Sunday 31 May 2009

70 Acres Lake, Lee Valley Park, Essex, 31/05/2009

Weather: cool dawn; clear sunny sky. From 4:45am.

Another very early start, following Lakenheath, to try for a better connection with an elusive bird. Again I was not first on sight & again the effort was worth it, with great volume from the birds at this time of day.

From the carpark & heading up the path looking out over the first water:
Great Tit, Mute Swan, Mallard, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Tufted Duck, Chaffinch, Crow, Canada Goose, Blackbird;
Cuckoo, heard first, as ever then overhead;
Song Thrush, heard from more distant trees;
Common Tern, seen across the lake where a nesting colony is resident;
Garden Warbler, popped out from a bush next to the path;
Green Woodpecker, Sedge Warbler, Great-Crested Grebe, Reed Warbler, Moorhen;
Cetti's Warbler, heard as usual from low-down, dense vegetation;
Wren, Jay, Blackcap, Chiffchaff;
Nightingale, many in good voice & one or two flitting about.

The elusive Savi's Warbler was in good voice as it was last time I visited & there were a few birders looking for it. As usual the it remained out of sight tempting confusion with the more numerous & less shy Reed Bunting & reed warbler, however at one point I did see a brief flight of larger, somewhat dumpier looking bird which may, or may not, have been the Savi's. After a while I moved on to prevent getting any colder than I already was.

On various waterways & amongst the varied & dense vegetation:
Pochard, Dunnock, Cormorant, Coot, Grey Heron, Starling, Whitethroat;
Muntjac, skulking along the path;
Long-Tailed Tit, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Greylag Goose, Gadwall, Black-Headed Gull, Great-Spotted Woodpecker;
Willow Warbler, on lower vegetation;
Lapwing
, 2 over adjoining agricultural fields;
Collared Dove, Pheasant (female) & Jackdaw back at the carpark.

A great way to end 'magic' May.

43 species.

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