If you are looking for peace and quiet, don’t volunteer to work in the Lee Valley

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 surprised to see a 'slow-to-leave' Goosander paddling about in the relief channel. These enigmatic sawbills arrive here at the onset of winter and bearing in mind the mild winter we did have, it’s a little unusual for these ducks to still be here. They must like it too.

Drake Goosander
My volunteer duties require me to be positioned at the Bittern Information Point (BIP). The winter although cold, does bring the star of the show to the park in the Bittern. Theses birds have now left (we think, as they can be very elusive) and we await the arrival of one of the noisiest birds I know, the Common Tern. Until then, there were Water Rail, Cetti’s Warblers, Sparrowhawks and Muntjac to keep us entertained in the warm weather.
Muntjac

Male Sparrowhawk

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