King George V

The Jim's called and asked if I fancied meeting up at the Resi today and after some deliberation I was on my way meeting them at King George V reservoir for the long walk around both south and north basins hoping for some migrant activity and they would love to see a Wheatear before we move into Autumn.

The view from the reservoir

As we walked up we had a couple of Yellow Wagtails with the dozens of Pieds. Common Sandpipers seemed to be around every corner and we must have encountered well over a dozen on the walk. As we approached the north basin I picked up two Black Terns in the distance so we walked closer for better views but they never came close. On the relief channel we spotted the Hooded Merganser that seems to have made it's self at home here but it's the first time I have encountered it myself. 

Hooded Merganser 

Always distant

The bushes lining the relief channel were alive with passage migrants and we enjoyed great views of Lesser and Common Whitethroats . A Sedge Warbler was seen and a large group of Blackcaps. There were lots of Chiffchaff and the odd Willow Warbler and of course the usual Tits and Finches. The only Hirundines were five Swallows and the only tern other than the Blacks was a single Common that was surprisingly harassed by one of the Black Terns and not allowed to settle. We encountered a car parked on the causeway and some guys fishing which is a first but the Thames Water guys came around and didn't approach them so I guess it was all above board.

The bushes were alive with birds busy feeding up 

The year list now sits at 248 which in these crazy Covid times is respectable I suppose. I can't wait to get in a car with the Jims again to make our birding that bit more rewarding as we share the event and memories and they still want to see a Wheatear in 2020.

King George V........That's a lot of water