June 3rd 2010

Fairlop, Aldborough Riding School:

• 2 Little Owl at the nest site (Had two great views of the little owls, although I had to stand there about half an hour, but it was worth it. How considerate of them to nest on the sunny side of the tree.)
• Lapwings, Swallows,
• singing Skylark (Jan Martin-Ellis)

Fairlop Gravel Works:

• 2 Mute Swans, 5 families of Canada Geese each with their own young, all swimming single file in a long row! 1 Shelduck, 1 male Shoveler, 4 Gadwall (2 prs), 6 Tufted Duck
• 1 family of Mallard (5 juveniles)
• Stock Dove
• Grey Heron
• 2 Lapwing, 4+ Little Ringed Plover
• male Kestrel hovering
• 2 Skylark
• pair of Yellow Wagtail, family of Pied Wagtails with fledglings
• 4 Linnet
• 4 Sand Martin, 4 House Martin (DEH)

Five Oaks Lane Scrubland:

• this site is best accessed from opposite No. 22 Five Oaks Lane
• 5 Pheasant calling (1 seen)
• 4 Cuckoo (3 males, and 1 female) - 1 Male was calling from a telephone wire on Five Oaks Lane, I was able to drive right under him. 2 further males calling (all at the same time), and flying round the site. Female flew out from a bramble bush... looking guilty!
• 4 Green Woodpecker
• 30+ Swift, 8 Swallows near the farm buildings at the south end
• 15 Woodpigeon, 3 Stock Dove, 5 Collared Dove,
• 3 Meadow Pipit
• 9 Whitethroat, 3 Chiffchaff, Blackcap, 3 Willow Warbler
• 7 Blackbird, 3 Song Thrush, 2 Robin, 2 Wren,
• male Yellow Wagtail feeding on the paddock, then flew to a bush and called from the top (possible nest site?)
• 11 Magpie, 4 Carrion Crow, 46 Starling (on the paddock) Great Tit, Blue Tit, party of 8+ Long Tailed Tit
• 9 Chaffinch, 2 Greenfinch, 4 Linnet (including 1 male nest building)
• 10 Yellowhammers (9 singing males, and 1 female seen)

South Woodford:

• Kestrel by South Woodford Station
• Jackdaw again (perhaps breeding locally?) (PGordon)

Valentines Park:

• Valentines Mansion - on top of 1st floor roof hiding in gutters - 3 x pied wagtail chicks being fed by parent‏ (Tajinder Lachhar)
• Great Crested Grebe still sitting on nest
• Grey Heron chicks venturing out of the nest (but not off the branch yet) (Gillian Ware)

Wanstead Flats:

• Kestrel hovering (Nick Croft)

Woodford Green, Broadmead Estate:

• Jackdaw again this morning (DEH)