Chiltern Birder

A little trip to the coast today, lovely clear sky, the tide on the way out. Parking at Two Tree Island there were teal roosting on the edge of Leigh Creek. Walking down to the old town there were plenty of redshank as well as the usual collection of gulls and corvids. The tide was receeeding across the flats with a lot of waders following it. Redshank obviously as well as grey plover and turnstone. I only had the lightweight spotting scope so I couldn't see the tideline in detail but it is a good guess that the little black dots were dunlin. Brent geese numbers weren't high but there were plenty to be seen and heard. There was also a curlew somewhere out on the flats, audible but I didn't get a view, I can't get use to seeing egrets at Leigh but there were several around. Little egrets I think but I will have to read up on their id, all of my field guides were published when they were still very rare vagrants.

I took a trip down to Leigh on Sea yesterday. Timing was based on weather and personal committments and, as usual, I ended up being there at the wrong state of the tide. I parked at Two Tree Island and saw teal resting on the creek bank as well as the usual redshank and a few gulls. Walking down to the old town there were quite a few redshank around but I didn't see or hear any other waders, they were probably at the water's edge on the other side of the Leigh Sand. The first thing that struck me was the absence of turnstones around the cockle sheds. These have been a feature of this location for many years. Unlike my last couple of visits there were no egrets in Leigh Creek either. On the mud there were plenty of gulls, black headed, herring and both lesser and greater black backed. There were no brent geese visible on the mud and talking to locals I was told that they had all left. However, walking towards Chalkwell I saw two parties on the foreshore. Luch of course meant ...

As the weather seemed fine this morning we made a snap decision to visit Leigh on Sea. On arrival at mid day the tide was close to its fullest ebb and the waders were represented by a solitary redshank in Leigh Creek. The brent geese were present in large numbers on the flats very close to the edge of the creek. This was by far the best naked eye view that I have ever had of brents which let me observe some very agressive behaviour between individuals. In Leigh Creek there were a number of little egrets, I think 6 but they insisted on wandering behind moored fishing boats so I wouldn't be 100% sure. Again it was one of the best views that I had and it was striking how brilliant white they looked when juxtaposed with gulls. It was interesting to observe how they moved around stabbing at food rather than waiting like  heron. While the trees that we observed on the journey were well into the autumn change with some brilliant reds those on the south facing slope at Leigh were all s...

Driving down the Chess valley on Monday the sight of yet another little egret started me thinking that they were becoming more  ubiquitous that herons. That seemed to be the key to several unusual sightings. On Monday I saw a juvenile heron standing in the middle of the tarmac path between Bury and Stockers Lakes. Then on Tuesday I went to Thame by public transport. Walking down White Hill in Chesham one flew low overhead and landed on top of a tree in one of the gardens between White Hill and Esksdale Avenue. The branch was barely strong enough leading to the huge bird gently bouncing up and down. Later on the bus from Aylesbury to Thame there was another standing in the middle of a ploughed field near Dinton. This morning walking along Botley Road a redwing landed on the path in front of me as if it was posing for a picture in a field guide. I was able to have by best ever look at the the colour and markings before it finally flew into Codmore Field. On Monday the cold sn...

The seaside seemed like a good place to blow away the cobwebs on New Year's Day so a drive down to the Thames Estuary seemed to be in order. The tide was at its lowest ebb so most birds were a long way out where the food was nearer the surface but there were a few old friends and one surprise. A few redshank were foraging in the creeks and out on the mud there were several groups of brent geese. Singletons included a greater black backed gull and a grey plover. I haven't been down to the estuary since last winter and not for several years before that visit so I was not sure what is common there now. It was striking that there were no turnstones around the cockle sheds, these used to be very common. While walking something white at the corner of my eye didn't look quite right for a gull and turned out to be the first little egret that I have seen on the Thames. It was active, moving frequently so I am not sure if I saw the same bird several times or different individuals...

Driving through Hemel on my way to east London yesterday I spotted a hunched white shape on Boxmoor as I turned from London Road into Station Road. I had no chance to determine what species of egret it was but recent sightings in Gadebridge Park nearby suggest that a little egret is most likely.  A red kite over St Alban's Road is no longer a cause of suprise but despite the clear afternoon I saw none beyond the Park Street roundabout on the A414. Crossing the Lea valley as dusk approached the passage of gulls to roost wasn't at its most impressive but I could see group after group heading south over a fairly narrow band between the river and Epping Forest. After Bell Common Tunnel there was one stray group following the east side of the ridge and then only the occasonal singleton.