Ingrebourne Valley - Good Start, Red Start, Oh Well

I had made my decision; i was going to spend more time over at Ingrebourne Valley, the more i go the more i enjoy it as i find the little pathways here and there that you dont see if youve only been a few times.

This morning got off to a good start over there with the possibility of a patch tick, a Ring Ouzel. It would have been only the second of these i have seen after the female that hung about up by Aveley Bay last year.

Lots of Whitehtroat both seen and heard, Sedge Warbler but heard only along with Reed Bunting all maes around the viewing area. Singing male Cettis Warbler were blasting out their tune and i counted four between the Hornchurch car park and the viewing area. Song Thrush were in fine voice again with five in the same area.

I could hear Willow Warbler over to the woods but didnt see any, my first record of these this year.

Blackcap, more Song Thrush, Whitethroat as i headed now towards the heronry in search of the Redstart that had just been seen; this would be a life tick so it became my obsession for pretty much the remainder of my time there and you guessed it, i didnt find it or the Bullfinches that had just been seen around the heronry - oh well.

I walked on towards the pond and the hill, i new the Ouzel had flown but i have never been up that far; Skylarks evrywhere, the song was superb

It was a good morning over there, a good few birders, dog walkers all seemed chatty this morning and the ones i came accross were all in control of their pets, i even had two non dog walking individuals stop me to tell they had seen a Skyklark and a Chaffinch

Oh and Swallow x5 as well