October 10th 2009

Wanstead Flats:

• 07:10 - 09:00
• 5 Song Thrush,
• c120 Redwing,
• 24 Chaffinch, 10 Pied Wagtails, 1 Linnet, 10 Siskin, 1 female Stonechat, 2 Reed Bunting, 15 Meadow Pipit,
• 1 ad Yellow-legged Gull, 35 Herring Gulls, 28+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 6 Common Gulls,
• 1 Blackcap, Chiffchaff,
• 4 Teal, 3 Shoveler,
• 300 Woodpigeon,
• Sparrowhawk (S Fisher)

Valentines Park:

• Valentino the Mediterranian Gull is back for his 10th winter! (Peter Hopkins)
• Valentines Mansion Garden (TLacchar)
• 1 Wren in the Shrubs in the Old English Garden
• 6 Long Tailed Tits flying over the kitchen
• Great Tits and Blue Tits in the Holly Tree
• Fish Pond: Tufted Duck, CAnada Geese, Mallard, Moorhen, Coot

Fairlop Gravel Works, South Side of Painters Lane:

• c30 Black Headed Gulls, 5 Common Gulls, 2 or 3 Herring Gulls
• male Sparrowhawk, flying low, through.
• c50 Lapwing, 2 Green Sandpiper, 4 Snipe, 1 Jack Snipe
• 2 separate flocks of Linnet, one of about 50 and one of 12
• Meadow Pipit, Skylark, 10 Pied Wagtail
• 3 Grey Heron
• 30+ Carrion Crows
• Mallard, Mute Swan, Canada Goose, 10+ Teal, Coot, Moorhen, pr Tufted Duck
• 1 Grey Wagtail feeding near the entrance, then flew north over Painters Lane, and up Seven Kings Water towards the lakes.
• Wood Pigeons everywhere, in every direction, if they are migrating, most of them are lost.
• pair of Stock Doves

Fairlop Gravel Works, North Side of Painters Lane:

• Great Crested Grebe, 2 Little Grebe, c20 Tufted Duck, 10 Pochard, 5 Gadwall, 5 Teal, pr Shoveler, 2 Mute Swan
• 10+ Moorhen on the field
• 2 juvenile Cormorants
• Another flock of Linnet (about 30)
• Grey Heron on the field
• male Kestrel on the Lamp Column
• Song Thrush, Blackbird, Wren, party of Blue Tits & Long Tailed Tits
• male Reed Bunting

Aldborough Hatch:

• Flock of over 50 Goldfinches in the field opposite Aldborough Hall Farm
• House Sparrows, Collared Doves.

South Woodford:

• Cormorant & Sparrowhawk (PGordon)

Epping Forest nr Eagle Pond:

• Sparrowhawk being mobbed by one Magpie. I was going round a roundabout at the time and the two birds were flying and fighting about 1-2 metres off the ground right in front of me on the road as I went round the roundabout - they were both lucky they weren't hit by a car. I only had a limited time to watch but it looked as though the Sparrowhawk was heading onto the Eagle Pond bit of Epping Forest. I've seen groups of Magpies mobbing Sparrowhawks before here but not a single one and nothing as close or as dramatic as that! (PGordon)

Woodford Green:

• Sparrowhawk was back again today (10th) and when my wife was watching was posing beautifully. Time I had got down to see it, it had turned its back and the attached pic (top of post) was the best I could get before it flew off. I'll keep watching; looks as though it might hang around for a bit.
• In addition, Goldfinches (3-4) are regular visitors at present along with many Greenfinches. (Peter Warne)