Best birds of Wanstead 2009–2018: No. 1

 Image: Shaun Harvey

Image: Shaun Harvey

No. 1 Slavonian Grebe     3-17^th January-2015 on Heronry

Maybe a surprise to some but this uncommon visitor to London had a lot going on in its favour.  A really, really smart bird and ridiculously confiding to start with.  I've seen them on the sea miles off, on the William Girling miles off, and on other London reservoirs miles off.  You get the picture!


http://wansteadbirding.blogspot.com/2015/01/and-this-is-why-mr-vincenzobirder-i-go.html  

http://wansteadbirding.blogspot.com/2015/01/slav-to-rhythm.html 

Yesterday, lovely weather, and apathy covered me like a high tog duvet.  It was a high tog duvet. Today looked crap. I'll have some of that!

And it was looking crap until I made my way to the Tea Shop of Happiness when a smart looking winter plumaged grebe shoved off from the bank not 10 foot away from me.  OK my initial ID of Black Necked Grebe was erroneous, who gives a fu... It was better, but it took the collective brains of six of Wanstead's, er best, to come up with Slavonian Grebe.  A patch first, and thankfully for Bob, not a BNG, which would only have been a year tick.  Only happy to oblige.

James H:  "Ludicrously good views of Slavonian Grebe in 2015"

"Anyone lucky enough to see this beautiful bird (it is even more stunning in its summer plumage) will notice the red eyes. This feature, along with the horned feathers it has in the summer have led some to call it the devil-diver. 

The Native American tribes of the Blackfoot have a legend that a trickster called ‘Old Man’ persuaded the ducks to close their eyes and dance. He killed them one by one. However, a small duck looked and saw this evil befalling his friends and so alerted them. This ‘duck’ was the Slavonian/Horned Grebe and became renowned for noticing trouble early.

I was pleased to notice the Slavonian Grebe early in the year so it could be added to my patch list, my UK year list, and my life list."


Sean K: "... couldn’t seem to get to the Park at the weekend so bunked off work early to see it …. Just before it got dark at 4 pm  … it was gone a day or so later"

Jono L: " ... just a great, great, patch bird"

http://www.wansteadbirder.com/2015/01/slave-to-camera.html 

Tim H:  "I'd never seen one so close, and to have it visit the patch was incredible."

Tony B: "There's know better way to start the new year than with a a big fat patch tick, and today this was in the form of stunning winter plumage Slavonian Grebe."


http://www.thecowboybirder.com/2015/01/slavonian-grebe-wanstead-park.html