Chancing it!

Having not cocked up on any identifications, or offended any readers for a couple of days I thought it safe to chance it out on the patch.

The police muster station is looking like an up-market refugee camp.  A worker came out to meet me as I completed the loop through the SSSI to Jubilee and round the wood on the south side of the fairground. Oh oh! He's going to give me some grief.

Not so.  Turns out he's a birder too and is interested in what's about. Hailing from the Cotswolds he was surprised to find singing Skylark and Meadow Pipit so close to the City. In lieu of anything of current interest I give him a condensed version of the highlights.

Willow Warbler calling in the birches, oh and we had a Wryneck...  That kind of thing.

Apparently all is not well inside the walls of the fortress, the walkways have been floating off in the rain.  Oh dear! Sounds like the horses will need water wings.

Back to my patrol of the patch I passed by the reeds on Shoulder of Mutton, all too quiet, and then onto Heronry where, relieved, I counted 3 young Great-crested Grebes again.  Mum has decided that enough is enough with the small fry her young charges had been wolfing down, she was now going for the big stuff. Loud Berny at the tea room remarked that some dog walker had emptied a load of Golden Rudd into the lake.  It appeared to be what mum was feeding her young, and her young were having trouble in dealing with.

A single Common Tern was happier catching the small stuff for a while then disappeared into the grey sky, and that as they say was about it.  Looking back through the archives on the London Birder's Wiki informs me that we were seeing Green and Common Sandpiper by this time though not a lot else. Ah well, I am off for a couple of weeks, and perhaps that will help me get some enthusiasm for early mornings back.

I also have a new patch to look over, from the 26th floor, down at Canary Wharf.  I might even join in the Peanut Challenge, just so Jono doesn't come last.  I reckon with the help of big bins I might just be able to spot a Back Redstart on the derelict land behind our block without leaving the office.  Should be good for the autumn and spring migration of big raptors, can't wait!

Personally I think Jono has been over doing the running, but I have to admit the results have been quite remarkable!