Southend

A short trip to Southend finally yielded Little Tern from the end of the pier. One surprise was that Ruddy Turnstones were roosting along the pier, something they do in the winter. Perhaps these birds are already back?

Black-headed Gull

Ruddy Turnstone

Essex Coast

On Friday July 27th David took us out to Abberton Reservoir and Mersea Island on the Essex coast.
The causeway at Abberton had a number of both Yellow and White (Pied) Wagtails but the area near the visitor center was being redeveloped and was a little disappointing except for a Corn Bunting along the fence. I also finally caught up with Green Woodpecker and Skylark.

The trip to Mersea island was very productive for waders and we had an enjoyable walk along the mudflats.

Eurasian Lapwing

White Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail

Lea Valley Park

On Wednesday July 18th, David took us out to Lea Valley Park. The weather barely cooperated and it was no surprise that no Buzzards were soaring over the woods. David delivered Yellowhammer at a farm area in the park and a walk along the goose field yielded Canada, Greylag and Egyptian Geese as well as two Green Sandpipers. A stop in a hide did not yield Eurasian Bittern but a Great-spotted Woodpecker gave good views at the feeder.

Egyptian Goose

Eurasian Wood Pigeon

Mute Swan

Second trip to Kent

On Sunday July 15th my brother took us to two spots in Ken. The target birds at the first spot were Common Kingfisher and Egyptian Goose, both of which we found without difficulty. We also found a Blackcap family; the fledgling bird making sure we did not miss them by being very vocal.

The second spot took some finding, but while there we walked a nice circuit and found many Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwits and Common Redshank. As we got back to the car we got to see a Peregrine hunting at speed.

Blackcap

Pied Avocet

Lille Weekend

On Friday July 6th my boys and I took a weekend trip to Lille in northern France. I managed to catch up with some species - Kestrel and Pheasant from the coach, House Martin in St Omar's main square - but also had some luck with Coal Tit in the park surrounding the Citadel in Lille and Black Redstart from my hotel window.

Eurasian Wren

European Rabbit

Song Thrush

Rainham Marshes

On Tuesday July 3rd David took us to the Rainham Marshes RSPB reserve where we walked the loop and I added a number of new birds for the year. We also saw a couple of Common Lizards and found a couple of dead Common Shrews along the path

Common Lizard

At the start of the trail I finally got to see Song Thrush and Chiffchaff, birds that I had heard several times in the past week. I also had good views of Eurasian Wren. I had countable (feral) Greylag Geese, Northern Shoveler and Eurasian Shelduck on the water and both Reed and Sedge Warblers and Reed Buntings in the reed beds. Sadly I could not find Skylarks although they were singing away! A walk along the sea wall at the end of the loop produced an unexpected Common Sandpiper to round off a good morning.

Reed Bunting

Sedge Warbler

A walk along the sea wall at Coalhouse Fort in Tilbury produced a Great-backed Gull, several Eurasian Curlews ans Eurasian Pied Oystercatcher and we heard and then saw a Eurasian Turtle Dve, a species that is becoming increasingly rare.

Hyde Park

Monday July 2nd delivered two new garden birds for my trip - a flock of Long-tailed Tits in the morning and a couple of European Goldfinches in the early evening. During the day we went to the Museums in South Kensington and spent an hour in Hyde Park at lunchtime. The Serpentine had a number of very tame birds (although I did not count Greylag or Egyptian Goose on my year list!)

Great-crested Grebe

Common Pochard

Greylag Goose

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Kent Day Trip

On Friday June 29th David came over and took us to  two RSPB reserves in Kent - Northward Hill and Cliffe Pools. We had a good day exploring these areas with a flock of 30 Black-tailed Godwits being the best birds. As well as nearly 40 species of birds, we had Rabbit and Gray Squirrel, Red Admiral and Grey Hairstreak butterflies and Cinnabar Moths.

European Goldfinch

Cinnabar Moth

Cinnabar Moth Caterpillars

Common Tern

Easy Days in Langdon Hills

We arrived in the UK on Saturday June 23rd and spent the first few days resting up. We saw the common birds of the local woods and the lake at the conservation center.

Eurasian Blackbird

Eurasian Coot

Tufted Duck

Alaska Cruise - Haines to Vancouver

The second half of the cruise yielded little in the way of birds. No new species were seen at sea and the only new birds added for the year were singing Townsend's Warblers and Varied Thrushes in the temperate rain forest on the shore excursions. Other breeding songsters were an Oregon Junco and a White-crowned Sparrow.

Harbor Seal

Alaska Cruise - Seward to Haines

On Sunday June 10th we left Denali by motorcoach and traveled through Anchorage to Seward. I managed a couple of life birds during this journey - a singing Alder Flycatcher when we stopped at a Mount McKinley viewpoint and several Northwestern Crows along the highway.

Alder Flycatcher

Northwestern Crow

Once aboard the ship, we had good views of Mew and Glaucous-winged Gulls, Pigeon Guillemot, Pelagic Cormorant, Common Murre, Marbled Murrelet and Sooty Shearwater as we made our way south to Glacier Bay. At Glacier Bay National Park we had Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Common Loon and picked up both Sabine's Gull and Black-legged Kittiwake. Haines gave us a large group of scoters feeding on mussel beds, many Arctic Terns and a pair of tame Pigeon Guillemots.

Surf and White-winged Scoters

Pigeon Gullemot