Birding Braunie

Okay so this was probably a waste of my time and yours if you watched it but it will serve as one of those timeline moments when people will say "He’s come a long way since that early Bittern debacle, hasn’t he?" Don’t hold your breath. I have a lot to learn here. Mainly, don’t let any over-enthusiastic birder trip over your tripod when the shout goes up. Also, make sure God moves the sun around so that you film something that can actually be seen. Finally, get a decent camera. What’s amazing though is that the 3 or so seconds of the Bittern was in fact all anyone got that day. I really need the Bittern to receive his equity card and put on a real performance. What this space. (Anything is better than watching this film.) Music: Chord Left by Agnes Obel.

Some people think I’m married to the Lee Valley Park and they’re probably right. What they don’t know is that I have a mistress called Connaught Water. It’s the quiet one; the one no one would think of. Clever really. I get my hit of Mandarin Ducks here as well as the occasional Goosander and Red-crested Pochard. The forest edges tempt me with Nuthatches, Treecreepers and Marsh Tits. Heaven. Sunday was cool, calm and crisp – real glove weather. I wanted an hour here as a female Smew had been seen for a couple of weeks on the lake and although a Smew was already on my 2014 list, I figured I could get a pic of this elusive sawbill. My first circuit of the lake produced a smart drake Pintail (unexpected) and the usual Tufted Ducks , Shoveler , Teal and about 17 Manadrin Ducks , most of which were hiding in the fringes of the islands that sit on the lake making life difficult for birdwatchers. I stopped to chat to a City of London Ranger who had the task of making safe the hundreds of

Most birders love Jan 1st. It’s the day we all turn over that page and start our new list for the year. We all have resolutions to increase that list: better it from the previous year: plan those trips with more determination to succeed. I couldn’t chose my trip. It was decided the minute I volunteered to man the information point at the Lee Valley. I love it. I prefer it when the sun shines and unfortunately, the sun was nursing a huge hangover from the previous nights celebrations. In its place we had driving rain, blustery winds and a chill that went straight to the depths of your damp bones. A rather soggy goose field Through rain-splattered glasses I saw Redwings and Fieldfares sharing a ploughed field with about 20 Blackbirds and a pair of Song Thrushes. Jays and Magpies squabbled over winter food and huge Great Black-backed Gulls joined Lesser Black-backs and black-headed Gulls wheeling under the charcoal sky. Most of the park’s species of duck were in attendance. Wige