Local Birding Highlights

Daily exercise always involves birding. Several daily walks along the River Roding had produced very little in terms of new additions to the year list. But each walk along the river would see the water levels rising and the surrounding fields getting more and more flooded. 

I've been trying to limit my daily exercise/birding walks with times of the day that would limit the number of people encountered, which has worked well so far. 

A visit to Snaresbrook and Eagle Pond at first light saw me connect with the Caspian Gull before I had crossed the road. Leaving plenty of time to visit Wanstead park before the masses appeared. 

Caspian Gull

After a brief walk around Jubilee Pond, I managed to locate the 1st winter Mediterranean Gull among the numerous Black-headed Gulls. The area surrounding Centre road car park produced two more year ticks with two Lesser Redpoll and a Little owl.

1st winter Mediterranean Gull

After returning home a Sparrowhawk appeared in the garden causing panic among the feeding birds and providing another welcome year tick.

Local Birding for the New Year

Day 1

The new year started with lockdown restrictions still in place. So the usual new year's day trip to Norfolk was well off-limits. With that in mind, It was an early morning visit to my former patch of Fisher's Green in the Lee Valley. I wasn't expecting a big total but after a casual walk around Hooks marsh, Seventy Acres, and the farms I ended the morning with 61 species. A Cattle Egret among the cows at Hall Marsh Scrape, A flock of White-fronted Geese in fields bordering the farms, and a redhead Smew on Seventy Acres Lake were the pick of the species seen.

In the afternoon I returned to Lee Valley hoping the Short-eared Owls that had been on site for a while were still present. Luckily one was showing well when I arrived.

Day 2

There were a few glaring omissions from my first day's birding and with that in mind I visited KGV Reservoir. A quick scan of the south basin produced a female Goosander and several Goldeneye to complete the three winter duck species. The North basin was scanned for any sign of the Red-Crested Pochard pair from yesterday but I failed to find them. Two drake Scaup were found asleep among the Tufted Ducks which was a nice addition to the year list along with two Black Redstarts which were found along the fence line on the opposite side of the causeway. My first record of this species here for several years.

Day 3

A very brief visit to Epping Forest added Mandarin Duck and Nuthatch to the year list. Before spending the morning at Rainham Marshes. I began with a scan from the Serin Mound which added Barnacle Goose, Ruff, Dunlin, Redshank, Shelduck, and Curlew. Aveley Bay had  30+ Avocet feeding along the shoreline and a walk along the path alongside the reserve added the hoped for Water and Rock Pipits. A final scan of the reserve from the sea wall added Snipe, Pintail, and a flyover Rook and a Marsh Harrier drifted across the reserve as I was walking back towards the car park.

My year list after three short days birding stood at 87.

Masked Shrike: Shuart, Kent

It's been sixty-five days since my last birding trip. There have been several reasons for this, Covid cases on the increase, more restrictions being implemented in certain parts of the country, not being able to go out birding as a trio, and lack of motivation all playing a part.

The arrival of a Masked Shrike at Shuart in Kent yesterday had me interested, and when it was reported again this morning it was enough to persuade me to make the trip. The roads were relatively quiet and the seventy-seven miles went by quickly. The news services were saying park at Potten Street and walk along Shuart Lane, but there was plenty of parking along Potten Street Road and at the top of Shuart Lane. A mile walk along Shuart Lane and then Shuart Drove followed before we arrived at a row of Hawthorn and sallows at the edge of a field. There were about twenty birders already present and Brian was among them. We have been observing government rules as closely as possible and this has meant we haven't shared a car since March! Hopefully, we can start birding together again soon. There was plenty of space available in the field and social distance was not a problem. 

I had wanted to see a Masked Shrike for many years, the last twitchable bird at Spurn in 2014, had proved to be well out of range at the time, and the recent Cleveland bird was not even considered due to the distance involved. Today all that was forgotten as I had seen the bird before even setting up the scope. It was perched in a Hawthorn for much of the time I was there but would venture closer at certain times and settle in the hedgerow bordering the two fields.

This could quite possibly be the same bird that appeared at Hartlepool Headland in Cleveland in the early part of October.

Temminck's Stint, Amwell Nature reserve

In the early evening of Monday, 10th, a Temminck's Stint had been found at Amwell Nature Reserve. With the bird still present Wednesday afternoon, we decided to make the 20-mile trip early today. We arrived at 7am and connected with the Temminck's Stint immediately. 

It was happily feeding on the central island in the picture below.

Temminck's Stint 

Friday 14th August

The lockdown measures in place this year have had a considerable impact on my year list numbers, and several birds that I would expect to see in April and May have been missed. Leaving me trying to connect with some of them on the way out rather than on the way in. One of these birds is the Pied Flycatcher, so when Nick C reported two at Wanstead Flats, we made the trip that afternoon. As luck would have it, we bumped into Nick shortly after leaving the car park, and he took us to the SSSI area. It took a while to connect, but eventually one showed very nicely among the branches of a Silver Birch.

Caspian Tern: Frampton Marsh, Lincolnshire

A Caspian Tern had been frequently visiting the Reedbed Lagoon at Frampton Marsh since the 10th. During its stay, it had seemingly followed a daily pattern of roosting on the lagoon in front of the visitor centre and then according to the reserve warden it heads off in the direction of Boston and has been returning again 45-60 minutes later.

Leaving home at 7am we pulled into a packed car park some two and a half hours later, only to discover that none of the other birders had seen the tern since 8am. We began scanning the lagoon and soon added two-year ticks when a Little Stint was found followed by two Common Sandpipers. Scanning from one of the viewing mounds dotted along the pathway, we began scanning the large group of roosting godwits and suddenly found the Caspian Tern among them! It was almost completely obscured by the godwits with just its black cap visible. The feeding movements of the godwits disturbed it and it flew a short distance to the open water.

We were told that the Reedbed Hide was now open as long as social distancing was observed, so we made our way along the footpath and began scanning the lagoon. Some of the Spoonbills were showing at a closer range from here.

Social distancing being observed in the hide

View of the reedbed lagoon from the hide

Another scan through the Dunlin and a Curlew Sandpiper was found. Another birder entered the hide and said that there were two Wood Sandpipers on the flooded pools opposite the hide. A quick clean of the hands with the provided hand sanitizer and we were scanning the pools. The Wood Sandpipers were soon found adding another year tick to the list. Also on the pools were several Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers along with two Yellow Wagtails.

Handheld phone scoped photo of Wood sandpiper

After five hours we decided to head for home, but hopefully, it won't be long before a return visit to what is fast becoming my favourite reserve.

Lesser Yellowlegs, Oare Marshes

A Lesser Yellowlegs was still present at Oare Marshes yesterday, having been present since the 12th of July and with reports of a Wood Sandpiper and a Curlew Sandpiper also present we decided to make the trip this morning. I arrived shortly after 6am and found the lesser Yellowlegs almost immediately. My fifth record of this species in England.

Entrance track 

Viewing was challenging from the layby

Lesser Yellowlegs

As is usual at Oare the early morning sun was making viewing difficult from the layby, throwing everything on the flood into shadow. The Lesser Yellowlegs was constantly on the move feeding and as it began feeding in the northern corner it allowed for much better scope views. Several scans of the flood failed to locate the Wood or Curlew Sandpipers and scans from the sea wall also failed to find either bird.

Returning to the layby the Lesser Yellowlegs was quickly refound and a single Whimbrel was found resting on a shingle island. Another scan of the northern corner added a Little Ringed Plover to the year list. Several more lengthy scans of the flood followed producing a single Spotted Redshank among the numerous Common Redshank, along with Med Gulls, Common Terns, Ruff, Knot, Dunlin, Avocet, and Black-tailed Godwits. A Barn Owl was seen hunting the surrounding fields and a Turtle Dove was heard calling in the distance.

Another enjoyable morning at Oare adding three more year ticks to the list.

Bonaparte's Gull returns to Oare Marshes

The Bonaparte's Gull was first seen at Oare Marshes on the 22nd of May 2013  and it has returned every single year since. I have managed to connect with it five out of the seven years. On a previous trip in June, I had been unsuccessful, but recently the Bonaparte's had become more reliable and I was more hopeful of connecting with it today.

Looking East along the seawall towards the hide 

The mudflats looking across the Swale to the Isle of Sheppey 

Still unable to share a car due to Covid, Brian had left home earlier and was already on site and searching for the Bonaparte's Gull from the seawall when I arrived. Two hours later the Bonaparte's appeared on the mudflats east of the slipway. We watched it happily feeding on the mud for an hour or so and then did a loop of East flood picking out Bearded Tits, Greenshank, Spotted Redshank, Water Rail,  Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwits and Avocets on the way back.

Bonaparte's Gull

Hopefully, it will return again next year and we will be there to see it.