Ian Ellis
From Londonbirders
I moved to London in 1997 and then in October 1998 bought a flat near the Brent Res, a few doors down from Andrew Self (whom I didn't know at the time). Brent Res has been one of my local patches ever since, although I only started doing it regularly in 2001 and shamefully never saw the 1999 Purple Heron there despite living so close!
My best finds at Brent so far have been Alpine Swift and Long-tailed Duck, supported by Bewick's Swan, White-fronted Goose and Wood Sandpiper. Luckily I was within a 2-minute jog to where Leo Batten found the Hume's Warbler on 1/5/04 and am now approaching 140 species for the site (still miles behind Messrs Batten, Beddard, Self and Verrall I should add).
In August 2005 I moved to Woodside Park (North Finchley, N12) and now spend less time at Brent and more time on my new local patch of Totteridge Valley. The Totteridge Valley PatchList is below.
I haven't done much overseas birding but trips to Ecuador/Galapagos and Namibia/Botswana in 2003-4 were both awesome experiences: my best ever find has to be southern Africa's fourth Wilson's Phalarope, at Walvis Bay salt-pans in Namibia on 9/11/04: this led to some South African listers chartering a flight from Cape Town. I must save up for another exotic overseas trip soon!
PatchList 2007 - records for Totteridge Valley / Totteridge Fields
Summary at 2nd January:
No. visits = 1
2007 Species (ISE) = 48.......2007 Species (all observers) = 48
2007 as % of 2006 total (92) = 52.2%
| Species | Seen 2006 | First seen | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cormorant | Y | Occasionally seen overhead. | |
| Grey Heron | Y | 1st Jan | Non-breeding resident; regular along brooks and at Darlands Lake. |
| Canada Goose | Y | 1st Jan | Breeding resident; common at Long Pond and Sheepwash Pond. |
| Mandarin Duck | Y | 1st Jan | Breeding resident at Darlands Lake, sometimes seen elsewhere. |
| Teal | Y | 1st Jan | Winter visitor to Darlands Lake (mainly Sep-Apr). |
| Mallard | Y | 1st Jan | Breeding resident; present at most bodies of water. |
| Shoveler | Y | Winter visitor; scarce. | |
| Sparrowhawk | Y | 1st Jan | Breeding resident; probably 3-4 pairs. |
| Common Buzzard | Y | Occasional visitor; scarce. | |
| Red Kite | Y | Occasional visitor; rare. | |
| Kestrel | Y | Breeding resident; probably 3 pairs. | |
| Hobby | Y | Summer visitor; scarce (mainly May-Sep). | |
| Pheasant | Y | Breeding resident; probably 20-40 birds in the valley. | |
| Red-legged Partridge | Y | Resident; possibly 1-2 pairs breed. | |
| Moorhen | Y | 1st Jan | Breeding resident; common near ponds and brooks. |
| Coot | Y | Occasional visitor to Darlands Lake; scarce. | |
| Lapwing | Y | ||
| Golden Plover | Y | ||
| Woodcock | Y* | ||
| Black-headed Gull | Y | 1st Jan | |
| Common Gull | Y | 1st Jan | |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | Y | 1st Jan | |
| Herring Gull | Y | 1st Jan | |
| Great Black-backed Gull | Y | ||
| Feral Rock Dove | Y | 1st Jan | |
| Stock Dove | Y | 1st Jan | |
| Woodpigeon | Y | 1st Jan | |
| Collared Dove | Y | 1st Jan | |
| Ring-necked Parakeet | Y | ||
| Cuckoo | Y | ||
| Tawny Owl | Y | 1st Jan | Probably 4+ pairs. |
| Little Owl | Y | Probably 2-3 pairs. | |
| Swift | Y | ||
| Kingfisher | Y | 1st Jan | Scarce but often present along brooks or at Darlands Lake between Sept and May. |
| Green Woodpecker | Y | 1st Jan | |
| Greater Spotted Woodpecker | Y | 1st Jan | |
| Lesser Spotted Woodpecker | Y | 1st Jan | Possibly 1-2 pairs present. |
| Swallow | Y | A few breeding pairs still at Burtonhole and Frith Manor Farms. | |
| House Martin | Y | ||
| Sand Martin | Y* | ||
| Skylark | Y | ||
| Meadow Pipit | Y | ||
| Yellow Wagtail | Y | ||
| Grey Wagtail | Y | Present along water courses in small numbers. | |
| Pied Wagtail | Y | 1st Jan | |
| Wren | Y | 1st Jan | |
| Dunnock | Y | 1st Jan | |
| Robin | Y | 1st Jan | |
| Redstart | Y | ||
| Whinchat | Y | ||
| Stonechat | Y* | ||
| Wheatear | Y | ||
| Blackbird | Y | 1st Jan | |
| Fieldfare | Y | 1st Jan | |
| Song Thrush | Y | 1st Jan | |
| Redwing | Y | 1st Jan | |
| Mistle Thrush | Y | 1st Jan | |
| Lesser Whitethroat | Y | Probably 7-8 pairs in Totteridge Valley. | |
| Whitethroat | Y | Probably 13 pairs in Totteridge Valley. | |
| Garden Warbler | Y | One singing near Folly Brook in the lower valley on 11/5. Two on 13/5; One on 23/9. | |
| Blackcap | Y | A female on 4/3; first summer migrants arrived 2/4; 20+ males singing by mid-April. A male in Westbury Road from 22/10. | |
| Grasshopper Warbler | Y | A bird reeling from 17/4 through to 5/5 near the Folly Brook. | |
| Willow Warbler | Y | 1 on 31/3 was the first arrival; 5 singing on 16/4 but only 2 in early May. | |
| Chiffchaff | Y | One calling on 15/1, 11+ singing 13/5. | |
| Wood Warbler | Y* | one was present at Darlands Lake on 20/4 [DW] | |
| Reed Warbler | Y* | One seen in early summer [JPC] | |
| Goldcrest | Y | 1st Jan | Fairly common. 7+ singing on 13/5. Several juvs seen on 28/8. |
| Firecrest | Y | 2 at Oakfields in tit flock on 16/12. | |
| Spotted Flycatcher | Y | 2 seen on 4/6. 10 present on 28/8 including at least 3 juvs; 1 on 23/9. | |
| Long-tailed Tit | Y | 1st Jan | Common |
| Blue Tit | Y | 1st Jan | Abundant |
| Great Tit | Y | 1st Jan | Common |
| Coal Tit | Y | 1st Jan | Fairly common |
| Nuthatch | Y | 1st Jan | Several pairs present: St Paul's wood, Mill Hill; probably also Highwood Hill and Darlands Lake. |
| Treecreeper | Y | 1st Jan | Several pairs present, most obvious around Darlands Lake. |
| Jay | Y | 1st Jan | Common. 20+ in valley on 21/1 |
| Magpie | Y | 1st Jan | Abundant |
| Jackdaw | Y | 1st Jan | Common. Max. 95 near Folly Farm on 11/2 (+ four elsewhere) |
| Rook | Y | 1st Jan | Common in the winter around Folly Farm. Max. 31 on 11/2. |
| Carrion Crow | Y | 1st Jan | Common |
| Starling | Y | 1st Jan | Common. Max. 140+ on 19/2 |
| House Sparrow | Y | 2nd Jan | Fairly common in residential areas. |
| Tree Sparrow | Y | Irregular. 1-2 calling at Folly Farm on 31/3. | |
| Chaffinch | Y | 1st Jan | Common. Max. 80+ at Holecombe Dale on 4/2 |
| Brambling | Y | A male at Highwood Hill on 2/4 then another nr Finchley Nurseries on 9/4. | |
| Greenfinch | Y | 1st Jan | Fairly common |
| Goldfinch | Y | 1st Jan | Fairly common. 30+ on 28/8 near cricket club. |
| Linnet | Y | 1 at the rough grassland area on 9/4 and 16/4; 3 on 17/4; 2 on 4/6; 1 on 23/9 and 8/10. 2 on 9/10 | |
| Siskin | Y | Fairly common winter visitor. Max. 51 at Darlands Lake on 15/1. 5 at Darlands Lake on 14/4. 1 over Woodside Park on 7/10. | |
| Lesser Redpoll | Y | 1st Jan | Scarce winter visitor: 3 on 15/1; 6 on 5/3; 5 on 20/4 [DW]. |
| Bullfinch | Y | 1st Jan | Uncommon resident |
| Reed Bunting | Y | A female at Totteridge Fields on 9/10. |
