A day in the valley

I seem to have done quite a bit of birdwatching lately. It’s hard work you know. Not only do I have to* carry a ruck sack with a heavy duty Thermos, a not so light telescope which is inevitably attached to a tripod which, no matter which way I sling it over my back, sticks it’s lever arm into my back and a pair of bins to boot. Add to this a camera and assorted bits and pieces for digiscoping, a pen that works and a notebook with blank pages (rare), gloves, hat and iPhone. Everything is always in another pocket to the one I put it in and it can all get a bit frazzling. Then, when I get home, I go through all the bad pictures and try to salvage at least one to add to the blog I feel I must write now I have been doing them for 4 years...I have duty to my reader you know.

* I don’t have to do any of this really.

So sometimes, it’s easier for me to just go local. No fuss and no thinking. I know the valley well from Walthamstow to Ware and on a good day it can be as good as anywhere in the country. So it was decided. A morning trip to Amwell NR followed by an afternoon at Fishers Green; all very simple and all very relaxing.

Amwell



Cormorants and Coot
Most of the time I spend my time at Lee Valley Park as a volunteer. So for the afternoon I decided to be Joe Public and headed to Fishers Green. I wandered up to Holyfield Farm first to see Common Buzzard and the regular Yellowhammers. The wind was gusting a bit and it made the usual 'find a yellowhammer by the call' game a little harder but I managed one at least. The Buzzard came slow and low across me so I had time to catch it on camera...miracle.

Common Buzzard
A quick look for a Bittern at the watchpoint proved fruitless but the Water Rail tried hard to impress me but I was cold and tired and probably a bit offish towards it by now. Sorry little guy.

Sod you then.

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