactly where the Kestrels bred last year. Obviously, I wasn't thinking straight as I managed to convince myself that it might be something more interesting (yesterday's Merlin?) and trudged the full distance back again, only to find.... yep, you've guessed it... a pair of Kestrels.

At that point I was thinking about giving up and going back to bed, but for some reason I trudged on to the East Warwick, where I was immediately rewarded with a smart little Dunlin in the North West corner, exactly where Mick M had found a Redshank earlier in the week. I sat down on the grassy bank and watched it happily feeding for about half an hour within about 10 feet of me. It was a really smart little wader, especially as the moulting plumage meant it's breast was covered in a series of small black spots. One of the highlights of the year on the Reservoirs for me, but needless to say I forgot my camera and it had disappeared by early Monday morning.

AW

Merlin Magic/Misery

             It started so well, despite the very cold NE wind, dampness from the overnight rain and a fisherman bang in the middle of the exposed shore on the west bank of Lockwood. Almost immediately, there was a Little Ringed Plover - the first of the year - in the SE corner. I went down onto the path below so as not to flush it and continued around with the pair of Scaup, Wheatear and female Goldeneye still in residence. A surprise, given it was so cold I was shivering at times, was a Swallow battling north up the Lea but again there were no Sand Martins all day.

 

                                      

                                                     A very little Little Ringed Plover

             When GH arrived - having parked his parents at Tottenham Hale Retail Park (they are certainly seeing the sights of London) - we walked up the east bank again in the rain but there was no sign of the LRP. But turning back, we flushed two where there had been none just five minutes before, making us think these could have been new birds brought down by the shower. They headed north strongly.

              There was nothing apart from one Meadow Pipit on a tour of the Warwicks and the only Blackcap I heard was one singing briefly in the top field. For some reason, I crossed over to have another quick look at Lockwood and saw a birder wandering down the west bank. By the time MC got to me, he had disturbed a male Merlin off the bank which had crossed low over the reservoir - so low that I did not see it. We had another walk round in the hope we could re-find it. No luck although the Wheatear and Scaup were still showing.  Despite what would have been not just a new bird for me for the reservoirs but also London, surprisingly it did not cast a cloud over the day. Must be growing up.

 

DB @porthkillier

Not So Good Friday

A few photos from a drizzly, reasonably quiet Good Friday morning on the Lockwood.... AW

Migration on pause

            As I arrived at Lockwood at 11 am, I met AW who had ignored the rain and already completed a tour of the reservoirs. He reported that there was no sign of MM's Redshank on East Warwick from yesterday and not much sign of much else apart from the lingering pair of Scaup and a male Wheatear on the east bank of Lockwood.
         Despite it turning into a still, warm and largely dry day, migration seemed largely to be on pause. I did not see a hirundine and all the Prof and I managed by gazing skywards was a Buzzard and surprise drake Goosander going north. The only records of note from a quick look at the southern reservoirs were a total of 32 Sheldduck on No 3 and a Blackcap singing over the fence at the SE side of East Warwick. The good news is that the water level on Lockwood is down a little and there is a bit of an edge on the west side so perhaps the next wader will turn up over the weekend.
DB @porthkillier

3rd Annual Walthamstow Patchwatch - Invitational

It's coming round to that time of year again, when a young (poetic licence) birders thoughts turn to Spring and of squeezing every last bird out of the patch.

Last year, which was extremely poor for Spring migration we recorded 75 species, (81 on April 27th 2013) this year we are doing it one week earlier, on Sunday April 26th 2015. All observers welcome.

 

Please stay in touch during the day and share news via Twitter (follow @birdingprof for regular updates) or on the Londonbirders Wiki

 

As Neil Kinnock once said ‘things can only get better’ but we are going to give it a go anyway!

The last two Patchwatch lists are here: 1st & 2nd Annual Walthamstow Patchwatch Daylist

The full extent of the patch can be seen here: Patch boundaries

Do as much or as little as you want, dawn till dusk or an afternoon stroll. Have fun (and find us a goody!) It's all to play for.

 

Walthamstow Birders