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