Walthamstow Marshes / Reservoirs
Hi, my name is Jonathan and I'm a fair weather birder. When the rain poured, I stayed in. So this morning, I peered out of the window, checked the clouds, checked the pavements. It was dry. So I headed for the patch.
A thoroughly decent day that started off at the Marshes with plenty of hirundines overhead, mainly House Martin with around 50 darting around. Two Swallow then shot through and around 20 Common Swift were still hanging about. The Marshes were generally quiet with four Lesser Whitethroat seen with half a dozen Common Whitethroat, and a singing Willow Warbler.
The best sighting were of two Whinchat on the north marsh in exactly the same location as the single bird seen on Sunday.
Moving onto the reservoirs and two Shoveler were showing close to the shore on No.4 with large numbers of Tufted Duck. Two juvenile Greater Black Backed Gull dropped into No.4 before circling round and heading away.
East Warwick was reasonably productive from where a Common Buzzard was seen flying low over No.5 shortly before a Hobby shot through that then circled round and headed back from whence it came. The bird was then seen half hour later pretty much doing the same thing. On the railway side, a Whinchat propped itself atop one of the reeds which may have been one of the birds seen earlier.
On the water, six Shoveler were roosting against the bank, and my first Gadwall of the autumn were present there with eight also on the bank before heading out to water.
The next surprise was a 1cy Lapwing that fed along the shore - only my third for the patch. A Kingfisher flashed past me up-stream alongside No.1. Four Common Tern were still present including two juveniles, and a total of 18 Little Grebe were counted around the complex including young birds.
Other noteworthy sightings were young broods of Moorhen and Great Crested Grebe.
A return visit to the paddocks and just as well as a male Northern Wheatear had arrived as did two Yellow Wagtail. A nice flock of 35 Linnet were there too.
Splendid.
A thoroughly decent day that started off at the Marshes with plenty of hirundines overhead, mainly House Martin with around 50 darting around. Two Swallow then shot through and around 20 Common Swift were still hanging about. The Marshes were generally quiet with four Lesser Whitethroat seen with half a dozen Common Whitethroat, and a singing Willow Warbler.
The best sighting were of two Whinchat on the north marsh in exactly the same location as the single bird seen on Sunday.
Moving onto the reservoirs and two Shoveler were showing close to the shore on No.4 with large numbers of Tufted Duck. Two juvenile Greater Black Backed Gull dropped into No.4 before circling round and heading away.
East Warwick was reasonably productive from where a Common Buzzard was seen flying low over No.5 shortly before a Hobby shot through that then circled round and headed back from whence it came. The bird was then seen half hour later pretty much doing the same thing. On the railway side, a Whinchat propped itself atop one of the reeds which may have been one of the birds seen earlier.
On the water, six Shoveler were roosting against the bank, and my first Gadwall of the autumn were present there with eight also on the bank before heading out to water.
The next surprise was a 1cy Lapwing that fed along the shore - only my third for the patch. A Kingfisher flashed past me up-stream alongside No.1. Four Common Tern were still present including two juveniles, and a total of 18 Little Grebe were counted around the complex including young birds.
Other noteworthy sightings were young broods of Moorhen and Great Crested Grebe.
A return visit to the paddocks and just as well as a male Northern Wheatear had arrived as did two Yellow Wagtail. A nice flock of 35 Linnet were there too.
Splendid.
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