More London Ticks

Yesterday's Red-Throated Diver was still present on the William Girling Reservoir this afternoon viewed from mansfield park along side a supporting cast of no fewer than 14 Black-Necked Grebe and was a welcome addition to my London List (no 266 if your asking)

At near bye Connaught Water i counted 33 Mandarin Duck (inc 18 drakes) and surprised to find a fem Hooded Merganser acting aggressive to other wildfowl, feeding like it should, and also past the bread test, and was also un-ringed !!

I'm sure it must be an escape, as connaught is fame for attracting such birds but could it be wild

considering what has turned up this autumn??

a smart bird despite it origin ?

London Snow Bunts

West Thurrock Marshes comes up trumps for a long awaited London tick for me, as me and bradders stumble across 3 superb Snow Buntings on the saltings whilst doing a high tide wader survey, surely the biggest flock in the LNHS area for some time as normaly single birds are seen most years in the london recording area.

Other birds seen were at least one Water Pipit and a single Woodcock and Yellow-Legged Gull.

Bush Wood for Firecrest

A lunch time visit to Bush Wood (wanstead park) with local legend lethbridge, we came across no fewer than four birds showing well in holly, though taking a picture of one of Britons smallest birds is a different story!!

Baltic Gull !!

Well not quite this species but a Black-headed gull seen in Mayesbrook Park, dagenham, essex yesterday certainly came from the same manor, thanks to Vytautas pareigis for sending the data back and to Paul + Jezz for quick response. details: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=gmail&attid=0.1&thid=133c6a18ec9612d6&mt=application/msword&url=https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui%3D2%26ik%3D4787ad7ee9%26view%3Datt%26th%3D133c6a18ec9612d6%26attid%3D0.1%26disp%3Dsafe%26zw&sig=AHIEtbRsl9lDvlC8DhlJbePh4cMKc9dXJw&pli=1

bhg all the way from the baltic coast of Lithuania

North Kent

Me and Mo visit a survey site in north kent yesterday and between us managed not a bad haul for one site, started well when 18 White-fronts drop in a field next to us at dawn.

A ringtail Hen Harrier was next on the list, followed by no fewer than twenty Bearded Tits and a female Goldeneye on an inland fleet.

distant ringtail upsetting the local corvids

A Woodlark amongst its commoner cousins was a nice find as was Mo's 1w Black Redstart showed well on the seawall.

black redstart with grub

A female Merlin harasses waders on the foreshore and up to 4 Short-eared owls to finish up with.

Patch still producing the goods

Spent a couple of hours on the patch this morning, started well with a new Stonechat present and alot more Fieldfare with at least twenty birds moving through, got even better when last weeks Lapland Bunting flew around calling and then landed some 150yds in front of me, luckily Dave Mo had just arrived on site and we both had brief views of the bird before it flew around out of view.

no prizes for digiscoped efforts today I'm afraid!!

Then scanning the bay we pick up another good London bird in the shape of a female Common Scoter.

Half a dozen curlew on the foreshore and the usual flock of Linnet were seen and both Cetti's Warbler and Water Rail heard.

More Gull ringing

It was another fantastic gull ringing session for me at Rainham Landfill site yesterday with the NTGG (north thames gull group) and some of the rye meads gang.

Special thanks to Paul Roper for inviting me along again, was a great experience once again we had a great catch of again over 200 birds.

147 Black-headed Gulls

57 Herring Gulls

6 Lesser Black Backed Gulls

1 Yellow Legged Gull

A Superb 1w Caspian Gull was spotted before netting and at least 8 Yellow legged gulls with a single adult Med was seen post netting

me with a black head

shaunboy with a lesser black backed

3w yellow legged

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