A bit drastic

With apologies to anyone who came here for bird news

Agave attenuata is one of favourite plants. Planted en masse it is a wall of soft green architecture. Crucially it lacks the spines of others in its genus that regularly maim me as I move around the garden and the greenhouse. I have something like a dozen plants, all grown from small suckers of larger plants. Mostly on Madeira, where they grow like weeds in huge clumps, but I think I brought some back from the Canaries and mainland Spain on different trips. At that stage they were tiny, perhaps fifteen or so centimetres, possibly smaller than that. Planted in pots here in Wanstead they have thrived, grown quite large, but over the years they have also become extremely leggy, growing horiztonally and becoming rather awkward. I solved this problem by arranging them like a latticework, with the heads of plants growing some distance from their pots, with the stems crossing over one another. It looked vaguely okay until it didn't. For some reason that moment occured this morning. A bit of research on the web to confirm what I already knew. I could chop the top off the leggy stems, some two feet tall at this point, leave the cut to callous over and for a few roots to emerge, and then simply replant upright. What is more the stems will then grow new heads, possibly several, which can then be detached to form new plants. Or that is plan anyway. 

It took a bit of nerve to actually chop the first one and I ended up leaving one intact in case this doesn't work. I have every faith that it will though, succulents are generally a synch. In fact the last two weeks have been all about succulents - dividing bushy plants and replanting, and I think I doubled my Haworthias over the space of an hour or so. For if this rather brutal beheading of the Agave attenuata works, I will end up having doubled the number of plants. Perhaps even quadrupled because I also chopped the several feet of stem that I had taken off into small chunks, all of which have latent root nodes, and which with the proper care will I think root in their own right and create new plants. The heads are currently in empty pots whilst they air heal. I plan to try a couple methods. Some I will plant immediately in a nice succulent mix, others I will leave suspended until they put out roots, after which I will plant them up. Both methods are said to be successful, so let's see which works best. The rootballs and remaining stems look rather sad at the moment, but they have the summer to start anew. Hopefully in a couple of months I will have something to report back on. Other than compost...

Fife micro-patching

The view south over Lochore CP. One of the lumps on the horizon is the Bass Rock.

I'm up in Fife for a bit. The birding is better than Wanstead (not hard) but I would still class it as quiet, passage has dried up here too. I finally managed to track down a Cuckoo for my Fife list but that was the only realistic target this week, I missed all the good birds earlier in the month, including a Woodchat Shrike. The best birding up here is undoubtedly the East Neuk, which is where the Shrike was, but that is a bit far to get to in the mornings before work. Instead I've been concentrating on the sites that I visit regularly whilst I'm up here and that are closer to home, none of which are more than 15 minutes away, and trying to build up the number of species that I've seen at each of them. Far less chance of a rarity, but it means that things like Song Thrush have become interesting again.

Benarty ridge. The Cuckoo was in the pine plantation.

Letham Pools - 97

My favourite spot locally, albeit that the water levels at the moment are a) too high and b) not managed, so the site is not as good as it once was. There is almost nothing of interest for a wader now. I managed to visit twice on this trip and added Great Crested Grebe, my top target. It wasn't there the second time I went so perhaps I got lucky - apparently it was my 47th visit so it must be quite a rare bird for the site. Top remaining targets are Osprey, Song Thrush, Long-tailed Tit, Blackcap and Redshank. I also came away with the highest list I've ever had here, just over an hour saw me accumulate 41 species including Peregrine, Marsh Harrier and Raven. I'd love to see 100 here but I reckon the final three will be quite difficult.

Angle Park GP - 80

A very succesful few visits adding 13 species. Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Common Sandpiper and Oystercatcher, this has taken over from Letham as the best inland spot for waders locally. Away from the water I found a host of common passerines like Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Skylark, Linnet, Swift and Song Thrush. There are quite a lot of targets remaining, many of them sounding pretty easy it has to be said as I've only started visiting this location quite recently. This is where I jammed a Great White Egret last September, which is I suppose what has encouraged me to go back.

Leven Shore - 78

This is the just about the closest bit of the coast to the house and one of the places I've visited regularly over the years. I think I must have lost the records of many of my visits as I could not find anything between 2008 and 2019 when I started trying to historically populate eBird. Oh well - I don't recall anything mega but perhaps a few common things might be missing as a result. This site is best in winter, with lots of sea duck and grebes, so on my lone visit on this late spring trip I saw only Eider, Common Scoter and Velvet Scoter. I did add Greylag and a singing Song Thrush near the river mouth though, with such gems as Blue Tit (it's mostly sand and water, not great habitat...) and Great Crested Grebe still to come.

Loch Gelly - 76

A site that is between the family house and Edinburgh and so quite convenient for a stop off. I first visited on a twitch over fifteen years ago, managing to get back from the Highlands in time to see both Ferruginous and Ring-necked Duck before dusk. I visit two or three times a year, adding a few species each time. This time it was a Great Black-backed Gull having a bathe. You view from the minor road on the north side, and whilst the mean-spirited landowner has unhelpfully placed a series of large boulders across the two pull-ins to prevent parking I am normally in a Land Rover and as such unstoppable. There are some simple things still to find like Pheasant and House Martin. All in good time.

The Wilderness - 74

I think I am done with this site, there is a new tenant who does not like visitors and has made it increasingly difficult to access and once you do get in viewing the pools is almost impossible. Whoever it is also cut down all the bushes west of the main lake so what was once really good habitat for Reed Bunting and other birds is now a wasteland. What they have not done is cut down anything around the lake itself, no doubt deliberately, and the bushes are now so high  that you cannot see most of it. They have also started shooting there, and there is a nice yellow sign warning of this. Thus my short visit this trip was very disappointing indeed. It was excellent at one time though, with a good amount of mud for waders and it is still one of the only places up here where I've seen Garganey.

Birnie & Gaddon Lochs - 60

Two connected freshwater lakes that are about ten minutes away at most. I've seen American Wigeon here. As it is designated a Local Nature Reserve it is obviously the best  and most popular place to take a dog for a walk and as a result I don't visit especially often, including on this trip. You can walk a figure of eight circuit around them both, and on the eastern side there is a rise with a good view. This winter just gone one of the many Great White Egrets in Fife spent a bit of time here so I've got this on the list too.

Loch of Lindores - 55

This is only a few minutes up the road from Letham and Angle Park, and as it is highly scenic I stop in from time to time. It is where I first found Raven in Fife, they're pretty much nailed on here. On this trip I added Grey Heron, Long-tailed Tit and Mistle Thrush, and with such a low total there are loads of possibilities, especially in winter.

East Weymss - 55

This is about the same distance for me as Leven Shore but for some reason I don't visit it as often. It is the best place in Fife to see Med Gull, and is a good spot to see what is going on in the Forth. I managed one brief visit this time and rather than look at the sea I concentrated on the woodland near the caves and the gully at the end. The result was seven new birds for the site, nothing special - Robin, Wren, Whitethroat and so on - but a minor thrill all the same. Blue Tit eluded me!

Ansers on a postcard

Welcome to June. No birds. June actually started a few weeks ago and so birding has already taken a back seat at Chateau L. One shall resume in August. One last foray yesterday however, the irresistable lure of overnight rain dragged me out. For nothing. It was pathetic, inland sites are the worst. Rainham had a Roseate Tern and a supporting cast of waders including Curlew Sandpiper. Wanstead had this.

They say the big one travels alone......so what is this? On Jubilee and looking as glorious as it did rare, it soon continued, ahem, its migration west. Answers (or Brantas) on a postcard please. This just screams June, it's enough to make anyone hang up their bins for a few months.

I've been busy in the garden. Naturellement. As birds decline so my other interests take over. This year the focus has been on succulents, so I've been splitting Agaves and repotting Aloes. Normally my greenhouse is organised by family groups, but this year I've mixed it up and made the benches more geographical. So now I have Aloe, Haworthia and Strelitzia dotted amongst the Cycads to create a miniature South African landscape. At the other end, Agave and Echeveria nestle amongst Mexican Cycads. Outside, now deemed safe for most things, there has been a frenzy of repotting Palms and Bamboo, Some of the larger Agaves are enjoying the fresh air, and yesterday I potted up about 30 Monkey Puzzle seedlings from community pots and bands. Indoor Palms, mainly Chamaedorea, are now poking out of the flower beds for the summer. It doesn't last long, but for a few short months I shall enjoy my small tropical paradise. 

Mid-Atlantic - May 2025 - Trip List

We vistited six States and finished on 131 species, a decent return for just three days. Delaware headed the list, with West Virginia a surprising second. New Jersey, added just because, trails on 33. For me Delaware and West Virginia were entirely new, but I also added birds for the first time in Pennsylvania and Virginia, whilst Maryland felt new as I'd constructed a list of perhaps two birds that I definitely remembered from visiting my Aunt a few years ago before eBird came into my life.

The full list of species has been lovingly curated below in the usual format - this is actually pretty straightforward once you have a method. As you can see a lot of Warblers, 20 I think, despite seemingly missing loads. Late April or early May is prime time.

quite

Mid-Atlantic - May 2025 - Day 3 - West Virginia and Virginia

We had arrived in West Virginia overnight and this being a new State it was important to get the list going immediately. This involved standing around the car for a couple of minutes ticking all the usual suspects like Mockingbird, Robin, Grackle and so on. This early in the morning there were a couple of Chimney Swift quite low - we hardly ever saw these during the day, not sure where they go. Perhaps they are very high up?

Our destination was Stauffer's Marsh, just over one of the first of the Appalachian ridges. We had to follow a very slow school bus for a while, bear in mind that this is 6.30am....poor kids. Once clear of this we found ourselves on a fabulous road that went up and then along a ridge. It looked like excellent birding as and soon as we found a place to stop we did. It was so productive we stayed in this one spot for over an hour generally being frustrated by Merlin which heard everything, almost none of which we could actually see. The tactic was to see what was being heard and then see if we could triangulate that and home in on it. This included pishing which was once again remarkably effective on some species. Birds we actually saw included Red-bellied Woodpecker and Northern Flicker and Pileated Woodpecker. On the Warbler front we added two Worm-eating Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler and Yellow-rumped Warbler, but the full list of Warblers present was sadly much longer. Also of note was a Yellow-billed Cuckoo which we could hear higher up on the ridge calling repeatedly but which never came near us. Once we had actually seen this later on at Stauffer's Marsh we added it retrospectively.

Stauffer's Marsh

Stauffer's was excellent. There is small area to park that will hold perhaps half a dozen cars, and then you walk out to the water's edge and around a small section of it before heading into the forest and the creek. Yellow-billed Cuckoo seemed to be everywhere, the trees in front, behind, and on one occasion flying over the water. There were several Solitary Sandpiper and Spotted Sandpiper, and a Belted Kingfisher surveyed the pool. Tree Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow and Barn Swallow sallied over the water, and a Eastern Kingbird flew from perch to perch. 

Within the treeline we found five species of Woodpecker, Red-headed being new, and a very smart Louisiana Waterthrush was on the small stream by the bridge and later relocated to the creek. Yellow Warblers were common, as were Common Yellowthroat, and a male American Redstart responded to pishing. The trail took us back via a meadow, and in this open area we had views of a fly-over Red-shouldered Hawk as well as a couple of Field Sparrow. In short this was an excellent area and we saw a lot in a short space of time.

A Killdeer flew over the car as we headed back east towards Maryland and Virginia. Our destination was Harper's Ferry, a famous Civil War site where three states intersect at the Shenandoah River. We stayed on the West Virginia bit, birding Murphy Farm where the focus is on the historic battlefield. One of the cannons on display had an Eastern Bluebird nesting in the barrel, and the grassy meadow had Eastern Meadowlark displaying. We went into the woods here, there are several trails that head towards the river. We didn't go especially far as it was already nearly midday, but we went far enough to find Eastern Wood-Pewee, Wood Thrush, Hermit Thrush, Baltimore Oriole, Parula, Redstart, Scarlet Tanager and Indigo Bunting. Yellow-rumped Warbler were especially common.

In the historic village/museum of Harper's Ferry itself we went down the to water to look at the Shenandoah. I've heard this name mentioned I don't know how many times in various songs and literature, it was interesting to actually be here. I'd imagine this place is very popular with history buffs. I do sometimes think is shame I only really focus on birds given how much other interest there can sometimes be at the places I visit. Best stick to sewage farms to ensure you know you're not missing out on anything else. Chimney Swift were over the buildings, and we finally picked out American Black Vulture amongst the commoner Turkey Vultures. 

At 2pm or so we crossed into Virgina, the final State of the trip. The sky was beginning to look ominous and as we arrived at Sweet Run State Park it started to bucket down. Thoughts of going on a long walk receded. Instead we birded along Arnold Lane near the sawmill and this was actually pretty good, with Raven breeding on a pylon, a pair of American Kestrel, Red-headed and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, another Meadowlark, Bluebirds, Chipping Sparrow, a vocal Orchard Oriole and a distant Red-shouldered Hawk. 

We diverted south to Lake Frederick to add Great Northern Diver to the list, a bird rather incongruously floating around on a somewhat suburban lake, along with three Spotted Sandpiper, Brown Thrasher and Warbling Vireo.

The final site I had earmarked for the trip was the State Arboretum. This was picked for its proximity to Dulles rather than sensational birding, although the eBird lists looked decent. In the end it was rather a let-down really, very quiet at 4.30pm. We gamely struggled on though, building up a list of 23 species but it felt like the trip was over. A nice colony of Purple Martin were perhaps the highlight but we barely added anything new here. A last hurrah close to the airport resulted in driving in circles around some habitat that we had no idea how to access, at which point a dramatic thunderstrom called an end to proceedings. The rain was torrential as we closed in on the rental car centre, with dramatic forked lightning and dark charcoal skies. 

Eastern Meadowlark

Purple Martin

Northern Cardinal

Mid-Atlantic - May 2025 - Day 2 - Maryland and Pennsylvania

Today was about Maryland and Pennsylvania. Our first stop of the day was in the former, Swan Harbor Farm where the Susquehanna river empties into Chesapeake Bay. Arriving just after daybreak we found a Wood Duck in the water near the bridge just before you turn down the entrance lane. A good start and another new bird for the trip. We spent a bit of time in this area as it got light, listening mainly, picking out Hairy Woodpecker, White-throated Sparrow, Carolina Wren, Eastern Wood Pewee, Great Crested Flycatcher and American Robin. Once at the Farm we parked in the visitor area and started on a circuit of the marsh - this on the left as you drive down and is a surprisingly large area. It was dull and overcast but with great birding all the way around, with a Solitary Sandpiper, and several of each Yellowlegs. More Wood Ducks, lots of Canada Geese, Red-winged Blackbird and Great Blue Heron, several Osprey and a Northern Harrier. We also heard a Sora and saw the American Moorhen which is apparently quite a scarce bird and which was being twitched by a couple of birders we saw later. A fair few Tree Swallow, Chipping Sparrow and American Goldfinch in this area too, and Northern Mockingbirds along the track. 

The wearther was holding (for now at least) and so crossing the entrance lane we walked around the south-western raised containment area. This seemed to be mostly dry, and contained lots of White-throated Sparrow, Cardinals, Blue-grey Gnatcatcher and a singing Prairie Warbler. Down by the Bay was not as birdy, but we added lots of Bald Eagle and a few Cormorant, and a Merganser flew north towards Harvre de Grace. Overall we spent about two and half hours here, really decent birding - the full list is here.

By now it was approaching 9am and the weather was deteriorating. It had been breezy all morning but now the first spots of rain were arriving. We drove up to Susquehanna State Park on the west side of the river with the intention of birding the Ridge trail near Rock Run, but before we could really get started the heavens opened. We added a Baltimore Oriole, a Northern Waterthrush and an American Redstart before being forced to rapidly retreat - fortunately we were not especially far from the car. It seemed very localised though, and sure enough a short distance south at the Lapidum boat ramp it was dry enough to start birding again. The trees around the car park held Northern Parula, Yellow-throated Warbler and a few other bits, and yet again we were bamboozled by singing birds that we simply could not get eyes on. Moving on to the Picnic area we experienced much the same, spending an hour under the cover of the canopy whilst hearing a constantly singing Kentucky Warbler that never showed. We did however manage to see both Nashville Warbler and Black-and-White Warbler here, and our first Eastern Phoebe.

By now the rain had set in properly and birding was impossible. Pausing for breakfast seemed like a good idea and we found a Denny's just over the river in Perryville. It was completely clear this side of the river but rather than go birding we stuffed our faces. I had a lumberjack slam which was totally ridiculous, that I couldn't finish, and that ensured I did not to eat for the rest of the day. We stayed here for an hour or so, consulting the rain radar whilst being restored by hot coffee and hash browns. It seemed that whilst not done there was a temporary gap we could use to add a few birds we had missed earlier.

Back at Lapidum we rapidly added a Caspian Tern and several Ring-billed Gulls on the river, and huge rafts of Double-crested Cormorants. Close to the crossroads here we had views of three Yellow-throated Warbler together, brought in by pishing, and a brilliant Worm-eating Warbler. Back at Rock Run a short session near the bridge added Spotted Sandpiper, Belted Kingfisher, Prothonotary Warbler and a friendly White-breasted Nuthatch. Driving north along the river and stopping at various points added Wood Thrush and Cerulean Warbler, but with the rain now starting to return and Pennsylvania beckoning we decided to call time on Maryland and get going.

White-breated Nuthatch

We crossed the State Line shortly before 3pm and could not resist stopping to get the list going. So a random pull-in near Stewartstown was where we kicked off with Yellow Warbler, Tree Swallow, Blue Jay and Song Sparrow amongst other species. Our first destination was still some way away though and we did not arrive until close to 4pm. This was the Lake Redman Boardwalk and was thoroughly enjoyable with a Green Heron, some nesting Warbling Vireo and Orchard Oriole, and some really showy Red-winged Blackbirds. The trees held some unexpected Cedar Waxwing, I guess we associate the family with cold weather but it's just a regular bird here in the US. This tiny trail also had Eastern Bluebird, Eastern Kingbird, Baltimore Oriole, Song Sparrow, Rough-winged Swallow, Northern Flicker and several Yellow Warbler.

Red-winged Blackbird

Our final destination of the day was Gifford Pinchot State Park near Harrisburg which has several sites you can bird around a large lake. We chose the east side as it was closest, but I later felt the west side had better trees. Mick talked me out of it and we spent the rest of the day here seeing quite a lot. The best area was perhaps around the car park and a little further south, with our first Yellow-rumped Warblers in the trees with a Palm Warbler, a Veery near the lake and a Scarlet Tanager along a trail near the frisbee course (yes, this is a thing). Overall we saw close to 40 species here ensuring that our Pennsylvania list ticked over quite nicely, but it wasn't until the end of the day the we found any Warblers and as ever they were right at the top of the canopy. American Robins were everywhere, and Wood Thrush began to sing as the day drew to a close. 

Chipping Sparrow

Tufted Titmouse

American Robin

We were not quite done though. Using eBird's target function we found that between us and West Virginia was a reliable site for Eastern Whip-poor-will in the Michaux State Forest. We were astounded as we arrived close to the pin along a quiet mountain road just after dark to see a bird in the car headlights. There were perhaps two or three present, feeding along the road, sometimes perching on it, and making a huge racket. Fantastic! I had only ticked this bird for the first time in Maine two years ago, and had not actually seen the birds, so get a view of one was really quite special. Our lodgings for the night were in Martinsburg, West Virginia, and we arrived pretty late. Luckily the Denny's extravaganza meant we didn't need to find somewhere to eat.

Pick a side

We pause the Mid-Atlantic for a few words from one of its greatest sons. Bruce Springsteen. This is what he had to say in Manchester last night. How I wish I had been there. I've said a few words here from time to time, but Springsteen nails it. He tells it like he is. I could not be more proud of a true American. Pick a side. Bruce has.

In my home, the America I love, the America I've written about that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration.

[...]

Now, there's some very weird, strange and dangerous shit going on out there right now.

In America, they are persecuting people for using their right to free speech and voicing their dissent. This is happening now.

In America, the richest men are taking satisfaction in abandoning the world's poorest children to sickness and death. This is happening now.

In my country, they're taking sadistic pleasure in the pain that they inflict on loyal American workers, they're rolling back historic Civil Rights legislation that led to a more just and plural society, they're abandoning our great allies and siding with dictators against those struggling for their freedom.

They're defunding American universities that won't bow down to their ideological demands. They're removing residents off American streets and, without due process of law, are deporting them to foreign detention centers and prisons. This is all happening now.

A majority of our elected representatives have failed to protect the American people from the abuses of an unfit president and a rogue government.

They have no concern or idea of what it means to be deeply American. The America that I've sung to you about for 50 years is real, and regardless of its faults, is a great country with a great people.

So we'll survive this moment.

Now, I have hope because I believe in the truth of what the great American writer James Baldwin said. He said, in this world, there isn't as much humanity as one would like. But there's enough.

Let's pray.

Mid-Atlantic - May 2025 - Day 1 - Delaware and New Jersey

The drive from Dulles to Dover takes you around Washington DC, past Annapolis and over Chesapeake Bay, through the east side of Maryland and finally into Delaware along country roads. It was a very late night and I didn't go to sleep until the time I would normally be waking up. The trip had been planned like this so at to be in position near Bombay Hook NWR first thing on Saturday morning. This had seemed like the best birding spot in northern Delaware in terms of species diversity, a good place to start the trip. 

Remarkably we started the first eBird list at 6.47am, sleep playing second fiddle to a deep desire to get out birding. Like many nature reserves in the US Bombay Hook is a drivable loop, and I am sure you will not be surprised to learn that the vast majority of birders and photographers don't even get out of their cars, they simply cruise along with optics pointing out of the window, stopping when they see something interesting or vaguely close. This of course then leads to small gaggles of vehicles (engines running!) all stopped together as the people behind are curious as to what the car in front has seen. Not really my style. That said, it was a great reserve with vast numbers of waders and as such it was a great shame that I did not have a scope - I really need to invest in a tiny travel scope, possibly not even of tremendous quality, just to cater for these situations. Our first stop was the tower at Raymond Pool, a short walk from a small car park - naturally we were the only people there. The pool is enormous, and was carpeted with Dunlin, Semipalmated Plover, Short-billed Dowitcher, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs and Least Sandpipers. We identified these by virtue of them being on the closest shoreline, but there were birds as far as the eye could see. Bald Eagles cruised overhead with Osprey, and a Northern Harrier passed over. In the scrub underneath the tower were a Yellowthroat, White-eyed Vireo and numerous Catbirds and Red-winged Blackbirds, whilst Orchard Oriole and Yellow Warbler sang at eye level and a Brown Thrasher dashed through. As we headed back towards the car a Pileated Woodpecker started to drum, Carolina Wrens sang, and a Red-eyed Vireo was high above us. Why are the trees in America so tall?

Raymond Pool

The Boardwalk Trail was having some work done so we carried on the Shearness Pool which was probably six times the size of Raymond's. The first Willet, more Great Blue Heron and Snowy Egret, Mute Swans, Green-winged Teal and Grey Plover out on the saltmarsh, with Prothonotary Warbler, Swamp Sparrow, Marsh Wren and loads of Common Grackle along the margins. A good stop was at the head of the Parson's Point Trail, with another Pileated Woodpecker, a pair of Red-bellied Woodpecker, the first Ovenbirds, Great Crested Flycatcher, Wood Thrush, Blue Grosbeak and Indigo Bunting, and various warblers that Merlin picked up but that we couldn't locate - Black-and-White and Blackpoll amongst them. Our rules for using Merlin are quite straightforward. For a first sighting you can't count anything until you have actually seen it. For subsequent pick ups you can only count it if you can recognise it which obviously this early in the trip was extremely hard. By the end of the three days though we were confidently identifying lots of species on song, often before Merlin got there, including Ovenbird, Parula, Cardinal, Wood Thrush, Carolina Wren, Great Crested Flycatcher and Red-bellied Woodpecker. It is a great tool if used properly, and can really help the unfamiliar birder eke out species they would not have known were present. We found it indispensable. We did see a lot of absurd use though, of people simply wandering around with a phone in their hand. No binoculars, perhaps a camera, and Merlin presumably then became their eBird list. 

Red-winged Blackbird

Wood Thrush

Smaller pools along Dutch Neck Road gave up American Coot, a Black-necked Stilt, Green Heron, and close enough views of waders to be able to pick out definitive Semipalmated Sandpipers. We drove the full circuit at Bombay Hook over five hours, ending up with a list of 68 species which we thought was pretty decent. We had however burned tons of time not seeing at least 10 more species that Merlin had said were present, so the time was now close to midday and we were only just leaving our first stop. Per the itinerary I had carefully planned this was still within tolerance, in fact we were leaving slightly earlier than I had predicted so we were able to stop in the Augustine Wildlife Area a little further north whilst heading up to Wilmington where we turned left for Jersey. We chose Ashton Tract as this short stop, adding Downy Woodpecker, Cattle Egret, Field Sparrow and Pine Warbler to the ever-growing list.

We arrived at Fort Mott State Park in the great State of New Jersey just before 3pm, now perhaps later than I had planned, and birded the obvious forest trail to the east of the old gun emplacements towards the Civil War cemetery. This was excellent if a little quiet at this point in the day. Highlights included excellent views of Northern Waterthrush and Blue-grey Gnatcatcher, and Fish and American Crows side by side vocalising, which is always helpful for the uninitiated. New Jersey was a not a State tick, simply a side excursion to ensure we passed through all six in this area, as well as an opportunity to boost a feeble State list of just 37 gained from a few hours on Cape May in 2019 whilst in transit back to London. Fort Mott was chosen simply as it was the best looking site just over the Delaware border.

The woodland trail at Fort Mott SP

At about 4pm we crossed back into Delaware and headed back to Augustine, somewhat of an arse about tip way of doing things, but using eBird on the fly had meant we were alerted to a good area, Thousand Acre Marsh, that we had driven right past a few hours earlier. Seeing as it was not much of a detour to get back there that's what we did, picking up some Wild Turkey on the way. What had brought us back was recent and very precise news of a Wilson's Phalarope, Glossy Ibis and a Shoveler - the latter is admittedly not very exciting but we were pretty keen on the other two, especially the Phalarope. Our lack of scope let us down again and we could not find it. To be fair it should have shone out light a bright white beacon so I suspect it simply wasn't visible and was hiding in one of the smaller pools, however the duck was asleep on the far bank and some Glossy Ibis were feeding around the corner from where they had been reported. Yay! We also pulled a Sand Martin out of the many hirundines here. Of note were 14 Bald Eagles in one scan, all lined up along the shore. A pretty cool sight. With the day running out we birded a couple of sites close to here, Dragon Run Marsh, just over the canal, as well as the Canal Wildlife area, adding Pied-billed Grebe and Chimney Swift to the list. Disappointingly and despite having taken great care, I also discovered a Deer Tick crawling on my cloths at this spot, as well as one in the car and one on my head. These had either come from standing stationary just that little bit too close to some grass, or they had parachuted commando style from overhanging branches as I passed. I constructed a brief strip search of myself, or as best I could manage in public, before we headed west to Maryland and our accomodation in Aberdeen, which is a satellite town of Baltimore and close to Chesapeake Bay and the Susquehanna River which we would be birding tomorrow. It had been a long day but a good sleep beckoned. 84 species the tally.

Mid-Atlantic - May 2025 - Itinerary and logistics

The Mid-Atlantic, 3rd - 5th May 2025

This trip is another in my series of visits to the US aiming to travel to and bird in all fifty States. The Mid-Atlantic was rather an empty block despite my Aunt living in Maryland for many years and visiting several times. I also passed through Pennsylvania on a family trip about a decade ago without recording a single bird. As so many States abut each other in this area I constructed a route which over a long weekend would take in six different ones, three of them completely new, and righting the two wrongs above. Starting in Washtington DC I would drive east to Delaware, and then follow an anticlockwise loop passing through New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia before ending up back at Dulles. Early May is a wonderful time of year to be on the East Coast. Migration is in full swing so there is plenty of interest (Warblers!) and despite some massive storms the trip went exactly as planned. Mick joined me for the fun and to get a few world ticks. The possibilities for any US ticks for my list were slim - Nothern Bobwhite, Chuck-Will's-Widow and Ruffed Grouse. We didn't see any of them!

Logistics

• A three day trip over the early May bank holiday.

• Flights: from Heathrow to Washington DC on British Airways, leaving on Friday night and returning on Monday evening. The outbound journey was particularly exhausting as once we had arrived in DC it was nearly a three hour drive to the Delaware coast. I think we arrived at 1am which was 6am UK time, just as I would normally be getting up and I hadn't been to bed!

• Car Hire: Naturally I had wanted a Dodge Challenger but Avis didn't have any, and had to settle for a Toyota Camry. It was fine, the usual sloppy big-engined American nonsense but it did the job. As ever it was a competitive price, with little to choose between firms and models. Avis seems to have snuck a sneaky charge in after our return so beware of this.
• Driving: Ridiculously easy. A lot of the route was toll roads so we went for the EZ Pass flat fee.
• Weather: Decidedly awkward, with massive thunderstorms, lightning and torrential rain that washed out part of our second morning in Maryland, and which seemed to never be too far away at other times. We only had to run for the car once. Other than that it was warm and humid.
• Insects: Having been to New England in the spring I knew what to expect - mosquitos and ticks. I am not too bothered by the former but the latter I am hugely paranoid about. Despite being incredibly careful there were at least two occasions where we discovered deer ticks on our clothes, and I also found one in my hair. Speaking to locals there is nothing you can really do to prevent this and you just have to make sure you get them off before they settle in. Shower when you get in, and scrub the parts you can't see with a flannel.

• Accommodation: All three nights booked in advance based on the route and where we wanted to be for the morning birding. Regular chain motels like Super 8s. Cheap and cheerful.

• Food: OMG.

• Optics: No scope but we really could have used one at Bombay Hook NWR and at Augustine WA, both in Delaware, to scan the large pools for the numerous and often distant waders. Most of our birding was either in woodland or along forest edges though, so it was only really that one morning where we struggled. I need to invest in a travel scope.

• Literature: eBird! Merlin was also incredibly useful in working out what was around and then homing in on it.

Itinerary
Day 0: Arrived in Washington DC at around 9pm and then drove east over Chesapeake Bay to Dover, Delaware in order to be in position to bird Bombay Hook NWR from first light. We did not arrive until after 1am local time, and we were seriously flagging by the time we arrived.
Day 1: Bombay Hook NWR all morning. Then up the coast and over into to New Jersey to bird Fort Mott SP in the early afternoon. Back to Delaware late afternoon to try and clean up on a few species we had missed at Augustine WA, before driving east to Maryland and positioning just above Baltimore at a town called Aberdeen.

Day 2: Birded Swan Harbor Farm on the shores of Chesapeake Bay at first light, and then went up the river to Susquehanna SP. Unbirdable heavy rain curtailed this latter area almost immediately so we went and had an enormous brunch nearby before trying again. We had to dodge what were by now isolated showers, but the birding was really good with loads of birds out and feeding after the deluge. By mid afternoon we had moved north into Pennsylvania, birding Lake Redman and Gifford Pinchot SP near Harrisburg. Evening drive west into West Virginia staying overnight at Martinsburg.
Day 3: Early morning on one of the Appalachian slopes for a Warbler-fest before birding Stauffer's Marsh. Then east to Harper's Ferry, a notable Civil War site where WV, MD and VA collide. Then south into Virginia to bird a few sites for the rest of the day a whilst dodging the increasing storms as best we could. Late evening flight back to London and straight into work. Usual story.

Patch plastic

I'm playing catch-up again. Migration basically ended in April for the most part, a trickle continues, but we are into daily Swifts (some screaming) and Starlings in the long grass. It feels a lot like summer already and so I have no updates to share on that front. You might need to come back in August if it is birds that you are interested in as I have moved on to other things. Plants, gardening, and inactivity. Pottering. I am one of the world's leading potterers, I can easily spend a day ambling around the garden doing a few jobs that I have saved up during the week, and even in early May this has been the theme. It does not make for good blogging.

I was away last weekend, a trip to the Land of Trump. I've said it many times, but the reality on the ground is very different to what you see in the media. Clearly the country is not in a happy place, and the 'leadership' is a very long way from where it ought to be, but ordinary Americans are delightful people no matter what side of the political divide they stand on. On my trip around the Mid-Atlantic last weekend I spoke to lots of different people, no doubt some of them in their big trucks voted for MAGA, but that does not come through in the normal course of conversation. They are generous, friendly, courteous and welcoming. In a way it makes what is happening even more difficult to understand. But it does give me hope that it is temporary, a passing abberation, and that America will rise again to a position of moral soundness. Some may argue that this has never been the case; no doubt I see America through my own lens. When I get to the write up I'll focus on the birding, but that isn't the only reason I go there. 

Whilst away I missed a patch first. I was only away for three days! Why does this keep happening!? Although it disappeared before I came back it reappeared during the week and I was able to make a quick dash over to Alexandra Lake. What was this magnificent creature I hear you ask? Oh yes!

Onwards and upwards

90 has very quickly become 95. I pulled my finger out at the weekend and went and got Cetti's on Saturday morning. Better than that, another glimpse of the Otter. On Sunday I dipped a Green Sandpiper in the same place but jammed a Common Sandpiper whilst I was at it. Consolation prize. Back on the Flats an hour or so later a Cuckoo called - it had been reported earlier but James and I hadn't really expected that it would hang around. Just before I called it a day and went home to start gardening I was alerted to some Swifts. Distant, but sure enough there they were. This is always a landmark event in my birding year, a kind of validation that the world is still normal. Well, it's a bit shit in truth, lots of crappy things going on, but the Swifts are back and for that we can be thankful. Later on, enjoying some skywatching and Rosé, a pair cirled the house. To complete the summary, on Monday morning before I went to work an early start on Wanstead Flats rewarded me with a pair of Shelduck. This is truly the most exciting time of year.

95 is well above average. Somehow I have pulled it back and then some. And with the added bonus of a pile of winter birds still to come. Dare to dream. The patch as a whole is on for a record year if you look at the numbers alone, with 119 species observed (or heard). At the equivalent point in 2021, our record year, we were on 113. That is a big difference. I do wonder whether there is a spring bias at play here though, with a fair few species having already fallen that we would normally expect in autumn. We shall see. 2021 finished on 142, beating that is a tall order. That year I saw 131, and I very much doubt whether I'll ever manage that again.

ATCO, Swaro and Tempier. You genuinely cannot go wrong.

Other than birding this weekend saw a substantial amount of gardening. I usually potter around the greenhouse at my own pace, have a bit of sit down, pour a glass of something. Not so this weekend, I was whipped into servitude by Mrs L and spent hours and hours operating the shredder as she got to work on various overgrown shrubs. Our shredder is legendary. We bought it over 20 years ago, spending probably more money on a single item than we had ever spent at that time. It likely still ranks in the top ten. I am glad we did as it works as well today as did in about 2001. You can see it in my skywatching photo. Later on I switched to a hand saw for some slightly bigger bits and ripped my knuckles open, blood all over the place. I retired from slavery and made some mint juleps. Much safer.

Into the nineties

This morning a Lesser Whitethroat became my 90th patch bird of 2025. As I've already mentioned I had a lacklustre start to the year, a lot of apathy, a lot of not actually being here, but since late March I've really upped my game and been out a lot. Have I caught up?

2024: 13th April

2023: 29th April

2022: 23rd April

2021: 30th March

2020: 19th April

2019: May 2nd

2018: April 22nd

So today is the 25th which would seem to fit neatly into the above list, not the worst, not the best, pretty average. I'd argue I am actually slightly ahead on the basis that there are a number of pretty easy ones that I've failed to find. Or in some cases actually look for at all. Tawny Owl for example, there are two within ten minutes of home that I could pop out and listen for whenever I feel like it. Which I don't. I am also missing Grey Wagtail and Cetti's Warbler, both a little trickier, but with a bit of effort I could likely sort that out. Fieldfare could be a bit harder for a while....

What I do sort of regret is flogging the patch for all four days of the long weekend just gone. In truth it was a bit crap - the best bird a Snipe - and I should have used one of those days to go and bird somewhere that actually had birds. Especially as at this time of year I can get a good two hours on the patch before going to work, so why also burn the weekends on it?

Lots of these belting it out at the moment

And on the fifth day

This is not some kind of Easter or LoTR reference. It's about the Nightingale, which continues to sing lustily from Motorcycle Wood on Wanstead Flats. Being a wholly rounded and sensible person I have of course been attempting to get it on my garden list by virtue of hearing it from one of the turrets of Chateau L. This did not work. The wind, the 'Fun' Fair, the traffic, obsessive power-washing from one of my neighbours, not to mention selfish Robins seemingly everywhere. I was resigned to this unique opportunity passing me by.

Yesterday evening though the stars aligned. The wind dropped, the fair packed up, the boy-racers had disappeared and it being Easter there just seemed to be less traffic on the A12 and A406, the dull hum of both is otherwise a constant backdrop. A local birder popped out and reported it in fine voice. I jumped out of bed and threw open the balcony turret doors! No music, no engines, no helicopters, just a faint "chug chug chug, pew pew pew pew pew pew", then the uprising crescendo. It seemed to reverberate off the walls of nearby houses. I was beside myself. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever add Nightingale to the house list. 490 metres and clear as a bell. Distant yes, but perfectly clear. I am astonished.

You know how in the past I have confessed to liking round numbers? Nightingale is garden tick #99. #98 was as long ago as 2021, that infamous year of lockdown and constant working from home. That year I added five, but that was an exceptional year where there was little else to do. I still can't believe that it ever happened, that we lived through it. What will 100 be? I've had three that I can't count, nocmig records when I was asleep of Quail, Green Sandpiper and Little Grebe. The latter are local and are by far the most likely but require staying up all night which is not really me any longer despite the prize. As such I am still holding out hope for a Nuthatch. That would be epic.