This twitching lark is easy - LOL

Well where to? Dave suggested he fancied seeing an Alpine Swift so he and Joy picked me up at 7. A quick detour to see if there were 4 Ring Ouzels in the car park - there wasn't but we did see a few Little Egrets and then through the centre of London to Hampstead Heath. Ooh look the Gerkin and you mean that little road? Anyway we got to the heath parked up and off we went.

One of the first birds we came across was this little chap. We heard a few Green Woodpeckers and then came Joy's first lifer of the day Ring Necked Parakeet oh and another and another and.......














Someone shoud tell these lads they aren't tree dwellers.














Onwards to the ponds, these contained all hte usual suspects. Including Tufties taking bread. The heath is rather nice.

Anyway Dave soon espied the Alpine Swift. Not amazing views but good enough. We also had a number of Sparrowhawks overhead,







And so on to Barnes, via a detour and a few landmarks, Natural History Museum, Marble Arch, Hyde Park Corner and Harrods. We arrived at Barnes to find no Ring Ouzel but we were all suitably chuffed to see an Osprey overhead.

Is that what I think it is? yeah ! Osprey nice.

Anyway to celebrate we had a late breakfast with a glass of Pinot Grigiot - very nice. On to the peacock tower with Sand & House Martins and Swallows overhead. Some nice birds, Redshank, Snipe and Little Ringed Plover all of whom got the heebee jeebies when a Peregrine flew through.

Walking back we saw Willow Warbler and 3 Blackcaps serenading a lone female. Some nice birds which we celebrated with a nice Ice Cream. Suitably happy we browsed the collection. Approx 71 birds seen.


Dave a happy birder with a lifer and a surprise year tick.














St Joy, shocked that Dave has turned the camera slightly.

















Your blogger. Please CP note total lack of facial hair.