A spring day in February

Oystercatchers at Gallions Reach, 26/2/2012

Black-tailed Godwits at Gallions Reach, 26/2/2012

Black-tailed Godwits at Gallions Reach, 26/2/2012

Comma Butterfly at Gallions Reach, 26/2/2012

Red Fox at Gallions Reach, 26/2/2012

High tide at the lower Lea today was around 4:30 pm, the weather forecast was for a warm spring-like day which always means the basin is jammed with people, so I decided to spend the morning downstream at Gallions Reach returning to the patch at high tide to check the wader roost; Gary had the same idea and we spent over five hours at this wonderful Thameside locale soaking up the atmosphere created by hundreds of ducks and waders, Black-tailed Godwits were everywhere with at least 137 recorded, all of these birds are of the race islandica and will soon be heading north to their breeding grounds in Iceland, many of them already apeared to be paired up but none have yet moulted into breeding plumage. Given the limited viewing conditions , especially downstream, accurate counts are virtually impossible but I think we did quite well today other wader counts included four Oystercatcher (a little early, we don't usually get them on the patch until late March), 40 Lapwing, ten Dunlin (not a lot considering the thousands present just a few miles downstream), three Curlew and 71 Redshank. A good variety of wildfowl was also noted including 61 Shelduck, a pair each of Wigeon and Gadwall, around 220 Common Teal, over 60 Shoveler, three Pochard and 15 Tufted Duck; Little and Great Crested Grebes were both recorded along with singles of Sparrowhawk and kestrel, but surprisingly, given the abundance of food on offer, we have yet to record a Peregrine here. On the passerine front Linnets were very much in evidence, mostly paired up now with lots of singing going on. at least two Skylarks were also singing and four Meadow Pipits and a Reed Bunting were also noted. The Fox in the photograph was dozing on a patch of grass near the Albert Basin and was quite unconcerned by our presence. The Comma Butterfly was enjoying the clement weather, they often come out of hibernation on warm winter days but this is the first one I have seen in February. I arrived back at the patch just after 4 pm and judging from the abundance of litter at the basin it has seen quite a lot of human traffic today; 11 Redshank and a Common Sandpiper were in the main roost with three more Common Sandpipers at two other roosts on the Middlesex shore, the second time this winter I have recorded seven birds.Bow Creek was almost completely devoid of wildfowl but the basin was teeming: with four Greylag Geese, 11 Canada Geese,14 Shelduck, the female Pintail, 165 Common Teal and 30 Tufted Duck counted today.