Another great day

[actionfinch]

The sun, just rising over a misty moor down staines....(quick snapshot chance for nige), We heard the cackle of a paraket only to learn it was 3 hobbies ( u had to have been there, we both thought it was a paraket)
That was the start, really, of a great mornings birding.
Every big day I go out on seems to get better.
A little run down of events, cause as hard as i try to think in my head what to write it comes out xexexexe .(I have said my english no good)
Hobbies 3 wow then we see 2 of them on the pylon... extreme close up nice to see one still for a change...
dodging horse/cow poo, the former animals happily having breaky, the roar of planes, never ending landings into the airport.
checking out spiders webs and how they glistened in the morning dew..
A swan flying in low almost taking our heads of ( no joke ) then landing as if he over shot terminal 3 runway You all getting the picture.Large flocks of goldfinches and linnets, to the odd kingfisher that nige said he had not seen for a while...Magic man.( it appeared just as he said it)
kestrals.. i could go on, but to finish, after being mobbed by 3 cows, whilst nige took a few pics, we saw the juvi green woddpecker that had taunted us all the way around, fly into a tree about 25yds away.. Bins fixed we admired its presence when all of a sudden, boom, a sparrowhawk came in, trying for the kill. It missed then flew straight off followed by another still , like I said , you get the kind of morning we had. 43 different species 4 hours, could I say urban birding , at its best... for me it is anyway.
thank you nige, you must be aware now im easly pleased.

PS Those of u that have fallen asleep i suggest you let your kids read this if u have any

[Deb London]

Sounds brilliant.

The London bird club keeps reporting Spotted Flycatchers at the moment. Also a number of Whinchats and Wheatears. Did you see anything like this?

[aeshna5]

Sounds like your 3 Hobbies (one of my favourite birds) were a family party as these seem to be much more vocal.

Good day out !

[htcdude]

Originally Posted by Deb London

Sounds brilliant.

The London bird club keeps reporting Spotted Flycatchers at the moment. Also a number of Whinchats and Wheatears. Did you see anything like this?

No I've never seen a Spotted Flycatcher at Staines at all, not sure why as habitat is fine.

No Wheatear and don't think any Whinchat, although we did have one bird flittering up and down the grass which could have been, but it never displayed well enough.

Nige

[htcdude]

Yeah Finch another brill morning! Staines never disappoints! (the moor and res anyway, wouldn't bother shopping there )

Just to add on we also saw some lovely parasol mushrooms (Macrolepiota procera) amongst a number of smaller ones.

The 2 Swans that flew along the river right in front of us.

The brilliant view of a Garden Warbler in the sun (suddenly they don't look so plain!)

A juvenile Common Tern and a single Black Tern over the reservoir. And a very distant Turnstone.

You may have seen these pics already but just in case





Nige

[aeshna5]

Richmond Park is very good for those parasols.