Birding Braunie

Admittedly, I only go there because I promised to. I guess it’s like the last kid to get picked for the football team at school and unfortunately Nazeing Meads had no one going there to do the Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS), a survey carried out on key dates through the year to log the numbers of wetland species, so I volunteered. It’s alright really. A few anglers, the odd dog walker (they’re all odd) and absolutely no birders. Why? It’s got plenty to see. Kingfishers, Bullfinches, Redwing , Fieldfare, Goldeneye, Goosanders, millions of Great Crested Grebes and the most Tufted Ducks I ever saw. Cormorant Things seem to have quietened down now as we reach the beginnings of spring. All the Goldeneye have gone and of the 12 Goosanders that were regularly there, only one remains. I guess the others could have been hiding for like a joke or something but that isn’t in their nature. I can see you! I did my normal route watching for any fly over birds that might mess the count up...

With a few spare hours before tripping over to Brentwood for my daughter’s birthday, I could have easily tried to pick up a few more of the ‘easy’ species I’m missing. These include believe it or not, Common Treecreeper, Common Sandpiper or even, a Siskin or a Med Gull. I know it’s pretty pathetic to have these missing by mid November but there you go. So instead of using these few hours selfishly, I used them wisely. In a moment of madness, I signed myself up to be the WeBS counter through the Lee Valley Park for the BTO. My own little area is Nazeing Meads, used primarily by fishermen and sailing enthusiasts and it comprises of four large expanses of water. Nazeing Meads There’s a knack to counting birds. It’s not as simple as just counting each bird while pointing your finger at them. No, they move a lot which is quite inconsiderate of them. After all, the BTO and their surveys are really for their benefit but there’s no telling them I’m afraid. Counting each indi...