At last

Popped into SLRS on Saturday, and drew a blank. A nice couple of Blackcaps, and a Sparrowhawk, but nothing to get excited today.

Then a call this morning from Mike, and after sending D#2 to his first cricket practice of the year I dashed off to SLRS and finally got the Garganey. It was difficult to see for a while, then it emerged from behind a clump and waddled round in the open. A beautiful sight, and quite exotic for our little puddle. Like seeing Angelina Jolie in your local.

A male Garganey has been seen at Amwell, and also has been seen at Hollingson Mead (a private gravel pit near Harlow that also holds Wigeon and Gadwall in winter). I assume this is the same bird as ours, and if so then it is following a familiar path. Both last year's Blackwit and this year's Little Gull were also seen at Amwell, so there is some evidence of birds using the Stort/Lea Valley as a single extended wetland, and commuting between sites over an extended period.

When I started this blog I had a small pocket digital camera that took crap pictures down my scope. Now I've got an expensive DSLR and zoom lens, but find it too big to lug around with the scope, and yet not big enough to take decent pictures of birds at SLRS. So I reverted to the small camera down the eye-piece, and here's a pair of Gadwall on the far shore of SLRS.

Mixed Feelings

Well there I was, tap-tapping away in the office, just about to get ready to go, when the phone rang. Mike had thoughtfully dashed back to phone with the news that male Garganey and a pair of Wigeon were at SLRS!

I was out the door and on the train in no time. As we went at a snail’s pace up the Lee Valley I received a volley of texts and calls from Steve. As we waited outside Waltham Cross the bird was showing really well - no really really well. As we steamed through Roydon, it was out in the open with fantastic light, close in, just about the best views you could ever get, and as we crawled achingly past Beckingham Palace Kevin was taking pictures with his camera.

And then as we rounded the bend and SLRS hove into view, it was gone. The train slowly trundled passed an empty scrape and, on the far shore, 6 happy birders (well 5, as Mark had turned up in time to see the others peering into the distance).

I popped down briefly before going to an appointment. The male Wigeon was terrific - a cracking male. There were Gadwall, Teal, Mallards, and baby Mallards and Cootlings, and a GSW drummed behind me. In the evening sun the scrape was a beautiful sight. But not quite as beautiful as it might have been.

The paradox with the site is that its too small to hold birds for any length of time, but if it was any bigger it would be a proper birding site, and not our own little puddle with amazing birds.

So roll on the next wave of migrants to push through here.

Kevin has kindly sent over a couple of photos - heavily cropped etc.



I feel sick.

Weekend birding 5-6 April

Back to the usual routine. Saturday morning was at SLRS with Kevin. In the week away winter has turned to spring, and there were 8 Swallows and 7 Sand Martins going through the scrape area in total. Also round the scrape still a few Gadwall and Mallards. Elsewhere, suddenly birds like Wren and Robin seem really plentiful as they chase each other round their territories. There were more signs of summer with a total of 4 singing Chiffchaffs and a male Blackcap by the allotments. We were determined to find something else as the day seemed so promising, and by sheer force of will managed to conjure up a cracking male Wheatear in the southern-most ploughed field by Feakes Lock - a patch tick for me.

Then Sunday afternoon round Hatfield Forest Lake with D#1 and D#3. the snow of the morning had all melted, and there were just a few flurries.

As soon as I got out the car I noticed a large raptor high up going N. Dark, with longish narrow tail, big broad wings, I entertained thoughts of a Marsh Harrier. I looked away briefly, and when I looked back my Marsh Harrier had morphed into a circling Common Buzzard. Oh well.

Elsewhere, on the lake: 1 each of Swallow, Sand Martin, House Martin. 6 GCG, 1 Cormorant, 1 Grey Heron, a few Gadwall, Mallard, Tufted Duck but numbers low compared to mid-winter. Another Common Buzzard low over the lake area.

Finally on the way out 4 Jay, 1 GSW and c30 Chaffinch all viewable close up from the car, and just south of the Forest c50 Fieldfare.

finally some year-list totals:
total - 121
Sawbo area - 76
SLRS - 58

My first binoculars

When I first went out bird watching in my pre and early teens, I went bird watching with this pair of field-glasses.



According to family legend, these were found by my Grandfather in WWI. He was short-sighted, so when he joined up in 1916 he was assigned to the Donkeys, and his job was to take water to the front. As soon as the shelling started he headed back to the rear - the Donkeys weren’t keen on the noise apparently. Anyway, in some point in the toing and froing that happened he was going over land that had previously been occupied by the Germans, and picked up these field glasses- manufacured by Carl Zeiss no less.

Compared to modern binoculars they are awful. Limited field of view, and separate focussing - it’s a miracle I saw anything at all.

York Interlude 29 Mar - 4 April

Just back from a week in York. The weather was a lot better than we expected, and we were busy all week going to the many excellent attractions in and around York. But christ was it expensive. The National Trust Family membership paid for itself several times over.

We stayed here at a farm near Easingwold, and I managed to spend some time in morning and evening looking round the hedgerows and arable fields.

Highlight was the Tree Sparrows round the farm. it’s a long time since I’ve seen any, as there are very few in Herts or Dorset, and I spent a while trying to consign that “chupp chupp” call to my sub-conscious memory. Otherwise a Lesser Redpoll (another one I wasn’t sure where it would come from this year), calling Tawny Owl and Little Owl in the evening, (and a Tawny Owl seen in silhouette), Red-Legged Partridges, Fieldfares over, and various other birds that you’d expect. Away from the farm we had Nuthatch and Grey Wagtail at Fountains Abbey, Curlews at Borobridge, Marsh Tit at Rievaulx, and a Red Kite at Golden Acre Park just north of Leeds on the way back from my Mum’s.

Bramblings count

I found three. Once the pic is seen full size they are relatively easy. Pics are the original area with the birds circled, then the birds in sequence.

This technique (taking photos of feeding flocks and searching later) could have potential!

Weymouth Interlude

Down Sunday, back Tuesday. here was a fair amount to choose from - Pallas's Warbler, Surf Scoter, Cattle Egret, but time was tight, so it was family trips to scenic places.

Cogden Beach - 24th - several Stonechats, lots of Blackbirds and black birds (Starlings, corvids). Plus a Red-throated Diver flying East. Nice view - familiar hunched appearance with a regular wriggle of the head.

Osmington White Horse Hill - 25th - 4 Wheatear, 2 Chiffchaff, plus Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Common Buzzard

Gadwall Madness!

Not much birding recently - just a couple of trips to SLRS, which gets progressively more flooded by the week.

The first trip on the 15th had a couple of new ticks for my site list; an impressive 9 Gadwall, 5 Teal and a Greylag Goose over. Otherwise, the first singing Chiffchaff of the year, 6 imm Mute Swan over NE, 4 Lapwing, a Stonechat - presumably moving through, and more usual stuff.

Good Friday an amazing 22 Gadwall on the pond, plus a White-Cheeked Pintail - yes, I’m having that on my site list too. A flock of c30 Stock Dove moving in close rapid formation round the Chaff-dump field, like a flock of waders. The Jackdaws were similarly jumpy; I feel I missed a raptor. Still a few Fieldfares and Redwings, and a Treecreeper too - new for my site list which stands at 53 this year.

I’ve put a site guide to SLRS on DipperWorld. If its confusing, incomplete, or inaccurate please let me know and I’ll update it accordingly.

How Many Bramblings?

I took this picture when I was out in West Wood. Its got a Brambling in the middle of it. But are there any others?

Its the original photo so you should be able to zoom this up and have a look around.

Answer (well my answer) shortly.

West Wood

I went back to West Wood with my Camera today (Canon 30D, 100-400mm + 1.4x converter, so manual focus). The wood is heavily managed by both man and deer, consequently there are strong tall trees and not much under growth. Its possible to get good views through the forest, and in principle should be good for photography

At first, there was nothing to be seen. Complete quiet apart form the wind and a few Blue Tits. Gradually, the residents of the wood appeared. A couple of GSWs started drumming, and one showed reasonably well. The Fallow Deer saw me and slowly moved off; there was about 10 in one group, one a fine stag with Antlers,and another group of 3. All the birds then appeared in one area. A flock of somewhere between 50 and 100 Chaffinches rooting around on the forest floor. A flock of Redwings singing to themselves up in the tops of the trees; a Goldcrest, a Nuthatch, and then amongst the chaffinches a Brambling (well I only saw one at a time on a few occasions, so at least one possibly a couple more). My first for the area, and it perched for the camera too!

My trip to work takes me past a variety of habitats, and there’s often some birds of interest.


First it’s a walk from central Sawbridgeworth to the station, typically leaving the house at 7:15 am to catch the 7:33. As the picture shows, Sawbridgeworth is an old town so there are large gardens with large trees in them. Consequently at the moment there are lots of typical garden birds around. On Wednesday there were 4 Greenfinches, 4 Chaffinches, 2 Goldfinches, a Mistle Thrush, 7 Dunnocks, 8 Blackbirds, 4 Starlings, 3 Blue Tits, a Robin, a House Sparrow, and Woodpigeons in good numbers. This week a Great-Spotted Woodpecker has been calling loudly, and on one day there was a flock of Long-tailed Tits.


Then its across the “river” Stort. Recently there’s been Mute Swan, and Mallards, or Moorhens are generally about. Today a couple of Canada Geese flew over.

The station is in the flood plain, and as the photo below shows there are reeds and boggy scrub around. Further up the line is Sawbridgeworth Marsh reserve, Thorley Wash, and then Rushy Meads reserve

At the moment a Reed Bunting is in residence just opposite the down platform. Last week a few Fieldfares flew over, Bullfinches are regular as are Wrens, Cormorants go over high on an almost daily basis, occasionally Water Rail call, and in summer there are often most of the commoner warblers singing, Common Terns drifting along the river, and on a couple of occasions Hobby was seen. In autumn, depending on time, small flocks of Woodpigeons migrate south at some height over the station



The train journey into Liverpool Street takes about 40 minutes, and goes past SLRS (1 Lapwing today), past the back of Beckingham Palace, past the Roman Temple site in Harlow, and then along the path of the Stort and Lee into past the Warwick Reservoirs and Walthamstow Marsh. Its all good habitat as this blog demonstrates. In practise its not possible to see much from the train.

Then it’s a quarter of an hour walk down London Wall, past the Barbican, some preserved remains of bombed out churches from the Blitz and a peek down into the site of the original Roman wall, keeping just north of the Guildhall,then past St Paul's Cathedral and into the office.

Apart from Feral Pigeons there are generally very few birds – the odd Magpie, Dunnock, and House Sparrow, but recently I’ve heard Robin and Song thrush singing, Herring Gulls yelping, and the occasional Cormorant flies over.

The reverse trip tends to take place in the gloom at the moment, so the view is more like the one shown below, and there’s generally nothing to add to the list.