Back at The Scrubs

I made it!

I finally made it back to The Scrubs!

As I pulled up on Braybrook Street (on the western edge of the site) I was surprised to stumble across a mass gathering of around 1,000 Rose-ringed Parakeets collected on a few roadside trees noisily chattering away. Occasionally, they'd all lift off only to return back to base for some more chattering. I was frantically scanned above them for whatever might of spooked them. I saw nothing.

I parked further up the road, got my gear together and strolled into the site. By now the parakeets were beginning to head off, mostly west, in small squawking groups. It's funny, a few days ago a PhD student contacted me about the Wormwood Scrubs parakeet roosts as she was studying them in London. We hadn't recorded any large roosts for the past 4 months and I told her so. Looks like I'll have to send her another email.

Before I left this morning, I recorded a wayward Lapwing calling overhead, 7 Skylark feeding on an unfrozen patch on the football pitches, around 12 Meadow Pipits, a pair of Stonechats and a brief Reed Bunting all in the icy grassland.

It was an absolute delight to out in the morning under the clear blue sky.