Before watching the new Star Wars movie in Wimbledon on Boxing Day, we fitted in an hours walk in Wimbledon Common. It was oddly quiet, with very little heard and even fewer things seen. The entrance field to the windmill car park held 2 Skylark and 3 Meadow Pipits. While walking into the woodland area (it was nearly sunset) a Tawny Owl hooted for about a minute, then went quiet.
There was no sign of any Goldcrests or Firecrests as usual, but there were plenty of finches, tits and thrushes, with Redwings and a few Fieldfare moving through the trees and feeding on berries.
I didn't get a single worthy, publishable picture.
For Christmas I got this small camera lens which is attachable to my phone - although I was hoping it was for digiscoping, it's useful as when walking to and from places sometimes I do see the odd interesting thing and now I can get a better picture of them.
Although I was hoping to get to Richmond and Richmond Park this Christmas, I won't be able to, as exams in a few weeks are taking priority (unfortunately.) The positive is that the rest of the winter and spring will be free allowing me more chances to get outdoors.
All other birders have been writing up on their blogs the highlights of their year, and what they have seen/achieved, and also what they are aiming for next year. Though I haven't done it yet, I might decide to do it over the next few days.
I just realised, stupidly, that I forgot to publish a post from back in November - partly because I'm an idiot and partly because I thought I'd lost the pictures. So I may as well do it now. On the 5th November - yes that long ago - Peter Alfrey kindly let me into Beddington Farmlands quickly for the morning with his nephew. We did a quick gull ID session, though there were few gulls on the lakes with the incinerator off. Then we had a look around for Jack Snipes and another (unsuccessful) search for a Dartford Warbler, which remains as one of my 5 bogey birds. We saw 5 species of gull, with no Meds, Caspians, Icelands etc seen. A couple of Water Pipit, Snipe and a Kingfisher were the main highlights, as well as a Buzzard which got mobbed by loads of crows after it put most of the birds on the main lakes up. After meeting Thomas - the owl expert - we soon left, as Peter had to go up to Rainham. Either way thanks for taking me Peter - sorry I forgot to post. Either way, on the way back, a Kingfisher and 2 Little Egrets were along the Wandle. Here are a few pics from the 5th November.
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| Snipe flew away |
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| Mostly Herring, LBBs and a few GBBs |
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| LBBs and Herring |
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| Mostly Black-headed |
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