Patch birding

Somehow I've become a patch birder, I never saw it coming it just happened. One minute I was happy popping over there to see a bit of migration in Spring and autumn or shoot over to twitch something decent found by somebody else but now I'm walking the circuit almost every day and for now enjoying it. I get there early because I enjoy the early start especially when its hot and I can get home before Suzanne rises to help her out too so it kind of works for me. My services aren't needed in terms of helping my daughter in law so I have the time for once and surprisingly the motivation too.

This year I've walked that four mile circuit 66 times  (66 x x that's 264 miles) and my reward for that effort has come in the form of 119 species with the highlights including a Golden Plover which I'm told is only the second ever "on the deck" and yes we got a record shot for the doubters. I've seen 13 species of wader including the GP, LRP, Ringo, Common Sandpipers, Oystercatchers, Black-tailed Godwits, Dunlin, Whimbrel, Greenshank, Redshank, Sanderling, Lapwing and yesterday I found a Turnstone too. (I've missed Spotshank and Snipe that were only seen by Henry in the early morning mist.) 

Anyway in the spirit of the diary blog here's a birding update since my last post on 30th, I'm afraid it's all KGV as I'm not getting out other than these morning walks to get my fix.

31st July

59 Species observed including growing numbers of Geese and ducks but also our first Goosanders remain. I found my first LRP of July on the causeway giving me my 89th species for the month. Two Raven were seen feeding on the grass bank and I found another juvenile Skylark up in the north east corner where I had the last one a while back.

Mallard

Goosanders

August 1st

60 Species seen which included 284 Canada Geese as a new flock has decided to use the north basin now and it carries a Greylag and three Hybrids. The small flock in west paddock remains with two Greylags in that flock. I counted 70 Egyptian Geese today which is a massive increase from last months numbers. Foour Shoveler was nice as they now start to come back in to the reservoir I'm sure they'll become a fixture until spring. I saw the four Oystercatchers again today and they've been missing for a few days. Lapwing and Redshank were good patch birds too but the big highlight was finding three Great White Egrets feeding under the bridge from the NE corner. (Locally known as magic corner)

Lapwing

Common Tern

Greylag and Canada Goose

The new large flock

Great White Egrets

Great White Egrets

Mute Swan

Shoveler

Redshank in the early morning light (dark)

Oystercatchers 

August 2nd

62 Species seen including the three Great White Egrets again, the two juvenile Goosanders flew over and landed in the Tufted flock and I found a little patch treasure in the form of an adult summer plumaged Turnstone. Also on the causeway was a Dunlin to add to the days highlights. Canada Geese hit a new high with 305 counted and Egyptians also hit a new high of 75. ( Reckon my counts raise a few eyebrows but all I can do is count what's there so I do.) Whilst counting Moorhens I found a Teal to add to the months list and added the first Willow Warblers of autumn too along with a couple of House Martins which have been thin on the ground this year. I noted a ringed Little Egret too and got word back that it was ringed at Walthamstow in 2018, went up to Yorkshire for three years then came back in 2023 but hasn't been seen since until today so that was an interesting find.

Great White Egret

Little and Large

Great Egret

Grey Heron with a Great White Egret

Great White

Great 

Egrets I've seen a few but then again..........

Goosanders

The E17 / Yorkshire Egret (8 years old now)

Who saw this scene coming to Chingford 

3rd August

62 Species seen/heard

There was at least two of the three Great Egrets in the channel today and I added Peregrine, Chaffinch and Song Thrush the months list for my trouble. It got hot really early today so the last mile or so was a bit of a slog but before that I'd found four Pochard, three Shoveler and a Teal. More Willow Warblers seem to have arrived or I just saw more of them with a count of four today, all those lovely fresh young birds. Eugene pointed out two Lapwing flying south and he later found them on the causeway with yesterdays Turnstone and the two Goosanders but all had gone by the time I got there spending far too much time trying to add Song Thrush to the August list and counting little flocks of Goldfinch. Today was the first day since their arrival that I didn't see any Sand Martins although there were still good numbers of Swift and Swallow to enjoy. There's a Treecreeper being heard by others but my ears just don't pick up the call any more so I reckon I'll need to see it to add it finally to my KGV list.

Hybrid Canada/Greylag

Still there 

Onwards and upwards