Chiltern Birder

On Sunday I stopped off at Fishers Green in the Lea Valley Park. From a birding point of view it wasn't particularly fruitful. The footbridge over the Lea was closed so I couldn't get to the hide facing the reed bed on Forty Acres Lake. Following the Flood Relief Channel up to Holyfield Lake gave a nice view of a flock of lapwing in the air. When I used to visit the park regularly this lake was usually good for a sight of a goosander in the winter but my necessarily brief visits in recent years haven't resulted in a sighting. The Grebe Hide gave me a nice view of some common pochard, something that was curiously absent on my last visit to the Colne Valley. Many years ago I saw a smew from this hide and I always go there full of hope in the winter and am always disappointed. Holyfield Lake  The real highlight was a nice view of a goldcrest in the bushes adjacent to the Flood Relief Channel. At first I assumed that it was a wren but realised my mistake when I could see t...

For the first time in quite a few years I was able to find time for a trip to Leigh on Sea. I hadn't checked the tide tables and took my good bins but not the scope so I didn't see a lot but there were some old favorites taht I hadn't seen for a long time. On arrival we parked in the car park on the marshes. This was free last time I was there but the princely sum of one pound wasn't going to break the bank. An old boat, partially sunk in the mud was totally covered in redshank while another, afloat this time, seemed to be home to most of the resident turnstones. There were some changes around the cockle sheds but in the old town itself Osbornes were still providing traditional sea food and the wonderfully old fashioned Strand Cafe seemed unchanged with soft roes on toast on the menu just like my last visit. Its always a hard choice between the two. As the tide went out the turnstones swarmed along the shore while the brent geese just seemed to put their feet down...