Not To Be

So with previous foul weather and pretty good conditions for some birds to be pushed up the Thames theres only one thing for it as a newish birder; yep you guessed it, leave your phone in the house and start smashing up a concrete pathway in your front garden........

 

So by 11 i was now aware of the Sabines Gulls in Aveley Bay along with another in Barking Bay plus Black Tern picking their way about everywhere. Permission granted i dashed off for Aveley parking in Coldharbour Lane where a small group had gathered still looking for the gulls which had for some time dispersed. A quick chat with Shaun, Monkey & Steve Bacon i headed to the group and settled in.

 

A few familiar faces and a chance to finally meet James Astley (Parus).

 

James thought he had a Little Gull but it had gone behind another viewer and he lost it, 3x Turnstone dropped into the mud on Aveley Bay itself (London List Tick) and after a bit i picked out aboout 20 odd Black Tern; cool yet another life tick

 

The group quickly split up with people heading back to the RSPB, home or of to the Stone Barges by car or along the footpath. I made my decison and headed to the Stone Barges where Dominic Mitchell had just had a brief glimpse of it high before loosing it to either the far bank or up river, so with that in mind i took a spin to Ferry Lane and made my stand here; Loads of Black Headed Gulls, Cormorant plus Common Tern.

 

A good couple of hours on the Thames and this was what the fuss was all about; a good record shot from Shaun and more can be found on his blog here but for me, alas it was not to be.

 

courtesy of Shaun Harvey, not that he knows this yet..........