Christine McVie .... 12th July 1943 to 30th November 2022
Arguably the best female English singer-songwriter ever.
I was fortunate to see Christine play and sing with Fleetwood Mac at Wembley Stadium in June 2019 .... An Evening with Fleetwood Mac
RIP Songbird
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This afternoon I had a “washing up” record from my flat.
At 1.55 p.m., whilst doing this very activity, I saw a Common Buzzard slowly flying past over the houses at the rear of the block of flats where I live.
I have seen Common Buzzard on numerous occasions from my flat (see below) but this was the first time that I have seen one from my rear windows.
The Common Buzzard passed through quite quickly but a Grey Squirrel that was moving across the boundary fence decided that the best plan, having spotted a predator, was to freeze. Although the Common Buzzard had long disappeared, it remained entirely still for at least 5 minutes giving me plenty of time to get my camera and take a record photo through the window.
Photo: Grey Squirrel
I had my first Common Buzzard record from my flat for the year (a single bird) on 7th March 2022.
This has been followed by further sightings on ....
March: 10th (2 birds), 14th (2 birds), 15th (3 birds), 18th (2 birds), 27th (a single bird)
April: 3rd (a single bird), 12th (a single bird), 16th (2 birds), 28th (2 birds)
June: 18th (2 birds), 19th (3 birds), 20th (a single bird)
July: 4th (a single bird), 9th (a single bird), 13th (2 birds), 22nd (a single bird), 26th (a single bird), 30th (a single bird)
August: 26th (a single bird)
September: 3rd (2 birds), 12th (2 birds), 21st (a single bird), 22nd (a single bird)
October: 8th (a single bird)
Total 2022 records to date …. 26 dates involving 38 birds.
During 2021, I saw Common Buzzard from my flat on 11 dates with those records involving 13 birds.
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On 27th October 2022, I visited RSPB Rye Meads in Hertfordshire …. see here.
It is a site that is relatively easy for me to visit by public transport: bus to Billericay, train to London Liverpool Street followed by another train to Rye House and then a short walk to the reserve entrance.
An Abellio Greater Anglia ticket sale which offered me a day return from Billericay to Rye House for a mere £10 prompted my previous visit and another today.
Whilst waiting for the train at Billericay station, I saw 3 fly-over Ring-necked Parakeets, all noisily calling.
Rye Meads is a 58.5 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) located in Rye House near Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire. It is one of series of wetlands and reservoirs situated along the River Lea to the north east of London. It is part of the Lea Valley RAMSAR site (a group of internationally important wetland sites) and a Special Protection Area (SPA).
Rye Meads is divided into several areas. North of Rye Road is the Rye Meads nature reserve: the western half of this nature reserve, next to the River Lea in the Lee Valley Regional Park, is managed by the RSPB and the eastern half is managed by the Hertfordshire and Middlesex Wildlife Trust. It also includes a meadow and lagoons owned by Thames Water south of Rye Road which is not open to the public.
I visited the RSPB Rye Meads reserve which includes a visitor centre, trails and a number of hides. The seasonal flooding of a large ancient flood meadow combined with the rich soils has resulted in a mosaic of habitats, consisting of reedbeds, marshy grasslands and fen vegetation plus a number of small lakes and a scrape.
As I arrived at the reserve entrance, I heard a calling Chiffchaff and then eventually saw the bird as it flew from one bush to another.
My trip to RSPB Rye Meads on 27th October 2022 was very successful and produced sightings of a Water Pipit, a single Kingfisher and at least 5 Green Sandpipers.
Unfortunately, during today’s visit I failed to see any of these species and generally there were less birds to be seen.
However, there were a few highlights, most notably a juvenile Whooper Swan, a very unusual record away from the traditional wintering grounds. I did manage to get some very distant and therefore heavily cropped photos of this bird.
Much easier was a very photogenic Grey Wagtail which perched obligingly just outside the Kingfisher hide.
Other notable records during my visit across the reserve included the following: Shoveler (c.50), Gadwall (c.10), Teal (c.10), Tufted Duck (8), Mallard (c.20), Mute Swan (c.20), Little Grebe (4), Water Rail (1 heard calling), Coot (c.50), Moorhen (c.10), Grey Heron (1), Lapwing (c.150), Cormorant (3), Black-headed Gull (c.150), Lesser Black-backed Gull (1), Cetti’s Warbler (1 singing male), Redwing (c.20), Kestrel (1), Stock Dove (3), Grey Squirrel (1)
Here are some other photos from my visit ….
Photo: juvenile Whooper Swan
Photo: Grey Wagtail
Photo: Little Grebe
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This is incredible! 🤩🦋 https://t.co/saRZYlkKwE
— Butterfly Conservation (@savebutterflies) November 21, 2022
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Date: 22nd November 2022
Time: from 8.45 a.m.
Weather: dry, sunny, light wind, 6°C to 8°C
This was my first visit to the site since 11th October 2022 and it proved to be very productive.
I recorded 21 species of birds, an unexpectedly high total for late autumn, plus I had some excellent sightings of at least 4 Red Foxes.
I accessed the site as I usually do via the track from Larkins Tyres. I stopped by the fence adjacent to Larkin Tyres to scan the scrub and scattered bushes and immediately saw a very distant Red Fox right at the back of this area.
Whilst scanning this area, I also heard a calling Chaffinch in the bushes adjacent to the track which I eventually saw when it flew. I heard what was presumably the same bird calling as I continued walking down the track. I do manage to record Chaffinch at the site each year but it is a species that I rarely hear or see so this was a welcome sighting.
I also had my only sighting of a Grey Squirrel in the trees bordering the track.
After reaching the wooded area at the end of the track, I walked through the trees to the watchpoint overlooking the rough grassy field bordered by scrub, hedges and trees. I spent well over an hour here and this is where I had my most notable sightings.
Firstly, I saw both a Sparrowhawk and a Common Buzzard, both birds being pursued and harassed by the local Magpies.
Secondly, a berry-laden hedge at the rear of the field intermittently attracted up to 10 Redwings, my first record of the autumn.
From the watchpoint I also heard 2 calling Great Spotted Woodpeckers and a single calling Green Woodpecker. I did see 2 Green Woodpeckers later in my visit, the first at the top of Church Hill and the other in the eastern section of the cemetery, although both were brief sightings of flying birds.
The watchpoint also produced several sightings and extended views of what I believe was the same Red Fox plus a brief sighting of another. I was able to get several photos of the first animal.
I briefly saw another Red Fox in the eastern section of the cemetery.
Species recorded during this visit were as follows (heard only records in italics):
Site totals to date (2022 totals in brackets):
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Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature
