Common or Garden Buzzard

It has been simply glorious weather and the kids and I have spent the last two days in the garden. Once back from the school run I throw open the back door, we all pile out, and that is where we stay until it is time to do the pick-up. Many tasks have been achieved. What passes for my lawn has been mown, edges have been done, dandelions, brambles and sycamore seedlings removed, and if I don't say so myself, it is all looking rather neat and tidy. Mrs L has has guided tours each evening, and I fancy I may have earned a few BPs (not that I am in positive territory of course, that would just be wrong...)

The gardening has been interspersed with looking at the sky. A lot. And with some success too. Yesterday I scored a garden tick with a Peregrine gliding over, and today two more with a Greylag low over, and then a Buzzard after lunch. I was of course looking for Osprey and Red Kite, but beggars can't be choosers, and there is always tomorrow, where much of the same is planned. The expression "Common or garden" is particularly apt here - this one is a Garden, I am sure of it.

Buteo gardenus

Another first today was that I twitched my own patch. Howard, based in Kent, phoned at about 8pm to tell me that another birder had seen a pair of Garganey on the Heronry Pond during the afternoon. The same Heronry Pond that I had checked for Garganey this morning... There was nothing for it, I had to go, so wheeled out the trusty pushbike and fortunately they were still there. #94 for my Wanstead list. Funny how news travels isn't it?