After a three week birding drought, I spent this afternoon in Bushy Park searching for spring migrants. The search were more successful than first imagined, with a very smart female Whinchat proving the undoubted highlight alongside a double-figure count of Wheatear amongst the anthills, and a pair of Hobbies circling over the Woodland Gardens, accompanied by countless Swifts.
Along with Ring Ouzel, Whinchat is another one of those species which, rather embarrassingly, I have never seen before; so to catch up with one out on the patch was an added bonus...
Unlike the Wheatears, this Chat refused to come close, and with no cover out in the grassland apart from old anthills, there was little chance of getting the frame filling shots I would have really liked.
The supporting cast, however, were a bit more showy, including this male Wheatear- one of thirteen counted...
It was a drizzly, gloomy afternoon, and whilst the Skylarks would usually be singing their arses off high in the sky, most were lying low, giving the odd burst of sub-song every now and again...
Wrens were extremely vocal amongst the dead bracken, this one perching briefly for a photo...
Not to be overlooked amongst the anthills, the ever shy Green Woodpecker...
Over by Heron Pond, and another surprise in the form of a Little Egret, which flew over the car park, and landed in a silage ditch briefly, before a dog sent it on its way towards the Thames.
See you in another three weeks!
