4 weeks ago when I saw the Little Bunting at Walthamstow Wetlands, Keith was in South Africa and so our trip today was with the specific purpose of him seeing this bird which has been around for a few months now. I have read that this is only the 11th time that this species has been recorded in London, so one which we may not get the opportunity to see again.
It had been seen about 15 minutes before we arrived and so it was that we spent most of the day checking out the feeder station and the bushes near East Warwick reservoir which has been its usual haunt. A group of Reed Buntings were present together with a flock of linnets.
Common Linnet (left) and Reed Bunting (right)
Mid-afternoon I wandered off for a look at a nearby lake and found some herons nesting in the trees already.
Canada Geese (top), Grey Heron (centre) and Egyptian Geese (bottom)
When I got back there had still been no sighting. Eventually, around 3 pm, we both decided to go for a coffee at the reserve centre and then come back for a final 30 minutes before the reserve closed at 4pm. Well at 3.55 the Little Bunting was spotted in a tree in the hedge, it then flew down towards the feeder area. It never did emerge from the graas although I did get a brief view of it through the vegetation. Talk about leaving it until the last minute! Not the longest of views but at least Keith got to see it.
My favourite picture of the day though was this fella who came to visit whilst we were having coffee
Canada Goose [sp] (Branta canadensis)
Greylag Goose [sp] (Anser anser)
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca)
Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata)
Mallard [sp] (Anas platyrhynchos)
Common Pochard (Aythya ferina)
Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)
Grey Heron [sp] (Ardea cinerea)
Great Cormorant [sp] (Phalacrocorax carbo)
Common Moorhen [sp] (Gallinula chloropus)
Eurasian Coot [sp] (Fulica atra)
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus)
European Herring Gull [sp] (Larus argentatus)
Lesser Black-backed Gull [sp] (Larus fuscus)
Rock Dove (Feral) (Columba livia ‘feral’)
Common Wood Pigeon [sp] (Columba palumbus)
Great Spotted Woodpecker [sp] (Dendrocopos major)
Peregrine Falcon [sp] (Falco peregrinus)
Rose-ringed Parakeet [sp] (Psittacula krameri)
Eurasian Magpie [sp] (Pica pica)
Carrion Crow [sp] (Corvus corone)
Eurasian Blue Tit [sp] (Cyanistes caeruleus)
Great Tit [sp] (Parus major)
Cetti’s Warbler [sp] (Cettia cetti)
Long-tailed Tit [sp] (Aegithalos caudatus)
Common Chiffchaff [sp] (Phylloscopus collybita)
Common Blackbird [sp] (Turdus merula)
Song Thrush [sp] (Turdus philomelos)
Mistle Thrush [sp] (Turdus viscivorus)
European Robin [sp] (Erithacus rubecula)
Dunnock [sp] (Prunella modularis)
White Wagtail (Pied) (Motacilla alba yarrellii)
Common Chaffinch [sp] (Fringilla coelebs)
European Greenfinch [sp] (Chloris chloris)
Common Linnet [sp] (Linaria cannabina)
European Goldfinch [sp] (Carduelis carduelis)
Little Bunting (Emberiza pusilla)
Common Reed Bunting [sp] (Emberiza schoeniclus)
Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapiadarius) Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus Terrestris)
Pete's Favourite Things 