Wickford Waxwings

Late this afternoon i found 68 Waxwings on the way back from basildon via wickford will we ever tyre of seeing these little gem's.

Wader Movement

Dave Mo rings me this morning having found 12 Avocets in Barking Bay, luckily 2 hung around for me during the mid afternoons high tide count, with 14 Oystercatcher and 15 Curlew these were both maxima counts for the second half of winter.

Avocets

Oystercatcher's

other highlights were 14 Snipe and a albino black-headed gull before rain stopped play.

40 Waxwings in the Ingerbourne valley were probably part of the flock that shaunboy had found earlier in the day, further up the valley.

Rufous Turtle Dove

After hearing belated news of this bird seen earlier in the winter it was great to hear that it had been relocated and was showing well in a back garden in chipping norton (oxfordshire)

And it was even nicer to hear that the local residents were allowing viewing for a small fee.

Monkey and Shaunboy pick me up at 5:15 this morning and by 07:45 we were on the back of a Que numbering almost 200 people!! What we thought would be a long day turned as the bird flew across the road in front off us into its favourite garden and landed in a large ash tree for all to see, only after about half hour of arriving which was more than welcome as the weather was awful with persistent rain all morning.

With satisfactory views we decided to head back as the weather didn't look like changing, not before celebrating with a nice cup of tea and a slice of cake which the local residents kindly made in return for donations for a local charity.

to wet for the big camera.....

No pics of the bird I'm afraid but the weather was really crap, and a big thanks to the local residents for letting us invade there street.

Slaty-backed Gull (in the bag at last)

Today i got very lucky, i managed to see the putative Slaty Backed Gull with just ten seconds to spare before it flew east, Andy Tweed picked the bird back on the tip early this afternoon and was seen intermittently throughout the rest of the day on the tip and on wennington marsh, having left work early for an doctors appointment was in the surgery when both H and Andy rang to say the bird is on the Target Pools now!!! 3 injections later i was running to the car where i kidnapped both Lisa and jack and before you could say ''where are we going'' we was bombing down coldhaurbour lane, hand brake turn in aveley bay car park, abandoned car, sprinting too the Serin mound and the rest was history.......

Thanks too Alan bell and other very friendly birder for scope views.

And special thanks to the Blowmonkey/Andy/H for news as i did not have pager with me.

Aythya Hybrid

Found this Cracking drake Aythya hybrid today in Valentines Park (Ilford) looks suspiciously like the bird Dave Mo found at the Ingerbourne valley last week, probably Tufted x Pochard (comments welcome)

Piss poor light today but this bird well worth a few record shots.

Had 2 Green Sandpiper and the first two returning Oystercatcher of the year at Barking this morning were the only other birds of note + fem Stonechat, and a Chiffchaff in the Ripple NR.

Aythya Hybrid

Found this Cracking drake Aythya hybrid today in Valentines Park (Ilford)

All quiet

Pretty quiet at Barking this morning though did add four year ticks and the lingering Stonechat still in the north west corner.

Couldn't find the dartford in ripple nature reserve but added Green and Great spot woodpeckers and a pair of Long-Tailed Tits were early nest building.

L-T Tits collecting lichen

A drake G W Teal reported in Epping this afternoon !! think i will investigate tomorrow.