December 16th 2010

Wanstead Flats:

• Woodcock, Snipe (flushed from the same patch of ground in the SSSI just north of the fairground),
  
• 7 Skylark (fairground),
  
• 4m Pochard (2 jub/2 Alex), 20 Shoveler, 14 Tufted Duck, 2 Gadwall, 4 Greylag Goose, 2 Grey Heron,
  
• 6 Redwing (south-east), Song Thrush, 10 + Mistle Thrush, 2 Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, 40 + Jackdaw, Lesser Redpoll, 7 + Goldfinch, Sparrowhawk, Goldcrest\ (NC).
  

Wanstead Park:

• Water Rail (top end of Perch),
  
• 2 pr Wigeon (1 R. River Roding, 2nd pair ornamental waters), 57 Gadwall, 4 Shoveler, 27+ Pochard, 42 Tufted Duck (including one caught by fishing line on the ornamental waters, reported to the City Corp. - a dead duck I fear), 4 Little Grebe, 2 Grey Heron,
  
• 7 Linnet (Old Sewage Works), Siskin, Lesser Redpoll, Goldcrest, Coal Tit, Kestrel,
  
• 2 Cormorants fighting over eels on the ornamental waters. 1 eel escaped while the one Cormorant probably wished it hadn't tried swallowing the other. It looked eye-wateringly uncomfortable as it tried to get the wretched eel down its throat (NC).