Saturday, May 27, 2017

England

I arrived back in the UK on Sunday May 14th and spent time getting a year list going. This included some time exploring the woods and going to Southend. In the 18 days until the end of May I had seen 49 species in the UK, with the only sighting of note being a Hobby chasing Common Swifts from the Tesco car park.

Dunnock

Pied Wagtail

Dave came down for the day on June 1st but the weather was no very cooperative and we settled for a short spell at Rainham Marshes, adding 16 species with just one notable - a cooperative Common Grasshopper Warbler singing along the fence line along the river.

On June 3rd my brother and I went to Hanningfield Reservoir for the now expected, Red-crested Pochard and Stock Doves. I added a few other bits and pieces, finally getting Rook and Linnet for the trip. We headed back via the Thurrock Thameside Nature Park where a Lesser Yellowthroat sang from a wire for us.

Great Crested Grebe
In my last few days in England I added a Mediterranean Gull at Southend and then (finally) both House Martins and sand Martins (Bank Swallows) at the Olympic Park. I headed back to the US on 74 species. My worst miss being Eurasian Kestrel, a bird my brother saw while driving but I missed from the passenger seat.

Black-headed Gull

Mediterranean Gull

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