My Trip to Sweden

If your interested in my trip report for my visit to Sweden to watch Raptor Migration...

click here

August 31st 2010

Fairlop Waters:

• 5 Carrion Crows and 3 Magpies on Aldborough Hatch Farm
• 20 House Martins around the Stables, also: Robin, Starling, 30 Feral Pigeons, 4 juvenile Spotted Flycatchers, 1 young Willow Warbler/Chiffchaff, 4 young Whitethroat all on the boundary of the Country Park
• 1 Buzzard flying over
• inside the country park boundary there were 4 juv Chiffchaff/Willow Warblers, 10 Long Tailed Tits and another juvenile Spotted Flycatcher,
• 30 Lapwing on the boating lake island, plenty of Coots, and a juvenile (feral) Greylag Goose (Chris Gannaway)

Gants Hill, Roll Gardens:

• Juvenile Sparrowhawk - seen this morning and again at 17.53pm but as usualunsuccessful - plus the usual array. (Alan Thomas)

South Woodford, garden:

• robin, blue tit, great tit, 11 House Sparrows, 2 Woodpigeons and a juvenile woodpigeon and a collared dove. (PGordon)

Wanstead Flats:

• Crossbill (heard going east. Yay!)
• 2 Whinchat, Wheatear, 4 Spotted Flycatcher (3 east end Long Wood, 1 east of Alex),
• Lesser Whitethroat, 6 Whitethroat (so it would appear I was completely wrong, again, when I implied they'd all naffed off!), Chiffchaff,
• Skylark, Meadow Pipit, 3 Swallow (north), 5 Sand Martin (West over Alex),
• 6 Green Woodpecker, 5 Great Spotted Woodpecker,
• 9 Mistle Thrush, loadsa Robin, 2 Common Gull, 2 Lesser Black Backed Gull, 80+ Black headed Gull,
• 4 adult Mute Swan and very quickly the interlopers where made to leave, 3 Shoveler (Nick Croft/Steve Thorpe)

Wanstead Park:

• No sign of the Pied Flycatcher,
• probable Nuthatch north of OSW,
• Coal Tit in the dell,
• Lesser Spotted Woodpecker,
• 3 Hobby (single over OSW, then two over SoM), Sparrowhawk,
• Kingfisher (Heronry - Steve Thorpe),
• 6 Cormorant, 2 Collared Dove, many more Robin, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Lesser Black Bacekd Gull, 20+ Black Headed Gull, 5 Tufted Duck, 4 Pochard, 2 Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Little Grebe (Nick Croft/Steve Thorpe)

Wanstead Old Sewage Works:

• Spotted Flycatcher (Sally Hammond)

August 30th 2010

Fairlop Waters CP:

• Spotted Flycatcher, Whinchat, Redstart, Wheatear, 2 Common Sandpiper (AAB)

Valentines Park:

• 3 Great Crested Grebe, 5 Little Grebe, Cormorant, Grey Heron all on the boating lake
• 12 Mute Swan (still all 8 cygnets present and correct), c80 Canada Geese, Mallard, 4 Pochard (boating lake), eclipse Shoveler, Coot, Moorhen
• 5 Egyptian Geese on the boating lake!
• c140 Black Headed Gulls, 6 Common Gulls, few Lesser Black Backed Gulls and Herring Gulls
• Sparrowhawk
• Wood Pigeon, 4 Stock Dove, Collared Dove, Feral Pigeons
• 2 Swallow and 8 House Martin through
• 5 Grey Wagtail (4 adult and 1 juv) on Cranbrook Cut
• 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, and 1 Green Woodpecker
• Mistle Thrush, Blackbird, Robin, 2 Dunnock, Wren, 2 Chiffchaff, 12 Long Tailed Tit, few Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Greenfinch and 6 Goldfinch. (Mike Condon)

Wanstead Flats:

• RSPB NE London Group (Guided walk - 9.30-12ish)
• dispersed young Little Grebe on Jubilee Pond with a few Mallard, Coot, Canada Geese, Black Headed Gulls, and Feral Pigeons.
• Lesser Black Backed Gulls, Herring Gulls and a Cormorant (over), and 1 Common Gull feeding.
• 3 Kestrel, 2 Sparrowhawk and 2 Hobby, (including at one point an areal display invovleing 1 of each species together in the sky)
• 6 Swallow and a Sand Martin through
• 2 Green Woodpecker (young), 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker in East Copse.
• 8 Spotted Flycatcher, and 1 very showy 1st winter male Whinchat near Alexandra Lake
• Also: Moorhen, Mute Swan, 2 Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Jackdaw, Jay, House Sparrow, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Chiffchaff, Blackbird, Robin, Wren, 2 Goldfinch, Greenfinch, (RSPB)
• Also 1 Stoat
• Also: Wheatear, 4 Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Coal Tit singing on Alexandra Lake island (SFisher)
• 8 House Martin, 3 Gadwall, Shoveler (NCroft)

Wanstead Old Sewage Works:

• Spotted Flycatcher, female Pied Flycatcher (THarris), Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff,
• Green Woodpecker, Kestrel, 2 Chaffinch (RSPB Group)
• Garden Warbler (THarris)
• Lesser Spotted Woodpecker east over Golf course (NCroft)

Wanstead Park:

• 3 Hobby (1 calling from Dell Bridge), 2 over Heronry Pond, also 3 Sparrowhawk,
• party of Long Tailed Tits with 2 Spotted Flycatcher between Perch pond and Ornamental Waters.
• 2 Pochard and a 11 Gadwall on Heronry, also 2 families of Mute Swan seen and several Little Grebes.
• 2 Yellow Wagtail, 4 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Willow Warbler, 10 Chiffchaff, 10 Blackcap, 2 Kingfisher.
• 8 Sand Martin, 40 House Martin, Nuthatch (calling), 2 Collared Dove, Stock Dove, Cormorant (over), Little Egret, 2 Grey Heron, 11 Ring Necked Parakeet, 12 Tufted Duck, 6 Green Woodpecker, 4 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, (NCroft)

Pics - Wanstead Flats

Spotted Flycatchers...

(Jonathan Lethbridge)

(Paul Ferris)

August 29th 2010

Fairlop Gravel Works:

• 35 Teal, 12 Pochard, c10 Tufted Duck,
• c10 Grey Heron
• c150 Lapwing,
• 14 Green Sandpiper (8 south side painters road, 1 north side, 5 on the scrape), 1 Common Sandpiper (south side), 1 juv Little Ringed Plover
• few Stock Dove
• 4 Swallow, 20 Sand Martin
• 2 juv Kestrel, both male, one of which was chasing a Sand Martin for quite some time, including an attempt at dive bombing from above...
• 1 male Hobby
• Wheatear
• c15 Goldfinch, 3 Linnet (DEH)

Fairlop Waters:

• Spotted Flycatcher and 1st winter male Redstart at the east end of the lagoon
• Whinchat on the back field (behind lagoon) (Alan Bell)
• Kestrel, Hobby
• Large group of Swallows, Large group of Sand Martins, Small group House Martins.
• 10+ Lapwings
• Gadwall, Mallard, 2 Mute Swans on the lagoons
• Redstart,Spotted Flycatcher,
• 5 Willow Warblers, 3 Whitethroats, Chiffchaff.
• Small flock of Long Tailed Tits, small flock of Goldfinches
• 3 Green Woodpeckers. (Ian Shaw)

Gants Hill, Roll Gardens:

• 2 Sparrowhawks - 1 Juvenile seen at 8.20am flying into our tree & 1 male flying overhead garden seen at 6.09pm.
• Great Spotted Woodpecker
• 16 House Sparrows, 14 Greenfinches, 5 Blue tits, 2 Great tits, 4 Chaffinches, 2 Goldfinches, 1 Female Blackbird, 1 Robin, 1 Collared Dove, 5 Starlings, 1 Woodpigeon, 10 Feral Pigeons (Alan Thomas)

Valentines Park:

• Little Grebe, 2 Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, Grey Heron on the boating lake
• 12 Mute Swan (all 8 cygnets still present, and now independant), Canada Geese, 1 hybrid Greylag Goose, 2 Egyptian Geese back in town! Mallard, 1 eclipse Shoveler, 4 Pochard (2m, 2f), Tufted Duck, Moorhen, Coot
• Sparrowhawk
• 120 Black Headed Gull, 7 Lesser Black Backed Gull, 6 Common Gull,
• Feral Pigeon, 4 Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove
• Grey Wagtail on the south eastern outfall from the boating lake
• c20 Long Tailed Tit, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Robin, Wren, 2 Dunnock, Jay, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Starling, 2 House Sparrow, Chaffinch, 2 Greenfinch, 4 Goldfinch (Mike Condon)

Wanstead Flats:

• (06:00-13:00):
• female Redstart (burnt scrub east of Alex),
• up to 10 Spotted Flycatcher,
• 4 Whinchat, 2 Wheatear (2 by Long Wood - Tim Harris),
• 12 Swallow, 10 Sand Martin, 3 Yellow Wagtail (Grey Wagtail - S Fisher),
• 6+ Blackcap, 4 Willow Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 4+ Whitethroat, (Garden Warbler - J Lethbridge), Chiffchaff,
• Sparrowhawk, 2 Kestrel,
• Skylark, 2 Meadow Pipit,
• Also: 2 Grey Heron, 2 Gadwall, Shoveler, Mallard, Mute Swan, Canada Goose, and 1 hybrid goose (only it's mother would love), 4 Cormorant, 2 Mistle Thrush (26 - S Fisher), Blackbird, 10+ Robin, Greenfinch, 4 Goldfinch, Jackdaw, Magpie, Jay, Carrion Crow, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, 6+ Herring Gull, 2 Great Black-backed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Wren, Dunnock, Collared Dove, Wood Pigeon, Coot, Moorhen, Little Grebe, Starling, 10 Ring-necked Parakeet (Nick Croft, Stuart Fisher, Jonathan Lethbridge, Tim Harris)

Wanstead Park:

• 2 Spotted Flycatcher (osw - old sewage works, and south of allotments),
• Hobby, Kestrel
• Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Blackcap,
• 3 Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Robin, Collared Dove,
• Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Jay, Magpie, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, no sign Pied Flycatcher (Nick Croft, Stuart Fisher) ... later on 6 Pochard, 8 Gadwall, 8 Tufted Duck, Little Grebe, Ring-necked Parakeet, 2 Sparrowhawk, c. 100+ House and Sand Martin over Heronry (Nick Croft)

Pics - Wanstead Old Sewage Works

Pied Flycather (above), and Spotted Flycatcher (beneath) in Wanstead Old Sewage Works (28th August 2010) - Paul Ferris

August 28th 2010

Aldborough Hall Farm:

• 2 Kestrels trying to hunt but being mobbed by crows and magpies
• 5 Carrion Crows, 3 Magpies, 20 Wood Pigeon, 2 Swallow (Chris Gannaway)

Fairlop Waters CP:

• Stables:
• 20+ house martins
• 2 robins, 5 starlings, 9 linnets, 30+ feral pigeon flock, 5 collared doves
• 5 juvenile spotted flycatchers (on Country park boundary)
• 8 juvenile goldfinches (on Country park boundary)
• 1 juvenile willow/chiffchaff (on Country park boundary)
• 1 juvenile green woodpecker (on Country park boundary)
• Lagoon: 5 Gadwall, pair of Coot, 5 Coot
• Golf Course: 30 House Martins, 4 Swallow
• Boating Lake: 2 pairs of Great Crested Grebe with a chick each, lots of Coot
• Gravelled Island: 5 Lapwing, 40 Canada Geese, 1 juv Greylag Goose
• has anybody noticed a decline in Blackbirds this year? they have become a bit of a rarity on my local patch? (Chris Gannaway)

Gants Hill, Roll Gardens:

• 8 House Martins feeding high over the back garden 4.10pm
• juv Sparrowhawk at 9am (AThomas)

Roding Valley Park, South Woodford:

• Sparrowhawk, 3 Jay (PGordon)

Valentines Park:

• 5 Egyptian Geese on Fish Pond this morning. 2 that later flew to the Boating Lake, look like our old friends, but then, so do the other three.
• Grey Wagtail on the brook (PHopkins)

Wanstead Flats:

• 5 Spotted Flycatcher,
• 1 Wheatear, 5 Whinchat,
• 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 13 Whitethroat, 3 Blackcap, Garden Warbler, 2 Willow Warbler, 8 Chiffchaff,
• 2 Hobby, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel,
• 11 House Martin, 5 Yellow Wagtail West,
• 50+ Long-tailed Tit, 1 Skylark (S Fisher)
• Wheatear, Whinchat, Meadow Pipit, Skylark, 2 Gadwall (Alex), Greater Black Backed Gull, 4 Lesser Black Backed Gull, Whitethroat... + 2 Noctule Bat (Nick Croft 20:00 until it was too dark to see)

Wanstead Park:

• 3 Hobbies flying around the Shoulder of Mutton Pond (Kathy Hartnett)
• Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Paul Ferris)

Wanstead Old Sewage Works:

• 4 Spotted Flycather, 1 Pied Flycatcher (Paul Ferris)
• 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 10 Blackcap (SFisher)

August 27th 2010

Gants Hill, Roll Gardens:

• 17 species in the garden today:
• 2 Spotted Flycatchers - Garden patch first seen from 8.45am to roughly 10.20am feeding between our garden & surrounding gardens which came with big Greenfinch & House Sparrows flock and once more seen again at 10.45am feeding then not seen again.
• 1 Willow Warbler - again mingling with Greenfinches,
• 40 Greenfinches roughly, 20 plus House Sparrows
• 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
• also: 11 Blue tits, 4 Great tits, 5 Chaffinches, 2 Goldfinches (Juveniles) mingling with Greenfinches, 3 Robins (2A & 1J)1 Female Blackbird, 1 Collared Dove, 1 Magpie, 10 Starlings (6Adults & 4Juveniles 1st winter), 4 Woodpigeons (2A & 2J), Plus a big flock of 50 plus Starlings which descended upon the garden & surrounding briefly before been spook which cleared all the birds from the area which was quite a spectacle (AThomas

Wanstead Flats:

• (06:00-09:00): Yellow-legged Gull at Alex day roost with 10 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 5 Herring Gull and c. 30 Black-headed Gull, 2 Great Black-backed Gull, Common Gull,
• 5 Common Tern over Alex west,
• flock of Egyptian Goose through east (Alex),
• Snipe,
• 3 Spotted Flycatcher (1east of Alex, 2 east end Long Wood south-side),
• 4+ Whitethroat, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, several Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Blackcap,
• 2 Whinchat,
• Meadow Pipit, 2 Swallow and 2 Sand Martin west (40+ sp) (Nick Croft)
• c16:00 5 Common Sandpipers on Alex,
• juv Redstart (Long Wood), Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler, 5 Mistle Thrush, 3 Green Woodpeckers (2 juvs) (S Fisher)

August 26th 2010

please share your sightings with us at:

redbridgebirdwatching@hotmail.co.uk

or by phone/text to: 07862 140777

thanks

Valentines Park:

• 8 Mistle Thrushes in the mansion grounds (TLachhar)
• mixed flock of c 60 House Martins and Sand Martins
• 2 Grey Wagtail on the brook (PHopkins)

Wanstead Flats:

• Yellow-legged Gull at Alex day roost with 3 Greater Black-backed Gull, 20 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 7 Herring Gull and c. 40 Black-headed Gull,
• 4 Spotted Flycatcher (2 east of Alex, 2 east end Long Wood south-side),
• up to 4 Whinchat, 2 Wheatear, 2 Blackbird, 2 Mistle Thrush, 6 Robin, 1 Song Thrush heard,
• 8+ Whitethroat, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, Garden warbler, several Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Blackcap,
• 4 Meadow Pipit, 3 Skylark,
• Also: Mallard, Shoveler, Teal, Mute Swan, Little Grebe, Grey Heron, Kestrel, Jackdaw, Jay, 8 Ring-necked Parakeet, 3 Cormorant, 2 Collared Dove and the usuals (45 sp) (Nick Croft)

August 25th 2010

Bush Wood:

• 2 Hobbies (Kathy Hartnett)

Fairlop Waters:

• Spotted Flycatcher,
• 3 Chiffchaff,
• 100 Sand Martins, 2 House Martin, 3 Swallow
• 3 Green Woodpeckers,
• 21 Longtailed Tits. (Bob Jenner)

Popping to Sweden for a few days (click here), so I may be a lil slow in updating this site on Fri/Sat/Sun.. please keep emailin me tho.

Pics - Wanstead Flats

Kestrel, Wanstead Flats (JLethbridge)

August 24th 2010

Fairlop Gravel Works:

• 8.15-8.30pm
• found ANOTHER family of Little Grebe, (5th brood), that is 3 families on the south side, and 2 on the north side (with 2 on the lagoon, that is 7 in total around Fairlop).
• Tufted Duck family still has all ducklings too...
• 1 Teal
• 38 Lapwing, 2 Green Sandpiper
• few House Martins
• Kestrel still hovering in the dark
• 2 Brown Hare

Gants Hill, Roll Gardens:

• Swift (Alan Thomas)

Wanstead Flats:

• Wheatear, Swallow (Eve Wee)
• 2 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Redstart (JLethbridge)

West Ham Park: (just outside the borough)

• Pied Flycatcher, Spotted Flycatcher (Marco Johnson)

August 23rd 2010

Fairlop area WEBS count:

• 6 Little Grebe, 3 Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, 2 Grey Heron
• 10 Mute Swan, 24 Greylag Geese, 223 Canada Geese,
• 3 Gadwall, 4 Teal, 37 Mallard, 1 Pochard, 14 Tufted Duck
• 7 Moorhen, 84 Coot
• 14 Lapwing, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper,
• 55 Black Headed Gull, 1 Common Gull, 2 Common Tern
• Kingfisher (SBacon)

Gants Hill, Roll Gardens:

• Sparrowhawk (Alan Thomas)

Grange Hill, Long Green:

• Sparrowhawk (Ian Shaw)

Hainault Forest WEBS count:

• 1 Black Headed Gull
• 5 Moorhen, 4 Coot, 51 Mallard, 56 Canada Goose, 4 Mute Swan (SBacon)

Ilford Town Centre:

• female Sparrowhawk (JMakengo)

Roding Valley Park, north:

• Kestrel (AHobson)

Roding valley Park, central:

• family of Whitethroat, Goldfinch (by the priovate fishing lake) (AHobson)

Wanstead Flats:

• at least 2 Redstart in hawthorns east of Alexandra Lake (Birdguides).
• 4 Wheatear (2 new ones on burnt out scrub east of Alex - Stuart Fisher), 3 Whinchat, 4 Spotted Flycatcher (2 Long Wood - Stuart Fisher),
• 1 Yellow Wagtail,
• Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, House Martin, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, 4 Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, gulls and some other stuff (Nick Croft)

Wanstead Park:

• Spotted Flycatcher (osw),
• Hobby,
• 2 Gadwall, Teal, 6 Pochard, 5 Tufted Duck,
• Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap,
• House Martin, Sand Martin, etc. (Nick Croft)

Pics - Valentines Park

Hi, I have been keeping an anxious eye on our young Great Crested Grebe on the Boating Lake and have seen him there every day as well as his parents- who have continued to ignore him as he has them.

Today, however was different: I saw the two adults swimming about together quite soon but no sign of the chick.

After going round the lake at least five times, searching for him, Igot worried. Finally I spotted him, to my relief. He was busy swimming and diving. After a time he disappeared and I next found him under an oak tree on the South bank, resting and preening himself.

To my surprize, not faroff- under the same oak tree- was one of his parents, dozing on the water.They were not paying any attention to each other. Suddenly, the chick made a move towards his parent: he lowered and stretched out his neck down on the water, cheeping at the same time. The parent made threatening head movements at him. The chick tried to creep nearer, but theadult had had enough and frightened him off.

He returned to his original bit of water and the adult swam off towards the middle of the lake. I attach pics of this incident. Tomorrow I am going away from Ilford for nearly two weeks- I'm sure I'll be worrying about the chick all the time even though he is getting strong now... Gillian Ware

August 22nd 2010

Fairlop Gravel Works:

• south side only:
• 2 families of Little Grebe still present, 7 tufted ducking with mother
• 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper, juv Little Ringed Plover
• 2 Yellow Wagtail
• Kestrel
• c10 Swallow, 5 House Martin
• 3 Stock Dove (didnt really look for them today mind u)
• 15 Linnet, Whitethroat (DEH)

Fairlop Waters:

• Nightingale west end of fishing lake, 2 Tree Pipit, Spotted Flyctcher, (Alan Bell)
• Combined group of 40+ Swallows & House Martins over Aldborough Stables.
• Small group of Sand Martins over the Lagoons
• 12 Whitethroats, Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaffs, Blackcap
• 4 Blue Tits, Great Tit, a flock of Long Tailed Tits
• 6 Robins, Dunnock, Pied Wagtail. 2 Blackbirds, 2 Green Woodpeckers.
• 2 Great Crested Grebes, 40+ Coot, 6 Moorhens, 22 Mallard, 1 female & 3 young on the Angling Lake
• 7 Carrion Crows, 3 Magpies
• 125+ Canada Geese
• 50+ Black Headed Gulls, 2 Lesser Black Backed Gulls (Ian Shaw)

Wanstead Flats:

• (07:00-20:00):
• 3 Redstart (east of Alex in burnt out scrub: ad male, 1 winter and possible female - still at 20:00) (Nick Croft/Steve Thorpe/Tim Harris and latterly Jonathan Lethbridge),
• 2 Tree Pipit SSSI (Tim Harris),
• 4 Spotted Flycatcher (Long Wood indv still, and 3 in scrub behind Alex),
• Wheatear and 2 Whinchat still,
• 5 Yellow Wagatils over (Alex),
• 2 Hobby (north of Long Wood), m Peregrine (Long Wood), 4 Kestrel, 2 Sparrowhawk,
• 5 Meadow Pipit, 2 Skylark,
• 10+ Lesser Whiterhoat, 20+ C. Whitethroat, 10+ Blackcap, 10+ Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler,
• 6 House Martin, 5 Sand Martin, Swallow,
• c.300+ Black-headed Gull, 4 Great Black-backed Gull, 20+ Lesser Black-backed Gull, 5 Herring Gull, 3 Common Gull,
• 3 Collared Dove, 2 Stock Dove, 3 Goldinch, 20+ Greenfinch,
• 10 Ring-necked Parakeet (going south to roost) and the usuals to the sum of 50 sp (Nick Croft)

Wanstead Park:

• Lesser-spotted Woodpecker (heard osw),
• dozens of Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, and few of Willow Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler
• Hobby, Sparrowhawk,
• 4 Sand Martin,
• Song Thrush,
• c.20 Little Grebe, Teal (SoM), (Nick Croft/Tim Harris/Steve Thorpe)

August 21st 2010

2 NEW BIRDS FOR 2010 TODAY - SPOTTED FLYCATCHER, AND BLACK TAILED GODWIT

Fairlop Gravel Works:

• 21 Teal today, few Tufted Duck on the north side of Painters Road, and a new born family of 7 ducklings with mother on the south side, Moorhen brood (south side)
• 4 broods of Little Grebe now (2 each side, including a new brood of 2 hatched today on the south side, with mother fully submerged except for top of her head!)
• Few Grey Heron, 55 Lapwing, 1 juv Little Ringed Plover, 8 Green Sandpiper, 1 Common Sandpiper,
• 9 Pied Wagtail, 7 Swallow, 3 House Martin
• Family of 4 young Pheasant with mother on the north side, 1 more female flushed on the south side
• 2 Green Woodpeckers
• male Hobby, 3 Kestrel (2f, 1m)
• 10 Stock Dove
• 29 Linnet including many juvenile birds

Fairlop Waters:

• yay, finally located Great Crested Grebe chick, riding pinion under a tree overhanging the wooded island.
• 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 on the scrape (DEH), 1 on the baoting lake island (Alan Thomas)
• Mute Swan with cygnet on the boating lake, Canada Geese, Mallard, Moorhen, Coot
• also: Green Woodpecker, Starling, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Wood Pigeon, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Black Headed Gull, Herring Gull, male Pheasant in surrounding fields, 2 Kestrel, lots of Sand Martin, House Martin, Swallow, Collared Dove, Goldfinch flock, Pied Wagtail, Feral Pigeons (NTwyford/AThomas)
• Wheatear, Kingfisher, 5 Swift (Alan Bell)

Wanstead Flats:

• (07:00-10:00): Spotted Flycatcher (yay! patch year tick, still showing rather well N. of Long Wood at east end at 14:00, NickCroft/Tim Harris),
• 2 Whinchat, Wheatear (still),
• Snipe (flushed and flew N/W),
• 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 4 Green Woodpecker,
• 9 Robin, 13 Mistle Thrush, c. 100 Black Headed Gull, 13 Lesser Black Backed Gull, 1 Common Gull, Grey Heron,
• 8 Meadow Pipit, 13 House Martin, 1 Sand Martin,
• 16 Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, 4 Lesser Whitethroat,
• 4 Kestrel, 3 Sparrowhawk,
• 2 Skylark, 5 Collared Dove, 1 Stock Dove, c.20-30 Jackdaw, 3 Jay, 2 Cormorant,
• Yellow Wagtail (h over south/Alex) (Nick Croft)

Wanstead Park:

• 6 Black Tailed Godwit feeding on the small 'beach' on the north edge of Shoulder of Mutton pond at 4.20pm (Janice Robins)
• Hobby (over Heronry), Sparrowhawk,
• 4 Green Woodpecker, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (osw),
• 10+ Chiffchaff, 4+ Blackcap, 5 Whitethroat, 3 Lesser Whitethroat (including 1 at the SoM), 6 Willow Warbler,
• 2 Cormorant, 8 Robin, 4 Blackbird, Little Egret, Jackdaw, Jay, Magpie, and Carrion Crow, Mallard, Tufted Duck, 6 Gadwall and 1 Teal (SoM), 7 Sand Martin, 10 Little Grebe (5 ad, 5 juv) (Nick Croft)
  

August 20th 2010

Wanstead Flats:

• Wheatear and 2 Whinchat still present this morning (THarris) (still there at 5pm)
• Also: 25 Mistle Thrush, 5 Meadow Pipit, Skylark, 6+ House Martin, Chiffchaff, 4 Whitethroat, Ring Necked Parakeet, Sparrowhawk, 2 Kestrel, Stock Dove, 3 Collared Dove, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 4 Cormorant, c.40+ Black Headed Gull, 3 Common Gull, 1 Herring Gull, 1 Greater Black-backed Gull, 5 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 7 Jay, Jackdaw, 2 Goldfinch, 10+ Greenfinch, 1 Greylag Goose (over) (SFisher/NCroft)

Wanstead Park:

• Wood Warbler (old Sewage works in with dozens of Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, and a few Lesser Whitethroat, and 1 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker),
• 5 Sand Martin, 6 + House Martin, 1 juv Swallow (west),
• 5 Tufted Duck, 2 Pochard, 1 Shoveler, 10 Gadwall,
• Little Egret (osw/Roding),
• Kestrel, Hobby (heard over Reservoir Wood, then seen over SoM, Heronry and the osw/Roding),
• Goldfinch, Greenfinch, better numbers of Blackbird,
• Herring Gull, Black Headed Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Green Woodpecker and Great Spotted Woodpecker, Ring Necked Parakeet (Nick Croft/Stuart Fisher)
• 2 Hobby seen in Resevroir Wood (KHartnett)

Whitehall Plain:

• female Sparrowhawk, being chased by 10 Magpies
• Red Kite (south)
• Willow Warbler, with 2 Goldfinch

TO THOSE THAT KNOW ME, U CAN FOLLOW MY LIFE/THOUGHTS ON MY NEW BLOG (Less to do with birds, more to do with my thoughts!)

Pics - Wanstead Park

1 of 4 Hobby seen in Wanstead Park (Resevoir Wood) 19th August

(Paul Ferris)

August 19th 2010

Fairlop Gravel Works:

• 6+ Grey Heron, with 1 Little Egret (south side, then Little Egret moved to the lagoon on the north side of Painters Road
• 3 families of Little Grebe, 10 Tufted Duck, 1 Teal, 2 Pochard
• 30+ Swallows, 10+ House Martins feeding
• 1 juv Little Ringed Plover, Lapwing, 3 Green Sandpiper, 1 Common Sandpiper ,
• 3 Kestrel
• 8 Linnet

Fairlop Waters:

• juvenile Common Tern that had me convinced it was something more exciting for a while, sitting on a boat, calling.
• Little Egret, over (north)
• 3 Great Crested Grebes
• 16 Greylag Geese

Five Oaks Lane, Scrubland:

• 10 Swallows
• 2 Linnet
• juvenile Yellowhammer

Gants Hill, Roll Gardens:

• 2 Sparrowhawks - A pair seen 8.45am together over & then five minutes later probably one of the two came back gliding over.
• 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers - (2J & 1F)
• 12 Starlings over in tight flock this early evening (Alan Thomas)

Goodmayes Park:

• 25+ Greylag Geese, few Tufted Ducks
• party of 8+ Long Tailed Tits with some exciting stragglers... 2 Great Tits, 1 juv Goldcrest and 1 Wood Warbler

Hainault Farm:

• Large flock of over 100 Carrion Crows and Jackdaws, (no Rook today though)
• 2 Swallows

Roding Valley Park, north:

• (north of Chigwell Road, Woodford Bridge)
• Kestrel
• Wren (AHobson)

Roding Valley Park, central:

• (south of Chigwell Road)
• Whitethroat, flock of Long Tailed Tits (Alan Hobson)

Wanstead Flats:

• Around SSSI area
• 90 Canada Geese, 25 Mallard, 5 Coot
• 2 Green Woodpecker
• 6-8 Whitethroat, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Chiffchaff
• 2 Jays (THarris)
• Hobby,
• 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Blackcap, 5 Willow Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff,
• 30+ Long-tailed Tits, 15 Blue Tit, 8 Great Tit (J Lethbridge)
• 15:00-15:50: 2 Whinchat, 1 Wheatear, Tree Pipit (Broom fields) (S Fisher)

Wanstead Park:

• Hobby feeding over Shoulder of Mutton Pond at 12.15ish, and was then joined by 3 others!.. The 4 birds giving a wonderful areal display! (Jennifer Charter)
• 4 Hobby in Resevoir Wood at 2.15pm (Paul Ferris)

August 18th 2010

Hainault, Garden of Peace Muslim Cemetary:

• Little Egret wading through the small pond

Wanstead Flats:

• Peregrine SW at 10.30am
• 2 Wheatear (JLethbridge)
• 6.45-7.30am - male and female Sparrowhawk
• 68 Black Headed Gulls, 2 Common Gulls 6 Herring Gulls, 1 Lesser Black Backed Gull, 1 adult Yellow-Legged Gull
• 10+ Skylark, 6 Meadow Pipits in a family group
• 2 Whinchat, 1 female or imm Wheatear
• 6 Whitethroat, by Angel Pond (THarris)

August 17th 2010

Bush Wood:

• Male Sparrowhawk just west of Bush Wood at 08:30 this morning. (THarris)

Claybury Park:

• Buzzard, over high (Jonathan Makengo/Toryon David)

Gants Hill, Roll Gardens:

• 4 Swifts feeding overhead (AThomas)

Roding Valley Park, central:

• Sparrowhawk (perched, good views),
• 2 Willow Warblers, Whitethroat, flock of Long-tailed Tits. (Alan Hobson)

Wanstead Flats:

• 40+ Mallard, 120 Canada Geese, Little Grebe, 2 Cormorant east,
• Hobby,
• 15 ad & 1 juv Herring Gull, 18 ad LBB Gull, 1 ad Yellow-legged Gull (patch tick), 60+ Black-headed Gull,
• 30 Coot, 5 Moorhen,
• 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Green Woodpecker,
• 30+ Woodpigeon,
• House Martin SW,
• 5 Meadow Pipit, 8 Wren, 3 Robin, Blackbird, 20 Mistle Thrush (19 & 1),
• 5 Lesser Whitethroat, 7 Whitethroat, m & f Blackcap, 4 Willow Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff,
• 4 Long-tailed Tit, 20+ Blue Tit, 8 Great Tit, 9 Greenfinch, Goldfinch, 9 Magpie, Jay, 2 Jackdaw, 50+ Carrion Crow (J Lethbridge)

Pics - Hainault Forest CP

Swallows, meeting at a pre-migration meeting point in Hainault Forest CP:

(TLachhar)

August 16th 2010

Bush Wood:

• 2 Swallows over this morning (8.15) - (THarris)

Fairlop Gravel Works:

• few Pochard, Gadwall, c10 Teal, c10 Tufted Duck, 3 families of Little Grebe
• 2 Kestrel (m & f)
• c10 Stock Dove
• 3 Swallow
• Lapwing, 8 Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper
• Dunlin (transitional plumage)
• 6 Linnet

Fairlop Waters:

• 8 Lapwing, 2 Little Ringed Plovers,
• Kestrel (attacked by crow),
• Greylag geese, 20 black headed gulls (mostly in autumn/winter plumage), 1 Common Tern (using moored yacht as a base),
• Also: Greenfinch, wren, flock of goldfinches, starlings, 6 pied wagtails, robins (singing again), green woodpecker.
• On a previous visit in July just before I went on holiday we saw 4 young green woodpeckers in the grass near the south east corner of the boating lake. (Richard Iles)

Five Oaks Lane Scrubland:

• After checking Google for a postcode of somebody on Five Oaks Lane, i have found out this the addresses are CHIGWELL, (still in the borough of Redbridge, but like much of the Hainault estate around Manford Way, they are IG7).. So from now on i shall stop calling it Collier Row!
• 10.30pm - Barn Owl on a telegraph pole down Five Oaks Lane (interestingly, the whole reason i found this site, is becuase a fisherman at Fairlop Waters told me he had seen a Barn Owl dowo Five Oaks Lane earlier in the year, and I had gone down to 'see if i could find it'... Instead, i found Little Owl, 12 Yellowhammer territories, 7+ Cuckoos, nesting Swallows, Garden Warblers, Lesser Whitethroats, Goldcrest, singing Nightingale, probably nesting Yellow Wagtails, juvenile Bullfinch and 2 imm Redstart over the last 2 or 3 months to name a few... and today I finally located a Barn Owl! (Hallelujah).... (DEH)

Gants Hill, Roll Gardens:

• 2 Swift feeding overhead (AThomas)

Hainault Forest CP:

• 14 Swallows on the wire near the farm buildings (TLachhar)

Wanstead Flats:

• (06:00-09:00;13:00-14:00):
• Hobby (early pm north side) 2 Kestrel,
• 2 Goldcrest (in yew by cemetry yay! patch year tick 101),
• c.80+ Black-headed Gull, 7 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 2 Common Gull, 3 Herring Gull (1 juv),
• 2 Collared Dove, 4 Green Woodpecker, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Mistle Thrush, 12 Greenfinch, 5 Cormorant, 5 Willow Warbler, 7 Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, 1 Sand Martin, 4 House Martin, 1 Ring Necked Parakeet,
• 1 Meadow Pipit (Carrying food!) (Nick Croft);
• 1 Hobby, 3 Kestrel, 1 Sparrowhawk - in the air together over Centre Road at 3:30pm (J Lethbridge)

Wanstead Park:

• (09:00-13:00): Whinchat (old sewage works),
• 3 Song Thrush, 10 Robin, 3 Blackbird, 4 Whitethroat, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Willow Warbler, 10+ Chiffchaff, 6 Blackcap,
• Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (osw), 7 Green Woodpecker, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker,
• Also: Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Common Gull, c.20+ Black-headed Gull, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 2 Herring Gull, 18 Cormorant, Little Egret (osw down the Roding), 3 Stock Dove, 2 Collared Dove, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, 2 Gadwall (Perch), 8 Pochard (Heronry), Tufted Duck, Teal and Shoveler (SoM), 12 Little Grebe (incl. young), c. 40 House Martin and Sand Martin (the later being in the majority - over Heronry), and the escaped White Cheeked Turacao whom I wooed out of the trees, never seen him flying before and he has pretty wonderful red underwings (Nick Croft 57 sp in total).
• Hobby along River Roding and 4 Swift over c15:00 (S Fisher)

August 15th 2010

Valentines Park:

• Black-headed gulls, Lesser black-backed gulls (1 adult and 1 juvenile - though I can't be absolutely certain it wasn't a young herring gull)
• 1 Grey Heron, 2 cormorants, 3 little grebes, 5 tufted ducks on boating lake, 2 on fish lake usual mallards, coots, moorhens, canada geese,
• mute swans (2 + 8 cygnets boating lake, 2 fish lake)
• 1 grey wagtail
• 4 robins, 3 house sparrows, c.30 starlings, 5 blackbirds, 2 great tits, 6 blue tits, 1 chaffinch, usual wood and feral pigeons, carrion crows, magpies.
• Yesterday I was looking at some old photos and came across one I'd taken of the boating lake in Valentines Park in March 1980. It was a wide-angled shot showing a good part of the lake and there were just 2 birds, a pair of mallards. How times have changed. (MSevoir)
• 4 Little Grebes (2 juv), 3 Great Crested Grebe (1 juv) 2 Cormorant, 1 Grey Heron, 12 Mute Swan, c120 Black Headed Gulls, 2 Stock Dove, 2 Collared Dove, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker,
• 2 Grey Wagtail, moving west to east along cranbrook cut, for over 90 mins...!
• Wren, Dunnock Blackbird, Robin, 8 Mistle Thrush,
• Goldcrest going through the large Cedar trees
• 3 Chaffinch, 2 Greenfinch, 4 Goldfinch (MCondon)

Wanstead Flats:

• adult Yellow-legged Gull with 7 Lesser Black backs early am,
• Yellow Wagtail NW,
• 2 Kestrel, 2-3 Sparrowhawk,
• 10 Whitethroat, 2 Lesser Whitethroat,
• 4 Meadow Pipit (S Fisher, T Harris)

Wanstead Park:

• Kingfisher,
• 12 Stock Dove,
• Hobby,
• 4 Shoveler, eclipse Teal, 9 Pochard,
• Willow Warbler, 6 Chiffchaff, 6 Blackcap,
• 12 House Martin, 5 Swift,
• Little Egret (Roding),(S Fisher)
• 18:00-21:00: Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Old sewage works),
• Hobby over Reservoir Wood (later 2 over golf course - Tim Harris), Sparrowhawk (juv) calling NE Bush Wood,
• Teal still on SoM, 3 Shoveler, 2 Pochard (Heronry), 7 Tufted Duck, 18 Little Grebe (11 juv),
• Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff (osw),
• 6 Sand Martin, 5 House Martin (Nick Croft) Pipistrelle Bat (T Harris)

Pics - Valentines Park

I'm afraid my Grebe obsession continues! All well on the Valentines Boating Lake today- I soon tracked down the chick under an oak tree, actually being silent for once, as he relaxed and occasionally stretched out his legs! He later went out into the lake to fish and started cheeping again... I saw one of the adults- well away from the chick. The Cormorant was on the same boat again- and also fishing up by the island-and the Heron was on his bank on the island as usual.

August 14th 2010

Gants Hill, Roll Gardens:

• Juvenile Sparrowhawk - Back once again seen at 3.55pm with another unsuccessful surprise attack - poor thing!
• Great Spotted Woodpecker, Willow Warbler - Midst Small Greenfinch flock.
• Cormorant - 1 over back gardens.
• Plus usual array of garden birds. (Alan Thomas)

Wanstead Flats:

• (07:00-09:00; 12:00-14:30): 2 Wheatear, 2 Whinchat (m, and f pm),
• Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, flocks of 14, 16 and finally 24 Mistle Thrush,
• 6 Meadow Pipit, 4 Skylark,
• 4+ Blackcap, 10+ Whitethroat, 3 Willow Warbler, 6+ Chiffchaff, 2+ Lesser Whitethroat (hurrah for tit flocks!),
• 4 House Martin,
• 8 Collared Dove (some kind of record surely?), 4 Stock Dove, Wood Pigeon,
• Kestrel, 4 Sparrowhawk (including 1 juv calling ffrom the cemetry),
• 7 Cormorant, 100+ Black-headed Gull (inc. 81 in Alex day roost), 4 Common Gull, 10 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 2 Herring Gull, Little Grebe, Jay, Jackdaw etc. (42 species - no sign of the Wheatear in the afternoon) (Nick Croft, Stuart Fisher, Jonathan Lethbridge)

Wanstead Park:

• (09:00-12:00): Hobby (Reservoir Wood also, 2 on the White Tower, Bush Wood- JL), 2 Sparrowhawk, Kestrel,
• Common Sandpiper (Heronry), 2 Little Egret (R. Roding - one doing the feet paddly thing to great success),
• flock of c20-30 Sand/House Martins (Heronry - mainly Sand),
• c.10+ Willow Warbler (1 singer), c.10+ Blackcap (more than 1 sotto singer), 10+ Whitethroat, 2 + immaculate Lesser Whitethroat, 10+ Chiffchaff (mainly down the old sewage farm, but hurrah for tit flocks!), Chaffinch, 3 Goldfinch, Greenfinch,
• 5 Tufted Duck, 1 Shoveler, Little Grebe,
• Kingfisher (Perch Pond), 2 Stock Dove, 6 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 10+ Black Headed Gull,
• 6 Ring-necked Parakeet, 4 Cormorant, Jay, Jackdaw etc. (Nick Croft, Stuart Fisher and all too briefly Jonathan Lethbridge)

Pics - Valentines Park

Just to say all was the same with the Grebes today. The two adults were swimming about together and eventually- after going twice round the Boating Lake searching for him- I spotted the (lonesome!) chick swimming by himself and still endlessly cheeping to no avail! The Cormorant was back on one of the boats and the Heron was back on the island. Little Grebes and Pochards also in evidence

(GWare, 13th Aug 10)

August 13th 2010

Collier Row, Car Boot Sale Field:

• 7pm: Flock of over 100 Rooks with the 100 Strong Carrion Crow murder, and a handful or 2 of Jackdaws... I wonder if this is a regular haunt.
• The Rooks were seen flying off about 7.45pm northward towards Lambourne/Abridge

Clayhall, Woodford Avenue:

• Sparrowhawk hunting (TLachhar)

Five Oaks Lane Scrubland:

• 3 Kestrel
• 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Green Woodpecker
• Pheasant calling
• 1 Swallow
• 2 imm Redstart
• bizarrely, 11 Mistle Thrushes perched in a dead tree together, in silence.
• Garden Warbler
• 2 Munjack Deer

Valentines Park:

• 3 Great Crested Grebes (pr plus independant juv)
• Little Grebes, Pochards, Cormorant (GWare)

Wanstead Flats:

• (06:00-10:00): Yellow-legged Gull (yay patch tick) on football pitches next to the changing rooms @06:15 for ten minutes then flew off south, c.80 Black-headed Gull, 26 Lesser Black-backed Gull (including 14 in day roost by Alex), 4 Common Gull, 5 Herring Gull,
• 5 Sparrowhawk (group of 3 over cemetry, north), 2 Kestrel, Hobby over Bush Wood/Reservoir Wood but seen from the flats,
• Carrion Crow, 6 Jay, 10+ Magpie, 4 Jackdaw, 6 Cormorant,
• 3 Green Woodpecker, 2 Greater-spotted Woodpecker,
• 4 Mistle Thrush,
• possible Whinchat on the SSI (briefly in flight and unable to track down),
• 5 Chiffchaff, 6 Willow Warbler (including 1 singer), Whitehroat, 2 Lesser Whitethroat east of Long Wood, Blackcap,
• 4 Meadow Pipit,
• 2 Collared Dove, 3 Stock Dove,
• 2 House Martin (Nick Croft)

Wanstead Park:

• (10:00-15:00):Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (old sewage works), 2 Greater-spotted Woodpecker, 4 Green Woodpecker,
• c. 20 Sand Martin, c.10 House Martin (over Heronry Pond),
• numerous Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, C. Whitethroat, 10+ Blackcap (old sewage works), and the sub-song mystery bird from the flats has now re-appeared but mobile in the old sewage works area,
• 2 Goshawk near Ornamental Waters
• Kingfisher (Roding/osw),
• Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, 2 Shoveler, 3 Tufted Duck and 2 Gadwall (on Perch),
• Little Egret (west over), Grey Heron,
• 2 Kestrel (osw), Hobby calling over Bush/Reservoir Wood and later Ornamental Waters,
• 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 2 Herring Gull, c.20 Black-headed Gull,
• Song Thrush, Ring-Necked Parakeet, Stock Dove, Goldfinch, Greenfinch (Nick Croft)

Pics - Valentines Park

Well it does look as if the Valentine Great Crested Grebe parents are definitely withdrawing from their chick. Today, the two adults were being very much "together", swimming about on the Boating Lake. The chick was busy swimming all over the lake too, but not once did I see him attempt to approach his parents- although as usual he was making his continual-pathetic!- cheeping.

Twice, when the adults were in the centre of the lake, he passed them by without taking any notice of them...(see pic).
I'm also attaching some pics of a pretty hybrid(?) white/grey Goose, who wason the shore.

Gillian Ware

August 12th 2010

Fairlop Waters:

• 2 Tawny Owl (heard)
• Grey Heron, Lapwing, Mallard, Coot, Canada Goose (all after dark) (MAW via ELBF)

Pics - Valentines Park

Today one of the Grebe parents was apparently giving the chick a lesson in independence- or else was just being driven mad by his incessant"ch-ch-ch-cheep-ing"! The adult was snoozing quietly on the lake and the chick had been "cheeping" around by the shore under an Oak tree for sometime.
He then approached his parent and did more cheeping without success-i.e. no food! Suddenly, the parent dashed up to him with its beak open and sent him flying! He sped across the lake with the parent on his heels... They then both made their way more quietly to the shore and hovered there for a time, but still the parent did no diving for the chick.

After a time they went their separate ways and I did see the chick doing some successful diving- in that he emerged with something in his beak that he then swallowed... The two adults were swimming about not far away.

Three Pochards were swimming around on both days- two males and one female Ithink- and a Little Grebe was diving around.

Both yesterday and today the Heron was still on the lake- by the North shorein the rain yesterday and today on his usual spot on the island.

Gillian Ware

August 11th 2010

Claybury Park:

• Grey Heron (outstanding views of it in the large pond, including catching 4 fish right in front of me),
• Moorhens (in small pond; adult, juvenile from brood earlier in year, and juvenile from recent brood) (AHobson)

Fairlop Gravel Works:

• c10 Teal, c10 Pochard, c10 Tufted Duck,
• 8 Grey Heron
• 3 families of Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe
• 20 Black Headed Gull, 20 Lesser Black Backed Gull
• c100 Lapwing, 6 Green Sandpiper, 5 Common Sandpiper
• 2 Swallow
• 2 Kestrel (1male, 1female), 1 female Sparrowhawk
• 10+ Stock Dove
• 2 Whitethroat
• 20+ Goldfinch, 7 Linnet

Fairlop Waters:

• Great Crested Grebe
• Common Tern
• Yellow Wagtail (boating lake) (DEH)

Gants Hill, Roll Gardens:

• Female Sparrowhawk - Seen crashing into our tree around 3.20pm which sentall the birds packing then it went into neighbours tree briefly before their teenage son came out weaving a stick & singing that pop song wave your flag...Annoying little git!
• Greenfinches - Flock of up to 25 mixture of adults & Juveniles on last count, probably more hidden amongst foliage in tree & shrubs elsewhere.
• 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
• 17 House Sparrows - counted probably more about but couldn't be bothered in the end.
• 10 Blue tits, 7 Great tits, 6 Chaffinches, 2 Goldfinches - 1 Adult & 1 Juvenile, 2 Robins, 2 Magpies, 4 Starlings, 1 Woodpigeon, 8 Feral Pigeons
• Wren - Heard singing earlier during the morning.
• 1 Swift - Seen Flying around at 12.34pm just below clouds around back gardens for a couple of minutes before heading into the distance...Definitely not part of the Gants Hill Swift posse who left roughly around a week ago - There's always one straggler! (AThomas)

Ilford Golf Course:

• Osprey over in the afternoon (Birdguides)
• (this is the first Osprey sighting in the borough this year... last year there were 2 sightings, 1 in May, and 1 in August)

Valentines Park:

• 3 Great Crested Grebe (2 ad, 1 juv), Little Grebe
• 3 Pochard (2m, 1f)
• Grey Heron (GWare)

Wanstead Flats:

• SSSI area: 20+ Whitethroat (some in a feeding party with tits)
• 2 Lesser Whitethroat
• 12 Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, 2 Dunnock, 3 Wren (THarris)
• 1 Wheatear, (first returning bird)
• 9 Swift through, House Martin,
• 3 Mistle Thrush,
• 2 Kestrel.

Wanstead Park:

• 3 Swift, 2 House Martin,
• c40 Long tailed Tits,
• 7 Chiffchaff, 25+Blue Tit, 20 Great Tit,
• 10 Little Grebe etc (S Fisher)

August 10th 2010

Gants Hill, Roll Gardens:

• Juvenile Sparrowhawk - With its dark motted brown back seen bursting into tree at speed before noon scattering the numerous birds then flying into neighbours tree hiding for around 15 minutes when 5 Greenfinches nearly made the mistake of landing just above it but obviously realizing danger below & flying away promptly...Surprise attacks are picking up regularly whether I see then or not due to sheer numbers of birds now attending the garden most recently.
• Several lots of House Sparrows - a lot hidden amongst our blackberry shrubs near back of garden & also around the shurbs near pond area.
• 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 17+ Greenfinches, 5 Goldfinches, 10 Blue Tits, 4 Great Tits, 5 Chaffinches, 2 Robins, 1 Collard Dove, 1 Wren - Heard singing before surprise attack on garden birds.
• 1 Woodpigeon, 10 Feral Pigeons (Alan Thomas)

Roding Valley Park, north:

• north of the Chigwell Road Bridge, Woodford Bridge
• new family of Mallard (3rd family on this stretch of the river)
• Kestrel,
• Wren (AHobson)

Wanstead Flats:

• Buzzard flying NE from Forest Gate (Marco Johnson)

Pics - August 2010

Lesser Whitethroat, Wanstead Flats (JLethbridge)

when comparing Lesser Whitethroats to their common cousins, apart from the song there are 3 main differences to note:

1. Lack of the Chestnut colouring to the back/wings
2. Grey/Dark legs (compared to flesh coloured on the Common Whitethroat)
3. Dark eye/cheek patch on Lesser Whitethroat
   

9th August 2010

Fairlop Gravel Works:

• south side of Painters Road only, (at dusk)
• family of Pochard (young almost flying now)
• family of Little Grebe
• 4+ Grey Herons
• c25 House Martins (high feeding)
• c45 Lapwing, 5 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper
• 3 Linnet (DEH)

Hainault Farm, Romford Road end:

• 2 Kestrel (male perched, female hunting)

Little Heath, Hainault Road:

• Kestrel hunting (DEH)

Wanstead Flats:

• Tawny Owl (roosting and disturbed by Jay, site tick),
• 6 Wren, 2 Robin, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Green Woodpecker, f Lesser Spotted Woodpecker,
• 60+ Long-tailed Tits, 20+ Blue Tit, 15+ Great Tit,
• 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 20+ Whitethroat, 2 Willow Warbler, 5 Chiffchaff,
• 30+ Greenfinch, 2 Chaffinch (J Lethbridge)
• c.10+ Willow Warbler, some singing, (same tit flock west of centre road 09:30), 10+ Chiffchaff,
• Kestrel sparring with Sparrowhawk,
• Black-headed Gulls making the most of the ants again, on the model airplane runway and other unusual sites (for them), 1 Common Gull,
• 1 Stock Dove again on the dead tree in Long Wood, no repeat of yesterday's mystery singer (Nick Croft/Steve Thorpe)

Wanstead Park:

• In an attempt to vindicate my Probable/possible Wood Warbler back to chasing Long-tailed Tit flocks (5 in the area encompassing SoM, Heronry and Perch), struck out with WWs but good numbers of Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and a couple of Blackcap.
• I wasn't the only thing interested in the flocks as twice a Sparrowhawk male crashed through leaving empty handed.
• Also Grey Heron, Tufted Duck, Great Crested Grebe, 6 + House Martin, 8 + Sand Martin over Heronry (Nick Croft/Steve Thorpe)

Pics - Valentines Park

I'm glad to say the Grebe family are still fine- swimming all over the Boating Lake in spite of the Sunday boats... Both the Grey Heron and the Cormorant were back on Swan Island. After a time the Heron developed a new, rather strange "lying low" technique for fishing (see pics)... The Cormorant then went off on a fishing spree, returning eventually to shake out his wings on the island and then stretch them out to dry in the sun... Gillian Ware