Fishers Green youngsters

I had a trip around Fishers Green today in between the gusts of wind and rain.
I have been watching the young birds develop here this year and so far have seen young Greylag and Canada Geese, young Coots and a pair of Grebes on the nest with eggs that I'm waiting to see hatch.

Baby Coot (a real ugly duckling)

Canada Gosling (not so ugly)

The Greylags and Canadas have yet to lose a baby which is some achievement as there are plenty of predators waiting to take advantage of any lack of attention from the parents. (Heron, Gulls and Foxes to name a few) I'm away this week and expect the Grebes will hatch whilst I'm away as they built the nest on 4th April and started laying on 5th with incubation taking about 4 weeks they are due to hatch any day now and Grebes carry their young which is what I was hoping to see. Maybe I'll catch up with them in a week?

Canada Geese

The Sedge Warblers came out between showers but wouldn't quite pose for the camera as I wanted  but I grabbed a couple of pictures anyway. Sedge Warblers winter in Africa and come to Britain to breed, they'll be here until October now raising their families before flying back to the Sahara which is quite amazing when you think about it.

Sedge Warbler

Sedge Warbler

Sedge Warbler

A hobby was seen and Common Tern are now in and using the rafts that have been held back for them preventing the Black Headed Gulls from taking up all the accommodation on offer. (Good work from the rangers.)

Common Terns

I also found an Orange Tip butterfly and managed a record shot despite having the wrong lens for the task.

Orange Tip

Orange Tip butterfly

NB: A mega rarity has been reported in Northumberland where a Collared Flycatcher has been found and has shown well today. It's six hours from home so I can't quite stretch my two hour rule for this one which is a shame but I have to have some kind of self imposed boundary to keep a sense check on this crazy hobby and the "soft" two hour rule works well for me most of the time but I would like to see it all the same. The last one to be seen in Essex was back in 1979 and the one before that was 1962 so I may have a long wait. Scotland seems to attract the bulk of Britain's records for this species but it's by no means a common vagrant although it has a healthy eastern European population.