Does Bony have a brother

Went over Barking Bay today to try to practice a bit of digiscoping, as yesterday i had a Knot in summer plumage in the bay but couldn't I.D it till i got home as it was too far out to get any detail or colour in my bins. The photo's i took yesterday were actually crap as well a fuzzy knot and a blurry sand martin

When i arrived i didn't intend going too far from the Riverside centre just wanted to try some digiscoping.
As i was setting up 2 guys came past who had been down by the cemex jetty and said that the Bonapartes gull was there so i thought i might as well go and  try to find it, as it now had a mottled head and i wondered if i could  pick it  out for myself as i am rubbish with gulls (most other species too). i had an image in my mind of what it was like last Saturday and managed to find it as it didn't really look to different. . Took loads of dodgy pics and of i went. Later when looking at the photo's at home i noticed how prominant the black spot is compared to Richard Bonsers pictures from yesterday. Could be just the dodgy pics or amazingly there could be 2 birds. l could also have took photo's of the wrong bird half the time. Also had my 1st House martin of the year.

Bonapartes at the Bay

On my way to the bay this morning i got a text from Paul saying that there was a Bonapartes gull at crossness visible from Barking bay. By the time i arrived at had gone flying west l missed it by about 10 minutes. Paul went off to the outfall to try to relocate it whilst I carried on searching round the patch looking for anything new but it was quiet all over. Then about 10.40 i got a call from paul saying it was back and now in the bay. A small crowd had now arrived and were enjoying the views. Thats the great thing aboutbirding you never really know whhat your going to see.

Great expectations

After last week where i got 12 ticks i had great expectations for the week end and beyond.
Arriving at 6.15 Saturday morning with the intent of adding Turnstone,Black tern, Sedge warbler & Yellow wagtail by 2pm i  only had  Sedge warbler & Black tern. Sunday Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday wasn't any better, in fact Paul now had a male Redstart & Lesser whitethroat to add to my wish list.
  I managed to locate a lesser whitethroat but not the others. As well as seeing Paul over there l also came across Shaun, Dave & Geoff Harding during the week its good to see more birders over there. Geoff glimpsed a female Redstart on the mound near where Paul saw the male but they both became very elusive or moved on as were not seen again. Plenty of Whitethroats and Wheatears about as well as well as 3 or more Reed warblers and 2 Sedge Warblers.

Also Managed a couple of afternoon trips to Rainham adding Little ringed Plover and Avocet to the Rainham list amongst others. With the weather as crap as its been photographs were lousy at both Barking & Rainham and those here are the best of the bunch.

5 days 12 ticks

Been to the patch 5 straight days since Sunday afternoon this week, Working evenings has given me the time to go in the mornings and has proved well worth it with things getting better as the week progressed. The weather has been rubbish all week making photography difficult if not impossible at times (with my set up anyway). Visiting the Bay, Creekmouth and Silver birch wood as given me 12 year ticks and a bonus tick for the Grey lag goose i saw in February but forgot to put on my list. New for the year in no particular order are Collared dove, Barwit, Cuckoo, Corn bunting, Mistle thrush, Artic tern, Swift, Whimbrel, Whinchat, Reed warbler, Greenshank 7 last but definatly not least Short eared owl.

lets hope it carries on getting better for the week end. today was a real wader fest with Ringed plover ,little ringed plover, Dunlin, Grey plover, Lapwing, Barwit, Blackwit, Oystercatcher & Greenshank. As well as the SEO and Reed Warbler. Roll on Saturday