May 8th 2010

Fairlop Waters CP:

• 9-11.45am (Tony Leaderman/Daniel Erickson-Hull) - 53 species seen or heard
• 6 Mute Swans (2 on the fishing lake, 2 on the gravel works (north), 2 (nesting) on the lagoon
• Canada Geese (brood of 6 on the fishing lake, brood of 5 on the scrape, brood of 5 on the gravel works site, others still sitting on nests
• Greylag Geese (brood of 10 (all still present) and brood of 1 (was 2, but one has died/gone missing) other non breeding birds present.
• Shelduck (gravel works), c20 Tufted Duck spread out on all ponds/lakes, 5 Gadwall, 3 Shoveler, many Mallard (no broods noticed)
• 2 Great Crested Grebe on the gravel works, 1 on the scrape
• several Little Grebe trilling (gravel works and lagoon)
• Coot (3 nests now on the fishing lake, 1 on the lagoon), Moorhens
• 8 Lapwing on the field by the gravel works site being protective, 2 Redshank (flew from north to south side of Painters Road, 2 Snipe (north side)
• several Lesser Black Backed Gull including 1 juvenile
• 3 Common Tern flying round the baoting lake, including the bird with the injured wint that has been present since 29th April.
• Kestrel hovering over the golf course
• 2 Grey Heron (1 on scrape, 1 on gravel works), 1 Cormorant (1st yr) on the gravel works as usual, Pheasant (heard)
• Green Woodpecker (2 seen, others heard),
• Skylark and 2 Meadow Pipit (the scrub area behind the lagoon, and about 10 skylark seen in the field between the gravel works and the Scrape, where there was 2 more Meadow Pipit too.
• beautiful Male Yellow Wagtail on the path by the boating lake (nr sailing club car park)
• 3 Stock Dove (nr stables), Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Feral Pigeon
• Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw (over)
• c40 Sand Martin, over 100 Swift, 4 or 5 Swallow and 3 or 4 House Martin feeding all around the site (mostly over the boating lake)
• Starlings (including at least 2 nesting pairs in the new tent venue/old Als adventure place)
• House Sparrows on Station Road (barkingside station)
• several pairs of Linnet, 2 Goldfinch, several Greenfinch, many Chaffinch
• sevral singing Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Whitethroat widespread. 2 singing Sedge Warblers on the north side of painters road and a male Reed Bunting
• Lesser Whitethroat there too
• Also: Great Tit, Blue Tit, Robin, Blackbird, Wren (DEH/TLeaderman)
• Hobby
• 200 Swift, 6 Swallow (Bob Jenner)

Gants Hill, Roll Gardens:

• Kestrel over (10.30am) AThomas/TLachhar

Roding Valley Park, south:

• Sparrowhawk
• Whitethroats (one with food going into scrub presumably to feed young)
• Wren, Robin, Blackbird
• 3 Chiffchaff
• Jay
• 3 Great Tit, Blue Tit
• Swift
• 1 Grey Heron (over)
• 2 Moorhen, 6 male Mallard
• 1 Song Thrush heard in the same place as yesterday (TLachhar)
• Little Egret

Wanstead Flats:

• Turtle Dove (2 NE near Alexandra Lake at 19:15)
• Swift (4)
• Skylark (14 including 8 singing males)
• Meadow Pipit (3, including 1 song-flighting male)
• Pied Wagtail (1, Jubilee Pond)
• Wheatear (female)
• Whitethroat (18, including 14 singing males)
• Reed Bunting (1 singing male) (Tim Harris)

Wanstead Park:

• Great Crested Grebe (2, Perch Pond)
• Little Egret (1, River Roding)
• Kingfisher (nr River Roding)
• Song Thrush (6, including 5 singing, sewage works area)
• Whitethroat (8 singing males, sewage works and The Plain)
• Willow Warbler (1 singing male, east end of The Plain) (THarris)