April 22nd 2009

Woodford Bridge:

• plenty of male Mallards on the grass by the pond at St. Pauls Church
• Moorhen on a nest
• Greenfinches and Goldfinch singing

Woodford:

• Goldfinch singing in Ray Lodge Primary School playground, and several House Sparrows nearby

Woodford Green:

• Goldfinch also singing on Broadmead Estate

Wanstead:

• Peregrine Falcon over my house at c3.10pm, (Jonathan Lethbridge)
• Also, Sparrowhawk and Goldfinch (JL)

Wanstead Flats:

• 8 Greylag Geese with the Canada Geese on Alexandra Lake (DEH/JMak)
• 3 Ring Necked Parakeet flying towards Manor Park (PF)
• Also, Mallards, several pairs of Tufted Duck, Coot, Moorhen, Mute Swan and 5 Little Grebe (DEH/JMAk)
• 200+ Feral Pigeons being fed Gungu Peas and Red Kidney Beans!
• Green Woodpecker in the scrub just south of the lake
• Also, Chiffchaff calling, and at least 4 Whitethroat.
• male Blackcap
• Also, Carrion Crows, Magpies, Pied Wagtail, Robin.
• Song Thrush in good voice south of Alexandra Lake
• 2 male Blackbirds having a fight. (DEH/JMak)

Fairlop Waters:

• 2 pairs of Great Crested Grebe, one on the main lake and one on the fishing lake.
• 1 pair of Little Grebe on the lagoon.
• 5 Gadwall present on the main lake (3m, 2f)
• 8 pairs of Tufted Duck (no ducklings yet)
• Mute Swans, Greylag Geese, Moorhens a plenty
• Mallard brood 1 - 13 ducklings still all present! (main lake)
• Mallard brood 2 - 9 ducklings still all present! (main lake)
• Mallard brood 3 - 7 ducklings (hatched today i think)
• Canada Goose brood 1 - 4 goslings still all present (main lake)
• Canada Goose brood 2 - unknown number of goslings, as sheltering on the island (hatched today)
• Coot brood 1 - 6 'cootlings' on the fishing lake (1 or 2 days old)
• Lesser Black Backed Gulls flying over.
• Grey Heron (over)
• male Pheasant by the stables, another by the farm pond, and others calling distantly.
• Green Woodpecker calling near the stables, another seen by the lagoon.
• Female Kestrel hunting over the plain, and a male perched on a tree.
• 3 Pied Wagtails near the club house.
• Skylark displaying above the plain behind the lagoon.
• Short Eared Owl seen carrying dried grass on the reserve behind the lagoon, where the grass has been cut. Also perched for about 15 mins, looking around (and at me) also seen it attempt to divebomb something, then landed on the ground out of view...
• 4 Yellow Wagtails on the paddock to the southeast of the lagoon. (DEH) - 10 Yellow Wagtails seen later (Alan Bell)
• 10 Stock Doves in various places accross the reserve, also a lot more than usual Feral Pigeons. Also, Wood Pigeon and Collared Doves. (some juvenile Wood Pigeons are on the farm land,and can be mistaken for Stock Doves, as they have no white neck patch... look out for the green shimmering neck to confirm Stock Doves.
• Starlings present around the stables, a few pairs of Swallow and about 10 Linnet today.
• Also: Chaffinch, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Robin, Wren, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Jay, Magpie, House Sparrow.
• 1 female Reed Bunting on the plain behind the lagoon.
• at least 12 Whitethroat on the reserve, and a Lesser Whitethroat.
• Blackcap and Chiffchaff both present, but way outnumbered by Willow Warbler.
• 1 Garden Warbler also present near the west end of the lagoon.
• 1 Snipe heard somewhere on the flooded plain.

Fairlop Gravel Pits:

• Mute Swan, Canada Geese, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Coot, Moorhen and a pair of Shoveler
• 4 Grey Herons becoming very boisterous.
• 4 Little Ringed Plover, 6 Lapwing, and 2 Redshank still present
• Green Woodpecker and Chiffchaff both calling from the Scout Camp
• Whitethroat on site (1 or 2)
• A few Pied Wagtails and Linnet (over)
• Swallows, from the nearby stables, and also 4 or more Sand Martins lingering in the west end, looking like they might be nesting there.
• 2 Herring Gulls over.

City of London Cemetery: (just outside the borough)

• Pheasant, near the Aldersbrook Bridle Path. (Paul Ferris)

Claybury Park:

• Great Spotted Woodpecker, Blackcap, Whitethroat, Stock Dove, Jay, Treecreeper, Chiffchaff. (Alan Hobson)
• 2 Tawny Owls calling to each other. (AH)
• Sparrowhawk (AH)

Ray Park/Roding Valley Park:

• Council run walk, led by Alan Hobson
• Kingfisher, Little Egret, Grey Heron
• Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Robin, Wren, Dunnock
• Blackcap, Whitethroat,
• Also: Mallard, Moorhen, Jay, Jackdaw, Pied Wagtail, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Starling, Collared Dove, Wood Pigeon, Great Tit, Blue Tit, House Sparrow, Carrion Crow, Feral Pigeon, Magpie. (AH)

Wanstead Park:

• Willow Warbler on the plain (Paul Ferris)