Walking in a winter wonder(wood)land

Despite the temperature never rising above -2C today, I decided that I needed to get out of the flat and have a good walk through Wanstead Park. I've got my incredible warm-keeping heattech shirt so thought I'd be fine. Mostly I was... but by gum it's cold out there.

Arrived at the west entrance off Warren Road and headed in. I was greeted by a large tit flock, namely long-tailed tits, blue tits and great tits - long-tailed making up the numbers most. Interspersed with these were a few very vocal goldcrests, one or two of which obliged to feed a mere 3 feet or so away from my face. No need for binoculars with something so spectacularly close! But then something caught my eye, hopping up a branch a bit higher up. I moved to get a better viewing angle and saw the red, white and black of a woodpecker... the red was a crown on its head and the white was quite prominent across its back. And it was about the size of a sparrow, slightly larger. It was a male lesser spotted woodpecker!! The first ever for me. I couldn't believe my luck and watched it for around 20 minutes or so, during which it came within 15 feet directly over the path. It even showed off by drumming on the underneath of several branches audibly for me! In the snow, with the mixed tit and crest flock, wrens and so on, watching a lesser spotted woodpecker... well... it's hard not to use the term 'magical'.

From then on, the more cynical of people would say it went downhill. I withold my cynicism however due to the incredible views I had just had. Highlights all the way round included many jays, heard some ring-necked parakeets, saw a total of 3 great spotted woodpeckers and saw one but heard many green woodpeckers. So I'm all woodpeckered out! In one day!

The ice and snow had clearly brought in a number of waterfowl, including upwards of 30 gadwall, a handful of shoveler, pochards, tufted ducks, 2 little grebes, and a number of black-headed and common gulls. I pleased myself by identifying a 1st-winter common gull. Not bad eh?

There was also a pair of egyptian geese that were flying about restlessly, but settled quite close by and appeared very tame. No idea if they were wild or escapees but I suppose it's difficult to tell. For now we'll go with wild. Sounds cooler.