Swifts.

Tonight was how summer should be. A blue sky, cool into the evening, then the church bells chiming and Swifts screaming round. They will be on their way soon, so I tried to get a count but could only end up with a rough count of 30. I clicked away, but whereas others get some really good close ups, I've gone for "atmosphere".

Local

I've popped down to SLRS a few times recently. Not much to shout about, but I did get totals of 19 Moorhens, 6 Coots, 6 Lapwings including 2 juvs, a pair of Yellow wagtails, 2 Teal, a Common Tern, 20 BHG, and usual local stuff like Woodpeckers, Yellowhammers, etc.

I missed another Blackwit and a Green Sandpiper, but who cares when you score with a personal tick for the site and only the second site record of superb local rarity, a female Tufted Duck. Perhaps it has got tired of diving and fancies life as a dabbling duck.

Peregrines in London again

working today - should be last weekend day for a while. On the way back stopped to watch a couple of Peregrines in the usual place just north of the Guildhall, one with prey in its claws. Consequently I just missed my half-hourly train...

More Blackwits at SLRS

You would have thought that counting birds the size of a small chicken on a puddle the size of a football pitch would be one of the easier task of birdwatching. However, today it wasn't. I spotted the first Black-tailed Godwit no problem, but then Mike turned up doing his daily count and commented that there were two here. I had to go, but before I left I thought I saw an extra beak peak out from a clump, so sneaked off round the corner to get a better view, and lo there were a total of three of Iceland's finest paddling round the pond. Otherwise, in the brief period of time available, I noted more Sand Martins than previously, and a couple of Yellow Wagtails flying round the corn field.

We are entering one of my favourite times. It is as though after weeks of quiet, the world has burst and family parties of birds are pouring out. The chattering, squawking, and bickering of birds is everywhere.

More Peregrines

London Peregrines, like London Buses, appear to come in threes. I was walking home along Gresham Street when an almighty row came from cranes around the Guildhall. Three peregrines were flying round shrieking their heads off. Strangely, no-one else seemed to notice.

SLRS 6 July

Another call from Mike. I dropped D#2 at the cricket club and went down with Kevin.

In total; a Black-Tailed Godwit in summer plumage out in the middle (has any Blackwit ever had more barring or a deeper orange?). 2 Green Sandpipers, 2 adult Little Ringed Plover, a Common Sandpiper, a male Teal, a Gadwall in eclipse. A couple of Lapwings made it 5 species of wader in total.

On a more mundane note, we are beginning to see BH Gulls going through here. An adult on the scrape, and a couple drifting south.

SLRS 5 July

Dashed out first thing to SLRS. The water level has been dropping leaving nice muddy margins. Got 2 Green Sandpipers. Then as I was going round the supermarket Mike texted to say he'd seen LRP and Water Rail there too. I went back mid morning with the down-scope camera, and eventually found the LRP on the far bank - very well disguised it was too.

Dodgy photos of the two star birds.

Ki ki ki ki ki!

The walk from Liverpool Street to St Paul's is usually uneventful. This morning, however, just by the Guildhall there was a familiar "kikikikiki" and after a bit of sky watching a Peregrine appeared off the top of an adjacent block. It fluttered off in the direction of Tate Modern with something in its claws.

A passing LBB Gull took a few swipes at it. Whether the prey was a close family relative or its was just taking the opportunity of having a pop at a raptor that couldn't fight back I wasn't sure.