Todays sighting

Peter Lambert Wrote Today: 

Rather dark and gloomy as I left home at 07.38, but this may have delayed the little egrets flying away from their evening roost at Walthamstow Reservoir - anyway I saw eight little egrets fly off North or North East as I walked in from Blackhorse Lane.  After all the recent rain, the channel was very high, so there were no waterfowl in the channel from the East Bridge at WM East.  West channel equally full but five teal and two tufted ducks seen from the Green Bridge.

Walking south down the towpath I saw a little grebe in the Lee Navigation (the only one of the morning) and then two shovelers in the channel (the usual recent pair) and nine more tufted ducks.  Only one egyptian goose by the Centre, admiring itself in the metal thing - have the pairs split up!  I won't keep you in suspense, they haven't. Another egyptian goose flew onto the Picnic Area at Clendish Marsh as I walked round there, and by the time I got back to the Centre, there were two together - Little and Large.

Grey and pied wagtail in the channel from the bridge to Clendish Marsh and then a male pheasant (dark necked variety) perched on a fence at the allotments (photo attached).  Finally at Clendish, a chiffchaff singing from Pymmes Brook near the allotments - the first one I've heard singing this year.

Alarm calls near the pond and I looked round to see a sparrowhawk shoot NE across and out of sight.  Almost as quick was a collared dove flying east a litlle later.  Walking back down the towpath to the Green Bridge I saw the only gadwall of the morning, two females and a male feeding under the willows on the Navigation.  Ended the morning with a female reed bunting calling from brambles at WM East.  Grand total of six singing song thrushes as I walked round.