Garden Birding and Bittern at Lea Valley

With the weather being bad and just recovering from last nights entertaining drive home from work I thought I'd leave the car on the drive and stay home then I spot a Blackcap in the garden looking for apples and I'm all out of apples so what's a man to do? I got in the car drove to the shops and bought the Blackcap some apples and while I'm there I spend a couple more of my hard earned pounds on nuts etc.
The shopping trip paid off as soon after putting out the fruits back came the male Blackcap to feed on them.

Male Blackcap in the garden

The apples also attracted eight Blackbirds (including "the Vicar") and two Fieldfares.

The Vicars wife

Other visitors today included up to 15 Chaffinch, 6 Greenfinch, 12 Goldfinch, 3 Robins, a Dunnock and a Pied Wagtail, a Jay, a Song Thrush, a pair of Siskin, Woodpigeons, Collared Doves, Feral Pigeons, Jackdaw, Crow, Magpie, BH and Common Gull, Lot's of Starling and a couple of House Sparrow so quite entertaining.



Having to then make a trip to collect a car with my son I decided to stop in at Fishers Green and check for Bittern. I had good but brief views of the Bittern and a Water Rail  made a short walk up the river to find more than a dozen Goosander before the cold got the better of me and sent me packing for a warm up.

View from the Bittern Hide at Lea Valley

 No year ticks but a nice walk.