September 30th 2010

Fairlop Gravel Works:

• 4.30-5.30pm
• 2 Grey Heron, 4 Cormorant, 3+ Little Grebe,
• 10 Mallard, c5 Shoveler, c60 Teal (including 1 that I watched die, I think it had been shot)c50 Pochard, c15 Tufted Duck, 4 Gadwall, 1 Wigeon (female)
• c100 Lapwing, 3 Snipe (north side), 4 Green Sandpiper (south side)
• 20 Swallow over (14 south, 6 north)
• 5 Stock Dove, 1 Green Woodpecker, 3 female Pheasant, 3 Skylark, 3 Pied Wagtail, 4 Meadow Pipit, Jay, 10 Goldfinch, 5 Linnet

Valentines Park:

• 3 Little Grebe, 3 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Cormorant, 1 Grey Heron,
• 6 Mute Swan, (4 ad, 2 juv - other 6 juv presumed to be hiding on the island)
• Canada Geese, 2 Egyptian Geese, Mallard, Tufted, 2 Shoveler, 2 Pochard, Moorhen, Coot, Black Headed Gull,
• Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, 3 Stock Dove
• 2 Pied Wagtail on ilford Cricked field
• 3 Grey Wagtail, 1 on the outfall of the boating lake, 2 on Cranbrook cut
• Wren, 12 Mistle Thrush (melbourne field) - this is the largest count this year at this site, Blackbird, Robin,
• 2 Goldcrest, (1 in plantation, other by fish pond waterfall)
• Also: Great Tit, Blue Tit, Jay, Starling, 2 House Sparrow (brisbane Road), Carrion Crow, Magpie, Chaffinch, 1 male Greenfinch, 2 Goldfinch (MCondon)

Wanstead Flats:

• (06:30-09:00): Stonechat, 2 or 3 Ring Ouzel, 1 in broom fields flushed and flew north, 2x 1st winter male just east of Long Wood (Tim Harris/NC), Redwing (south), 7 Song Thrush, c.10 Mistle Thrush,
• c.50 Meadow Pipit, 1Tree Pipit (in with MPs in broom field), Grey Wagtail over, 10+ Skylark,
• 6+ Chiffchaff,
• 3 Lesser Redpoll over, good numbers of Greenfinch and Chaffinch, Goldfinch,
• f Reed Bunting (broom),
• 2 Shoveler (west),
• 7 Swallow (north west),
• 5 Cormorant (NC)

September 29th 2010

Wanstead Flats:

• Stonechat, 6+ Ring Ouzel (5+ just east of Long Wood, 1+ copse east of Alex),
• 7 Redwing (5 over NW, 2 Long Wood), 10+ Song Thrush (some with Ouzel associations), 15+ Mistle Thrush, 20+ Blackbird (seemingly a thrush fall last night!),
• 3 Snipe (broom fields),
• 20+ Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, 13 + Skylark,
• 15+ Chiffchaff, Lesser Whitethroat (scrub E end of Long Wood), 3 + Blackcap (pssible Willow Warbler and others I couldn't get a handle on, all with mixed tit flocks),
• 5 Lesser Redpoll, Goldfinch, 10+ Greenfinch, 6 Chaffinch, Grey Heron, Little Grebe, 6 Pochard, 11 Mute Swan over, 3 Cormorant (none yesterday), Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, 5 Swallow (east), 10 House Martin (north east), 3 Common Gull, Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker, 6 Ring Necked Parakeet (NCroft).
• could only find 1 Ring Ouzel at 11am, near Petrol Station (JL)
• (8:15 - 9:15): 3 Green woodpecker, Great-spotted woodpecker, 100+ starling, 2+ jay, 6 ring-necked parakeet (Rod Dean, visiting Notts birder).

Leyton Flats: (just outside the borough)

• Ring Ouzel in scrub south of site,
• Little Egret, 7 Teal, 2 Gadwall, 2 Redwing, 2 House Martins, 5 Swallows south, 2 Chiffchaff, Skylark. ( Gary A James).

Pics - Wanstead Flats

2 Ring Ousel and a Mistle Thrush, Wanstead Flats - JLethbridge

September 28th 2010

Fairlop Gravel Works:

• 4 Grey Heron and 10 Cormorant
• Canada Geese numebrs picking up, and Mallard too.
• c20 Tufted Duck, c20 Pochard, 5 Shoveler, 69+ Teal, 6+ Little Grebe, Coot, Moorhen
• 70+ Lapwing, 2 Green Sandpiper, Snipe
• 7 Meadow Pipit (plus a distant flock of 50+ that assumed were Mipits too, but couldnt confirm),
• 8 Linnet
• 10 Stock Dove

Valentines Park:

• 3 Great Crested Grebe (2 adult, 1 juv), 3 Little Grebe (2 adult, 1 juv), 3 Cormorant on the boating lake
• 12 Mute Swan still, 1 hybrid Greylag Goose, Canada Geese, Mallards, few Tufted Ducks, 3 eclipse Shoveler (fish pond), 4 Pochard, (2 prs on the Boating lake), Coot, Moorhen, 4 Egyptian Geese on Long Water
• 1 Kestrel being mobbed
• Black Headed Gulls, 1 Lesser Black Backed Gull, 2 COmmon Gulls,
• Feral Pigeons, Woodpigeons, 3 Stock Dove,
• also: Pied Wagtail, Blackbird, Robin, Blue Tit, Great Tit, 12 Long Tailed Tit (bushes nr clock tower), Jay, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Starling, 2 House Sparrow (Brisbane Road), 1 male Greenfinch (Mike COndon)

Wanstead Flats:

• singing Lesser Whitethroat (confused me for about half an hour),
• 10+ Chiffchaff (3 singers), 1 Blackcap, Goldcrest,
• Stonechat, 5 Song Thrush, 20+ Mistle Thrush, Spotted Flycatcher,
• Little Owl,
• 2 Little Egrets (over east), Grey Heron,
• 16 Meadow Pipit (10 in 1 group), Pied Wagtail, 6 Grey Wagtail (west),
• 2 Linnet, Chaffinch, 16+ Skylark (again 10 in one flight),
• Also: 2 Pochard, 4 Gadwall, 11 Mute Swan on a training flight, Little Grebe, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, 5 Ring Necked Parakeet, 2 Common Gull (NC).
• 2 Ring Ousel and 2 Spotted Flycatcher later (JLethbridge)

September 27th 2010

Valentines Park:

• 3 Little Grebe, 2 Great Crested Grebe
• 12 Mute Swan, numerous Canada Geese, 4 Egyptian Geese (2 on the boating lake island, 2 in the Cedar Tree) Mallard, 3 eclipse Shoveler, few Tufted Duck,. Moorhen, Coot
• Black Headed Gull, 1 Common Gull
• Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeons, 1 Collared Dove, 2 Stock Dove
• Mistle Thrush, Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock, Wren, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Starling, 5 House Sparrow along Brisbane Road, Chaffinch, 2 Greenfinch, 2 Goldfinch (MCondon)

Wanstead Park:

• 10 Gadwall, 18 Pochard, 11 Tufted Duck, 6 Little Grebe, Goldcrest, 5+ Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Grey Wagtail (NC)

Wanstead Flats:

• Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (h), 3 Lesser Redpoll (2 SSSI), 5 Chaffinch,
• Stonechat (broom field), Song Thrush, 10+ Mistle Thrush, Spotted Flycatcher still (end of Long Wood), 13 + Skylark, 14 + Meadow Pipit, 2 Pied Wagtail, flock of 20+ House Martin & Sand Martin feeding and moving North, Goldcrest, 7+ Chiffhcaff, 2 Blackcap, 2 Pochard, Teal (very low east), 3 Gadwall, 2 Little Grebe, 2 Sparrowhawk, Kestrel (having a bath on the edge of Alexandra Lake) and t'others (NC)

September 26th 2010

Fairlop, Forest Road:

• Kestrel flew up onto a lamp post in the rain (DEH)

Hainault Golf Course:

• family of 4 Pied Wagtails, (2 adult, 2 juv)
• 4 Jay, Green Woodpecker (pGordon)

South Woodford:

• Long Tailed Tit (PGordon)

Valentines Park:

• 3 Little Grebe (1 ad, 2 juv), 2 Great Crested Grebe
• 4 Cormorant on the boating lake
• 12 Mute Swan, (pr on Fish Pond, family still on Boating lake)
• 2 Greylag Geese (hybrid on fish pond, additional on Boating lake)
• numerous Canada Geese back in force
• 2 Egyptian Geese sitting in a big Cedar tree
• numerous Mallard, few Tufted Duck, 2 Pochard (1m, 1f), Coot and Moorhen
• Black Headed Gulls, 1 Lesser Black Backed Gull
• Feral Pigeons, 3 Stock Dove, Woodpigeons
• Swallow through, feeding only 20 feet away!
• flock of 20 Pied Wagtail (east), 3 Grey Wagtail (1 on Cranbrook cut, 2 over east)
• Wren, Mistle Thrush, Blackbird, Robin, Great Tit, Blue Tit, 9 Long Tailed Tit (in with mixed tit party)
• 1 Jay, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Starling, 3 House Sparrow, 5 Chaffinch (MCondon)

Wanstead Flats:

• 2 Golden Plover north west over Flats (09:50),
• 26 Meadow Pipit,
• 17 Chiffchaff,
• Lesser Spotted Woodpecker,
• 2 Spotted Flycatcher east of Long Wood still,
• 17+ Swallow through, 14+ House Martin through,
• Cockatiel calling from City of London Cemetery (mega!),
• Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, 28 Gadwall (S Fisher),
• Stonechat m (broom fields), (Nick Croft)

Pics - South Woodford

Long Tailed Tit, (PGordon)

September 25th 2010

Fairlop Gravel Works:

• 10 Cormorant, 4 Grey Heron, few Little Grebes, c30 Teal, c40 Pochard, c20 Tufted Duck, few Shoveler, c10 Gadwall, 4 Wigeon
• c60 Lapwing, 4 Green Sandpiper, 1 Common Sandpiper, 4 Snipe, plus 1 Knot (very grey adult bird, in winter plumage - possible first record in the borough!)
• c50 Black Headed Gull, handfull of Common Gulls, Herring Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull and 1 3rd year Great Black Backed Gull (at a guess)
• 3 Green Woodpecker
• 2 House Martin (north), 3 Swallow (south)
• also, juvenline Stonechat by the gate (south side, in the brambles) - first record on the species since Dec 2009 in the Fairlop area.
• c10 Stock Dove, 1 male Pheasant, 18 Meadow Pipit, 24 Linnet, 15 Goldfinch (DEH)

Fairlop Waters:

• 3 Spotted Flycatcher
• 2 House Martin, 25 Swallow
• 4 Chiffchaff (Bob Jenner)

Hainault Forest:

• Here is a list of birds seen in & around Hainault Lake
• 22 Mallards, 5 Shovelers, 2 Tufted Ducks, 2 adult Mute Swans & 2 young still with the parent birds, 7 Moorhens, 6 Coots, 80+ Canada Geese
• 18 Black Headed Gulls, 2 Common Gulls, 2 Lesser Black Backed Gulls
• 3 Swallows, 1 juvenile Green Woodpecker (Ian Shaw)

Roding Valley Park, South Woodford:

• Kestrel still there (3 weekends in a row)
• Cormorant - on the river not over
• 4 Jays
• Usual mallards, tits, corvids, woodpigeons (PGordon)

Wanstead Flats:

• Not sure on status of Wryneck, hadn't been seen at 11:00ish.
• Possible Turtle Dove SW early morning,
• 2 Spotted Flycatcher east of Long Wood, 2 Whitethroat, 3+ Blackcap, 10+ Chiffchaff,
• Lesser Redpoll,
• a few House Martin and Swallow North,
• Little Egret over,
• Unidentified Large falcon sp North West (possibly a hybrid),
• 12+ Meadow Pipit, 5+ Skylark,
• 2 Coal Tits, stacks of Robins, 5 Pochard (Alexandra Lake) (Stuart Fisher, Nick Croft, Jonathan Lethbridge)
• 4 Gadwall, 1 Shoveler, 1 Yellow Wagtail, Snipe (heard broom fields), 10 Cormorant, (Stuart Fisher, Nick Croft, Jonathan Lethbridge) - 54sp total

Wanstead Park:

• juv Gannet flew over at 10.53 am. (Nick Croft)
• female Wigeon on the Ornamental Waters,
• calling Nuthatch with tit flock Reservoir Wood,
• Kingfisher (reported along Roding), Little Egret,
• Goldcrest, 4 Coal Tit,
• Swallow through,
• 19 Gadwall, Shoveler,
• Lesser Redpoll over, 2 Siskin over OSW,
• Spotted Flycatcher OSW,
• 4 Ring Necked Parakeet's, Kestrel, 3 Stock Dove (S Fisher, N Croft, J Lethbridge)
• in addition Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Ornamental Waters),
• 43 Gadwall, 4 Grey Heron, 2 Little Egret, 6 Mistle Thrush, 2 House Martin (North), 3 Pochard (Heronry), Goldcrest in leyllandi in gardens south of Reservoir Wood, Grey Wagtail, Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap (OSW), 15+ Chiffchaff. (Nick Croft) Snipe, Meadow Pipit (both on The Plain - Mike Messenger) (58sp total)

Pics - Roding Valley Park

Cormorant, taking off from the river (PGordon)

September 24th 2010

Wanstead Flats:

• (06:30-11:30): 2 Whinchat (1 east of Alex in burnt scrub, 1 broom fields - very pale bird),
• 2 Spotted Flycatcher (east end of Long Wood),
• 2 Hobby (calling and circling over the Esso garage area),
• 2 Song Thrush, 10+ Mistle Thrush,
• 9+ Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Whitethroat,
• 2 Swallow (south west),
• 5 Pochard, 2 Gadwall,
• 10+ Skylark, 8 Meadow Pipit, 2 Pied Wagtail,
• 8 Chaffinch, 1 Goldfinch (Nick Croft)
• (13:20) Wryneck (9th day) burnt out scrub, east of Alex (Tim Harris), Wryneck still present 16.00 to 17.00 at least. Patience (and standing still) rewarded by it flying down to feed 2m in front of us. Thanks to Nick and others for the welcome. (frogandlisa)

Wanstead Park:

• Goldcrest (cemetry), Blackcap, 4 Chiffchaff,
• Sparrowhawk,
• Grey Heron (on Perch also 12 Gadwall, 1 Tufted Duck), 10 Little Grebe (9 on Heronry), 6 Pochard (Heronry, also 11 Gadwall, 6 Tufted Duck), 13 Gadwall (Shoulder of Mutton + 1 Tufty),
• 3 Swallow,
• 4 Goldfinch, 2 Chaffinch (Nick Croft)

Farewell to Gillian Ware

Today I fly back to Los Angeles, where I'll be until the end of January. I therefore felt very sad today when I went in the rain to Valentines Park Boating Lake to say goodbye to the Great Crested Grebe family to whom I have become so attached- especially the chick who I saw when he was first hatched- not to mention having followed all his parent's misfortunes over stolen nests and eggs!

Today his parents were busy fishing and swimming together. Yesterday, they did the first movements of their Spring display when they met. Then today, when they were sheltering under an Oak tree, one of them (the female, maybe?) climbed up onto an old Coots nest and started rearranging the bedding, which made me wonder if they had got confused by our brief "Indian Summer"!! The other bird got impatient and nudged her/him to move off the nest...

The chick was swimming about in the rain, especially around the boats covered with tarpaulins, where he seemed to be finding food. The two adults were there too and soon chased him off as usual. Yesterday he had been again cheeping around them, only to be rejected. I wonder where they will be when I return?

The Cormorants were very busy fishing on the lake too and I was pleased to see four of them on the boats. I can't wait to get back and see what happens next in Valentines Park!

(Gillian Ware)

...A big thanks to Gillian Ware for her dedication and enthusiasm in reporting the goings on at Valentines Park over the last few months, we really have benefited from the insight gathered by following the stories of the Grey Herons, the Swans, Egyptian Geese and latterly the Great Crested Grebes. We wish you well in LA, and look forward to your reports in January 2011 (hopefully of Valentino!!!). May God bless you, and watch over you on your journey...

September 23rd 2010

Fairlop Gravel Works:

• 5-6pm, south side of Painters Road only
• 2 Teal (majority are on the north side), Snipe, 5 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper
• 3 Stock Dove, 4 Collared Dove, 100+ Woodpigeon
• Kestrel (along Hainault Road), male Sparrowhawk through the gravel pits
• 27 Meadow Pipit, 1 Yellow Wagtail
• 13 Linnet

Ilford:

• 2 House Martin over central Ilford south, 1 at 8.41 and the second at 9.36 (MCondon)

Ilford, Ingleby Road:

• 3 Long Tailed Tits on the peanut feeders (JCrick)

Valentines Park:

• 4 Cormorant, 3 Great crested Grebe (GWare)

Wanstead Flats:

• Wryneck reported again this morning on the grass, NE of the Golden Fleece Pub (166 Capel Road)
• Wheatear, Spotted Flycatcher
• small movement of Swallows (south)
• 8 Skylark (THarris)
• 18+ Skylark, 15+ Mistle Thrush, 5 Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Reed bunting (h broom fields), Spotted Flycather (possibly 2), north of west end of Long Wood in with a mega tit flock of over 200 birds, including 10+ Chiffchaff, 2+ Blackcap, 10+ Meadow Pipit, 2 Yellow Wagtail (1 north!), Pied Wagtail, 5 Stock Dove, 7 Collared Dove, large and increasing numbers of Wood Pigeon, 7 Swallow (south), 1 House Martin (Steve Thorpe), 9+ Ring Necked Parakeet, Hobby, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, 2 Little Grebe, 17 Gadwall, 3 Shoveler, 3 Pochard, Mute Swan (the SOM cygnets -3- had a circuit round the flats + 2 adults over), also Goldcrest in with mixed tit flock by Alex, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (ST), probable Willow Warbler (TH) (50+ sp Nick Croft)
• Wryneck refound in scrub east of Alex at 15:30, feeding on dead branches and often in company with Whitethroat, Song Thrush and Blackbird. Also Spotted Flycatcher east of Long Wood (S Fisher)

Pics - Gants Hill

Great Spotted Woodpecker in the garden

(Neil Twyford)

September 22nd 2010

Claybury Park:

• Hobby over Claybury Woods for around 10 mins just after 1pm
• 2 Sparrowhawk
• 10 Jays
• 2 flocks of Long Tailed Tits (Alan Hobson)

Fairlop Gravel Works:

• 2 female Pheasant
• 50+ Teal, 46 Pochard, 10 or so Tufted Duck, 7 Shoveler, plus the regular wildfowl.
• 6 Little Grebe
• Grey Heron, 81 Lapwing, 6 Green Sandpiper, Snipe
• 2 Kestrel both hovering over 'food'
• 4 Stock Dove,
• 17 Swallow (S), House Martin (S), 5 Meadow Pipit (S), 3 Pied Wagtail (S)
• also: Green Woodpecker, Jay, Whitethroat, Dunnock, 9 Linnet, 17 Goldfinch (DEH)

Fairlop Waters:

• 6 Mute Swan, including 2 cygnets, few Canada Geese, Greylag Goose, Mallard, 11 Tufted Duck, 3 Great Cresteb Grebe, 6 Litte Grebe, 3 Cormorant (over)
• 15 Lapwing on the island
• 98 Coot, c10 Moorhen
• Kestrel
• 11 Grey Heron, including 8 together on the field behind the scrape
• 2 Green Woodpecker,
• also: Lesser Black Backed Gull, c60 Black Headed Gull, 2 Common Gull, 1 male Pheasant, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Collared Dove, 3 Stock Dove, Blue Tit, Great tit, Long tailed tit, 3 Pied Wagtail, 2 Meadow Pipit, 2 House Martin, 2 Jackdaw, 10 Magpie, Carrion Crows, 3 Jay, 3 Goldfinch, 4 Greenfinch,
• also a Terrapin sunbathing on a rock by the pond on the golf course. (DEH)

Gants Hill, garden:

• female Blackcap in the back garden
• Chiffchaff in a tree in the road. (NTwyford)

Hainault Farm:

• 60+ Jackdaws with the hundred or so Carrion Crows
• 6 Stock Dove feeding with Wood Pigeons
• 40+ House Sparrow in the brambles in the field nearest Billet Road footpath entrance
• 2 Whinchat (1 male, and 1 female) together

Hainault Forest CP:

• 2 Grey Heron, pr Mute Swan with 2 cygnets, Canada Geese, Mallard
• Sparrowhawk
• Black Headed Gull
• 5 Swallows
• 16 Starling, 2 Blackbird, Jackdaw
• Long tailed Tit, Blue Tit, and Great Tits
• Great Spotted Woodpecker
• Muntjac Deer (TLachhar)

Wanstead Flats:

• (06.30-07.45): No sign of wryneck,
• but Kingfisher on Alexandra Lake,
• 4 Ring Necked Parakeet, 4+ Green Woodpecker, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker,
• fem Sparrowhawk (James Astley)
• 2 Hobby (1 by Angel pond, the other over W Park), 2 Sparrowhawk, Kestrel,
• f Stonechat (broom fields), 10+ Mistle Thrush,
• 6+ Skylark, 10+ MeadowPipit, Yellow Wagtail (over), 2 Pied Wagtail and 2 Grey Wagtail,
• 15 Ring Necked Parakeet,
• 80+ Swallow (south),
• 6+ Chiffchaff,
• 5 Shoveler, 19 Gadwall, 2 Pochard, 1 Tufted Duck, 2 Little Grebe,
• 4 Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Coal Tit (heard in with mixed tit flock) - looks like the wryneck party's over (Nick Croft)
• I walked over to Wanstead Park this afternoon via Wanstead Flats, in the hope of seeing the Wryneck again. Although I didn't manage to see our local celebrity myself on this occasion, I did bump into two other ladies on the Flats, who had come from Central London especially to see the Wryneck - and they did manage to see it, so it was still around yesterday after all, which is good news. (Kathy Hartnett)

Wanstead, Windsor Road:

• Great Black-backed Gull over this afternoon, garden tick;
• also 2 Sparrowhawk, 4 Mistle Thrush (J Lethbridge)

Wanstead Park:

• Little Egret over the roding
• juv Hobby by Ornamental Waters, then on towards the Old Sewage Works area
• And at the Shoulder of Mutton Pond, the missing adult Swan and one cygnet which I recently reported (who were then subsequently seen over at Jubilee Pond on Wanstead Flats) have now returned, so the family is complete again, ie two adults plus seven cygnets. (Kathy Hartnett)

September 21st 2010

Five Oaks Lane Scrubland:

• Buzzard sparring with a Sparrowhawk in the field east of Mile Plantation, also a 2nd Sparrowhawk calling from the Oak tree (middle of field), Kestrel also there, and a Hobby (as yesterday) feeding on insects. (4 species of raptor in the same field)
• 1 Swallow (over), 5 Meadow Pipit in the east field with 2 male Whinchat
• Stock Dove, 35 Woodpigeon, 1 Feral Pigeon (over)
• 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Green Woodpecker
• Also: 8 Robin, 2 Dunnock, 2 Wren, 2 Blackbird, Song Thrush, 3 Pied Wagtail (over), 4 Jackdaw (through), 20+ Blue Tit, 14+ Long Tailed Tit, with a few stragglers in the flocks including Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Blackcap (2f, 1m), 8 Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, 5 Chaffinch, 2 Greenfinch and a female Bullfinch. 8 Linnet near the stables, and 1 Goldfinch, several Carrion Crow, 3 Magpie and 6 Jay.
• Total of 41 species + a stag Red Deer again (DEH)

Gants Hill, garden:

• Great Spotted Woodpecker on the feeders (NTwyford)

Ilford:

• Buzzard (Sharyn Khan)

Valentines Park:

• Jay

Wanstead Flats:

• Peregrine stooping onto Jubilee Pond pigeon gathering but not getting anything.
• Wryneck still there 07:45-08:00 at least (6th day)
• 19 Gadwall on Alexandra Lake
• Little Egret over Broom Fields
• Hobby over Bush Wood, then SSI and finally broom fields hawking for crane fly with Black Headed Gull, Starling and Jackdaw),
• 2 Kestrel, 2 Sparrowhawk,
• 17 Meadow Pipit, Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, 12+ Skylark,
• 10+ Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap, 3 Whitethroat, Goldcrest (heard with mixed Tit flock in the SSSI),
• 9 Mistle Thrush, 3 Shoveler, 1 Pochard, flight of 11 Mute Swan south before circling north again, 1 juv Little Grebe, 5 Chaffinch, 5 Goldfinch, Grey Heron, 13 Ring Necked Parakeet, 1 House Martin (N Croft/Tim Harris/Paul Ferris)
• Wryneck still present at 2.15pm, also Coal Tit (JLethbridge)
• Wryneck reapeared at about 18:15pm in small oak and scrub more closer the lake, than the anthills, 5 minutes after Bob Husband et al left, was visible for about 10 minutues before disapearing again, was pointed out by J.murray who managed to find it with a tit flock containing Whitethroat (Michael Mac). Lesser Whitethroat noted while searching for Wryneck. We should have stayed longer for second views of Wryneck instead of keeping pub/football appointment (Bob Husband).
• Saw Wryneck this evening in the dense hawthorn/oak area nearer Alex Lake, where it was seen on Friday and Saturday and where many of us looked for it for 3 hours on Sunday morning. Was there until it flew off inland about 7pm. (Sally Hammond)

Pics - Wanstead Flats Wryneck

pics by Sally Hammond

Pics - Valentines Park

Back to the Boating Lake (I do visit other areas but seem to spend mosthours there!):

Two adult Great Crested Grebes being very "together" as usual. Chick cheeping around them as usual too. He managed to get close to them several times without being attacked, but I did witness one flurry of water when heand one of the adults dived in the same vicinity. Again, gulls were gathering close to him when he was diving. There were two pairs of Egyptian Geese there again- first on the boat, then swimming around and finally on the island. A Cormorant was on one of the boats again too. A Pochard was catching the sun on his burnished head and neck and Little Grebes were bobbing and diving around all over the place. I am showing the Grey Heron preening himself on the island but he was there on Saturday, not today.

(GWare)

Wryneck at Wanstead Flats

Pics - Wanstead Flats Wryneck

The Wanstead Flats Wryneck, pics by Sally Hammond

Pics - South Woodford

Kestrel, in Roding Valley Park

House Sparrow in the garden

(PGordon)

September 20th 2010

Fairlop:

• September WEBS count (including Fairlop Waters and the Gravel Works)
• 11 Little Grebe, 4 Great Crested Grebe, 8 Cormorant, 2 Grey Heron
• 8 Mute Swan, 1 Greylag Goose, 20 Canada Goose, 7 Gadwall, 26 Teal, 55 Mallard, 4 Shoveler, 30 Pochard, 25 Tufted Duck
• 15 Moorhen, 112 Coot
• 87 Lapwing, Greenshank, 5 Green Sandpiper, 1 Common Sandpiper,
• 50 Black Headed Gull, 2 Common Gull (SBacon)

Five Oaks Lane Scrubland:

• 5pm-6pm
• male Pheasant sitting on a fence along Five Oaks Lane, a second bird heard mid-scrub
• male Hobby feeding on insects around the site for at least 30 mins
• Stock Dove (south),
• Great Spotted Woodpecker in Mile Plantation
• 7 Swallow lingering/feeding on site
• 15 Meadow Pipit, (12 on the field east of Mile Plantation, 3 south over the stables)
• female Whinchat on the field east of Mile Plantation, also juv male Stonechat on the fence surrounding the demolished plot.
• 4 Chaffinch, 2 Greenfinch, 1 Goldfinch, Wren, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Woodpigeon, 3 Jay, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Feral Pigeon, Collared Dove, Long Tailed Tits, Blue Tits, Great Tits

Hainault Farm:

• 6-7pm the fields east of Hainault Road, towards Romford Road.
• adult Buzzard, flew out of a tree, low accross a field and landed in the next tree.
• 2 Kestrel (male on the large barn, female near Red House farmhouse
• male Wheatear in the field to the west of the large barn.
• 100+ Swallows (mostly west), and 50+ House Martin feeding
• 2 Stock Dove,
• 1 Skylark near the quarry
• several groups of Jackdaw, 100+ Carrion Crow, Jay, 2 parties of Long Tailed tit, a few Blue Tits, Great Tits and chaffinch

Hainault Forest:

• September WEBS count
• 1 Grey Heron, 4 Mute Swan, 5 Canada Goose, 63 Mallard, 6 Tufted Duck, 6 Black Headed Gull (SBacon)

South Woodford:

• Sparrowhawk circling high over the tube station at 9am (PGordon)

Valentines Park:

• 3 Great Crested Grebe, several Little Grebe
• Cormorant,
• 4 Egyptian Geese, Pochard

Wanstead Flats:

• (07:00-11:30): Wryneck, no sighting by 10AM but then I met an American couple and was about to tell them that it was a no show, when they showed me their pictures of 10 minutes earlier, found in the same bushes I'd stomped around twice, so six more happy punters and a elderly dog walker (5th day - I reckon its nesting),
• 6 Green Woodpecker, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in the scrub by Long Wood (possibly a four woody day),
• possible Ring Ouzel (over SSSI south, flushed by a doggy on the very path I would have taken but for its canine existence. It didn't stop.), Song Thrush, 15 + Mistle Thrush,
• 3 Tree Pipit (1 SSSI calling, 2 scrub east of Alex - Steve Thorpe), only 11 Meadow Pipit, 2 Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail and Pied Wagtail, 8+ Skylark,
• Spotted Flycatcher (west end of Long Wood in the Lime and Oak canopy, just where Sally Hammond had seen one Saturday so presumably the same one),
• 14 + Chiffchaff, 3 + Blackcap, 2 Goldcrest (scrub east of Alex),
• 33+ Swallow (North-NW), 6 + House Martin (ditto), Sand Martin (Steve Thorpe - ditto),
• 3 Chaffinch, 5 Goldfinch, 6+ Greenfinch, 1 Reed Bunting (SSSI),
• 1 Ring Necked Parakeet (over Long Wood),
• Kestrel, 2 Sparrowhawk,
• 2 Cormorant, 7 Collared Dove, 10 Gadwall, 1 Shoveler, 4 Pochard, 2 Little Grebe (all Alex) (50+ sp Nick Croft)
• Wryneck still present 16:30 and showing well on ant hills again.
• Also Hobby over (SFisher)

Wanstead Park:

• Little Egret
• Spotted Flycatcher (along ornamental waters) (SFisher)

September 19th 2010

Fairlop Gravel Works:

• south side of Painters Road at dusk:
• 5 Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Greenshank (DEH)

South Woodford:

• c4 House Martin, c4 Swallow over (PGordon)

Wanstead Flats:

• No sign of Wryneck by 10:00, but then miraculously reappeared at 12:06 (Tim Harris) normal service,
• f/imm Wheatear (broom field),
• Hobby, 2 Sparrowhawk, 2 Kestrel,
• 3 Yellow Wagtail (south), Pied Wagtail, 10+ Meadow Pipit, 14 Swallow (NW), flock of Sand Martin (reported over),
• 6+ Chiffchaff, Blackcap,
• Song Thrush, 7 Mistle Thrush, 6 Ring Necked Parakeet,
• 10 Gadwall, 1 pr Shoveler, 3 Little Grebe, 2 Grey Heron,
• Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker,
• Also: 4 Cormorant, 5 Skylark, Stock Dove, 2 chaffinch, Greenfinch etc. (Nick Croft).
• Wryneck showing well up to 15-20 feet feeding on ant hills up to 14:30 (S Fisher).
• Wryneck Still present around ant hills in scrub near Capel Rd entrance until 18:30 at least (Stuart Harrington).

Wanstead Park:

• Tree Pipit (golf course),
• Lesser-spotted Woodpecker (OSW),
• Hobby,
• 20 Sand Martin south (S Fisher)
• I only noted one adult swan + six cygnets on Shoulder of Mutton Pond (Wanstead Park), instead of the usual two adults + seven cygnets. I 'phoned Tim Harris, and he explained that he'd seen the missing adult + cygnet on Jubilee Pond (Wanstead Flats), and that the adult was trying to chase the cygnet away. I guess this young one is obviously capable of flying now, and the parent wants to shoo it away to independence!
• Whilst walking around the Ornamental Waters (Wanstead Park), we saw one Little Egret; nine male and six female Gadwalls; six Tufted Ducks;
• and also heard (but didn't see) a Hobby flying above the trees. (KHartnett)
• 4 Ring Necked Parakeet (Gary Capps-Jenner)

Wanstead Park Wildfowl Count numbers:

• Jubilee: 3 Mute Swan (1 cygnet); 85 Canada Goose; 12 Mallard; 1 Grey Heron; 4 Coot; 23 Black-headed Gull
• Alexandra: 6 Mute Swan (4 cygnets); 123 Canada Goose; 8 Mallard; 2 Shoveler; 4 Pochard; 7 Moorhen (1 juv); 46 Coot; 31 Black-headed Gull
• Eagle: 3 Mute Swan; 32 Canada Goose; 14 Mallard; 2 Pochard; 26 Tufted Duck; 1 Cormorant; 6 Moorhen (1 juv); 27 Coot; 44 Black-headed Gull; 1 Common Gull
• Shoulder of Mutton: 7 Mute Swan (6 cygnets); 7 Mallard; 2 Little Grebe; 1 Cormorant; 1 Grey Heron; 4 Moorhen; 20 Coot; 35 Black-headed Gull
• Ornamentals: 8 Mute Swan (6 cygnets); 15 Gadwall; 74 Mallard; 6 Tufted Duck; 3 Cormorant; 2 Grey Heron; 1 Little Egret; 14 Moorhen; 20 Coot; 14 Black-headed Gull
• Perch: 7 Gadwall; 8 Mallard; 1 Shoveler; 8 Tufted Duck; 1 Cormorant; 6 Moorhen; 18 Coot; 3 Black-headed Gull
• Heronry: 10 Mute Swan (8 cygnets); 2 Canada Goose; 6 Gadwall; 15 Mallard; 9 Pochard; 4 Tufted Duck; 3 Little Grebe; 3 Moorhen; 88 Coot; 3 Black-headed Gull; 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull (via THarris)
• Basin: 3 Mute Swans (inc 2 cygnets); 3 Mallard; 4 Little Grebe; 1 Great Crested Grebe; 3 Cormorant; 3 Moorhen; 5 Coot (courtesy of Stuart Fisher)

Pics - Wanstead Flats

The famous, celebrity enticing Wryneck (JLethbridge)

Chiffchaff (PFerris) and a male Stonechat (PFerris)

Pics - Valentines Park

That Great Crested Grebe chick is a glutton for punishment. This evening he wasagain hovering around one of his parents, cheeping piteously. When he got too close the adult went for him yet again- and off he sped down the lake.... This didn't stop him trying again, but finally he gave up. At first there were two Egyptian Geese on the island and two on the grass nearby. When I was leaving they were all on the grass. They were feeding quite peacefully until a Crow started "cawing" loudly. This alert them andthey started stretching their necks and making guttural noises and thendisplaying to eachother in this way. One Cormorant was on one of the boats.

(Gillian Ware)

Setpember 18th 2010

Gants Hill, Roll Gardens:

• garden sightings:
• 3 Swallows seen at 7.50am flying just over tree top level along back gardens.
• 1 Chiffchaff seen at 7.56am on neighbour's tree singing very briefly and inour garden before flying away.
• 1 Sparrowhawk seen at 8.32am flying over head between Shere road & Roll Gardens surveying area.
• 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker ( daily visitor)
• 1 Jay over followed in a line by magpie & crow, 1 Jackdaw over calling shortly afterwards.Plus the usuals. (AThomas)

Roding Valley Park, South Woodford:

• The Kestrel again -still there a week on. I saw it three or four times in various places along the river. Hopefully it will stay. I think there may be two but not 100% sure. I've attached a couple of pics (to follow)
• A cormorant (over)
• Two Jays, Flock of mixed tits (long tailed, blue and great)
• The usual mallards/crows/magpies/woodpigeons
• & a small brown bird in the reeds but couldn't tell what it was (PGordon)

Valentines Park:

• 3 Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe
• Cormorant, Grey Heron
• 4 Egyptian Geese, Pochard (GWare)

Wanstead Flats:

• Wryneck still east of Alexandra Lake to 6:30pm at least, showing well at times (many observers);
• Redstart east of Long Wood at 7:20am (J Lethbridge);
• First bird on my list this morning was a Chiffchaff by Angel Pond, migration by stealth - it'll be in France in time for the olympics (10+ others), Whitethroat, Blackcap, Lesser Whitethroat,
• Wheatear (on toy plane field and later when toy plane players came middle of broom field), 2 Stonechat (thanks to Paul Ferris for the heads up on that little gem), Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, 50+ Mipit over, around, everywhere, 3 Pied Wagtail, 6 Swallow (North and West),
• new influx of Reed Bunting on the SSSI (5+),
• Goldfinch, 8 + Chaffinch, Greenfinch, 6+ Skylark, 2 Grey Heron, 2+ Coal Tit (east of Alex), Long Tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, House Sparrow (east of Alex which had people looking at it through scopes, myself included), Collared Dove, 2 pr Shoveler, Gadwall, 1 Lee Evans (NCroft)
• Spotted Flycatcher (Sally Hammond)

Wanstead Park:

• 19 Ring Necked Parakeet over the Plain (KHartnett)

Pics - Wryneck on Wanstead Flats

The rare migrating WRYNECK on Wanstead Flats, 16th-17th Sept 2010

pics by Paul Ferris

September 17th 2010

Fairlop Waters CP:

• walk from the Aldborough Riding School, past the lagoon, and along the footpath (by the golfcourse) to St. Peters Church Aldborough Hatch
• 4 House Martin and 4 Swallow
• 27 Meadow Pipit on the golf course
• 2 Yellow Wagtail on the paddock
• Chiffchaff (singing)
• Jay
• 2 Linnet

Five Oaks Lane Scrubland:

• male Pheasant seen (flew about 50 foot up into the air over an Oak), 2 others heard
• 2 Kestrel, 1 being mobbed by 2 Carrion Crows
• 4 Rook, and 4 Jackdaw over
• 4 Whinchat (possible 5th) (all female/juv)
• 2 flocks of Long Tailed Tit, 1 of which included Blue Tits, Great Tits, 5 Chiffchaff, 1 female Blackcap and a Lesser Whitethroat
• 5 Swallow and 2 House Martin
• flock of exactly 50 Linnet flitting about,
• well over 60 Meadow Pipit (including 2 flocks of over 20 birds each), all feeding
• 1 Spotted Flycatcher
• lots of Collared Dove, Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Robin, Wren, Chaffinch, Greenfinch (DEH)

Gants Hill, Roll Gardens:

• 2 Swallow (feeding high over) (AThomas)

Ilford, Ingleby Road:

• Chiffchaff with a flock of vaious tits in the garden (JCrick)

Little Heath, Farmland:

• male Pheasant, and Kestrel on Red House Farm (while driving by)

Valentines Park:

• several Tufted Ducks, 2 Cormorant, 3 Great Crested Grebe (GWare)

Wanstead Flats:

• (06:30-11:30):
• 08:40 - Wryneck still east of Alexandra Pond at 11.30 am showing rather nicely (Nick Croft/Paul Ferris/Tim Harris/Jonathan Lethbridge/Dominic Mitchell/LondonBirds Twitter).
• Also Redstart, 2 Whinchat both east of Alexandra Lake in scrub. Prior to all the hooha, Redstart (heard east of Long Wood),
• male Goshawk mobbed by crows over east plantation where it landed clearing out all the pigeons in the process,
• 4 Spotted Flycatcher,
• 2 Snipe (broom fields),
• Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Blackcap, 13 Chiffchaff, Goldcrest singing Alexandra Lake island and later in wood north of Alexandra Lake,
• 8+ Yellow Wagtail (south), Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, 50+ Meadow Pipit, 3 Skylark, 11 Swallow (south),
• 2 Goldfinch, 4 Linnet, 6 + Chaffinch, some unidentified finches flying south (possibly Siskin),
• 7 Green Woodpecker, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker,
• Mute Swan (the cygnets on Alexandra Lake have taken their first experimental flights), 8 Gadwall, 2 pr Shoveler, Little Grebe, 3 Mistle Thrush,
• Wheatear (on model aircraft runway - JL),
• 16 Ring Necked Parakeet,
• Common Gull (51 sp Nick Croft et al)
• Wryneck still showing well till 16:30 then became increasingly elusive, also 2 Willow Warbler, Yellow Wagtail over(S Fisher)

Pics - Valentines Park

Today it was the Great Crested Grebe chick's turn to be followed by two gulls: every time he shot out of the water with a catch they closed in on him, but he defeated them by swiftly diving back down again! He also repeated his "scooting" over the surface of the water- a rapid, long scoot. This time he seemed to do it on his own accord- perhaps as a flying exercise? Inspite of all this adult behaviour, however, he was still searching out hisparents and hovering near them cheeping...

Two Cormorants were on the boats again and several Tufted Ducks. Gillian Ware

September 16th 2010

Fairlop Gravel Works:

• c50 Teal, 26 Pochard, c12 Tufted Duck, 4 Gadwall, c10 Little Grebe
• 12 Grey Heron, 6 Cormorant
• c60 Lapwing, 6 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper, 3 Snipe and 1 Greenshank (all south side, apart from 1 of the Green Sandpiper)
• 1 male Sparrowhawk being mobbed (successfully) by 4 Pied Wagtail,
• 1 juv Buzzard (very pale underneath) low, being mobbed by 7 Carrion Crows, landed somewhere in adjacent field (nr Allotments)
• 1 Swallow (over)
• 1 juvenile Green Woodpecker, 10 Meadow Pipit, 13 Linnet,

Gants Hill, Roll Gardens:

• 1 Chiffchaff - seen around 7.35 ish on buddleia front drive & then also on telephone line near my front bedroom window.
• 2 Jays - on neighbours tree 8.20am then flew over our garden in direction of Cranbrook rd north.
• 1 male Sparrowhawk - flying past back bedroom window into other neighbour'stree then lost from view (no kill this time). (Alan Thomas)

Hainault, Farmland:

• Farmland between Hainault Road and Romford Road
• 2 Buzzard (not the same bird as above, as both darker birds), both flushed from low bushes, then circling together, occasionally landing on trees/ground (still present at dusk)
• 2 Sparrowhawk, 1 female Kestrel
• 100 mixed Gulls flock taking advantage of the tracker churning up the field, also 140+ Carrion Crow, 25+ Jackdaw, 4 Jay, and a few Magpie
• 1 male Pheasant
• lots of Woodpigeon, (including a few dead ones and 1 dying one, who fell prey to the shotgun)
• 40+ House Sparrows in a flock near Billet Road
• 1 beautiful male Wheatear feeding
• 2 Chaffinch, 7 Linnet, 2 Meadow Pipit, 4 Swallows and 7 teenage dickheads on trailbikes with no helmets, making noise and scaring everything off.

Wanstead Flats:

• Wryneck sitting in Elder bush for about ten minutes after I got on to it, then flew from east end of Long Wood toward the south side mid-a.m.. (first of the year!)
• Redstart, 4 Whetear, 2 Whinchat (1 Alexandra Lake scrub, 1 south end of broom field),
• 3 Spotted Flycatcher (E end of Long Wood),
• Tree Pipit (over Alexandra Lake), Yellow Wagtail (over broom field north end), Grey Wagtail, 25+ Meadow Pipit, 4+ Skylark,
• 7+ Green Woodpecker, 4+ Great Spotted Woodpecker,
• 20+ Mistle Thrush,
• 12+ Chiffhcaff, Willow Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap, 4 Chaffinch,
• 10+ Greenfinch, Linnet,
• 2 Kestrel, 4 Sparrowhawk,
• 2 Grey Heron, 9 Gadwall, 2 pair Shoveler, Common Gull,
• Great Black Backed Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Black Headed Gull, Herring Gull,
• 5 adult Mute Swan on Alex (ooh there be trouble!),
• 28 Ring Necked Parakeet and some other stuff which pales into insignificance (53 sp - a good day, Nick Croft/ Steve Thorpe).
• 14:30 - 16:45: Honey Buzzard south 15:00 approx,
• also Hobby and Pied Flycatcher briefly,
• 3 Spotted Flycatcher still E of Long Wood, 3 Wheatear still there and Whinchat, no sign of Wryneck (Stuart Fisher)

Pics - Valentines Park

It was very choppy on the Boating Lake today with the wind, but the birdswere all busy fishing- see pic of Great Crested Grebe looking very proud with a fish in his beak...

and a Little Grebe also with a fish.
When I first caught sight of the Grebe family they were all in close proximity, but soon one of the adults chased off the chick and he went "scooting" rapidly off on the surface of the water... The other day, I saw the chick having an altercation with a Coot. The Grebe chick was diving for food and then the Coot dived after him; when they both emerged the Grebe chick sent the Coot flying! Today I heard a loud, persistent alarm note from a Coot and spotted a young family- 2 adults and 3 or 4 chicks being "stalked" by a Gull. He hung around for at least 5 minutes but finally gave up- hoping for food theadults were giving the chicks or hoping for a nice meal of coot-chick?

Now that the Swan cygnets are independent you don't often see many of them together, so it was nice to see the two adults followed by 4 of the 8 youngsters today. Gillian Ware

September 15th 2010

Five Oaks Lane Scrubland:

• went after work to try to verify my suspicions that the Five Oaks Lane scrubland is as good as Fairlop or Wanstead Flats for migrating birds... after all, last week I had 2 Spot Fly, 3 Whinchat and a Wheatear on 1 day, and i had had 2 imm Redstart last month. However, it was so windy, i hardly saw a thing... (except)
• 9 Jackdaws over (NE) to roost
• 1 young Pheasant flushed
• 2 Kestrel both trying to hover in the strong winds
• 3 Mistle Thrush flying north
• Blue Tit, Goldfinch, Chiffchaff (heard)
• 3 Swallow doing their best to feed by the stables

Fairlop Gravel Works:

• Greenshank (Alan Bell)

Valentines Park:

• Mute Swan pr still with all 8 cygnets (becoming independant)
• 3 Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe (GWare)

Wanstead Flats:

• Redstart at east end of Long Wood,
• Wheatear,
• 2 Spotted Flycatcher (Birdguides)
• 22 Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail,
• 8+ Chiffchaff, 4+ Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap,
• 8 Mistle Thrush,
• 5 House Martin (4 North), 1 Swallow,
• Kestrel, Sprrowhawk,
• 10 Herring Gull, 20 Lesser Black Backed Gull, 70+ Black Headed Gull, 7 Cormorant,
• 3 Ring Necked Parakeet,
• 4 Goldfinch, 3 Chaffinch, Greenfinch,
• 2 Shoveler, Gadwall, Mute Swans (two cobs battling out on Alex, the interloper getting a right pasting, but still coming back for more - idiot!),
• Green Woopecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker (48sp Nick Croft/Steve Thorpe).

September 14th 2010

Fairlop Gravel Works:

• 3 Cormorant and 3 Grey Heron on the south side,
• 60+ Teal (mostly north side), 18 Pochard, c10 Tufted Duck, plus 1 mother with 6 ducklings still, few Gadwall and Shoveler, still 5 families of Little Grebe although some young seem to have dispersed.
• c100 Lapwing, 5 Green Sandpiper, 1 Common Sandpiper
• 26+ Meadow Pipit flying round in the rain, and stopping to feed, until i flushed them again and again! (with a family of Pied Wagtails)
• 2 Linnet.... rained off after this.

Valentines Park:

• 8 Tufted Duck on the fish pond
• quite a few Jackdaws chattering in the treetops, (probably more than 10) (DEH)

Wanstead Flats:

• Kestrel,
• 12 Meadow Pipit, 2 Yellow Wagtails over,
• Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, 6+ Chiffchaff,
• Reed Bunting (J Lethbridge)
• (06:00-11:00): Whinchat (Broom Fields), Wheatear (NE end of Long Wood), 6 Mistle Thrush,
• north-westward movement of House Martin this time c.500+ in groups of c.50 and one large group of over 300 with some Swallow (separately 1 flock of 19 and a trickle of others), as for the rest I see your Kestrel, raise you one Meadow Pipit (13), Whitethroat (Alex scrub, JL's LW or SSSI), 9+ Chiffchaff, Blackcap (Alex Scrub), Skylark,
• 3 Sparrowhawk, 5 Collared Dove, 2 Stock Dove, 8 Greenfinch, 3 Chaffinch, 1 f Tufted Duck, 1 Shoveler, 4 Gadwall (Alex), 1 Teal west, Little Grebe, 27 Ring Necked Parakeet (13 in one flock) (Nick Croft)

Pics - Fairlop Waters CP

The BlackNecked Grebe that stayed at Fairlop Waters from 1st-11th Sept 2010

Paul Hawkins

September 13th 2010

Hainault Forest CP:

• 200+ starlings doing mini mumuration, but particularly interested in gorging themselves in the dogwood berries.
• 1 pheasant (female)
• 4 long tail tits, 2 great tits (TLachhar)

Wanstead Flats:

• Short-eared Owl flushed from the grass south of Long Wood (c. 07:00) landed again then mobbed by a crow and two Black Headed Gulls circled up over Long Wood before slowly moving off over wanstead park
• Little Owl, unidentified small falcon high north over broom fields calling funny, stooped on a probable Meadow Pipit north of long wood before disappearing over the park, sounded not too unlike the Red Footed Falcon on my Bridguides DVD, hmmm!, 3 Hobby, 2 Sparrowhawk, Kestrel,
• 2 Whinchat (1 broom field, 1 alex scrub), 8 Mistle Thrush,
• 8 Yellow Wagtail (south), 2 Grey Wagtail, 2 Pied Wagtail, c. 50+ Meadow Pipit, 10+ Skylark,
• 2 Spotted Flycatcher (at either end of Long Wood),
• Garden Warbler, Blackcap, 10 Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler (Alex scrub), Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat,
• Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (in trees east of Centre Road, N of Long Wood), 6 Green woodpecker, 5 Great Spotted Woodpecker,
• 4 House Martin, 7 Swallow (north),
• 7 Ring Necked Parakeet,
• Gadwall, Shoveler, Little Grebe, Greenfinch, 3 Chaffinch, 5 Goldfinch, f Reed Bunting (SSSI) and the supporting cast making a grand total of 59 species - a good morning (Nick Croft/Steve Thrope)

Pics - Roding Valley Park

Kestrel, Peter Gordon