October 1st 2009

Fairlop Gravel Works, South Side:

• c70 Lapwing, 8 Green Sandpiper, 2 Snipe
• 13 Teal, Gadwall
• 3 Grey Heron (tree roosting)
• Green Woodpecker
• 3 Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail

Roding Valley Park, Woodford Bridge:

• Kingfisher (Alan Hobson)

Fairlop Waters:

• Grey Wagtail, in the willow ditch at the rear of the lagoon (Bill Neate)

Valentines Park:

• Male Wood Duck (unfortunately released by park manager)
• Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, 50 Canada geese, Greylag goose, 3 Cormorant, Tufted Duck, Shoveler, Pochard, Coot, Moorhen, Mallard (MAW)

Wanstead Park:

• An afternoon walk in Wanstead Park on 1st October produced the following sightings :
• Perch Pond:
• Two Mute Swans + five cygnets
• 3 Shovelers, Various Coots and Mallards
• 1 Black Headed Gull
• 1 Grey Heron
• 9 Tufted Ducks
• 1 Cormorant
• and one rat scuttling in the undergrowth!
• Dell Bridge:
• I had a nice sighting of two Wrens fairly close together in amongst the foliage.
• Ornamental Waters
• Various Mallards, Coots, Moorhens, and Tufted Ducks
• Two Grey Herons (in different areas) - one of which was being bothered by a Carrion Crow
• Three Cormorants up in the dead trees
• Two Mute Swans + four cygnets
• 4 pairs of Gadwalls. They were skulking away at the end of the Ornamental Waters towards the Pump House. As I tried to get nearer to take some pics, they became very nervous, and flew off. After I continued on walking for several minutes, I came across another four pairs of Gadwalls. They weren't found in the direction the others flew off towards, but as it's the same amount, I'm not sure whether it's a coincidence, or the same group.
• Heronry Pond
• Various Coots, Mallards, Moorhens, and Black Headed Gulls
• 2 Little Grebes
• 2 Shovelers
• and another rat scuttling in the undergrowth - I keep hoping it will turn out to be an interesting mammal!
• Shoulder of Mutton Pond
  Not as 'busy' as the other ponds, so I was able to count :
• 21 Black Headed Gulls
• 4 Coots
• One Mallard
• 2 Mute Swans (no cygnets)
• 2 Moorhens
• 3 Jays in the general area nearby
• I noticed that the Drake Mallards now seem to have regained their colour, after the recent 'eclipse' stage.
• (Kathy Hartnett)