Finally

I actually went birding this morning. I had planned to last night but woke up to heavy fog and changed my mind. Snooze. The next time I opened my eyes sunshine was hitting the bedroom floor. The fog was 90% gone. Gah! Yesterday it had lingered for much longer. I leapt from bed, showered, grabbed my bins and headed out. Oh, I got dressed too.

Rather than hit the Flats (despite the lure of a potential super-early Wheatear) I went to the Park. There are still a number of things that I need for the year that are far more likely here - birds like Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail and Cetti's Warbler. Naturally I didn't see any of them, but my goodness what a lovely morning it was. Quite mild with blue skies and, praise be, sunshine. The sun! Had I not been away to Morocco recently I don't think I would have remembered what sunshine even was, it has been the most miserably damp and grey start to the year I can recall for a long time. Just grim. But today it was lovely. I was admiring the near pristine hoods of the Black-headed Gulls on Heronry when a strange song behind me made me turn around. Wait, I know that! A Blackcap! Almost certainly a bird that overwintered rather than an arrival, but nonetheless a welcome sight that cannot help but cheer a person up.

A little later on, a bit closer to the main Park gates, a Chiffchaff started up. Wow! I think I ended up hearing seven singing birds in total, mostly in the Old Sewage Works where I tried (and failed) for the Cetti's Warbler. It didn't matter, it was just lovely to finally be outside and birding locally. 

A Great Crested Grebe was asleep on Heronry, but Duck numbers seem well down. That is if they were ever decent in the first place. I wouldn't know as I didn't really go out. A single Pochard, a single Gadwall, a single Shoveler - seems pretty poor for early March but who knows. With a spring in my step I headed home for a day of toil. I have missed loads of birds this winter due to apathy, but this morning felt like I was back on track. Maybe I have that S.A.D. thing? Personally I think it is very sensible and rational to stay indoors, warm and dry, rather than go out and get cold and wet to find birds that I will almost certainly see without even trying later on. But I would like to see a Teal....

Just in time for returning passerines