Patching London - Sam O'Donnell
British Birds
Sam O'Donnell introduces us to his local patch; Walthamstow Wetlands

We all love birdwatching. Whether you are a hardcore lister wanting to see every bird in the country, or just a casual birder who enjoys the everyday birds, even the common ones! Well, with patch birding you can get the best of both worlds!
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Sam O'Donnell
In north-east London, located near the busy areas of Tottenham Hale, Walthamstow and Hackney is my Patch; Walthamstow Wetlands and Marshes. This is just a small section of the green corridor of the Lea Valley which runs between Amwell Nature Reserve in Hertfordshire and Canning Town in East London, it's where the River Lea joins the River Thames. In my three years birding Walthamstow, I have seen 147 species including some scarcities such as Dusky Warbler, Alpine Swift and two Yellow-browed Warblers. Walthamstow Wetlands is the largest urban wetland in Europe with special designations such as a RAMSAR and is a SSSI site, and to have it as my patch is something quite special. It is amazing seeing breeding Common Terns, Kingfishers, Little Egrets, Grey Herons, Little Owls and many passerine species living in such an urban environment.
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Sam O'Donnell
Through birding such an urban site, I have created some wonderful memories and seen some fantastic birds just 40 minutes from Westminster. There are some highs and lows however. Some of my favourite moments have included seeing two Yellow-browed Warblers in less than a week, having close views of a pair of summer plumage Black-necked Grebes and seeing a drake Scaup, a Kittiwake and an Alpine Swift all in the same morning! Finding my own birds there is the main driving force to keep me going back. The feelings when you find something locally scarce or rare in context is incredible, shock, joy and excitement all at once. I remember when I found the first Ruffs for seven years. Wader migration was just starting up again in mid-July and I thought with rain and easterlies overnight, it could be productive. So when I joint found five male Ruff circling over one of the reservoirs I was extremely happy!
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Sam O'Donnell
But other times, you don't get your way. I have quite a good "strike rate" when it comes to finding/seeing good birds on patch, but I don't see everything. For example just this November, I picked up a text at Sixth Form and it read "three Whooper Swans South End of no.5 Reservoir.". It was just before my last lesson of the day. So I was sitting in my Year 12 Biology lesson worrying more about if the swans would still be there in an hour and a half rather than what factors affect the rate of enzyme-controlled reactions. After the lesson I dashed home, got my binoculars and my camera and raced over to patch. Unfortunately, the swans had gone. The Whooper Swans were the first on patch for 15 years. Missing a good bird on patch is very painful, but it encourages me to find something good of my own!
Ultimately, I love patch birding for many reasons. It sometimes doesn't work out the way I would have liked but the game's the game. Patching has helped me get through many stressful periods of my life especially during the run up to and sitting my GCSE exams in the summer. It was so nice to have a space where I could enjoy the wildlife each day near my house to relax and de-stress. This isn't meant to be a persuasive piece of writing, but I do hope I have inspired some of you to visit your local patch more regularly!
Written by Sam O'Donnell
Sam is a birder and photographer from London. He is the recent winner of the Martin Garner Spurn Young Birder of the Year and shares highlights from his patch birding on social media @sam_odonnell25