Latest Sightings

Pete Lambert wrote today:

Lovely morning for a walk over Tottenham Marshes and a spectacular passage of Wood Pigeons.  Saw my first group of about 40 flying SW as I started to walk towards the East Marsh at 7.05am and this continued up to 7.37am with groups of 170,510,920,80,710,310,550,300,30,80,210,50 and finally 70.  If I’ve not counted badly that’s 4,030 in 24 minutes!  (And how many did I miss before 7.05am?)

Tantalising glimpse of a Bunting flying NE over E Marsh whose call was a bit like a Yellowhammer but couldn’t be sure enough for such a rare bird here.  Made up a minute later with a Bullfinch calling from the trees and saw male there, catching up with Terry and George both seeing Bullfinch here recently.  Mistle thrush west and Ring-necked Parakeets are all scarce for Marshes, then I saw two different Water Rails at the channel near the old Sparrowhawk nest site (my first water rails of the autumn).  Redpoll, skylark, fieldfare and Redwing all calling overhead, plus 3 Jackdaws seen at 3 different times.  First, 3 SE over Clendish Marsh, then 3 SW over Clendish Marsh, later 3 NE over West Marsh – maybe all the same three birds.  Only one Chiffchaff at Stonebridge Wood, my first since mid October.  But Terry still has the best of recent sightings with a Short-eared Owl being chased by crows.

  DMC