It had to happen sooner or later, I visited the patch. I've been avoiding it since about June, I just haven't found the inspiration or inclination to give it a go. I normally avoid it in June anyway, but then I went away at the start of July and the trip was so amazing that to start plodding around Wanstead just held no appeal when I got back. None.
But I have to otherwise I am not a birder. With a heavy heart and a sinking feeling I left the house just after 6am last Wednesday and headed out. So how was it? Well, I won't lie, it was dead. I racked up about 40 species but other than the feral dross numbers of everything were really low. I saw just two Whitethroats. Waders? Negative Ghostrider. Really it ought to better than it was, but our habitat just isn't conducive to retaining passage waders, or at least not beyond first light which I simply cannot manage. I've lost count of the number of Common and Green Sandpipers Bob has recorded, supplemented by Oystercatcher and Ringed Plover, but none of them have been seen on the deck the next morning.
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| Bandstand Pond always seems promising but rarely ever is. |
It was pleasant enough I suppose, good to be out, getting my steps in. I had the area largely to myself, a few joggers, a few dog walkers. I was struck by how dry it was, how overgrown some of the paths were. Despite my long absence I still knew my way around, still had (unfulfilled) expectations of where birds might be found. I even got marginally excited as I approached Alex. How foolish of me. It is a stinking blight on the landscape in high summer, a tremendous loss of water and a large amount of scum and general filth. Wader count zero. Which to be fair is the normal wader count but I still live in hope.
It was important to get this first visit over and done with, to reset my expectations and lower the bar considerably. From here on in it ought to improve. Elsewhere in London the first Spotted Flycatchers are appearing, and in Fife there have been huge numbers of Tree Pipits moving south and the first Whinchat. They are on their way.
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| It was good to see that the generosity of dog-walkers continues |
Totally agree re the dog walkers. We've had a pop at cats, dogs and foxes over the last few posts. Can I propose cyclists, particularly those who ride electric bikes on the pavement and (my personal favourite) those on those bl**dy little electric scooters for a future post?
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