I had a bit of an epic survey day today, leaving home at 05:00 I was at Dagenham Docks (even less glamorous than it sounds) by 07:15. After this survey I had to cross Greater London in a north-west direction to St Albans. So having started so early I had a little time to play with and a couple of birds en-route.
First-up I visited Hornchurch Country Park in the Ingrebourne Valley where a Spotted Crake has been present since 16th September. The bird showed well soon after I arrived and I enjoyed excellent views for the time I was there.
Also here were Water Rail (two), Cetti’s Warbler (six) and a handful of Teal, Gadwall and Snipe. I have seen around seven Spotted Crake in the UK but not for many years and I have never photographed the species. It was a cracking little bird showing fairly well in an area of cattle grazed flooded swamp.
Spotted Crake (juvenile) – Hornchurch Country Park
Spotted Crake (juvenile) – Hornchurch Country Park
Spotted Crake (juvenile) – Hornchurch Country Park
Spotted Crake (juvenile) – Hornchurch Country Park
Spotted Crake (juvenile) – Hornchurch Country Park
Spotted Crake (juvenile) – Hornchurch Country Park
Next I visited Roding Valley Meadows near to Chigwell where a juvenile Red-necked Grebe has been present since 22nd September. While I have seen many Red-necked Grebe I have not seen the species in juvenile plumage so was keen to see this bird as I was pretty much passing by on route to St Albans.
The bird was fairly mobile and often distant on the lake but eventually showed well in a secluded corner in the north-west of the lake.
Long-tailed Tit – Roding Valley Meadows, Chigwell
Red-necked Grebe (juvenile) – Roding Valley Meadows, Chigwell
Red-necked Grebe (juvenile) – Roding Valley Meadows, Chigwell
Red-necked Grebe (juvenile) – Roding Valley Meadows, Chigwell
Red-necked Grebe (juvenile) – Roding Valley Meadows, Chigwell
Simon Colenutt
I began birdwatching at the age of nine when living on the Isle of Wight. After obtaining a copy of the Isle of Wight Bird Report from 1976 I realised that Manx Shearwater, Arctic Skua, Pomarine Skua and Black Tern were regularly seen at St.Catherine's Point, only five miles from my home village of Chale Green. To a nine year old these birds were near mythical and so I just had to go and try to see them. Little did I know that these birds were seasonal and after a long winter of seeing nothing I eventually started to bump into other birdwatchers as March drew to a close. It was then that Dave Hunnybun, Dave Wooldridge, Paul Castle, Peter Gandy and Audrey Wilkinson introduced me to the art of seawatching and the joys of bird migration, I have not looked back since.
Leave a Reply