Spring Treat

Tuesday is my morning off. No school run for me, Mrs L does it to keep her hand in. I take full advantage and disappear off to the Flats until I need to take over. At this time of year, I get about four hours out there. Sometimes it's dead, and sometime's it's fabulous. Today was fab.

I was moseying through the SSSI when a I got a quick flash of colour. I turned to see a small orangey bird with a bright stripey head perched in the broom. I must confess I struggled with the ID for a while, before it dawned on me that I was looking at a spring Whinchat. I can't say I remember ever seeing one before, and certainly not on the Flats. What a little stunner!


The rest of the morning was pretty good too. I jammed in on a brief staying Tree Pipit, all bright white and yellowy there were at least three Wheatear knocking about, and I also had my first Wanstead Lesser Whitethroat for the year. As I was walking home, Nick called and said "Look over Long Wood now!" and a Hobby zoomed past.

This is a bit like a Hobby

I'm home now, coming down from my migrant high. Making tuna-noodle bake does that for you. It has been a rather successful few days - ten new migrants in quick succession. And of course last night I managed to get the Hoopoe at KGV, thus at least partially making up for missing one at Rainham.