May 1st-6th: Now that’s what I call Spring

After a long day in the field at Brent Res the previous day on our Spring Bird Count, it was a short, more relaxing potter around the res to start the new month. With engineering work on the Rainham line I decided to spend the Bank Holiday Monday at Brent as well and was glad that I did.

I was sat in the main hide idly scanning around when a heron flew into my field of view halfway down the reservoir. Its small size and monochrome plumage immediately had me saying ‘Night Heron!’ I switched from bins to scope and watched it lose height and land out of view in the willows on south bank. I sent out messages and then scanned the area to see if it had appeared. I knew there would be a better view from the North Bank so wandered around to the concrete jetty in front of Phoenix Canoe Club.

I was soon joined by Bob Watts who was over from Northern Ireland on a visit. Bob missed the last Night Heron at Brent in 1994 and famously slept in the hide so he could look for it at first light but without success. We couldn’t see it so decided to go round and explore the South Bank in case we could find it. Bob quickly found it roosting on a low branch but it only remained there for a few seconds and we lost where it went. People came and went during the day without seeing it but I was confident it would show again at dusk and the small group of people who assembled on the jetty were rewarded when it emerged from cover and perched on an open branch before flying, with a couple of  people even managing to photograph it.

Night Heron at dusk, photo by Adam Wilson

My original plan was to go to Rainham on Tuesday but the news of a Spotted Redshank and Nightingales in the Lea Valley led to a change of plans. I got an early train from Liverpool Street to Cheshunt. The weather was worse than forecast with a light drizzle as I arrived but fortunately didn’t last too long. As I walked up the west side of Seventy Acres I got my first target bird, a Cuckoo singing in the distance. I carried on to the sub-station island and soon had a Nightingale singing. As I carried along the path there was another one and by the end of my visit I had at least three and most likely four singing fairly close to each other.

I headed over to the Goosefield and met another birder on his way back from there who hadn’t seen any waders but had been told they were viewable on the other side. We walked back onto the island and up the east side and could then look over the river to a scrape that I didn’t know was there. Straightaway I could see a Bar-tailed Godwit in its brick red summer dress but there was no sign of any other waders. However, not all of the pool is visible and after a short wait another wader appeared. I thought any Spotted Redshank would be black by now but this wader was mostly grey. I took a few photos and could make out the orange legs and red base to the long bill leaving no doubt this was my third target bird of the day and quite a difficult one to add to my year list.

Spotted Redshank

With all the target birds under the belt I left for an early train, not knowing that if I had carried on down to Hall Marsh Scrape I would have found the Glossy Ibis that was discovered later that morning! Oh well, there’s bound to be another one of those this year. News of the Hoopoe in Enfield filtered out later in the day but by the time I’d returned home I couldn’t face going out again.

On Wednesday I finally made it down to Rainham. I even managed a good bird on the way there as I heard a Black Redstart singing in Aldgate on my way to the station. My only target bird at Rainham was Corn Bunting but I still took the time to explore the area properly beginning at Rainham West. A Cuckoo called near the old silt lagoons which have now become chalk lagoons. I’m guessing it’s from HS2 tunnels in the Chilterns. It could become an interesting habitat for chalkland butterflies and flora if properly managed.

I diverted off the main path at Wennington and took the track over the tip to look for the elusive Corn Bunting. There was no sign of it so I joined the riverwall path and stopped to scan the bay and river. There was a group of Bar-wits in the bay and some more on the Kent side while on the river a large flock of Common Terns also held a single Arctic. Then I heard the unmistakeable jangly song of a Corn Bunting behind me. I turned around and scanned the tops of a few small bushes and there it was.

I carried on to Serin Mound and met another birder. As we swapped notes, a Common Buzzard flew over and a few minutes later a suspicious-looking egret also flew over. I got the scope on it to confirm what I thought and the black feet, orange bill and compact size all led to a Cattle Egret, my first of the year, and I believe, Rainham’s first of the year. I continued along to the reserve and celebrated with coffee and a Danish before setting off for a circuit. 

Shoveler from Ken Barrett hide

I had another look at the bay in case any new waders had arrived but as they hadn’t I headed off to Purfleet and the train home. Well, almost.

Checking for recent news I saw there was an Iberian Chiffchaff in Regent’s Park. As my journey takes me past Baker Street it would have been rude not to get off and walk the short distance into the park. So an hour later I arrived at the Cricket Pen, having already clocked the song as I approached. I was expecting a larger turnout but there were only three other birders there. And one of them was busy photographing a Garden Warbler. To be fair, Magnus had already seen the Ibe and needed the Garden for a year tick.

The Iberian Chiffchaff showed beautifully, staying mostly in the Cricket Pen but moving around quite a lot. The song was perfect for this species, unlike some of the previous claims in London. This is just the third London record; the first was also the first UK record, at Brent Reservoir in 1972 and the second was two years ago at Ponders End which turned up during the first lockdown but stayed long enough for some to connect with after the restrictions were eased. It wasn’t on my list of possible to see during the year so was a great bonus.

Iberian Chiffchaff

After a hectic few days I planned to take it easy and have a stroll around Brent Reservoir. This all went to plan and I even found a stunning male Whinchat on the dump as I watched a Common Whitethroat descend from its display flight. 

Whinchat

I completed my weekly butterfly transect and returned home for coffee. And then it happened again, I checked my phone and there was a Glossy Ibis at the London Wetland Centre. Rest plans were put on hold and I grabbed my gear and legged it down to the bus stop. A few buses and trains, and a walk across Hammersmith Bridge and I was at the centre just over an hour later. I went straight to the Peacock Tower and looked out of the window on the lower floor...straight at the Glossy Ibis! Success. I sat down and enjoyed this rare bird feeding constantly on the wader scrape while I ate my lunch and rattled off a few photographs. I was really pleased to get this bird after missing the one a few days ago.

Glossy Ibis

Footnote: it appears this isn’t the same one that was in the Lea Valley but may be the same bird that turned up at Beddington a few days later. Maybe this will be the year of the ibis in London?

On Friday I went back to Cheshunt with friends to look for the Nightingales. We heard a couple singing in the same place but as the weather was sunnier they stopped singing by mid-morning. We heard a couple of Cuckoos but I still haven’t actually seen one yet. The dominant warbler seemed to be Garden Warbler and we had at least eight birds singing, many of them seen out in the open as well so perhaps there had been an overnight arrival. I still managed one new bird, a Hobby circling over Seventy Acres, the last regular summer visitor I needed so my list may struggle to keep this pace up! I’ve now reached 165 for my London year list, although I’ve just found out that I have a rival this year so there’s no let up yet.

Garden Warbler

Hobby