Birding Braunie

It was 6.30am; I was in the middle of nowhere and I couldn’t hear myself think. The birdsong was extraordinary. It was if the birds knew we were on the cusp of BST and they were going to go for it. Wrens with their high velocity, high pitched call attacked me from areas low down among the broken trees of past storms. Above, high above, Chiffchaffs played out their relentless 'chiff-chaff' song as they moved around the bare tops of the trees. Elsewhere you could hear the gurgling of Blackcaps followed by the beautiful flute-like warble that came from somewhere deep in the hawthorn. A supporting cast of Robin, Chaffinch and Song Thrush all added to the cacophony around me. Made me smile. Chiffchaff, giving it some. Chaffinch Wren As is normal with me, I like to have a couple of hours walking around the Lee Valley Park to see what’s around (punters alway ask and we have a sightings board in the info centre that always looks better with something on it). I was su...

Spent a couple of hours this morning over at Rainham Marshes looking for Wheatears. A few had been seen over the previous couple of days and so I figured there was a reasonable chance I could bag a couple for myself. The Thames river bank by the RSPB reserve is littered with debris, everything you could possible imagine is strewn along the tide line. It is a wonder these beautiful birds want to spend their time in all this mess but clearly it holds a good supply of grubs and caterpillars. Female Northern Wheatear There were I estimated, five  Northern Wheatears along this stretch of the Thames, three males and two females. On the shore itself, Oystercatchers , Curlews and Redshanks piped in spring. A few Reed Buntings and Linnets made themselves heard while a few Meadow Pipits and Skylarks chased around the more grasser areas of the landscape. Male Northern Wheatear I was lucky to get the two shots I did as these wheatear are very flighty right now but in a few w...