Interlude

While Jono is the US, I've been with the folks in Shelford (just south of Cambridge), luckily Stuart Fisher was on hand to give the patch the once over today. Birds of note were Rock Pipit (65) heard over the broom fields and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker drumming in the Dell (66). I am back out tomorrow, hopefully early, and hopefully lucky...

Siskin salvation

A quick scurry round the patche(s) before work. Snipe back in the SSSI, a couple of Reedy Bs,and a lot of Redwing in a hurry to be somewhere else. Those that decided to pitch down in the scrub to the north of Long Wood were soon given the hurry up by a male Sparrowhawk, the first of the year on the flats. A picture of menace he sat up on a hawthorn while I struggled to find my camera for another hopeless record shot, luckily he was evicted by some garrulous Magpies so no-one needs suffer. In the park another larger looking bird posed all too briefly before Mpees got wind of him too.


Finally caught up with the elusive Siskin back in the Dell, couldn't see how many there were, but one's enough for now. With the ice retreating the Shoulder of Mutton was a pond again, and once more the favourite haunt of Teal.

A Coal Tit heard singing somewhere south of Heronry and that's three new to the patch for 2011. And if you think your getting off without a duff picture here's a Heron.

Listing splits?

This year I decided to split my park list from my flats. Why? Because I think it would be interesting to see how the two distinct areas shape up against each other. I toyed with the idea of hiving off the old sewage works too, in its heyday as an actual sewage works some remarkable sightings and breeding records showed only to well what's been lost to the area over time. However, since it actually joins the park too many birds could be counted for both at the same time. Problem. It is though unique in the park, being less visited and with an environment more akin to that of the flats, bar no standing water but on the plus side a river. It has its moments in spring and autumn mostly. I reckon the flats will win hands down, because of its great attraction to passage birds, which due to relative lack of cover means things are easier to pin down. Meanwhile Jono has gone for the all encompassing route. Of course, with reference to the London Site List on the LB site, we will be keeping a record of all species reported by us and other birders visiting the area (if we can get hold of them). Last year was pretty brilliant and the patch punched well above its weight, illustrating what a hugely important area this is in relation to its proximity to the centre of the capital.

You might have noticed Siskin and Firecrest have now been added to the current list, sadly neither JL or myself have yet to catch up with them. And yes I am still having problems creating new paragraphs....

Still no sign of the birds we haven't seen yet

No-shows include Siskin, Kestrel and Kingfisher, all of which I looked for in traditional spots today without success. It was only a whistle-stop tour mind, as after my absenteeism of the last few days, a full day birding was out of the question.

On the Flats, our four Greylag at Alexandra Lake (henceforth Alex) have turned into six Greylag, and I added a pair of Goldcrest and a Dunnock, both of which had eluded me on the first. Eight Mistle Thrush were together on one of the smaller playing fields, a high count for this year!



In the park, the birds seemed to think it was spring. I counted no fewer than four drumming Great Spots, plus five others, and Great Tits were in full teacher mode. In fact Great Tits were in many modes, including one in the Old Sewage Works (henceforth OSW) doing a very passable Chiffchaff soo-weet impression that had me searching for a while. Once again, the Roding was a bird free zone, but the Perch and Heronry Ponds were very busy. The ice has retreated a great deal since the first, and there were good numbers of Pochard, Tufted Duck and Gadwall. Anyone who requires a decent photo of a Pochard could do worse than try Heronry, the birds come very close.

Anyhow, I returned home without adding a single new bird for the year, but I suppose we need to save something for later on.

LATE EDIT

Whilst out on the Flats this afternoon playing football with kiddo, a Great Black-backed Gull flew over Capel point headed east-ish. Score! Whilst I was distracted by this he actually scored.

Where's Jono?

No way would JL want to miss the second day of the new birding year in Wanstead, its just not conceivable! He must have been kidnapped, and I reckon I know who by. Dog walkers!

Luckily he did not miss much. Steve Thorpe, my lucky mascot, failed me today. We got zip just about everywhere. But there's always the Little Tea Shop of Happiness and its cake!

On the plus side my flats list stands at 47 thanks to a pair of Pied Wags and the park jumped a massive two with a Reed Bunting in the old sewage works, the first I've seen on the deck in years, and a pair of Collared Dove.

Tomorrow a flying visit to the flats then off to Rainham. Things are going to get better.

Two thrash Wanstead

Early start he said. So here I am, having avoided late party goers wending their way home after last night's festivities, in the dark, in the middle of the broom fields. Dark shapes float and fly above my head. Redwing, a couple of Fieldfare clacking off into the gloom and gulls, hundreds of them. As the light improves four grey geese fly north. Bugger! White Fronts would have been a good start, but all I could make out were grey geese. Texted Jono; he, it appeared, had probably opted for an extra cuppa before venturing out.



The team finally assembled we set about our plan. At this time of year you basically know where you've got a good chance of finding something, so first off it's west of Centre Road, for Reed Bunting, Snipe and the chance of something more interesting in the flushed form of a Woodcock. Got zip on the way to the Jubilee Pond bar a few flyover Skylark, a Meadow Pipit and more Redwing. The "new" Jono (who doesn't year list, who wont be tempted to year list, and will certainly not be twitching, not under any circumstances), counting everything in his new note book (a delightful present from Howard V). Jubilee was still very much ice-bound and a bit dull, Cat and Dog (a small marshy hollow west of Lake House Road) likewise but more so.



We headed back to the SSSI. A Snipe. The plan was coming together. The Buntings took a bit longer, they weren't where they should have been. Meanwhile an interesting duck got my attention as it circled Jub looking as if it wanted to land. When it finally plucked up the courage to ground on the proposed police muster site it became a male Wigeon, a first on the flats for Jono, who then proceeded to scare it off while taking its picture.





Buntings bagged we headed for Alex and on the way crossed paths with 9 Skylark coming to feed on the footie pitches. After a barren few weeks its good to have these iconic birds back, they make it feel like spring. Alex covered we moved on to the park and the promise of a cup of tea, and cake and stuff. What we got were the rejects from Crufts or the first appalling rounds of a doggie X Factor. Ah well, tea is tea and cake is cake and both are good. The Egyptian Geese were still on Heronry, giving us hope that they might decide to breed in the park. They are apparently welcome, at the moment, but if they so much as interfere with our Heinz variety Mallards the men from Defra will be down on them like a ton of bricks.



Next on the plan: Water Rail (tick), but no Siskin; the alders round here are usually alive with them - today none. Linnet in the Old Sewage Works (tick), but no Teal in the Dell or on the river. The Roding was birdless save for a white-water rafting Dabchick getting carried along on the increased flow of the river. No Kingfisher either, the waters being too murky to see anything. We did find a television and considered how it might have got there.

The Roding. There wasn't much on.

A quick round of the ornamental waters, still very much frozen over and devoid of saw bills, was followed by a minor detour to stare at a line of yew for Firecrest. Fifteen Firecrestless minutes later, we're staring at other varieties of trees which should bear Treecreeper or at least Lesser Spots. Fruitless.

Back at the Dell Tim H finally catches up with us after opting for a few more hours in bed rather than the excitement of the first morning of the new year birding. The Plan now calls for improvisation. We go for another brew and cake - the light now poor - it appears the best option. With the coming night comes the rain, and Jono's target of 60+ birds is fading faster than an ex-twitcher's resolve. A little stream in Reservoir Wood is our last chance for Teal and with the rain increasing no one is suggesting staying out too long on the off chance of an early rising, rain loving Tawny Owl. There is off course nothing. A solitary Redpoll puts us on 55 and encourages us to stand in the middle of the broom fields again. 'Until it gets dark', we say, on the off-chance of a fly over Lapwing, or GBB Gull, or anything. It does get darker, and wetter, and all sensible birds have gone to roost.


Still, 364 days to go and we already a third of the way to the Wanstead target of 150. Doddle! It gets better: I am second in the London Lister's table if only for, oh hang about I am already on the way down... Always tomorrow.