June 30th 2009

Fairlop Gravel Works:

• Watched a female Kestrel hover right near the road, then dive down and catch a mouse, it then flew to the trees in Hargreaves Scout camp where it is presumably nesting. (DEH/JMakengo)

Gants Hill:

• Kestrel hovering over my garden (Tajinder Lachhar)
• Juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker on the feeder (TL)
• 30 Swifts (Alan Thomas)

June 29th 2009

Wanstead Park:

• Little Grebe feeding a chick on Heronry Pond (Paul Ferris)

June 28th 2009

Fairlop Gravel Works:

• 4 Green Sandpiper (Daniel Erickson-Hull)
• 3 Adult and 2 Juvenile Little Ringed Plovers
• 92 Lapwing
• 2 Shoveler, 2 Gadwall, 1 Teal (Steve Bacon)
• 45 Lesser Black Backed Gull, 1 adult Greater Black Backed Gull (Steve Bacon)
• 25 Black Headed Gull, 10 Herring Gull, 2 Common Gull (DEH)
• 3 Grey Heron
• 20+ Stock Dove, all over the place today
• Sedge Warbler singing
• Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Blackcap
• family of 4 Green Woodpeckers (juvs just about flying)
• juvenile Little Owl!!!!! sitting on a fencepost
• female Kestrel
• 3 families of Linnet with fledged young
• Skylarks (several)
• a few Pheasant here and there
• c20 House Martins feeding over the works with Swifts and Swallows
• Also: Canada Geese with young, Mute Swans, 2 male Pochard, 2 Little Grebe, Tufted Ducks, Mallards, Moorhens, Coots, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Feral Pigeon, Magpie, Carrion Crow, many Starlings, Wrens, Robins, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinches, Blackbirds, Song Thrush, Pied Wagtails
• Brown Hare, on both the north, and the south sides!

Woodford Green:

• Mistle Thrusth outside Broadmead Baptist Church
• Goldfinch family on Broadmead estate.

Roding Valley Park, Woodford Bridge:

• Jay and Goldfinch near the River Roding (Peter Gordon)
• Little Egret
• Sparrowhawk (breeding nearby)
  

June 27th 2009

Roding Valley Park, Woodford Bridge:

• 1 Little Egret in its usual place.

Wanstead:

• Tawny Owl calling at 2.15pm in private garden (JL via London Birders)

Bush Wood:

• 30 Swift over in tight formation

Valentines Park:

• Little Grebe with chicks on the Fish Pond. (Tajinder Lachhar)
• Great Crested Grebe pair displaying (may be late breeders, like last year)
• Grey Wagtail with fledged young
  

June 26th 2009

Woodford Green:

• Grey Heron flew south over Broadmead estate at 10am

Mayesbrook Park: (just outside the borough)

• Common Tern
• Whitethroat with young
• Chiffchaff (PH via London Birders)
  

June 25th 2009

Woodford Green:

• Goldfinch singing on Broadmead Estate this morning

Barkingside:

• Grey Heron flying low over Barkingside Station, towards Fairlop (8pm)

Mayesbrook Park: (just outside the borough)

• 2 Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe,
• Grey Heron
• several hundred Starlings
• Mute Swans with 6 cygnets
• Many Mallard, Moorhen, Coot, Canada Geese and Greylag Geese Families
• Tufted Ducks and a few male Pochard entering eclipse
• family of Pied Wagtail
• fledged Blue Tits

Hollow Ponds, Leyton Flats: (just outside the borough)

• Common Tern (BJ via ELBF)
  

June 24th 2009

Woodford:

• Jackdaw flaying around 'The Castle' Pub, they have become regular here now.

Knighton Woods:

• 2 families of Mallard (one with 4 nearly fully grown ducklings, and one with 6 freshly hatched babbies)
• 3 Moorhen families, one of which had at least 7 chicks
• 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker
• Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler
• Lots of fledged Blue Tits, Great Tits, Long Tailed Tits
• Blackbird, Robin, Wren, Wood Pigeon, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Swift
  

June 23rd 2009

Woodford Bridge:

• area of scrubland near the M11
• 2 Linnets
• Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap,
• Mistle Thrush, Jay
• Family of 4 Jackdaws (Alan Hobson)

Fairlop Waters:

• June WEBS count (Steve Bacon)
• 5 Little Grebe, 2 Great Crested Grebe
• 6 Grey Heron
• 5 Mute Swan, 4 Greylag Geese, 85 Canada Geese,
• 3 Shelduck, 2 Gadwall, 56 Mallard, 3 Shoveler, 19 Tufted Duck
• 23 Coot, 17 Moorhen
• 9 Lapwing,
• 4 Black Headed Gull, 65 Lesser Black Backed Gull, 2 Herrnig Gull

Hainault Forest:

• June WEBS count (Steve Bacon)
• 2 Mute Swan, 1 Greylag Goose, 132 Candad Geese,
• 33 Mallard, 3 Tufted Duck,
• 1 Moorhen, 6 Coot

June 22nd 2009

Barking: (just outside the borough)

• 10+ Sand Martins at the colony near the A406/Roding.

Fairlop Gravel Works:

• Lapwing flock starting to build up, 43 Lapwing present, some of which are juvenile birds.
• 2 Little Ringed Plovers, but still no sign of chicks.
• 1 Green Sandpiper has returned already (or passing)
• 10+ House Martins among the Swifts and Swallows on site
• several Pheasant calling.
• Several families of Mallard, Coot and Canada Goose
• non breeding pair of Mute Swan, Tufted Ducks and 4 Gadwall
• 4+ Grey Heron on site
• Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Linnet.
• 2 Stock Dove

Fairlop Waters:

• Little Owl on the telephone cable on Aldborough Road North (near the nesting site)

Woodford Green:

• Jay flying accross Broadmead Road

June 21st 2009

Claybury Park:

• 2 Common Tern around the main pond (Tajinder Lachhar)

Barking: just outside the borough

• Several Sand Martins at the colony (River Roding nr A406)

South Woodford:

• Jay flying over the A406

Ashton Playing fields, Woodford Bridge:

• Chiffchaff calling

Roding Valley Park, Woodford Bridge:

• Little Egret on the river by Woodford Bridge (7pm)

Roding Valley Park, Woodford Bridge:

• Scrubland area by M11
• Garden Warbler (good views of it singing)
• Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Blackcap,
• Green Woodpecker, 2 Mistle Thrush, 5 Goldfinch, Pied Wagtail (Alan Hobson)
• Reed Warbler singing near the footbridge (AH)

Roding Valley Park: South Woodford

• 2 Little Egret on the Roding near Charlie Browns Roundabout (Alan Hobson)

Snaresbrook:

• Red Kite over (Essex Birding Society)

Fairlop Waters CP:

• Greylag Goose
  
• Chiffchaff, Whitethroat
  
• Green Woodpecker
• House Martin, Sand Martin
• Skylark
• Song Thrush,
  

June 20th 2009

South Park:

• 106 Canada Geese
• 18 Coot
• Greylag Goose
• 22 Mallard
• 6 Moorhen
• 2 Mute Swan
• Pochard
• 16 Tufted Duck (RL via ELBF)

Barking Park: (just outside the borough)

• 67 Canada Goose, 99 Coot, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 71 Mallard, 7 Moorhen, 2 Mute Swan 21 Tufted Duck
• 3 Black Headed Gull, 2 Lesser Black Backed Gull, Herring Gull,

Highams Park Lake: (just outside the borough)

• 6 Moorhen, 4 Great Crested Grebe, 30 Mallard, 3 Cormorant, 28 Coot, Common Tern, 2 Tufted Duck, 2 Grey Heron (PM via ELBF)

June 19th 2009

Loxford:

• Black Headed Gull
• Chaffinches on the feeder (Jonathan Makengo)

Wanstead Park:

• Little Egret and Grey Wagtail
• new family of Mallards with 8 ducklings (Sally Hammond)
• 50+ Swifts and House Martins
  

June 18th 2009

Woodford Green:

• Goldfinches in full song at 10am this morning, also Mistle Thrushes taken to perching on the field perimetre fence, by the car park (near their nest)

Limes Farm, Chigwell: (just outside the borough)

• Mistle Thrush perched on a rooftop near the estate entrance

Barking: (just outside the borough)

• 9 Sand Martins at the colony (near the A406/River Roding)
• Kestrel hovering over the A406/Barking Road junction

Wanstead Flats:

• Barnacle Goose still present, even though the Canada Geese were not there in great number...
• Coot families, Mallard Families
• Non breeding pair of Mute Swan
• Moorhens.

South Park:

• A Magpie eating a fledgling (probable wren) alive...
• Some Coots still on nests!
• Mute Swan with 1 cygnet, looking healthy

Fairlop Waters:

• Little Owl near its nesting hole at 7.30pm (Peter Hopkins)
• pair of Green Woodpecker
• Several Stock Dove, Swallows, near the stables
• 50+ Swifts over

June 17th 2009

Woodford Green:

• 5 or so Goldfinches this morning on Broadmead Estate, including 2 singing.
• Mistle Thrushes still present every day.

Woodford:

• Jackdaws by 'The Castle' pub

Fairlop Waters:

• Flock of 100 or so Linnets
• Whitethroat, Swallow, Swift,
• 3 Skylark, 4 Reed Bunting.

June 16th 2009

Wanstead:

• 3 Linnet over my garden at 2pm (JL via London Birders)

Woodford Bridge:

• Lesser Whitethroat, Linnets (Alan Hobson)

Valentines Park:

• 2 Egyptian Geese still present on the boating lake
• Green Woodpecker
• 2 Great Crested Grebe (Madeleine Sevoir)

Loxford:

• Kestrel flying fast over the school (Jonathan Makengo)

Barking: (just outside the borough)

• 10+ Sand Martin at the colony near the A406/River Roding

Pics - June 15th 2009

Egyptian Geese at Valentines Park, Caroline Fox

Barnacle Goose on Wanstead Flats, Sally Hammond

June 15th 2009

Ilford:

• male Sparrowhawk over the A406

Little Heath:

• Jay flew from Little Heath School to the Hargreaves

Claybury Park:

• Great Spotted Woodpecker, Mistle Thrush on the green by the park (Alan Hobson)
• 3 Swifts Over

Woodford Bridge:

• Scrubland nr the M11
• Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Linnet
  

June 14th 2009

Fairlop Waters:

• male Kestrel over the plain
• Mute Swan with 6 cygnets on the main lake
• Mute Swan with 2 cygnets on the fishing lake
• at least 2 Skylark singing in the surrounding fields
• Pheasant calling.
• Swallows and Swifts.
• male Reed Bunting in full song near the lagoon.
• Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Willow Warbler in good numbers
• feeding party of fledged Blue Tits, Great Tits, Long Tailed Tits and Chaffinches together around the fishing lake
• families of Coot.
• 2 fledged families of Pied Wagtail
• Fledged Stock Dove near the stables in a party of nearly 20 birds.
• pair of Linnet on the golf course
• Common Tern over the lagoon briefly
• Also: Carrion Crow, Magpie, Jay, Grey Heron, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Robin, Wren, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Greenfinch, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Moorhen, Collared Dove, Wood Pigeon, Feral Pigeon, House Sparrow, Starling.
• Skylark Great Spotted Woodpecker, House Martin, Chiffchaff, (Tony Leaderman)
  

Woodford Bridge:

• Lesser Whitethroat, ad Whitethroats in Scrubland by the M11 (Alan Hobson)

Claybury Park:

• Reed Warbler in the rushes nr the eastern Ravensbourne Rd entrance.
• female Blackcap, Whitethroat, Jay, Green Woodpecker (Alan Hobson)

Wanstead:

• Rook over in the afternoon (JL via London Birders)

Wanstead Flats:

• Barnacle Goose still present among the Canada Goose flock at Alexandra Lake. The origins of this goose are unknown, presumeably one of the feral population. (Sally Hammond)

South Park:

• 2 Mute Swan, 117 Canada Geese, Greylag Goose, 45 Mallard, 26 Tufted Duck, Pochard
• Black Headed Gull
• 16 Coot, 2 Moorhen (RL via ELBF)

June 13th 2009

Hainault Forest:

• pair of Jackdaw flying over Romford Road towards the forest.

Valentines Park:

• pair of Egyptian Geese still present on the boating lake (Caroline Fox)

June 12th 2009

Woodford Green:

• Great Spotted Woodpecker calling on Broadmead Estate
• Goldfinch singing on Broadmead Estate
• Blackbird looking for worms
• Jackdaw flying over Broadmead Road

South Woodford:

• Jay flying accross the A406

Wanstead Flats:

• Barnacle Goose among the Canada Flock (Sally Hammond)

June 11th 2009

Ilford:

• Male Kestrel over A406 between Ilford and Barking 4.15pm (DEH)

Claybury Park:

• Tawny Owl (Alan Hobson)

June 10th 2009

Ilford:

• male Kestrel hovering over the A406 nr Ilford at 4.30pm

Claybury Park:

• Tawny Owl (Alan Hobson)

Fairlop Waters:

• Hobby
• 2 Skylark
• 4 Reed Bunting
• Swifts & Swallows
• Shoveler
• Whitethroats (Alan Hobson)

Wanstead Flats:

• Skylarks with fledglings
• Reed Buntings with fledglings
• Meadow Pipits with fledgelings
• House Sparrows with fledglings
• Young Blue Tits feeding
• family of 6 Mistle Thrushes
• Green Woodpecker yaffling
• Chiffchaff calling from Long Wood
• Swifts and a few Swallows and House Martins. (JL via Wanstead Birder)

Valentines Park:

• Pair of Egyptian Geese still present (Caroline Fox)
  

June 9th 2009

Seven Kings:

• Kestrel flying over Seven Kings Road with some prey in its talens (DEH/JMak)

Leyton Flats: (just outside the borough)

• 2 Black Swans (BJ via ELBF)

June 8th 2009

Fairlop Gravel Works:

• breif visit to the south site,
• 2 Grey Herons flushed from near the entrance.
• non breeding pair of Mute Swans
• 3 families of Canada Geese, (2 with 4 goslings, several weeks old, and a third family with 3 newly hatched goslings)
• Mallards, Coots (1 still on nest), Moorhens, Tufted Ducks, pair of Shelduck, pair of Shoveler
• 5 Lapwing, 2 Little Ringed Plover
• Green Woodpecker flying over the site
• male Chaffinch collecting food
• 2 singing Blackcap near the main entrance
• pair of Whitethroat at the far side, and a singing Sedge Warbler
• 50+ Lesser Black Backed Gulls (mostly juvenile)
• Also: Carrion Crow, Magpie, Wood Pigeon, Swifts, Starling.
• 2 Adult Brown Hare with 1 nearly fully grown leveret (possible 3rd adult too later on, that could have been one of the original 2)

Barking: (just outside the borough)

• Sand Martin at their colony, near A406/River Roding
• pair of Pied Wagtail with a fledged young.

Claybury Park:

• ReedWarbler singing near the eastern Ravensbourne Road entrance in the reeds. (Jan Martin-Ellis)

June 7th 2009

Woodford Green:

• Goldfinch singing its cotton socks off on Broadmead Estate. (amid small flock)

Roding Valley NR: (just outside the borough)

• 3 Little Egret
• 3 Broods of Mute Swan
• Sparrowhawk
• Reed Warbler (BJ via ELBF)
  

June 6th 2009

Hainault:

• Kestrel hovering over Romford Road, near Hainault Golf Course

Fairlop Gravel Pits:

• 9.30pm (yes, mad i know)
• Shelduck
• 2 Lapwing, Little Ringed Plover
• Grey Heron, Tufted Duck, Mallard,

June 5th 2009

Bush Wood:

• Goldcrest in full song. (Tim Harris)

Ilford:

• Cormorant over (SE to NW) at 10am

June 4th 2009

Woodford Green:

• Cormorant flying NE over Broadmead Road this morning at 7.30am

Gants Hill

• Jackdaw over at 6pm

June 3rd 2009

South Park:

• pair of Mute Swans with 3 cygnets (nest has been abandoned with an egg still on it)
  
• many Canada Geese, and 2 Greylag Geese
• lots of Mallards, Tufted Ducks and a male Pochard
• Moorhen (at least 2 families with chicks)
• 6 pairs of Coot nesting/tending to chicks
• pair of Mistle Thrush
  
• Wood Pigeon, Feral Pigeon, Collared Dove, Carrion Crow, Starling, Blackbird, Wren, Chaffinch,

Goodmayes Park:

• pair of Mute Swan (non breeding)
• Canada Geese, Mallards, Tufted Ducks, Moorhens
• 3 pairs of Coot nesting/tending to chicks
• 4 Swift
• Blue Tit, Blackbird, Jay
  

Fairlop Gravel Works: (south site)

• non breeding Mute Swan
• Canada Geese, Mallard, Mute Swan, Coot, Moorhen
• 1 pair of Canada Geese had 3 day old goslings
  
• 3 Lapwing, 2 Little Ringed Plover
• 3 Shelduck
• c50 Lesser Black Backed Gulls (1/2 of which are 1st yr)
• a few Herring Gulls among them
• 6 Stock Dove, plus a few Wood Pigeon and a Collared Dove 0ver
• 7 Grey Heron
• 10 Swifts, 10 Swallows, 1 House Martin and 1 Sand Martin
• 2 Linnet, c20 Pied Wagtails
• 4 Skylark singing
• Pheasant and Green Woodpecker both calling in the distance.

Fairlop Gravel Works: (north site)

• pair of Mute Swan with 1 cygnet
• 2 pairs of Lapwing
• 1 Grey Heron
  
• Canada Geese, Mallard, Tufted Duck, 6 Gadwall, pair of Shoveler, Coot, Moorhen, Great Crested Grebe
• Whitethroat, Blackcap and Sedge Warbler singing
• Great Spotted Woodpecker
• 2 Song Thrush singing
• Greenfinch
  
• c50 Swift and 3 Sand Martin

Fairlop Waters:

• c100 Swifts over the lake at 8pm

Valentines Park:

• Mute Swan with 6 cygnets
• Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe
• Mallard, Coot, Gadwal, Moorhen, Tufted Duck, Pochard
  
• Great Spotted Woodpecker, Mistle Thrush (MAW via ELBF)
  

June 1st 2009

Barking, River Roding: (just outside the borough)

• 11 Sand Martins at their colony this morning, near A406 roundabout/Tesco

Woodford Green:

• Goldfinches and Mistle Thrushes both still present and vocal this morning on Broadmead Estate.

Barking Park: (just outside the borough)

• Kestrel (Jonathan Makengo)

Ilford:

• Reed Warbler singing in the reeds on the River Roding at the end of Bluebell Avenue off Ilford Lane. A second non singing bird (presumably the female) was seen too .