It's not been an easy year so far with difficult challenges at home along with the joyous birth of my second grandchild and my third expected any day now all preventing my birding adventures being as regular as I'd like but when I do get out the experience is always rewarding and I've been lucky to find a couple of spare hours both Saturday and yesterday to do a 5k walk around the Lee Valley and recharge the old batteries.
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| Gadwall |
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| Poor record shot of the Gropper |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Grey Heron hunting in the nettles |
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| My first baby bird of the year with this Mallard duckling |
Saturday saw me get my 200th bird of the year when I found a Reed Warbler in a very small thicket of reeds along the river Lee as I walked up to Holyfield lake. I also added Garden Warbler with quite a few birds being heard on the walk and a very showy pair as I searched in vain for Lesser Whitethroats. So many Common Whitethroats around the park now and I also picked up Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Cetti's Warblers and a pair of Blackcap in almost every bush.
I took the Jims back yesterday and they managed to get the two warblers ticked on our walk. We spent some time searching again for Lesser Whitethroat and I did get a very probable distant bird but I'll leave the year tick for a better sighting that I can be 100% sure of. We heard a couple of bits of song too whilst searching so I'm sure there are Lesser Whitethroats back and will have another look soon. A single Common Tern and a single Swallow in amongst the 58 species seen n yesterday walk.
Following a tip off from another patch birder we walked out to the hide at Cornmill Meadow and as we approached could here the calling of a Grasshopper Warbler which Dad eventually located low down in a small thicket. The hide is falling apart now a sad victim of vandalisation and the scrape was devoid of life save a pair of Mallard and a Moorhen.
Year list now 202
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