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)