Lee Valley and Walthamstow Wetlands

13th

A couple of local trips this past week, the first to Lee Valley to see a Green-winged Teal. It was reported to be on the "Goose Field Pond" I know this area very well, as it was my local patch for many years. We parked in the farm car park and walked across the bridge taking the path down towards the weir. We could see a small group of birders looking across the river as we approached. The Green-winged Teal was asleep at the back edge of the pond. 

Green-winged Teal

15th

Yesterday a Red-necked Grebe was reported on Lockwood Reservoir at Walthamstow Wetlands. It was still present at 5pm, so we decided to head over there early this morning. Walthamstow Wetlands is the largest European urban wetlands nature reserve, the size of 500 football pitches, and has ten reservoirs. Lockwood was the last to be created and it's the largest. 

We crossed the road from the gatehouse and walked towards the reservoir. Having climbed the steps It didn't take long to locate the grebe, it was still in the southern corner as of the previous day. 

Red-necked Grebe

A morning visit to Dungeness

Brian had a free morning today, so we decided to visit Dungeness. It was a frosty start, but dry and sunny. We stopped briefly at the gate along Dungeness Road and scanned new diggings. A Red-throated Diver was quickly spotted and Brian found the Long-tailed Duck soon afterwards. A nice start to the day with two new additions to the year list.

A seawatch from the beach was disappointing, virtually no wind, meant there was almost no movement of birds. The continued decommissioning of the power station meant no water was being pumped out from the two outflow pipes, which used to create the area known as "The Patch" The only sightings at sea were of 30-plus Red-throated Divers, large numbers of Cormorants, and several distant Gannets which was the only new addition to the year list. Two Peregrines were the only notable birds seen while walking back to the car.

At Scotney GP's we found a flock of fifty-plus Tree Sparrows and scanning the adjoining fields I spotted a ringtail Hen Harrier. It was quartering the surrounding fields and would flush huge numbers of Lapwing and Golden Plover into the sky. At Cockles Bridge we added another year tick when we found four Cattle Egrets feeding among the sheep. Before heading home we drove around Walland Marsh and found the forty-eight Bewick's Swans and a single Yellowhammer among a finch flock.

The day produced seven new additions to the year list, Plenty of commoner birds are still absent from the year list. Cetti's Warbler, Chiffchaff, Green Woodpecker, Treecreeper, and Barn Owl are all still missing from this year's list. 

Year list now stands at 137

Tundra Bean Goose, Wanstead Flats

On Sunday a Tundra Bean Goose was found by Tony B on Wanstead Flats. It was among a mixed flock of Greylag and Egyptian Geese. 

When it was reported early this morning Brian texted to say he was heading over there. He picked me up on the way and we were parked in the car park off Aldersbrook Road by 9.15. The flock had been reported west of Alexandra Lake, but only four Egyptian Geese were present when we arrived. We walked south behind the lake and located the goose flock on one of the football pitches in the distance. The Bean Goose was quickly found among them.

We stood with a group of six birders watching from a distance and the flock seemed relaxed and settled until a dog off the lead ran straight through the flock and up they went!

They flew off east but circled back and landed on Alexandra Lake. 

Tundra Bean goose

Yellow-browed Warbler: Verulamium Lake, St Albans

We had a free morning today, so headed into Hertfordshire and a visit to St Albans. All was going well until we tried to park the car. The parking meter wasn't working and the phone number they asked us to ring was proving very frustrating, so after downloading yet another parking app we could eventually walk out to Verulamium Lake. We had been told that the Yellow-browed Warbler had been seen again this morning in an Oak tree on the west side of the lake. We followed their directions "Walk along the west side of the lake and where the lake narrows there's a Willow tree on the water's edge, opposite that is the Oak tree the warbler was in" Unfortunately there was no sign of the bird when we arrived. We spent the next hour searching all the bushes and trees in the area, but there was still no sign. We had been talking to Rupert E the original finder, and as he started a circuit of the lake he called to say he had found it!

Yellow-browed Warbler

St Albans Cathedral was very close, We had been told that a Black Redstart had been showing at the west end of the Cathedral, and sure enough, it appeared within a small dark diamond-shaped vent within the tallest window underneath the cross. It had seemingly entered through a small broken pane and was according to locals feeding on Ladybird Larvae. This is probably the same bird we saw in January of the previous year feeding around the picnic area.

St Albans Cathedral

The dark diamond-shaped vent at the top

 

We had some time left and decided to visit Lemsford Springs. The 4 Hectare Nature Reserve is known for its Watercress beds, and the lagoons are fed by springs, so they never freeze in harsh weather. We met the warden Barry at the gate and gave him a small donation before heading along the track to the In Focus Hide. We were hoping to see Jack Snipe, and Barry had told us there was one on-site. We saw four Green Sandpipers which were very vocal, five Common Snipe, and a single Grey Wagtail. Eventually, we managed to locate the Jack Snipe, helped by a Green Sandpiper that walked into the channel it had been hiding behind.

All three target birds we set out to see this morning were seen, and the year list moves to 127.

Glaucous Gull: Old Hunstanton, Norfolk

This morning was our first full-day birding of the new year. We headed for Norfolk, the first stop being Old Hunstanton. We were hoping the Glaucous gull that had been present since the 11th of December would still be present. We parked near Hunstanton Golf Club and took the permissive footpath crossing the fairway towards the beach. I'd checked the tide times before setting off, it was low tide when we arrived, but I hadn't thought about the channels running from the sea straight up the beach to the dunes! Brian had wellies on so the channel was no problem, Dad and I only had walking boots on and didn't fancy wet feet all day. I  found an old plank of wood and put it across the channel which was enough to allow us to cross. We joined Brian, who had already seen the Glaucous Gull, but it had flown off in the direction of Holme! All we could do was wait and hope it would return. We scanned the shoreline and had views of Oystercatchers, Turnstones, Sanderling, Bar-tailed Godwit, and Knot. A seawatch only produced Fulmars and a pair of Red-breasted Merganser. Brian had walked further along the beach and called to say he had found a flock of six shorelarks. There was still no sign of the Glaucous Gull, so Dad and I  walked back to scan through the gulls resting on the beach. Several scans later there was no sign, and then suddenly its head popped up above the shingle ridge. Another birder joined us and said he had watched it fly in while walking towards us.

Old Hunstanton Beach looking back towards the Lighthouse

Glaucous Gull

Brian had walked back towards a dead seal, hoping to photograph the gull on the carcass. While waiting, he called to say there was a Peregrine resting on the beach.

Peregrine

We stopped briefly at Lady Anne's Drive, Holkham. We walked over to three birders who were looking for the Long-billed Dowitcher. They were checking birds in the distance when one said "I don't know much, but could that be it" It was, and it was right by the fence!

Long-billed Dowitcher

Stiffkey was only five miles away. We parked behind the Red Lion pub and walked across the road to view the flood. We scanned the flood from the roadside and found the Ibis immediately. The Glossy Ibis was first seen here on November 5, 2023, and it's been almost ever-present since then. 

We spent the remainder of the day at Titchwell, enjoying views of Tawny Owl from the boardwalk. Spotted Redshank, Greenshank, Grey Plover, and four Red-breasted Mergansers were all seen on the Tidal marsh, and Common and Velvet Scoter were seen from the beach.

King George V Reservoir, searching for divers

An adult Great Northern Diver has been at the KGV Reservoir since the 17th of November. It was joined by a juvenile Black-throated Diver on the 1st of December. On the 23rd of December, a second Great Northern Diver was found.

Great Northern Divers have been regular visitors in recent years, having been seen in fourteen of the last nineteen years. Black-throated Divers however are a real rarity for this site. This individual is only the third record for the site and the first since 2013.

We headed up the ramp and soon found one of the Great Northern Divers in the middle of the south basin. It took several more scans before we finally found the Black-throated Diver, close to the west bank of the reservoir and the second Great Northern Diver was right next to it. As we walked further along the east bank a Sparrowhawk flew from the grass bank and headed across the River Lea into the field beyond. There had been three Black-necked Grebes on the south basin in December, today we only managed to find one.

Great Northern Diver

Another birding year over and a new one just delayed

The usual excitement and anticipation for the start of a new birding year were somewhat lessened when I checked the weather forecast for January 1st. My home county the bordering Counties, and those further afield were all forecast to have heavy rain throughout the day. Having recently managed to rid myself of a nasty cough and cold, I was reluctant to spend all day in the pouring rain. The forecast for the following couple of days however was much more encouraging. 

We began the new birding year a day late and decided to spend it at Abberton Reservoir, within my home county of Essex. We started by scanning the waters on either side of Layer Breton Causeway. Highlights being a male and two redhead Smew several Goldeneye, two Great White Egrets, and a Marsh Harrier.

We moved on to Layer de la Haye Causeway. Four Bewick Swans, four Black-necked Grebes a single Slavonian Grebe, several Goosanders, a Green Sandpiper, and two Ruff were all seen from the causeway. We scanned a sizeable flock of Pochard and Brian found the Canvasback among them. It would constantly dive, resurface, and quickly dive again, making it difficult to get prolonged views. We did manage several good scope views however before heading for Lodge Lane where we failed to find the Lesser Scaup but did add Greater Scaup to the day total.

View of the pumping station on the walk to Lodge Lane viewpoint

We ended the day at Copt Hall Marshes, a wildlife-rich working farm where we enjoyed views of two Short-eared Owls hunting over the saltmarsh. A Merlin perched on a fence post, and three Med Gulls in the field behind the car park.

Saltmarshes

I ended the day with 67 species, including the 11 I saw from the garden yesterday. My total stands at 78