5th NOVEMBER 2006.
LEG-WEARY BIRDERS.
It was gone eleven o’clock when Leon and I reached the WWT Centre at Barnes. We had been to Richmond Park since about seven o’clock and had been walking for most of that time. Not being used to so much exercise first thing in the morning, we were feeling a little leg-weary! Although the day had started extremely cold and misty, it had cleared up and we were experiencing a beautiful autumn morning, although still cold the sun was glorious!
We started, as usual, at the Observatory. This gives us the chance to have a quick look around and to sort ourselves out with binoculars and notebooks. We were surprised by the number of people in the building; it would appear that there were several coach loads of visitors. The very first birds that we saw were a group of about ten Meadow Pipits – a great start. Within a few minutes the Pipits had gone and they were replaced by a similar number of Linnets! Full of expectation we headed off towards the ‘Wildside’ hide.
There were crowds of people everywhere that we looked. Many, many young couples were pushing youngsters around in pushchairs or guiding toddlers around the pathways. Also, there were many groups of what I think were ‘birding’ clubs, up for the day. Certainly many of them had a knowledge far superior to ours!
The ‘Summer Walk’ was, as we anticipated last week, closed to the public and we were glad that we had taken the last opportunity for this year to walk around it last time out. We have decided that over the winter months we will try to include a walk around the ‘Water Vole Trail’ each week, weather permitting.
The hide was jam-packed with people, even more so than at the Observatory. The majority were, however, obviously keen ‘birders’ as there was a low babble of chatter as we entered. This chatter was all bird related and was only occasionally shattered by the screeches of the ‘little darlings’. There was a good show of waterfowl and Leon soon spotted a kestrel sitting on the fence just past the weir. Even better, he excitedly pointed out a Sparrowhawk as it crossed the ‘Grazing Marsh’. I caught sight of it at the last moment and missed it taking a Starling although Leon saw it all. The bird took its’ meal to the shelter of an overhanging willow bush although it still remained in full view of the hide. There were many people suddenly crowded around ‘our’ end of the hide many taking pictures. It soon became apparent that the Starling was not dead, merely stunned. It flapped about a bit but was soon dispatched with a few deft strokes of the hawks’ beak. The bird had a light ‘patch’ on the back of its’ head and we wondered if this was the youngster that we had seen on many occasions before. Along with most of the rest of the crowd we decided it was time to move along and made our way back towards the Centre.
Not stopping for coffee (it was much later than we would usually be at the restaurant) we moved into the ‘Waterlife’ area. We would probably had trouble getting served anyway, the crowds inside were solid at the counter. There were also many people all around again. There must have been quite a few coaches in!
All around us were a myriad of Tits and Finches, although they kept further away from the paths than is usual. We were able to track them by following their calls; they really seemed to be enjoying the sunshine!
At the ‘Dulverton’ hide there was, of course, a large crowd inside but there were hardly any birds to see outside although there were a goodly number of gulls to be seen. This reminded us that we were going to a talk on gull recognition in the near future.
The feeder area, as usual, did not let us down. There were many small birds around including our first Siskin of the year and a very good viewing of a Great Spotted Woodpecker right up close. It was here that we met up with Terry and Liz our new-found friends. They had seen a few ‘bits and pieces’ and informed us that the ‘Peacock Tower’ was Snipe City! We asked if there were any ‘Jacks’ about but they replied in the negative. Terry is a ‘newbie’ like us but it is good to see his enthusiasm for the subject.
The walk around the ‘Lagoon’ produced many individuals. Unfortunately it was of the human kind and not of birds! We were, however, treated once more to the antics of a large flock of Tits with many of the Long Tailed variety among them. With the crowds around it was no surprise that they tended, once again, to keep further back from the paths than is usual.
At the ‘Wader Scrape’ hide (crowded) we were disappointed to see that the scrape was in fact a pool with hardly any of the small islands showing and very few birds on them. It was though heaven for most of the ducks that were clearly enjoying themselves!
We moved on to ‘Snipe City’. On the way there Leon said, “If the top floor is full of people, I’m going downstairs to the floor above.” Great if you can pull it off! True to Terrys’ prediction we did see quite a few Snipe. There seemed to be little else about, apart from ‘birders’, except that there were many Gulls at this end of the Main Lake. A chap pointed out a Caspian Gull and was trying to point out the things that made it a Caspian when the bugger flew off! (the gull, not the bloke!).
Moving on to the ‘WWT’ hide we were once again accompanied by quite a large number of visiting ‘birders’. Again most of them seemed knowledgeable and quietly discussed their subject. One of the chaps was talking about somebody who said that they had seen an American (?) Gull. He had been there for some time and had watched all of the gulls present and declared that no such bird was to be seen. He must have said it a million times and I am not one to exaggerate!
After leaving the Centre, we saw (and heard) some Redwings flying overhead. We did not go to the ‘office’ as we would normally have done. We were so weary that we went straight home with not so much as a ’swift half’!
BIRDS SEEN: Coot, Long Tailed Tit, Shoveller, Mallard, Moorhen, Pintail, Pochard, Cormorant, Black Headed Gull, Carrion Crow, Tufted Duck, Ring Necked Parakeet, Wood Pigeon, Feral Pigeon, Ruddy Duck, Starling, Teal, Heron, Blackbird, Mute Swan, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Lapwing, Canada Goose, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Meadow Pipit, Linnet, Kestrel, Stonechat, Sparrowhawk, Wigeon, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Siskin, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jay, Goldfinch, Magpie, Greenfinch, Common Snipe, Caspian gull, Herring Gull, Greylag Goose, Gadwall, Common Gull, Pied Wagtail, Redwing.
LEG-WEARY BIRDERS.
It was gone eleven o’clock when Leon and I reached the WWT Centre at Barnes. We had been to Richmond Park since about seven o’clock and had been walking for most of that time. Not being used to so much exercise first thing in the morning, we were feeling a little leg-weary! Although the day had started extremely cold and misty, it had cleared up and we were experiencing a beautiful autumn morning, although still cold the sun was glorious!
We started, as usual, at the Observatory. This gives us the chance to have a quick look around and to sort ourselves out with binoculars and notebooks. We were surprised by the number of people in the building; it would appear that there were several coach loads of visitors. The very first birds that we saw were a group of about ten Meadow Pipits – a great start. Within a few minutes the Pipits had gone and they were replaced by a similar number of Linnets! Full of expectation we headed off towards the ‘Wildside’ hide.
There were crowds of people everywhere that we looked. Many, many young couples were pushing youngsters around in pushchairs or guiding toddlers around the pathways. Also, there were many groups of what I think were ‘birding’ clubs, up for the day. Certainly many of them had a knowledge far superior to ours!
The ‘Summer Walk’ was, as we anticipated last week, closed to the public and we were glad that we had taken the last opportunity for this year to walk around it last time out. We have decided that over the winter months we will try to include a walk around the ‘Water Vole Trail’ each week, weather permitting.
The hide was jam-packed with people, even more so than at the Observatory. The majority were, however, obviously keen ‘birders’ as there was a low babble of chatter as we entered. This chatter was all bird related and was only occasionally shattered by the screeches of the ‘little darlings’. There was a good show of waterfowl and Leon soon spotted a kestrel sitting on the fence just past the weir. Even better, he excitedly pointed out a Sparrowhawk as it crossed the ‘Grazing Marsh’. I caught sight of it at the last moment and missed it taking a Starling although Leon saw it all. The bird took its’ meal to the shelter of an overhanging willow bush although it still remained in full view of the hide. There were many people suddenly crowded around ‘our’ end of the hide many taking pictures. It soon became apparent that the Starling was not dead, merely stunned. It flapped about a bit but was soon dispatched with a few deft strokes of the hawks’ beak. The bird had a light ‘patch’ on the back of its’ head and we wondered if this was the youngster that we had seen on many occasions before. Along with most of the rest of the crowd we decided it was time to move along and made our way back towards the Centre.
Not stopping for coffee (it was much later than we would usually be at the restaurant) we moved into the ‘Waterlife’ area. We would probably had trouble getting served anyway, the crowds inside were solid at the counter. There were also many people all around again. There must have been quite a few coaches in!
All around us were a myriad of Tits and Finches, although they kept further away from the paths than is usual. We were able to track them by following their calls; they really seemed to be enjoying the sunshine!
At the ‘Dulverton’ hide there was, of course, a large crowd inside but there were hardly any birds to see outside although there were a goodly number of gulls to be seen. This reminded us that we were going to a talk on gull recognition in the near future.
The feeder area, as usual, did not let us down. There were many small birds around including our first Siskin of the year and a very good viewing of a Great Spotted Woodpecker right up close. It was here that we met up with Terry and Liz our new-found friends. They had seen a few ‘bits and pieces’ and informed us that the ‘Peacock Tower’ was Snipe City! We asked if there were any ‘Jacks’ about but they replied in the negative. Terry is a ‘newbie’ like us but it is good to see his enthusiasm for the subject.
The walk around the ‘Lagoon’ produced many individuals. Unfortunately it was of the human kind and not of birds! We were, however, treated once more to the antics of a large flock of Tits with many of the Long Tailed variety among them. With the crowds around it was no surprise that they tended, once again, to keep further back from the paths than is usual.
At the ‘Wader Scrape’ hide (crowded) we were disappointed to see that the scrape was in fact a pool with hardly any of the small islands showing and very few birds on them. It was though heaven for most of the ducks that were clearly enjoying themselves!
We moved on to ‘Snipe City’. On the way there Leon said, “If the top floor is full of people, I’m going downstairs to the floor above.” Great if you can pull it off! True to Terrys’ prediction we did see quite a few Snipe. There seemed to be little else about, apart from ‘birders’, except that there were many Gulls at this end of the Main Lake. A chap pointed out a Caspian Gull and was trying to point out the things that made it a Caspian when the bugger flew off! (the gull, not the bloke!).
Moving on to the ‘WWT’ hide we were once again accompanied by quite a large number of visiting ‘birders’. Again most of them seemed knowledgeable and quietly discussed their subject. One of the chaps was talking about somebody who said that they had seen an American (?) Gull. He had been there for some time and had watched all of the gulls present and declared that no such bird was to be seen. He must have said it a million times and I am not one to exaggerate!
After leaving the Centre, we saw (and heard) some Redwings flying overhead. We did not go to the ‘office’ as we would normally have done. We were so weary that we went straight home with not so much as a ’swift half’!
BIRDS SEEN: Coot, Long Tailed Tit, Shoveller, Mallard, Moorhen, Pintail, Pochard, Cormorant, Black Headed Gull, Carrion Crow, Tufted Duck, Ring Necked Parakeet, Wood Pigeon, Feral Pigeon, Ruddy Duck, Starling, Teal, Heron, Blackbird, Mute Swan, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Lapwing, Canada Goose, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Meadow Pipit, Linnet, Kestrel, Stonechat, Sparrowhawk, Wigeon, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Siskin, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jay, Goldfinch, Magpie, Greenfinch, Common Snipe, Caspian gull, Herring Gull, Greylag Goose, Gadwall, Common Gull, Pied Wagtail, Redwing.
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