Wheatears again

We seem to have a second wave, with up to seven on the Flats today following three yesterday. It was wet and miserable out there, but perhaps this is what allowed me to get ridiculously close to one of them. It looked damp and, frankly, pissed off, and I ended up pretty damp too whilst getting photos of it, but came away happy, where the Wheatear (which didn't move at all) probably remained peeved. Shame there was no sunshine, but these should set the scene. Hopefully more sunshine next week, and with it more birds. April has been amazing, I've had three patch lifers and missed another.

 

Warblerfest

Today has been epic. No, I didn't go and twitch a Heron. Nor a Godwit. Nope, today was all about the patch, the only place I wanted to be. And it was all about Warblers. It started off well, with yesterday's (and likely last year's) Garden Warbler singing away in Motorcycle Wood. With this tick under the belt I wandered over to the Vizmig Point, discovering that my timing was very poor as I arrived to see Nick with three coffees, and two other patch workers already present. Oh well. We chewed the fat a while, and then Tony left to twitch the Garden Warbler. Nervously, as it's always dangerous heading off solo and leaving a group of us. It turned out exactly the opposite though, as Dan, Nick, Bob and I were halfway towards Alex when Tony called with news of a singing Wood Warbler next to Motorcycle Wood*. Wow! A great bird anywhere, let alone the patch. We all hurried over there, though Nick and Bob didn't have quite the spring in their step that Dan and I did. How so? You guessed it, another massive grip-back was about to occur!

Dan I started running. Not really. We casually wandered over there, and after a temporary period of AWOL, the fantastic trill rang out from the copse. Ooof, and what a beauty it was! With rain beginning to fall reasonably heavily, the bird kept low and fed constantly, every now and then letting out a shimmering trill. Stu and Tim turned up to enjoy this special treat, as did Hawky - silky white underside, lemon yellow chest - stunning. Sadly I don't have anything to show you as I had looked outside and decided that the dark skies indicated a cameraless morning. Nevermind - I suggest you head over to Tony's blog for a peek of what I mean. Warblers in general are pretty good, but Wood Warbler - singing Wood Warblers - are epic. We probably watched it for an hour before the rain started to ease and thoughts turned to what else what might be out there. LOTS more Warblers as it turned out. And a male Whinchat and three Wheatears.

Steve, this is TWO

I picked up House Martin near Esso Copse, and then hitched a ride with joint second Wanstead lister (!) Bob over to the OSW, who was desperate enough to be driving over there for a Sedge Warbler recently found by Dan, and stopped when he saw us. This took a bit of locating and never really got going, but along with a Little Egret saw me hit 91 for the year. Back to Heronry for the year's first Common Sandpiper, and then a short stroll over to Shoulder of Mutton for the recently returned Reed Warbler. totting it up, I worked out that this was the eight Warbler species for the day, and the only bird missing was Willow Warbler. Luckily I know where one of those is, and so back off to the Flats I trundled. Sure enough, the Brick Pit copse bird was in full song, which made it nine for the day (the others being Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat). Can I count Goldcrest as a Warbler? I hope so!

* Motorcycle Wood is so-called because many years ago the local youf set fire to a moped there. Its blackened frame remained for just long enough to give name to the copse, but visitors now are no doubt rather confused. Anyway, now you know.

Surprising patch total

I've just spent a happy hour totting up my 2015 patch list. I had a feeling I was around 80-85, but didn't have any proof either way. So I'm quite surprised to be at the upper end of my guess, especially as I missed quite a few winter species, and have yet to even make the effort to see Little Egret or Tawny Owl. House Martin and Swift are still needed, as is Redstart. Despite this slack attitude, I'm still several species ahead of 2014 at the same date, but of course miles behind my peak year of 2013 when I managed 118. 

The last few days have been good, with a cracking male Whinchat on Monday (likely to be the same bird as Saturday), and then today my first Lesser Whitethroat and four (count 'em) Green Sandpiper. Four is a flock, and a big flock at that! I was wandering around with Nick in the SSSI when one of them called. Old Crofty is pretty sharp these days - the countless hours on patch are working - and he called it pretty much instantly. We found the first one in the sky pretty quickly, and were surprised to then see another one with it. Nick's bins are something like 100x magnification and totally enormous, mine are piddly in comparison, however this means they have a somewhat wider field of view and so I found myself counting a third and a fourth bird. This is unprecedented, I've had two before over near the Alex, but four in one hit is ridiculous. Not a bird I expected to get back in clear blue skies after the guys had one a week or so ago in the heavy mist, but the patch always has the ability to surprise.

In other news, the evil crew at Walthamstow have kidnapped Alan, our cute little Partridge, and are refusing to give him back. Somehow he is a patch tick for all of them bar the Prof, which is odd as I've seen one at the bottom of the Lockwood some years ago. If I were a complete dorky loser I'd be able to confidently state that it was May 9th 2007. But I'm not, so I can't.

Look what I found down the back of the sofa!

You never know what it's going to be. A bit of pizza crust, some lego, a coin or two, a hairband. Imagine my surprise when I unearthed these! All unpublished, and none of the really failing the quality test - there are plenty more to be found which are frankly terrible, but if this is a numbers game Steve.....

In other news the patch has come off the boil slightly. An incredibly early Swift was seen yesterday, but I was sunning myself in Spain and so missed it (although I did see a Swift there too). Redstart and Whinchat have both made an appearance, and I am hoping for both this week at some point. Oh, and I finally saw that bloody Pheasant, and though it gives me no pleasure, it is now on the list as heard and seen.

It was a post-work evening twitch, with my fellow Pheasant dipper Bradders. Pitching up at about 6.30, the bird had the good grace to cross the open ride at about half seven.It did so at approximately the speed of light, blink and you would have missed it. You had to feel slightly sorry for the stoic twitcher, who nearing his twelfth hour at the site that day, happened at that moment to be on the telephone and looking the other way... Oops. I didn't snigger. Much.

Central Park

On the way back from Florida I deliberately built a decent layover in New York City as I wanted to do a couple of things, including replace my one and only pair of trousers. This was a stunning success, and I pushed the boat out and bought two pairs which should see me good for years. In the knowledge of a fine deed done I made my way to 72nd street on the C train, which is the closest stop to the most interesting part of Central Park, the Ramble. It was great to be back, I love NY and hadn't been here since 2011, although that had been later in the spring. 

Spring wasn't very much in evidence, with large piles of snow still lying in some parts, and the winter feeding stations still very much in action. Luckily I had planned ahead and had some warmer clothes - you can see why Florida is so popular during Spring Break! Anyhow, here are a few photos from a pleasant few hours before I had to head back to JFK for the overnighter back home.

Another morning on the patch

We're all as keen as mustard at the moment, hordes of us out on the Flats every day at dawn. Today wasn't quite the day as yesterday, but how could it be? A Yellowhammer was about the best of it, though the day started with yet another Ring Ouzel. Or the same one, I have no idea, they all look very similar. I've seen somewhere between four and six in the last week, depending on whether you count each daily sighting as a new bird or not. Always early, and always vanishing sadly. Couldn't even get a photo of this morning's one, it was flightier than a Great Blue Heron. I think I'm on about 80 for the year, with a pile of winter species missed, so it's not going too badly really. Oh, and there was another Wheatear. It would be rude not to share it.

Halycon Days

I confess to loving patch birding. At this time of year. I've been out early every day for the last couple of weeks and it has been building and building. Whether any future day this year will top today is another question, but the patch is on fire. Today was exceptionally good, though it took a while to warm up. As has been the norm for every day this week, I met up with Dan, Nick, Bob and Marco on the patch, as well as Barry (hereafter known as "Hero") who has been coming over now that it has got good. We wandered around not seeing a huge amount, though a couple of Wheatears and Swallows made themselves known, as did the year's first Whitethroat. As we meandered around the Pub Scrub we got a message from Tim (hereafter known as "Legend"), surveying in the Old Sewage Works like wot a proper birder does, saying that he had a reeling Grasshopper Warbler near the allotments. Marco, being the proud possessor of transportation, showed his true colours and cycled off immediately. He did ask to be fair, but for myself, Dan and Nick it was a longer slog over there. As we neared the OSW, a message came through from Hero, who had a Red-legged Partridge near the Vizmig Point. Whaaaaat!!!!! Two patch lifers at opposite ends of the site! The Gropper a massive gripback from Nick, the Partridge an even massive-er gripback from Bob! What to do? Charge around like nutters basically.

The Gropper had apparently reeled for quite a few minutes when Legend had found it, but was now only doing the occasional burst, but that was enough. We soon located it in a bramble where it gave killer if brief views, and without Bob present! I then hoofed it back over towards the Flats for the Partridge, but unfortunately Hero hadn't stuck with it and in the brief time I had I couldn't find it - it was probably in the long grass somewhere. Nervously departing from the patch, it was no surprise when the boys sauntered over some time later, and laden with armfuls of paninis and litres of coffee managed to pluck it out in roughly the same place. I meanwhile put in a fulfilling day at work, but managed to leave at a vaguely sensible time to give it another crack, tweeting a request that all able-bodied patch-workers join me so that I had the best possible chance. A short wander around the Skylark area produced zip (although every Mistle Thrush got the blood racing!), but an inspired decision to try the Alex scrub found me come face to face with it pottering around under a goalpost on the main playing fields - it had stayed all day! Having fallen two behind Bob in as many days, this was almost karmic. It didn't last of course, as Bob was in the OSW reeling me in (did you see what I did there?), but still, it's a big grip back on the boys at the top, and it came out of nowhere. Bob and Dan joined me marvelling at the Partridge, still feeding in the open, and I dashed home to get a camera as the light was fantastic - I actually jogged and it really hurt, so I drove back. Happily the bird was still there, as was James, albeit briefly as he was off to the Gropper. I threw gear all over the place but swiftly put the kit together and got a couple of low shots before the light went - a sublime finish to the day. I've had a celebratory beer now, but remain incredulous at how today has panned out. When patch birding is good, it can be totally exhilarating!