September 18th: I wasn't feeling great so I didn't go out early as planned. There wasn't anything on the hill so I headed down to the ponds to try and find the "interesting" teal I'd seen a few nights before. Within seconds of me wandering down to the concrete drainage thing I use to view the pond, a tiny shape shot out past me! I barely registered the clockwork like flapping wings and the blurred white wing bars as I frantically tried to get a conclusive ID. It dashed towards the wooden "raft" in the middle of the pond and for a blissful second I thought it was going to land. Instead the it kept on flying out of sight into the shadowy corner of the pond. I stood there puzzling over it, the only thing it could rationally be was a Common Sandpiper but I just wasn't satisfied with my views of of it. Then suddenly the whistling call of a Common Sandpiper stopped me in my thoughts and I looked up to see it rocketing over the rooves of the houses and then across the pond before disappearing! I've wanted to see a Common Sandpiper on the the Heath all summer so it was a relief to finally find one! What an awesome bird!
September 22nd: I hadn't planned to go out but having received a message from another birder that there were a fair few birds moving over Parliament hill, I got up and ran over to the heath. There were already plenty of people out enjoying the weather, dog walkers, joggers and a few people heading off to work. I arrived on Parliament hill at 7:30 and was greeted by plenty of meadow pipits shooting over the hill as well as two of the other local birders, Pete & Reuben. We stood and watched for a while as birds continued to fly over: a red kite drifting north, a yellow wagtail also heading north, siskins and a constant stream of meadow pipits. After a fifteen minutes, I noticed a wide group of meadow pipits rocketing south towards us. I called the others to them and as they got closer we all suddenly realized! A brief flash of the bright red males shooting across the path was all we needed to see, accompanied by the oddly quiet "chip-chip" call; they were crossbill! I lowered my binoculars to make a quick count and came to 12 before they disappeared. They had flown just above the ground, straight across the path, surrounded by people! Completely unexpected!
A few more birds passed over in the next half hour but nothing amazing. Then suddenly, there it was again! "Chip-Chip-Chip!" I looked up and saw two more crossbill shooting over us calling loudly and happily. I wonder where they are now and where they came from. They could still be hiding in some quiet corner of London or they could have flown non-stop across the channel and found themselves in the Alps by now. It really is amazing the things you see here.
I continued on towards Kenwood where I was pleased to see my second Stonechat of Autumn perching on the wire fence around the Sphagnum bog. Always a brilliant bird to see! I also glimpsed my first Lesser Redpoll of Autumn shooting over the trees in Cohen's field. Not a bad morning before school (online school🙄)
23 September: I headed up Parliament hill for a bit in the morning but there wasn't much to see although it was cool to see a Spotted Flycatcher migrating over the hill and land briefly. I had a look around other parts of the heath but there wasn't much to see. Later in the day I was at home doing some chemistry work when I glanced at my phone to see Pete had found a Firecrest on Parliament hill! I quickly ate my lunch and dashed out. On first inspection there was nothing there, nor on the second or third inspection. But eventually I found a big mixed flock of tits and warblers. I spent a while searching through them without much luck. Then somehow, I lost track of the whole flock! Now it was really starting to rain too. I Spent a while wandering around searching without luck, even checking much further up the hill. After a damp and slightly annoying half hour, I decide to give in and head back. Then as I was wandering back I heard the sounds of the flock and looked up to see them in a oak tree. I decided to have a half hearted look. after a while a spotted a "crest" species hopping about in the Oak. I still wasn't particularly hopeful so it was a shock when it turned around revealed it's white eye stripe and stunning orange crest! I stood there in shock for a second as it disappeared before I jumped around and celebrated a bit. I was surprised when I looked up again to see it still flitting about and showing off. Of course now the rain started to bucket down on me but I still managed to get some good views of the little gem for a few minutes. It really is a perfect bird, one of my absolute favorites! What a brilliant day
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