Trip reports

Fishers Green

Adult bittern wading in reedbed at Lee Valley Country Park

Sunday, 4 January 2009

Nine of us turned out for our regular January trip to Fishers Green in the Lee Valley. The weather was dry, overcast, still - and very, very cold! More of the open water was iced over than any of us had ever seen. We started at the Bittern Hide - no bittern, but good views of a foraging water rail. Walking north, we had a glimpse of a perched kingfisher and watched a small party of siskin feeding. At Holyfield Lake we found both male and female smew in amongst the coots and other ducks on what little open water there was. We also saw a pair of goldeneye a long way off. On the way back there were several flocks of greylag and Canada geese, both on the ground and in flight. Finishing with a look around Lee Valley Farm, we had a green sandpiper in flight, and put up 6 snipe. Altogether we saw 58 bird species, and a herd of fallow deer some way off. A good start to the year!