29th APRIL 2007.

AN UNEXPECTED TREAT!

We returned to the Lonsdale Road Local Nature Reserve with a specific goal; we wanted to see what, if any, progress had been made by the Sparrowhawks who were setting up home together. We arrived at the site just after seven o’clock having left in good time to catch the ‘bus. The weather forecast was for a good day and it certainly looked to be shaping up that way. Although a little windy and slightly cool, the sky was fairly clear of cloud and a lovely blue.

HAWTHORN BLOSSOM

Photo: Leon Rusk

Standing at the eastern end of the reservoir we could see that there were many more flowers in bloom …. in only a few days! The yellow Flag Iris was beginning to open in several places and we could see Ragged Robin, Tree Mallows and Hawthorn bursting out in many places too!
We walked around the northern side of the site so that the sun would be well behind us as it rose later on in our journey. There was plenty of birdsong, although seeing the birds was another thing; with all the new growth it was becoming more difficult as the days passed.
We were discussing this when I said to Leon that there were supposed to be Tawny Owls nesting here but a fat lot of chance we had of seeing them. “There’s one! Just there!” he said. How does he do it!!!!! Neither of us has seen a Tawny Owl for years! We used to have them nesting just around the corner from where I lived some years ago. I can still see the place from where I live now, but no owls!

STOCK DOVE, DESPERATE TO APPEAR IN BLOG!

Photo: Leon Rusk

Leon began trying to show me exactly where the Owl was. “Follow this big tree up to the third branch on the right hand side, Bob’s yer uncle!” Bob wasn’t my uncle, and, no owl. “Look!” he said, Up there, third branch, can’t miss it!” I missed it.
“Right!” I said, “Up this tree, third branch on the right, the bird is in this tree, right?” “No, the one behind!” he said. “You have to look OVER the third branch!”
I saw the owl, it was exactly where he hadn’t said it was! We were both very excited by the sighting of this bird, we watched for quite some time and Leon tried to take a picture. It was a shame Terry or Mike were not here with their ‘scopes and cameras; they would have got some lovely shots.

TOWARDS THE THAMES, 'OWL WOOD'

Photo: Reg Norman

We moved on noting that there were more small birds about now and we could see many of them flitting about in the cover. As we reached the tree containing the Sparrowhawks, we were surprised to see a Kestrel flash past, diving down into the reservoir area. We passed the tree so that we might get a better view of the nest area. Again we were surprised; the Kestrel had returned and was on a branch about ten feet below that on which the Sparrowhawks were building their nest! They took absolutely no notice whatsoever. Whilst watching the Kestrel feeding on its’ small rodent prey, we noticed that the branch was quite heavily covered in droppings. Could this mean that the kestrel used this place as a regular feeding station? We will certainly keep our eyes peeled for more evidence of this.

TREE MALLOW

Photo: Reg Norman

We watched both the Sparrowhawks and the kestrel for some time and then moved on to have a look on the Thames bank. The river was flooding quickly and we were a little disappointed to see no birds on the foreshore. A few gulls drifted lazily up and down and a few Cormorants flew past in the direction of the Wetland Centre. Returning to the reserve we made our way round to the southern side.
Once at the southern side we began to see more small birds; there were certainly still lots of Wrens about judging by the amount of their song that we could hear. From this southern side we could also get some more brilliant views of the nest site. Also, form this side we could get some quite close views of the Herons, their nests and their chicks. Leon and I were to ask some more expert ‘birders’ about this raft-nesting phenomenon later in the day. The general consensus is that it probably only happens here!

HERONS NEST ON RAFT

Photo: Reg Norman

We finished our traverse of the site, both still grinning like idiots, and made our way to the London Wetland Centre. We know that lots of people see owls all of the time, but, it had been a long time since we had!

BIRDS SEEN: Chaffinch, Wren, Wood Pigeon, Blue Tit, Blackbird, Great Tit, Coot, Cormorant, Robin, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Moorhen, Little Grebe, Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Heron, Tawny Owl, Ring Necked Parakeet, Coal Tit, Blackcap, Stock Dove, Collared Dove, Egyptian Goose, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Jay, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Herring Gull, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Ruddy Duck, Long Tailed Tit, House Sparrow, Reed Warbler, Starling, Sedge Warbler.

27th APRIL 2007.

MORE GREAT VIEWS OF SPARROWHAWK.

The weather was a little disappointing as we had been promised blazing sunshine and record April temperatures. It was, however, overcast and just a little chilly as we waited for the ‘bus. Our visit to the Leg O’Mutton today was specifically for the chance too see the Sparrowhawk nest again before the foliage grows too thick to see it anymore. We would be going on to the WWT Barnes centre afterwards where we were booked in for a Reptile Walk.

RECYCLING NATURE

Photo: Reg Norman

The wind had risen a little by the time we arrived and it continued to get cooler. It was much quieter than when we were here last week; there was still affair bit of birdsong but the birds seemed to be keeping out of sight. There were also fewer joggers but the dog walkers were much in evidence; the dogs around here seem to be, generally, well behaved.
All around us the fresh green foliage was bright and cheery even though the sun was not out. It was very pleasant just walking around early in the morning. We stood still in some places; letting the birds get used to us and allowing them to go on about their business. People, too, were going about their business; some stopping to say ‘hello’ and others to offer little gems of information about the reserve itself.
We arrived at the point where we watched the Sparrowhawk last week and were a little worried to find no activity in the nest area. There was no need to worry; one of the birds soon showed up carrying yet more nest material. We thought that we could only see the one bird and wondered where the other might be. On the nest and out of sight? We watched for a good fifteen minutes before moving on.

EGYPTIAN GOOSE IN TREE

Photo; Reg Norman

The Thames was very low although it was flooding very quickly; no gulls or waders were visible on the far bank though which was a disappointment.
Resuming our walk around the reservoir, around the ‘thin’ end, we stopped to look into the clearing in the wooded area that bounds the water. There was certainly a lot of activity although identifying the myriad small birds was a little difficult in the gloom. There was one Wren that kept up its’ ‘Tick, tick, tick’ warning all the time that we were there.
We came to another vantage point where we might see the Sparrowhawk nest once again. This time we were able to see one of the birds firmly settled deep in the nest itself. We would not have been able to see the bird from where we were earlier. We thought of Terry and how he might get some fabulous ‘digiscope’ pictures from this point. We were planning to come back on Sunday and hoped that he might join us.
The Heron nests, on the rafts on the water, were interesting in the fact that they were all at different stages of development. Some had a couple of very large chicks; others were clearly still at the ‘sitting’ stage. Some really good shots would be available to ‘digiscopers’.

RECYCLED FENCING

Photo: Reg Norman

The weather had turned really quite chilly and just before we left the site I was forced to put my fleece on to keep warm! Weather forecasts? Huh!

BIRDS SEEN: Blackbird, Blue Tit, Robin, Wren, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Carrion Crow, Great Tit, Egyptian Goose, Coot, Ring Necked Parakeet, Cormorant, Heron, Moorhen, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Coal Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Stock Dove, Pochard, Mallard, Starling, Sparrowhawk, Jackdaw, Tufted Duck, Ruddy Duck.

22nd April 2007.

LEG O’ MUTTON, THE SPARROWHAWK.

What a fabulous start to the morning; clear blue skies and quite warm! We had decided to start our day with a trip to the Lonsdale Road Local Nature Reserve, a place we knew fairly well and usually in the wet! We had not been here for several months and didn’t know quite what to expect.

LEONS' FIRST SWEEP OF THE SITE

Photo: Reg Norman

We just missed a ’bus and made a mental note to leave at ten-to the hour next time as we used to do. We walked down Roehampton Lane to wait for the next ‘bus at Barnes Railway station; you get more choice from there. We did not have to wait for long and were soon on our way. I thought that we had been joined by a super-hero, all lycra and a flowing red cape. Leon said that there were a bunch of fools RUNNING FOR FUN at a marathon in London somewhere! Tchh! The things people do! “It’ll be on the telly later” ventured my companion, “No it won’t!” thought I.
Most of the trees in the reserve were, by now, covered in there first light green leaves. This would make seeing the smaller birds a little harder but who cares; it was such a lovely day.
The joggers were starting to come out as were the dog-walkers; all very pleasant with lots of friendly greetings.
We did not see that many birds but we could hear them all about us. There must have been more Wrens per square foot than anywhere else in Britain; their song really dominated the air. Apart from the parakeets of course.

SWANS NEST FROM ATOP THE BANK

Photo: Reg Norman

Leon, as usual, was the first to see a raptor; a Sparrowhawk sitting in a tree. I saw it just in time to see it ‘stoop’ into the trees on the other side of the reservoir. It had obviously missed whatever it had gone for as it soon returned to its’ perch. It was then that Leon spotted the nest; although out in the open it was fairly well concealed! We watched the bird for quite some time as it continued to ‘stoop’ every now and then; although it never returned to the nest with anything. Except once when it brought back a twig to replace one that it had dislodged. We carried on walking around the reservoir, stopping to have a quick look at the Thames which was so high we saw nothing of note, until w e came upon some Heron nests. The birds were actually nesting on the small rafts provided by the people who run the site. Both Leon and I were not a little surprised as we thought that Herons only nested in trees; obviously not the case! It was good to see so many birds nesting; we had had some lovely views of a Swans’ nest from the bank a little earlier on.

FINAL LOOK BACK ALONG THE RESERVOIR

Photo: Reg Norman

We made up our minds to come back again very shortly to see the progress made by the different birds; next week most probably!
We left the site to make our way to the London Wetland Centre for the second part of our day!

BIRDS SEEN: Goldfinch, Dunnock, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Wood Pigeon, Ring Necked Parakeet, Blackbird, Wren, Carrion Crow, Starling, Coot, Moorhen, Mallard, Canada Goose, Heron, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Little Grebe, Mute Swan, Chaffinch, Blackcap, Swift, Robin, Sparrowhawk, Coal Tit, Jay, Tufted Duck.

14th APRIL 2007.

OUR THIRD VISIT TO THE PARK.

The weather forecast was for a lovely warm and sunny day. What an understatement! It was absolutely beautiful as we met up at 07:00 outside of our blocks of flats. The birds wee singing as if in celebration of such a wonderful day. Even the walk to the park was full of promise as many small birds were to be seen flitting back and forth.

ROEHAMPTON GATE

Photo: Reg Norman

We had decided to cover an area that neither of us had been to for some time; this would take us from Roehampton Gate to Richmond Gate following the boundary wall for nearly the entire journey. As we entered the first thing to strike me was the number of people already here! There were literally dozens of joggers, dog walkers and even horse riders! I wondered what time they had to get up to get ready and tack-up. As we passed the different people we were nearly always greeted with a cheery “hello!”

VERY EARLY RIDERS!

Photo: Reg Norman

All around us the sounds of birds filled the air; the birds themselves flashing across our field of view in ever increasing numbers. I would not like to guess how many Blue and Great Tits we saw in those couple of hours. The only thing that spoiled it for me was the raucous call of the Ring Necked Parakeets. They were everywhere, there beady little eyes on us even from holes in the trees.
We strolled along, taking our time, just enjoying being out and about. Every now and then we would spot a different type of bird and would watch it until it decided to move on. Leon ventured that he would love to see a Treecreeper and, blow me down, one appeared! Immediately! We watched for a few minutes until he, too, vanished from sight. Say you would really love to see a Ring Ouzel I said to Leon. He did so and, blow me down, nothing! Useless bugger!
We were soon near to the end of our walk; we reached the pond just before Richmond Gate and were both a little sorry to be there. There was a Heron at the pond and he seemed to be very busy hunting whatever. A sign of the time times was the beer can that was floating alongside of him.

ALCHOHOLIC HERON?

Photo; Reg Norman

We enjoyed this particular walk immensely, I am sure that we will do it again. I hope hat it will not be long before we do so. We were now going on to the WWT at Barnes and the first part of the journey there was the walk along the top of Richmond Hill, past the Royal Home and overlooking the Thames. This must be one of the best views in London. Shame the ‘Roebuck’ wasn’t open for breakfast!

VIEW FROM RICHMOND HILL

Photo: Reg Norman

BIRDS SEEN: Cormorant, Grey Wagtail, Jay, Magpie, Chaffinch, Starling, Ring Necked parakeet, Blue Tit, Wood pigeon, Carrion Crow, Goldfinch, Wren, Great Tit, Blackbird, Mute Swan, Coal Tit, Jackdaw, Egyptian Goose, Mallard Tufted Duck, Coot, Mistle Thrush, Green Woodpecker, Treecreeper, Robin, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Stock Dove, Long Tailed Tit, Skylark, Chiffchaff, Greenfinch, Heron.

8th APRIL 2007.

GLORIOUS DAY AT PAGHAM HARBOUR.

The weather forecast looked like it was to be correct for both Leons and my first visit to Pagham Harbour. We had often heard about the site but nothing can prepare you for the natural splendour of the place. Both Terry and Liz had been on two occasions before so were ready for it but we were both knocked out the minute that we arrived!

CHURCH NORTON SPIT

Photo: Reg Norman.

We set off just after seven so as to make the most of the day. Just before we arrived we stopped at a ‘Little Chef’ for breakfast; this set us up nicely for the day.
Our first stop was at Church Norton on the south-west side of the harbour. The woods bordering the path from the car park were alive with birdsong; some of which I had not heard before, driving home the need for me to study harder to improve my chances of spotting even more birds!

SEAWARD EDGE OF THE WOODLAND

Photo; Leon Rusk.

Reaching the harbour itself the first thing you notice is the sheer size of the place; then, slowly it dawns on you just how beautiful it is as well. Within moments we were all looking all over the place; everywhere that I looked I could see birds moving around and feeding on the mud. The first bird to be seen was a Curlew; unusual for us but in great numbers here. There were also plenty of Redshanks but these are not at all unfamiliar to us as we see them regularly a WWT London.

HARBOUR MUDLATS, SIDLESHAM

Photo: Leon Rusk

After having a quick look around on the harbour mudflats we moved up onto the great shingle bank (Church Norton Spit) to look at the sea and its’ shore. Large areas at the top of the bank have been set aside for nesting bids but we were obviously too early in the season for there to be any action of that sort!

TOWARDS THE HARBOUR ENTRANCE, DRAINED

Photo: Leon Rusk.

I was soon to see one bird for the first time in small flocks; Turnstones, I am sure that I have seen them in the past but not since I have been ‘birding’ in earnest! They are probably one of the most aptly named of birds for that is exactly what they were doing as they marched up and down the beach!
Liz, who was to have a brilliant day spotting birds before the rest of us, soon spied some Mergansers not too far off the beach; I had scanned the area and missed them! I think the sun was in my eyes!

TURNSTONE

Photo; Leon Rusk / Terry Burton

Having looked at the beach area we moved back down from the shingle bank and moved towards the meadow area. There were some good views of many small birds in woods on the far side and also of some Redshank in the shallows of the mudflats below us. Leon and terry decided to try to get some shots of the birds, digiscoping with Terrys’ ‘scope and Leons’ camera.

REDSHANK

Photo: Leon Rusk / Terry Burton

A Common Buzzard was spotted over the woodlands and we were able to watch him for quite some time. This was to be quite a common occurrence throughout the day!
The Ferry Pool, at the north-west side of the harbour was our next stopping place. We had decided, on Terry and Lizs’ advice, to try some other spots and return to Church Norton later in the day when the tide had come in. Hopefully there would be more birds to see, driven in by the rising tide.
We popped into the visitor centre for a quick look around before moving to the hide that overlooks the pool where we were to spend a little time. Liz came up with yet another great spot, a Kestrel sitting on a power cable with trees behind it! I had just scanned that area and missed it. The sun must have been in my eyes!

SIDLESHAM QUAYSIDE

Photo: Reg Norman

We started to follow the path along the north-western side of the harbour towards the village called Sidlesham. This path has wooded and bushy areas on one side and the salt marsh on the other. All around was the sound of birds and there flitting shapes could be seen as we walked along. Yet again Liz spotted a long distance bird. There was a Green Woodpecker in a tree a very long way off. How she saw it I do not know, even when pointed out to me I found it difficult to spot. Must have been something to do with the sun!
We all thought that we might fancy either a cup of coffee or a swift pint so, as we headed for the village, all eyes were searching for the first sign of a pub. Liz saw it first and the pace picked up noticeably as we closed in on it! Calamity! It was closed for refurbishment!

ORNITHOLOGICAL DISATER, PUB CLOSED!

Photo: Reg Norman

We made our way back towards the Visitor Centre by the shorter of the two routes back. Not that we were in any particular hurry; just to cover as much ground as possible. On the way back we came across some Oystercatchers who were vying for the attentions of one of their females. There was lots of their ‘parading’ courtship dance and some pretty violent fighting with feathers flying. This accompanied all the while with their incredibly loud piercing shrieks.
In the distance, above Church Norton, we could see several Common Buzzards wheeling in the clear blue sky.
We then came upon a dead rat. Leon dutifully took a photo for his new collection; he had seen one at the London WWT the week before and was therefore on a roll!

ANOTHER FOR THE COLLECTION!

Photo: Leon Rusk.

Having made our way back to Terrys’ car we set off to Selsey Bill. The weather was now very warm indeed; even more so now that we were away from the cooling sea-breeze. We were all grateful for the air conditioning system! We stopped briefly to quench our thirsts at a nice little pub called ‘The Nelson’, taking seats in the neat garden. The beer was good and we have noted its’ whereabouts for our next visit!
We were hoping to see some sea ducks once at the beach but there was very little about apart from some gulls and some Cormorants perched on the poles above the groynes. Terry and Leon had a go at digiscoping the latter with quite good results! Leaving Selsey, we made our way back to Church Norton

CORMORANT SILHOUETTE

Photo: Leon Rusk / Terry Burton

What a difference! The tide had indeed come in and gave the place a whole new look! Where there had been beds of grass and runnels in the mud, there was now an enormous lake dotted with several islands. The Mergansers were now inside the harbour and there were many more gulls, all apparently asleep! We spent quite some time looking out across the harbour, thankful for Terrys’ ‘scope! We were able to add Dunlin and Greenshank to our list as we scanned the whole area.

TOWARDS THE HARBOUR ENTRANCE, FLOODED

Photo: Reg Norman.

The shingle bank was by now very crowded with people enjoying the beautiful weather so we decided not to bother going back up onto it. Instead we watched the meadows where many small birds flitted amongst the trees and bushes. Above them wheeled the Buzzards, vanishing every now and then.
All good things, sadly, must come to an end and so we made our way back to Terrys’ car to start the journey home. We stopped by the mound of the old Norman keep to watch some small birds amongst the bushes there. Liz and Leon had walked on ahead a little way but Leon soon came back saying,”Blackcap!” Terry and I joined them quickly and soon had the bird in our glasses. It was flitting about like a mad thing but presenting well all the time. Terry decided to try to get a photo of it but as soon as he had his ‘scope and Leons’ camera set up, the bird vanished in to the bushes only to reappear every time that Terry stopped trying snap it!

CAN YOU SPOT THE BLACKCAP?

Photo: Leon Rusk.

What a perfect day we had had! The weather was lovely, there were lots of birds seen, the scenery was beautiful and the company perfect! We did not have much trouble getting home and Terry kindly dropped us off at ‘The Angel’ where we could discuss the days’ events. We had a couple of pints as well.

BIRDS SEEN: Long Tailed Tit, Rook, Great Tit, Carrion Crow, Mute Swan, Robin, Pheasant, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Shelduck, Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank, Cormorant, Blue Tit, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Wood Pigeon, Chaffinch, Dunnock, Chiffchaff, Wren, Greenfinch, Stonechat, Little Egret, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Black Headed Gull, Lapwing, Starling, Turnstone, Red Breasted Merganser, Magpie, Goldfinch, Common Sandpiper, Coot, Mallard, Moorhen, Common Buzzard, Ringed Plover, Green Woodpecker, Tufted Duck, Wigeon, Teal, Kestrel, Heron, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Great Black Backed Gull, Dunlin, Greenshank, Blackcap, Meadow Pipit.

18th MARCH 2007.

LEONS FIRST HP / KG AND NO OWLS.

We had heard on the grapevine that there was a family of Tawny Owls to be seen at Kensington Gardens and so Leon joined me for an early start to see them. It was a fairly grey start to the day although we were expecting the weather to improve as the day went along. We were going along to WWT London as soon as we got back from HPKG.

ROTTEN ROW

Photo: Leon Rusk.

We arrived at Hyde Park at about twenty to eight, it had got a little colder and the wind had picked up quite a fair bit. So much for the weather forecast! Entering the park by the Albert Gate we made our way to the North side of the Serpentine and into the teeth of a full-scale gale! I had never seen such waves on this stretch of water and most birds seem to have thought the better of venturing out. Pulling our coats about us to keep out the wind we made our way westwards towards Kensington Gardens. There were much fewer joggers about as well, obviously not as (fool) hardy as us! There were quite a few geese and ducks on the leeward side of the island; it was certainly less of a job for them to fight the wind and waves. There were also few seagulls about although the ones that were seemed to be actually enjoying themselves.

THE LIDO AREA

Photo: Leon Rusk.

When we reached the wooded area just before the bridge we saw quite a few smaller birds, mostly Finches and Tits, but they were keeping to the lower parts of the vegetation and out of the wind. The sun had started to show itself every now and then but it had no effect on the temperature; in fact we were sure that it was getting colder!
At the Italian Garden the sun shone through the fountain spray forming rainbows; Leon tried to capture the effect with his camera. Unusually there were no birds at the fountains apart from one solitary Tufted Duck!

THE ITALIAN GARDEN

Photo: Leon Rusk.

We made our way eastwards to the place where we were expecting to see the owls but could find no trace of them. We found out later that I had misinterpreted the directions and had missed them by a gnats’ whisker!
There were quite a few birds along the bank this side; tucked in close to avoid the wind. Again, those in the bushes and trees were low down in the vegetation and out of the worst of the weather.

PRIMROSES ON BANK BY BRIDGE

Photo; Leon Rusk.

Deciding to give the whole thing best, we made our way fairly quickly back towards the exit, stopping only to investigate some possible sighting or to take the odd photo. However bad the weather is, it is still a beautiful place.

LEON, A SELF PORTRAIT!

Photo: Leon Rusk.

BIRDS SEEN: Mallard, Wood Pigeon, Feral Pigeon, Great Tit, Carrion Crow, Moorhen, Magpie, Canada Goose, Coot, Mute Swan, Ring Necked Parakeet, Greylag Goose, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Wigeon, Great Crested Grebe, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Black Headed Gull, Starling, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Wren, Robin, Cormorant, Herring Gull, Ruddy Duck, Heron, Green Woodpecker, Goldcrest, Coal Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Jackdaw.

11th MARCH 2007.

RSPB RAINHAM MARSHES, VISIT ONE.

Only opened to the public fairly recently (although accessible to a few lucky people) this was a site that I personally was itching to get to see. The others in our little party were, I think, just as keen!
Terry and Liz turned up a little early for our 08:00 meet and waited patiently for Leon and myself to appear. They didn’t have long to wait! We had arranged to leave at this time so that there might be a chance of breakfast somewhere along the way as the reserve doesn’t open until 09:30. We were to be in luck as we arrived in good time and there is a splendid café, ‘Rosinas’ Café’ just before you get to the main gate. This café is open seven days a week from 06:00 to 16:00! The food was good and reasonably priced; we filled up and were set for the day!

THE NEW RSPB CENTRE, RAINHAM

Photo: Reg Norman

Having arrived at the site and parked up, we made our way into the new Environment and Education Centre. This is an unusual building of modern design; we couldn’t decide whether or not we liked it, though none disliked it! It does not only look modern, it has been designed to be environmentally ‘friendly’ with its energy-saving technology. The staff here were brilliant, almost falling over themselves in their attempts to be helpful! We asked for a site map and were immediately shown areas where we might see different things and what to look out for as we went around the different areas.

AT THE WOODLAND FEEDER

Photo: Terry Burton

Leaving the new Centre we made our way, anti-clockwise around the site, towards the ‘Woodland Discovery Zone’. This area, like many others, is nowhere near complete yet but you can get a good idea of how it will appear in years to come. There were quite a few woodland birds in the area; we saw many and heard a lot more! The paths and wooden walkways were impressive; there is great access for able-bodied as well as less able people. Following the ‘Woodland Walk’ path we eventually came to a feeder area which was well thought-out and generously supplied with different types of food. There didn’t seem to be many birds about but we sat on the bench provided and waited. We didn’t have to wait long! As soon as we had stopped moving about the birds started to show themselves, hiding again as people passed by. We stayed here for almost twenty minutes before moving on towards the ’Aveley Hide’.

LOOKING BACK TO THE 'WOODLAND'

Photo: Reg Norman

The woodlands were left behind us and reedbeds and small pools dotted with Willow was the predominant landscape; the bends and turns in the paths opening up new vistas as we moved along. We were scanning these reedbeds quite thoroughly as we had heard there was a chance of seeing a Penduline Tit. The people at the Centre said that it had not been seen for about a week but now that the wind had eased they might still be seen! As we moved along flocks of both Teal and Lapwing suddenly took off sparking hopes of a raptor sighting. Nothing was seen however even though there must have been fifty pairs of eyes scanning he sky! Leon, the ‘Raptor King’, was soon to change our luck though; as usual he spotted a bird long before anybody else. He had seen a Sparrowhawk sat in on old (dead?) tree; how he saw it I do not know. The birds’ camouflage was good; even where the shade of the branch above him, where it cut across the bird, added to the difficulty of seeing him. People, as is usual, were drawn to the bird by the fact of us focussing on it. We were all treated to a lengthy view of this beautiful bid before it suddenly flew off, just below reed height, towards the feeder. He must not have been seen until the very last minute and a small cloud of birds dispersed in all directions as he arrived, We did not see if he was successful or not.

OLD NUMBERED BUTTS

Photo: Reg Norman

The ‘Aveley Hide’ seems to have been made out of a container of the type used on lorries. I must say that they have wonderful seating and the shelves are generous, plenty big enough for all sorts of kit. We spent quite some time in the hide, getting some very good views of many birds across the ‘Aveley Flash’. As with all birding crowds that I have come across so far, the mob inside the hide were both friendly and helpful.
Moving on we were scanning the larger reedbeds that ran between the pathway and the railway. We never saw a single rain all day even though it was marked ‘Channel Tunnel Rail Link’! Again we were not to see the Penduline Tit but we were drawn to a crowd of ‘birders’ watching an industrial yard containing some heavy plant. It was kindly pointed out to us that there was a Black Redstart showing intermittently. We stayed for a short time and were rewarded with some short, but quite good sightings. Terry had whipped his ‘scope out and had set it up to cover the area where the bird appeared most often and had zoomed in on it. His usual generous self he offered Leon and I a chance to view it. Leon had a fabulous time watching the bird for a while and then relinquished the ‘scope to me with a dismissive,”It’s gone now!” Cheers, mate!

WATER PIPIT SEEN ON FENCE HERE

Photo: Reg Norman

We gave up on seeing the Penduline Tit and made our way to the area overlooking the ‘Target pools’. This is a very expansive area and a ‘scope would be recommended to see the most distant birds. It was here that we saw our first Heron of the day; we had been quite surprised earlier that we had not seen one all day.
The Skylarks in this area were putting on a wonderful display; the air was full of their song and it was very easy to se them as the slowly ascended into the clear blue sky. It was truly a lovely day, cloudless sky, warm although with a slight wind coming from the river. I am sure that the birds were singing for the pure joy of it!
We were to get a ‘first’ as we walked along the old rifle ranges towards ‘Reedbed Discovery Zone’; another area unfinished but taking shape. You could certainly see what has been envisaged and I hope sincerely that it all works out the way it has been planned. Liz was the first to spot the bird and quickly pointed it out to the rest of us. At first I thought that it was a Meadow Pipit but soon realised that it was not. After much discussion we all agreed that we had seen our first Water Pipit! Having settled on its’ type we set to watching it. Typical! It flew a way in the direction of the river and vanished! Next time I will watch the new bird until it leaves; you live and learn!

REGULAR SIZED FROGS

Photo: Reg Norman

The next area that we moved to, yet again unfinished, was called the ‘Marshland Discovery Zone’. These ‘Zones’ really are large projects and, once again, I can only wish them the very best of luck in there efforts; the finished articles should be resources to be proud of. As we walked along in this area we noticed a great number of frogs ‘getting to know each other’ in the shallows on either side of the walkway. They all appeared to be (apart from the previous activity!) basking in the sunshine which by now had reached about 17c! We next came upon an enormous creature; I was sure it was a very large toad but now that I have seen Terrys’ wonderful close up photograph I am not so sure! All I know is that it was about five or six inches long, maybe more!

A VERY, VERY LARGE FROG

Photo: Terry Burton

As we walked along the path back to the Centre itself, we could see the herd of cows helping to maintain the landscape with their grazing. Liz spotted a small bird and let us know straight away. Leon quickly homed in on it and pronounced it to be a Reed Bunting. This is why he is known as the ‘Raptor King’! It was a Stonechat!
We stopped for some refreshments at the Centre and then moved on to the seawall where we were told we might see some waders and sea birds. We were unlucky as there were no waders and very few others apart from a few gulls in the distance and a lone Cormorant! It was a nice walk though and on another day who knows what you might see!
On the way back to the car we stopped for some more coffee and then made our way home. Terry kindly dropped us at ’the office’ where we had lots to talk about!

ALONG THE SEA WALL

Photo: Reg Norman

BIRDS SEEN: Goldfinch, Coot, Moorhen, Shoveller, Black Headed Gull, Mallard, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Wigeon, Teal, Magpie, Wood Pigeon, Skylark, Reed Bunting, Feral Pigeon, Lapwing, Gadwall, Mute Swan, Wren, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Dunnock, Sparrowhawk, Shelduck, Pintail, Canada Goose, Tufted Duck, Common Snipe, Little Egret, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Little Grebe, Black Redstart, Water Pipit, Heron, Stonechat, Cormorant, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Collared Dove, Starling, Robin.

18th FEBRUARY 2007.

ELMLEY MARSHES, A CRACKING FIRST VISIT.

It’s hard to know where to begin with this report. I had trouble sleeping last night as I was so looking forward to today’s’ trip! Leon and I had been toying with the idea of going to Elmley for some time and had decided that this was the day for it. We had spoken to our friends, Terry and Liz, about the planned day out and the germ of an idea, that we could go as a small group, was born. We had kept in touch throughout the week and plans and decisions made. And so, we found ourselves outside the flats waiting for Terry and Liz for nine o’clock. We were chattering away, about nothing in particular, willing the time to pass!
We didn’t have to wait long and after we had loaded our gear into Terrys’ car and had said our ‘hello’s’, the trip began. We had discounted using the A3 and made our way through south and southeast London with the aid of Terrys’ ‘TomTom’. We made good time and stopped just before we reached the Isle of Sheppey turn off for coffee.
We were going to attend a free walk but as that did not start until two o’clock we had plenty of time to have a look around; we planned our itenary over our coffees. Capel Fleet raptor observation point and Harty Ferry were obvious choices for people who had not been to the island before hoping to do some ‘birding’.

THE SHEPPEY BRIDGE FROM THE CAR PARK

Photo: Reg Norman

Crossing onto the island we made our way towards Capel Fleet but missed the turning and ended up at Leysdown. The sign for Capel Fleet/Harty Ferry was quite indistinct so t was not surprising that we missed it! It did not take long to retrace our steps and we soon arrived at the Raptor Point. On the way to it we started to fill out our note books eagerly looking in all directions! As we drove along we passed many cars parked by the roadside; there seemed to be many people out with the same idea as ourselves.
Arriving at the Raptor Point all four of us were eagerly kitting-up whilst trying to take in all that was happening around us. It seemed that wherever you looked you could see Marsh Harriers quartering the sky, just above hedgerows and reedbanks. There is a raised area, built especially for ‘birders’, we made our way towards it but it was painfully slow progress as one or other of our small group pointed out something new to see! We could see the birds quite clearly just using binoculars and with Terrys’ ‘scope set up as well we were treated to some spectacular views. All around us, in the distance, there were huge flocks of birds flying around. They were so far away that we, as novices, could not tell what they were even with Terrys’ ‘scope! We were lucky that some of the groups did eventually come close enough (some even flying directly over us) to enable identification. From this point we could also see good numbers of water birds and ducks. We were surprised that we saw very few small birds but soon had the reason worked out; there were very few trees or other cover for the birds. We did, however, see a single Goldfinch; he was probably the bravest (or most stupid!) Goldfinch in the world as he sat in full view of any raptors that may have been passing and sang his heart out. Perhaps he was just very hard!

ACROSS THE MARSH, VIEW 1

Photo: Reg Norman

Time was passing rapidly so we decided to move on to Harty Ferry to see some waders perhaps and maybe have some food. We were a little disappointed when we arrived as there was a shooting match going on and there were no birds to be seen at all! We repaired to the Harty Ferry Inn to have some lunch. It was here that Leon led me astray and I had a pint of beer. I never was one to mix solids with food! We did not stay long as we had to make our way back to Elmley Marshes for the walk.
Once again we missed the turning due to not so clear sign posting. We ended up crossing and re-crossing the bridge on to the island to get to our destination. We noticed that the signposting was better on the way in than coming from the island itself!
We arrived with about five minutes to spare. Just enough time for some of us to see our first Little Owl in a tree by the RSPB centre! There was a Kestrel in the same tree; this was going to be a doddle! The owl flew off but the Kestrel actually moved closer and began to pose for the cameras, or so it appeared! We were then invited by the warden to drive down to the next car park to save time. We had a few moments trepidation when Terrys’ wheels started to slide about but we reasoned that we would be alright as the warden had a large 4x4 truck that could be used to pull us free if the worse came to the worst!

ACROSS THE MARSH, VIEW 2

Photo: Reg Norman

We were given a small talk about the birds that we might be able to see and then we divided into smaller groups and went to separate hides. If you have not been to Elmley before it is hard to describe just how big it is. On its’ seaward side it is miles long with great distances between hides. The hides themselves are well thought out and constructed. Those on the seaward side can be used to look out over the water or there were windows to look back over the marsh itself. We stopped at the first of these seaward hides hoping to see a great Northern Diver. On the way there we were treated to the wonderful sight of a Merlin scattering Lapwing and a flock of Starlings as it streaked across the sky. We were not to see him and the chaps from the site told us that the one that had been seen there had probably gone own with the tide that had not long changed. Terry managed to pull of an amazing feat of bird recognition; amongst hundreds of other like-sized birds he picked out two Slavonian Grebes! It must be admitted that we did not know for sure what they were but one of our ‘guides’ confirmed their identity for us. We stayed for some time at the hide watching different birds and picking up some ‘firsts’. After a while we realised that we had been left behind and so made our way back to one of the ‘inshore’ hides where we knew that the warden had headed. We arrived just as the rest of the group were leaving to go back to the car park area. We said that we would have a quick ‘shuftie’ from the hide and then join them. “You’ve just missed a Merlin!” we were informed by one smug git!
Inside the hide we quickly made ourselves comfortable; as we did a young lady, already seated, said “Look, a Merlin!” Sure enough, there was a Merlin … it had just landed right outside the hide, on a post! It really could not have been any closer and when it did move, it only moved a very short distance away! We could see, in minute detail, the patterns of its’ feathers.

ACROSS THE MARSH, VIEW 3

Photo: Reg Norman

We could not stay long at the hide and so soon moved off to join our fellow group members. As we moved towards them we noticed hat they were watching a distant object. It turned out to be another Merlin, not only coming directly towards us but just above head height. It did, indeed, fly right over us extremely low; it must have been hunting something on the other side of the sea wall as it approached it just below the level of the top surface, skimmed the surface at about three inches above ground and vanished over the top! Incredible!
Gaining the group we were asked if we saw the bird. I was sorely tempted to give them its’ ring number! We swapped stories about the birds we had seen on our visit. I had great pleasure in relating the story of the views we had of the Merlin at the hide where we had ‘just missed one’. Smug git!
We thanked our hosts and said our goodbyes; it had been a memorable day out. We made our way back to the RSPB centre, having easily extracted Terrys’ car from the mud, to have another quick look for the Little Owl and to ‘make ourselves comfortable’ for the journey home.
TomTom suggested a different way home which, we took. We were a trifle unlucky in that we were caught for a short time in a small traffic jam; nothing too serious and it did not delay us for too long. Thereafter we made very good time and were soon back to Roehampton. We asked Terry if he would mind dropping us at the village as Leon wanted to get some Chinese take-away food; he had been thinking about it for most of the journey home and was doing his impersonation of one of Pavlovs’ dogs! Terry obliged and we said our farewells. As we walked towards the ‘Ginger and Garlic’ we both suddenly remembered that they do not open on Sunday nights anymore! Leon stopped wagging his tail and only perked up a bit when I offered to buy him a beer at the ‘Angel’!

FALLNG TIDE, ACROSS THE SWALE

Photo; Reg Norman

What a fabulous day! We could not stop talking about it, the birds we had seen and the company of our new friends, Terry and Liz. As usual, when we are presented with fabulous photo opportunities we never seem to take enough! All of those that I took are presented here; Leon never took any at all! If you get a chance, visit this site!

BIRDS SEEN: Shelduck, Mute Swan, Red Legged Partridge, Rook, Greylag Goose, Coot, Cormorant, Carrion Crow, Mallard, Oystercatcher, Canada Goose, Moorhen, Black Headed Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Great Black Backed Gull, Herring Gull, Lapwing, Goldfinch, Stonechat, Blackbird, Jackdaw, Marsh Harrier, Wood Pigeon, Little Owl, Kestrel, Merlin, Great Crested Grebe, Pintail, Slavonian Grebe, Red Breasted Merganser, Ringed Plover, Common Scoter, Grey Plover, Starling, Little Grebe, Robin, Peregrine, Wigeon, Teal, Shoveller, Pochard, Gadwall.

4th FEBRUARY 2007.

BUSHY PARK, SECOND VISIT.

Another beautiful start to a day out ‘birding’! The sky was clear and although chilly had the promise of another lovely day. Leon and I met at 07:30 and walked to Roehampton Village where we were to catch the number 85 bus to Kingston. We did not have to wait long, the bus arriving soon after we did. There was no traffic on the roads and the journey seemed to finish in record time!

QUITE A COLD START!

Photo; RegNorman

Upon entering the Park we were surprised to see just how much frost there was still about; the sun was climbing steadily in the sky although it was still a little cold.
We had decided that we would follow the same general route that we had taken on our last visit as we had enjoyed ourselves so much. Next time, however, we would reverse our general direction to take in some new areas of the park.
On our way to the Leg of Mutton pond we had some excellent views of Skylarks, Reed Buntings and Stonechats. Although a little misty the birds were close enough to see quite clearly. At the pond we were to find that most of its surface was covered with ice; there were a couple of Mute Swans in the free water at the eastern end of the pond but nothing else in the way of birdlife. A few Mallard were sleep under a Willow tree but nothing else stirred.
We moved along the waterway and other ponds towards the car park hoping that the larger stretches of water would still be open. There was a good sized herd of Red Deer as we left the LOM pond. We were totally unprepared for the rather large stag that started to bellow as if in the ‘rut’ still! We were to hear him many times during the rest of the morning.

A FINE STAG

Photo: Reg Norman

The other open areas of water were still fairly clear of ice although all contained some to a certain degree. Leon found great pleasure in throwing bread onto the ice and watching the ducks trying to ‘icebreaker’ their way through to it! A Coot had the right idea … he just walked across the ice to the bread even though he did fall through a couple of times. The circling gulls went hungry, for some reason they would not actually land on the ice.
Once again we found there to be many people in the park at a very early hour, although there were no anglers this time. There were lots of photographers about; perhaps there was a competition in progress.
From the car park we left the people that had gathered to ‘feed the ducks’ and headed for the Diana Fountain. Here we found a good number of both Canada and Greylag Geese. There was also a good number of duck about and even a Cormorant sunning itself on the bank. We did not stay long but moved off towards the Queens’ Water, following it towards the Woodland Garden and The Pheasantry.

QUEENS WATER

Photo; Reg Norman

We went into the Woodland Garden and started to move around in a clockwise direction for no other reason than the first opportunity for choice was that way! We could hear many birds although seeing them was a little difficult as they tended to stay in the thickest part of the rhododendrons. I cannot say that I blame them as the temperature seemed to have dropped somewhat and it appeared to be getting slightly misty again! We came upon an Egyptian Goose that was asleep on one of the bridges that we needed to cross. He opened his eyes but did not move as we passed him, even allowing us to get fairly close enough to take some pictures!

EGYPTIAN GOOSE

Photo: Leon Rusk

Not long after this Leons’ day was made. As we walked along we noticed a bird coming towards us. It was a large cock Pheasant and was obviously used to people as it came straight up to us. Leon soon had him eating out of his hand. I don’t know who was happier, Leon or the bird!

LEONS' LITTLE FREIND

Photo: Leon Rusk

It had started to get rather dull among the trees although visibility was still quite good. We could still hear the birds moving all around us although they remained awkward to see. The sad part was seeing all of the mature trees that had been toppled in the recent storms and winds.
Finishing our circumnavigation of the Woodland Garden w crossed the clearing and entered The Pheasantry. We saw no Pheasants here! The gardeners were obviously very busy finishing the remodelling of the garden. All around was the evidence of tree and shrub clearance, new areas that had been created by these actions had been marked out with canes and spray marker for the new planting scheme?
This whole area is the domain of the dreaded Ring Necked Parakeet. This pest is almost the only thing that you can hear in the garden, they almost completely drown out all other birdsong. We were able to see and hear other small birds but it a very difficult and frustrating; I, for one, was very glad to leave the area.
Leaving the garden by a northern gate we made our way towards Teddington station where we caught a train to Barnes and then a bus on to the WWT.

STORM DAMAGE

Photo: Reg Norman

BIRDS SEEN: Pied Wagtail, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Blue Tit, Blackbird, Starling, Song Thrush, Jackdaw, Robin, Wren, Great Tit, Wood Pigeon, Skylark, Reed Bunting. Ring Necked Parakeet, Mute Swan, Egyptian Goose, Coot, Mallard, Black Headed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Stonechat, Canada Goose, Tufted Duck, Great Crested Grebe, Moorhen, Gadwall, Red Crested Pochard, Greylag Goose, Feral Pigeon, Cormorant, Pochard, Heron, Mistle Thrush, Green Woodpecker, Long Tailed Tit, Jay, Pheasant, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Herring Gull, Shoveller.