Army Birding

Tim, thanks for the location directions, but I heard the news when I staying in Keswick last week, away with my girlfriend so not a chance to see it before returning home. Still, I haven't made it to staines moor yet either but the brown shrike's still there!! However a reported red-throated diver's...

there's been a savi's warbler reeling in the fishers green lake, lee valley park for the last few weeks & is still going strong. Take junction 26 off the m25 & head towards waltham abbey, then north towards fishers green north along the B road (I think it's the B186). Park at the hooks marsh carpark...

I went to norfolk last weekend 27th - 29th march with my girlfriend. Stopped at welney on the way there. The water level was so low that nothing was close to show Jo. A few whooper swans were feeding on the far bank. A male corn bunting was singing & showing on the feeder along with a tree sparrow. ...

Whilst helping out at the gull ID workshop on saturday 14th, I & many others saw 2 or 3 adult med gulls, 1 adult yellow-legged gull & 2 1st winter ICELAND GULLS! Talking with one of the other regulars (with 30 years experience there) he'd never seen 2 together in all that time. Having been there ear...

take the missus shopping & then go birding guilt free, to lakeside retail park this weekend!! There are 13 - 14 waxwings feeding on the low cotoneaster bushes between argos & pizza hut. They are warily flying into the trees whenever people or cars pass by. I stayed in my van to cut down on disturban...

I had a look around rainham before going to watch the gulls, but the bad weather kept the penduline & bearded tits down in the reeds. However the siberian chiffchaff showed very well along the reed trail, indeed too close for binos to focus!! Andy harrison made the journey across london by train to ...

Whilst hanging around waiting in vain for the penduline tits to appear on saturday, I & many others saw a first winter glaucous gull flying over the target pools. It stood out very well even 200m away!! It was a lifer for me too, so let's hope an iceland gull is obliging too next month. I was only t...

For those who can't make it next month, the final date is saturday 14th february. The gulls are usually on the reserve lakes during high tide but remember to check the foreshore on the falling tide for rock & water pipits too.

Tony

For those who like an ID challenge, come to Rainham Marsh on saturday 17th january between 10am - 2pm to join all the others for a gull ID workshop. The top local birders will be there & me too, to help those having trouble identifying all the gull age plumages. As well as the usual 5 gulls some of ...