Jim and I give Brian a call to see if he wants to come with us over Lee Valley and we know the answer to that. so 20 minutes later we are picking him up and we are soon parked up and walking down to the farm.
A scan of the bushes soon gets us 3 ticks when in with a flock of Chaffinch, 5 Bramling are spotted and in the same group of bushes, we see a flock of Redwing and Fieldfare that we needed for a tick. A walk around the site is very pleasant but we only get 1 more tick when we get a Water Rail. We hear about a Silver Wood Duck on the river so as it is here why not see it, it's an easy find and really nice to watch for a while.
Next, it's off to Strawberry pond in Epping Forest as we know a tick will be there, and after parking, on a muddy strip that we have done every year since I have been birding for free we now have to pay as is the case all over the forest now, the walk to the pond is only short and we have another tick when many Mandarin duck show well.
While in the forest I get 2 ticks first a Treecreeper and then a Coal tit shows well.
The next day I have to go to Whipps cross to pick a parcel up for my son so I ask the boys if they want to come along as it means we can divert to the Eagle pond in Snaresbrook to try to find the returning Caspian Gull.
This is now a yearly trip to get this bird and we find it as soon as we arrive and it gives us great entertainment as it battles all the other Gulls for the food on offer.
Back home I get a tick when a Goldcrest is on the bush in my garden.
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| Caspian Gull at Eagle pond |
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| Mandarin at Strawberry pond |
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| The Wood Duck at Lee Valley |
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