November 13, 2008

YELLOWHAMMER

Yellowhammer: Occasional Visitor, formerly breeding

Yellowhammers are a one time common breeding bird in the Hainault and Fairlop farmland and country park area. Numbers have vastly declined and sightings are pretty thin on the ground too. This species is just about hanging on in the borough, especially in the scrubland south of Five Oaks Lane between Hainault Forest and Collier Row where there at least 12 breeding pairs (2010).

Latest Sightings:

2010: 112 sightings
  • January 18th - 1 female at Painters Road, Fairlop
  • March 27th - 2 on Wanstead Flats
  • May 16th - 1 male at Collier Row (car boot field)
  • May 23rd - 4 males at Five Oaks Lane, Scrubland
  • May 27th - 8 males at Five Oaks Lane Scrubland
  • May 29th - 6 singing males at Five Oaks Lane, Scrubland
  • June 2nd - 3 males at Five Oaks Lane Scrubland
  • June 3rd - 10 at Five Oaks Scrubland (9m, 1f)
  • June 5th - 5 male at Five Oaks Lane Scrubland
  • June 6th - 3 male at Five Oaks Lane Scrubland
  • June 12th - 12 at Five Oaks Lane Scrubland (11m, 1f)
  • June 19th - 6 male at Five Oaks Lane Scrubland
  • June 28th - 11 male at Five Oaks Lane Scrubland
  • July 2nd - 1 in a Woodford Green garden
  • July 6th - 12 male at Five Oaks Lane Scrubland
  • July 20th - 7 male at Five Oaks Lane Scrubland
  • August 18th - 1 juvenile at Five Oaks Lane Scrubland
  • September 2nd - 5 male at Five Oaks Lane Scrubland
  • September 3rd - 2 male at Five Oaks Lane Scrubland
  • October 16th - 1 over Wanstead Flats
  • October 19th - 2 over Wanstead Flats
  • October 20th - 2 over Wanstead Flats
  • October 24th - 1 over Wanstead Flats
  • October 29th - 1 over Wanstead Flats
  • November 5th - 1 on Wanstead Flats
  • Novmeber 6th - 1 on Wanstead Flats
  • November 10th - 1 on Wanstead Flats
  • December 4th - 2 male at Five Oaks Lane Scrubland

2009: 9 sightings

  • 13th September 2009, 1 imm at Wanstead Flats
  • 22nd July 2009, 1 male at Fairlop
  • 16th July 2009, 1 male at City Limits
  • 21st March 2009, 1 in Fairlop Waters
  • 3rd February 2009, 1 male in Fairlop Waters
  • 24th January 2009, 1 male in Fairlop Waters
  • 13th January 2009, 1 male in Fairlop Waters
  • 10th January 2009, 2 at Claybury Park
Older sightings:

  • 13th April 2008, 4 in Hainault Forest (2m, 2f)
  • 19th December 2007, 2 at Fairlop Waters
  • 5th February 2007, 5 at Fairlop Waters
  • 2nd February 2007, 10 at Fairlop Waters
  • 4th January 2007, 1 at Farilop Waters
  • 29th November 2005, 3 at Fairlop Waters
  • 22nd January 2003, 40 in Valentines Park

Historical Information:

  • in 2003, the late Mike Dennis reported that Yellowhamers were a breeding bird in Hainault Forest.
  • in the 1997 edition of Dominic Mitchells 'where to watch birds in the London area' it states that a few pairs of Yellowhammers were still present in Hainualt Forest

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