A morning walk from Passage House Inn around Hackney Marshes
Weren’t we lucky, it did not rain! As we gradually assembled – most were early as the road works did not seem to hold us up – we carefully looked at what was on the estuary. There were a lot of gulls, mostly black-headed gulls in winter plumage. We found some herring gulls among them, and there was a cry of a common gull, but it seemed to have morphed into something else. There were oystercatchers, which grew in number, a few little egrets, and much to everyone’s delight a small common sandpiper was found pecking around the gulls. Then we saw the first of several kingfishers. We did get some fantastic views as they shone in the sun, when it was out. I have never seen so many together and so easy to see. We then moved along the river. The best there was a group of both redshanks and greenshanks.
On we went to what I called finches corner. There were lots of chaffinches, goldfinches, a greenfinch and a bullfinch, the latter two rather hid then flew away. While there we saw a small flock of redwing overhead. They are the smallest of our thrushes and are winter visitors. They breed in northern Europe and come here in about October for about six months. There seemed to be a lot of them coming over, several flocks of different sizes, so it must have been a good summer for them. Redwings are usually found at woodland edges and parkland, and they eat berries especially rowan, holly and yew. They are quite dainty and the best way to identify them is the strong eye stripe easily seen when eating. In flight the red underwing is quite easily seen. The belly is white and the breast streaked with buff.
On we went to the marsh proper. Tits and sparrows flitted in the bushes and certainly not easy to see. We stopped for a while where Cilla had seen some goldcrests. Sure enough, but a little further on, there was one. Another bird that did not hang around to be admired. We then went back to the river. Someone somehow managed to find two snipe far out on the mud, and that was about it. We went for lunch and not long after sitting down the heavens opened so we timed it well.
Many thanks to Cilla, who knows the area well, and hunted under every bush, behind every leaf and up every ditch determined to show us every bird! I am finding, when I go out, that they are all hiding, so to get over 40 species was quite an achievement. It was a lovely morning out and thanks for the company.
Ann Crawford
Birds – 42 species recorded: Pheasant; Canada Goose (Hybrid Goose); Mute Swan; Mallard; Feral Pigeon; Wood Pigeon; Collared Dove; Moorhen; Little Grebe; Oystercatcher; Curlew; Snipe; Common Sandpiper; Redshank; Greenshank; Black-headed Gull; Great Black-backed Gull; Herring Gull; Cormorant; Little Egret; Sparrowhawk; Buzzard; Kingfisher; Great Spotted Woodpecker; Jay; Magpie; Jackdaw; Carrion Crow; Blue Tit; Great Tit; Goldcrest; Wren; Starling; Blackbird; Redwing; Robin; House Sparrow; Pied Wagtail; Chaffinch; Bullfinch; Greenfinch; Goldfinch