Another beautiful sunny morning but the west end of Long Wood was quiet. I wandered back down the line of trees to the east before spying some movement in the lone hawthorn by the visimig spot. I could make out a few Common Whitethroat chasing each other in the broom and perching out in the bush. More interestingly a Garden Warbler showed itself briefly then disappeared. Then something else slightly more interesting looking flew in. After a while the interesting bird hopped out on to a branch and was interesting. A rather smart looking Whinchat. Too quick for me and it flew, first into the hawthorn then east over the brooms. The last I saw of it.
Back at the east end of Long Wood a lone Spotted Flycatcher skimmed the grass heads and that was about it. I did the circuit once more picked up a few hawking Swallow, a dozen martin and then one, two, three Swift as I sloped off to the park.
Reedy grunted once. The Great-crested Grebe's have attained independence (the adults appear to have left) and have chosen spots well away from each other. I tried the plain and the edge of the woodland to the west of ornamental waters but could only find a few calling chiffies. What I really wanted is a large party of Long-tailed Tit and a few elders. Couldn't find any of the former.
My quick circuit over I tried the scrub to the east of Alex. No tit flocks = very few birds. Over at the Alex, something had disturbed the gull roost: a Hobby enjoyed itself antagonising the crows and Jackdaws before tiring of the bating it flew off east. Another day done, another day closer to the big one!
Meanwhile down in West Ham park (eeugh!) Marco has found his Pied Flycatcher once again, as for the preceding two years and, virtually, to the day. May well have to go and look for that myself (eeugh!), though Stu's already gone and dipped. Nothing ventured and all that.
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