randombirder

If I could imagine a place where the air was alive with birdsong, where the atmosphere was organic and pure, and observing nature felt unobscured by time and pressure, I found this place in Poland. This for me was birding heaven.  Birds that I had been longing to see, I was fortunate to catch up with.  Some passed me by, but this just makes another trip back there an absolute certainty.  An initial visit to a relatively small area of woodland in the suburbs of Warsaw held a chorus of singing Wood Warblers with up to four birds present.  I was to find out later just how widespread these birds are within the country.  Singing Common Redstart , Woodlark , a flyover Hobby , and I hadn't even started. The journey to Bialowieza took over four hours, accounting for misdirections (ie. we got lost getting out of Warsaw) arriving at  our accommodation  located behind a petrol station.  A lovely place though and one that comes totally recommended. ...

Just had a BLYTH'S REED WARBLER in East London.  Well I heard it anyway, and there were a lot of birders there talking amongst themselves.  A great find by whoever it was.  So when I left, there was some suggestion that it may be a Marsh Warbler.  Good to question things I suppose.  Played the clip at home, sounds like a Blyth's to me but I understand the argument. Just got back from Poland where the birding was intense and gripping.  Such variety.  It felt free and unadulterated, but more of that later.

At the Waterworks, a real surprise was the appearance of a Painted Lady butterfly that settled briefly on a flower before moving on, thus evading my hapless attempts for a photograph.  Other lepi's included an Orange-Tip , Peacock , a couple of Speckled Wood , Comma , and Brimstone . Common Vetch Common-Blue Damselfly have emerged from the small pond in the wildlife garden, and a female Banded Demoiselle was in flight around the meadow pursued by a Peacock butterfly. On the bird front, all four species of our common hirundines were noted, a Kingfisher was heard flying up the relief channel where a stalking Little Egret took advantage of the much lower water levels.  A Common Kestrel flew over. A lovely warm day, more of these please.

There are two sides to every story.  However, I have no idea what story the other side has to tell. Today my good friend (@leevalleybirder) and I headed up to Waltham Cross to embark on a walk round the various sites of the country park in search of humanity, normalcy, and wildlife.  We thankfully got it all. Apart from an early report of a Red Footed Falcon, we were in our stride albeit a slumberous, slightly below pedestrian pace fully attributed to my aching limbs that have aged faster than I have.  The morning was warm and it was a joy to be out in amongst the riches of the enchanting British countryside. The walk provided the biodiversity that we were in search of, odanata , lepidoptera , passeriformes .   Banded Demoiselle Sedge Warbler Cinnabar Moth Birds as always were the real draw, at least three Hobby  hawking insects, and four Cuckoo seen mostly in flight including one individual that took to calling from the top of an ele...

Just feeling off colour, out-of-sorts, a semi-tone down on life's interlude currently performing in minor key.  I think I enjoyed birding before I moved to east London but for my fellow comrades that commit their time to the patch , I might have relieved myself from duty. I've managed to get out and about over the past few days.  The Waterworks NR provides the peace that I at times crave - no dogs, no joggers, no bikes, no kids.  Well most of the time anyway.  The Cetti's Warbler  continues to erupt into its' cacophonic refrain.  Difficult to exact precise numbers but perhaps up to eight Reed Warbler have been scratching away amongst the reeds, while Common Pochard and Little Grebe are ever present. Today, a Common Buzzard soared high up to the south of the Waterworks.  Slim pickings from what was a glorious day.   Common Whitethroat  were abundant and the high flying Cormorants mocked me as I impulsively raised my optics in the ...

Don't worry!  For those who enjoy a walk or run in anything other than a gym, there will be fewer 'midges' then recent days as I swallowed around half of the London population during my walk round the Waterworks NR this afternoon.  God I'm stuffed. The populations could be reduced further by the arrival of Common Swift over the last few days, with at least 80 wheeling around over the reserve. Common Whitethroat - Waterworks NR At least three Common Whitethroat were displaying including this showy individual.  Two Common Tern flew through, as did a lone Swallow and four House Martin .  Four Reed Warbler were audible from the reedbed, and the resident Little Grebe and Common Pochard were on the water. Plenty of Butterflies were on the wing in the warm conditions with Holly Blue , Orange-Tip , Small White , Peacock , and Small Tortoiseshell observed today.

Today around the London area, sketchy reports were filtering through purporting to a flying fish carrying prey alleged to be a Red Kite.  A tip-off from an anonymous source suggested two male Mallards were inexplicably involved in lascivious activity in close proximity to a major throughfare.  All I do know is that we were on a mission to surpass last years final species count of the Annual Walthamstow Patchwatch . The 'we' in all this were the devoted patch-watchers, these individuals that tirelessly commit their time with little reward to the arduous process of monitoring and recording species of birdlife within a strategically defined area.  The area known as 'The Patch'. This is not competition, but altruistic dedication. Eighty-one was the target to beat.  My companions in our pursuits today were The Prof, a somewhat circumspect individual with a questionable british bird list, and an inclination to talk freely with other birders.  Very strange! ...