Blyths reed Warbler Wanstead Flats

Only a 15 minute drive away, so as soon as it's posted on bird guides that the Blyths had been seen earlier, Jimmy & myself head to centre road in Wanstead, on arrival many birders are already on site.
A couple of people had got a very quick sight of the bird over an hour ago, but most people have only heard it.
We spend over 5 hours here & apart from one quick sighting low in the bushes all we get is to hear it on & off tempting us to hang about in the hope of getting a really good view of this lifer.
Standing with Neville we hear the bird in the bush just a few feet away from us, but could not get a clear sight of it, very frustrating.
A phone call to Brian See's him turn up after work but like the rest of us it's only the call he gets.
Nice to see so many old face's here, so time to catch up with them, some we have not seen for a long time, so that helps to pass the time.

Temminck's Stint at Tyttenhanger Gps Herts

After seeing a couple of Temminck's Stint reported on bird guides, Jimmy & myself drive to Herts that is only 20 odd miles away from home.
We pull into the gravel pit & park at the fisherman's car park that cost us £2 so not to bad, we take advice from a local worker on which way to head, only trouble with that is you have to listen to what he tells you,we take the wrong path that takes us the long way round the spit I needed that with my bad leg.
We end up with another fellow looking down over the pit, Jimmy thinks he has spotted one a long way off but to be sure we head down nearer to the pit, a few other birders had arrived & as we get closer it turns out that we have been stalked by Barry & Harry again, we were over Fishers Green on sat when we dipped on the Red-footed Falcon, must say that it's always nice to see them.
Steve the birder that found the Stints was here & he puts us onto the birds straight away, really good views from the scope but to far away for any photos.
We have not been here before so another place to add to the list of places visited.
H & B head over to the trees behind us as Steve had told us that Tree Sparrows could be seen there,we stay looking at the Stints & more birders turn up so we get to have a good old talk while waiting for the birds to come within camera range.
H & B come back having seen one Sparrow in the short time that they gave it, the birds don't look like they are going to oblige with a closer look, so time for us to head home as I have a trip to Whipps cross hospital at 3 o'clock to keep an eye on the leg.
A really warm morning spent in good company & seeing the target birds & not far to drive home makes up for the last couple of dips.

Bad week ends in a dip.

A week in Weymouth with my wife Jean starts well when I pick up 2 Red Kites on the M3 on the way down, that is a year tick for me  so things looking good.
Now I head to Christchurch Harbour as it's only a small detour for me, nothing seen that I need for a tick, but well worth a visit.
The aim was to get up early & have a look in at Lodmoor & then Chisel beach, but those plans went out of the window when as I am walking my dog after the rain had stopped I slip on a small slope & I pick myself up a torn thigh muscle, all plans gone now, 2 days of doing nothing as the pain stops me from doing to much.
On the Thursday I see if I can get myself in the car & still drive,funny as I could hardly walk but if I get my foot onto the clutch pedal I feel no pain as long as my foot stays on the pedal it's quite comfortable to drive , so as I planned to see Cirl Bunting while down here I head to Teignbridge in Devon & find Labrador Bay I park up & speak to a local birder, he tells me Cirl Buntings are all over the place & one was in the bush in front of us, so a very quick tick for me.
I have a look along the bushes & pick out 4 more & 2 in flight, unable to get anything in the camera, but after my mishap just getting here to see them is a right bonus.
Off for home & a Hospital appointment at Whipps cross to look forward to, but 2 ticks under my belt not what was planned but that's life.
Sunday morning now Jimmy gets a call from Brian to tell him he is looking at a Red-rumped Swallow at Thamesmead, so off we head to see it for our self.
Brian meets us on arrival & drives round the other side of the lake, so I didn't have to walk & in that time the bird had gone missing never to return while we are there, that just about sums the week up for me, still it could have been a lot worse for me so no good feeling sorry for myself onwards & upwards always next time.

Where I picked up Cirl Bunting

Sign at Christchurch Harbour

Harris Hawk there to scare the Pigeons

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Stone Curlew + 2 more year ticks

Up early to meet up with Brian, we had made our mind up last night to head to Suffolk.

First port of call is Weeting Heath before the sun gets up, so we have a clear view over the ground where we hope to see Stone Curlew.

Only in the hide for a very short time before we pick out the target bird, we get to see another one close by & get good views in the scope, a good year tick to start the day off  right. We now head to Lakenheath, on arrival we hear the first Cuckoo of many that we see & hear while hear.

On the walk down to Joist hide we hear a Crane,but it never showed today.

At the hide we see many Bearded Tits flying back & forth across the channel, over the back 4 Marsh Harriers give a good display plus a food pass that failed.

Bitterns were booming all over the place & one flies up for us to get a short view of it.

A quick look in the new hide proves to be a let down this time with nothing showing apart from another sight of a Bittern.

Back up by the visitor centre we get another tick with a Garden Warbler, we also see a nice Kingfisher fly across the pond not needed for a tick but always nice to see them. 2 Hobby fly over the trees plus Buzzard & Kestrel seen,Brian needs a Grasshopper Warbler but we can't find one here today.On talking to one of people in the visitor centre he tells us of a maybe sighting of the Oriole, somebody had reported seeing a flash of yellow so maybe it was the Oriole, fingers crossed.

Also seen a few Swift to give us all another tick for the year.

Cuckoo

Jay

                           

Dungeness gets us to 200

Off to Dung again after seeing what went through there on sat.We arrive just after 6 o'clock & up onto the beach, the hide was packed so we parked up at the side of the hide that gave us a bit of shelter from the wind , as the time goes on a good amount of birders arrive & a few birds had started to pass by, over the next two hours we see 4 Red-throated Divers plus 1 Black-throated, then they are followed by a few Eiders, then we pick up the first tick of the day when many Arctic Terns pass through, next up we get a nice close view of both Great Skua & Arctic Skua that gives us all another 2 ticks. Sandwich Tern also spotted for one more tick.
Off now to Arc pit & we pick up 2 Black Tern, been a couple of times to K G Res this week & missed them so good to get them here.
On to the reserve now 2 Black-winged Stilt reported by Christmas dell Hide, as we a get near the Stilts can be seen not far from the path so that saves a little bit of walking, we don't need these for a year tick, we had seen 2 overs Bowers a  couple of weeks ago, these 2 birds were a bit nearer to us so very nice to see. As we stand watching the Stilts a bonus bird drops in to join us, it's a Wood Sandpiper we all need this for a year tick, good views to start with then it get a bit elusive.    Then a couple of ladies tell us that Little Tern has just been seen at Ach Pit so as we need this for a tick it's back again, but this time we visit the hide. Only inside a couple of minutes & Brian picks out a couple of the Terns to give me one more tick for year.
A visit to Elmley on the way home as we always enjoy our visits there, the drive down to the car park is full of photo opportunities & it's  very pleasurable just to drive a few yards & then to just stop as something else drops down, no rushing here it's up to us where to stop.
As it turns out the weather closed in & the light got quite bad for any real good photos, first up we see a real good view of Yellow Wagtail with plenty of them walking about, many Lapwing as usual with Red Shank also in abundance.
A pair of Ringed Plover show at the side of the track with the intention of nest building, I hope they pick a better spot as this is very precarious.
So with 7 year ticks in the bag & after a nice warmish day birding it's taken both Jimmy & myself up to 200 ticks so far for the year.

The two Stilt

Yellow Wagtail

             

Skylark

Wood sandpiper

5 more ticks at Rainham & K G Reservoir

A couple of hours spent over Rainham on Thursday with Jimmy gets 3 more year ticks for me & 2 for Jimmy.
First up we get a Reed Warbler I needed one so a good start for me, a quick look in the Kingfisher hide in the hope of getting a photo of these colourful little birds, but it turns out to be rather stuffy inside with quite a lot of people & in the short time that we where inside no birds appear.
So on to the next hide where we spot a beautiful Hobby just sitting on a small mound that gives us a great scope view & it stays there for a long time so another year tick for both of us.
On now the aim is to find a Garden Warbler for a tick, but it turns out not to be today, but we both pick up a Grasshopper Warbler that gives us a tick so not to bad.
A nice little walk around the reserve on a warm day, we get to meet some nice people & 3 ticks as well.
Late Thursday afternoon we head once more over to K G Reservoir in the hope of seeing a few Terns,as it turns out it's very quite Tern wise & we don't intend to walk very far around today.
There are many Sand martin flying around & we scan them in the hope of seeing a House martin amongst them & after a little while we find a single bird to give us both a year tick.
As we stand scanning the water Jimmy hears Lesser Whitethroat from the bushes behind us, that's good for me as I am still needing one for another tick, I was the only one that never heard or saw one at Landguard at the weekend.
Two Common Sandpiper are walking about on the waters edge & 2 Egyptian Geese glide down onto the river, back on  the Bank 2 Wheatear give us a good show.
A few Terns fly about now but turn out to be Common Tern that we don't need for a tick but still nice to watch. 191 ticks up to now about the same as last year up till April.

Wheatear

Wheatear

Reed Bunting

King George Reservoir gets 2 ticks.

Just a very quick trip in the hope of picking up a few more ticks for the year, Jimmy & I meet Brian at the gates of the reservoir.

We spend a couple of hours walking the whole way around both reservoirs, it's not to good on the legs after the last few days of birding & this is not looking to good but we keep going in the hope of seeing something, as it turns out all we get are 2 year ticks with a single Sandpiper walking by the waters edge & when we get back round the other side a Yellow Wagtail flies up, we had hoped to see some Terns but nothing doing this early, so it's off home for some breakfast with 2 more ticks in the bag, not to good but two is better than none.

Sandpiper