MonthlyHighlights2006

From Londonbirders

This page lists the highlights of the Patchlist Competition 2006

Please list all sites in alphabetical order.

May

• Stoke Newington Res:With the start of the month being rather qiuet, apart from the odd Buzzard going over things satrted to heat up on the 12th when a female Goldon Orile was seen and hung around all day. Also the same a Peregrine & another Buzzard were also present. Warblers are present now in low numbers with only 1 of each Lesser Whitethroat & Garden Warbler. (Chris Langsdon)
• Totteridge Valley : A Common Buzzard on 1st gave a good start to the month, followed by a pair of Whinchats on 3rd and the same or a new Grasshopper Warbler reeling again on 5th. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker regularly heard drumming and Kingfisher ever present along Dollis Brook. Two pairs of Lapwings remain present, with a pair seen mating on 8th. The first sighting of Hobby came on 11th, followed by a fine singing Garden Warbler later the same morning. (Ian Ellis)

April

• Bentley Priory: 16th - Grasshopper Warbler, day calling Tawny Owl, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler all singing well, Swallow and House martins over Summerhouse Lake. (Alan Lewis)
• Brent Res: 2/4 - a superb Little Egret seen flying around the res at 07.00, later perched in trees for most of morning and twitched by many of the Brent regulars! Easter weekend - a Caspian Gull on Good Friday was a nice surprise, otherwise quite an influx of migrants with Yellow Wagtail, House Martin, Whitethroat being the commoner ones and Grasshopper Warbler, Cuckoo and Rook being much scarcer. The only disappointment was the lack of a large raptor as they seemed to be all around us! 27/4 - finally, after hoping for one every spring an early morning visit turned up trumps with a superb singing Wood Warbler, the first site one since 1961! Also a gorgeous sum plum adult Little Gull and a lot more warblers around. But still no waders... (Andrew Self)
• Ruislip Woods: A very good day on the 3rd, with a Common Buzzard over in the morning, 3 Wigeon about, good numbers of Willow Warbler and Blackcap in, the first Cuckoo and Common Tern of the year (although neither staying for long), a few Lesser Redpolls, and some Siskins and a Redwing still about. About 10 Golden Plover flew N on the 4th, and there were 3 Shoveler and 3 Gadwall on the Lido that day. 2 Little Ringed Plover on the 5th. 1 Common Snipe on the 11th, also lots of hirrundines. Goldeneye and a reported Whitethroat on the 17th. 2 Wheatear, 1 Common Sandpiper and 4 Ring-necked Parakeets on the 20th. Wood Warbler, Common Buzzard and Sedge Warbler on the 21st. Lesser Whitethroat on the 28th. I've now beaten my 2005 total (82).(Martin Sullivan)
• St James's Park: finally signs of birds on the move! Two Willow Warblers on separate days, and on 13th, 2 Egyptian Geese flying over, 2 Swallows & 2 Ring-necked Parakeets, now on 54 species, the same as I got all year here in 2002! (Andrew Self)
• Tottenham Marshes: Common buzzard - 1 reported over on 25/04; Red-legged Partridge - reported twice at beginning of month; Lesser Whitethroat - P. Lambert 20/04; Whinchat - P. Lambert 20/04, 2 on 25/04; female Black Redstart reported by P. Lambert, 06/04; Linnet - 1 on 26/04 (David Callahan).
• Totteridge Valley: The six Wheatears from 31st March had become seven on 1st April and there were also a couple of Fieldfares still around. By 2nd the Wheatears had acquired another recruit, so now there are eight together at Folly Farm. Another Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was heard, this time at Mill Hill, and a male Brambling was a very nice surprise at Highwood Hill (67) - also seven Redwings there. The first returning Blackcaps are in and a pair of Lapwings are still around. A Swallow (68) passed north on the evening of 3rd and three Wheatears still present. On 8th a scan for raptors proved successful when a Red Kite (69) was seen at 08:55 hanging in the wind over Fairlawn. It stayed above the same km square for 35 minutes and gave good views, almost landing a couple of times, then finally disappeared over the ridge towards Barnet at 09:30 with six Carrion Crows in pursuit. The 9th produced another (or the same) male Brambling, plus Siskin, Skylark, Kingfisher, a drumming Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and, finally, the first Linnet of the year (70). The first House Martins passed north on 12th (71). A late Fieldfare on 16th, plus another LSW. A Grasshopper Warbler (72) sang briefly at 08:15 on 17th - another nice surprise - with LSW, Wheatear also present, plus a pair of Little Owls (73) at dusk. Grasshopper Warbler reeling again on 21st and the first Whitethroats (74) had returned. Lesser Whitethroat added on 23rd (75) followed by Swift on 28th (76). (Ian Ellis)
• Walthamstow Marsh: Pheasant - male on 03/04; Green Woodpecker - 3 on 03/04; Meadow Pipit - 2 on 03/04; Wheatear - 1 on 03/04; Blackcap - 2 singing on 03/04; Chiffchaff - 3 on 03/04; Reed Bunting - fem on 03/04. (David Callahan).
• Walthamstow Reservoirs: Shelduck - 8 on 04/04 & 19/04; Shoveler - 13 on 04/04; Gadwall - 35 on 19/04; Teal - 1 fem 20/04; Pochard - 36 on 19/04; Goldeneye - 3m 9f on 05/04, 1m 3f 13/04 (last date); Ruddy Duck - down to 11 on 23/04; Osprey - 1 reported 5pm 20/04 by "D Poyser"; Sparrowhawk - male on 19/04 & 23/04; Red Kite - imm. 8.30-8.43am over East Warwick 20/04; Great White Egret - 1 flyover at the Maynards on 30/04. It descended and seemed to possibly land at the South end of No5/No3, but could not be refound when likely roosting sites were searched; Grey Heron - 64 at the nest inc. many juvs. on 19/04; Cormorant - 436 at the nest inc. juvs on 19/04; Water Rail - 1 on 05/04; Oystercatcher - 1 on 04/04; Little Ringed Plover - 1 on 20/04; Common Sandpiper - 3 on 18/04, 1 on 23/04; Green Sandpiper- 1 on 09/04; Whimbrel - 1 on 23/04; Black-headed Gull - still 2 on 23/04; Great Black-backed Gull - 3rd year bird on 04/04 & 19/04, imm on 23/04; Common Tern - 1st reported on 16/04, 19 on 30/04; Stock Dove - 4 on 19/04; Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1 on 13/04 & 23/04; Green Woodpecker - 3 on 05/04 & 23/04; Common Swift - 260+ on 30/04; Grey Wagtail - 1 on 04/04; White Wagtail - 1 on 09/04, 3 am, 5 pm on 30/04; Yellow Wagtail - 1 reported 16/04, 3 on 23/04; Meadow Pipit - 3 on 09/04, 1 on 23/04; Swallow - 1st sighting 04/04, 34 on 23/04; House Martin - 1st on 09/04, 2 on 23/04;Sand Martin - up to 140 throughout; Common Redstart - male from 01/04 to 02/04; Wheatear - 9+ on 02/04, 2 on 20/04; Greenland Wheatear - 5 on 20/04, 6 on 25/04, 1 to 3 until 30/04; Song Thrush - 6 on 23/04; Blackcap - 1st on 04/04, 11 on 30/04; Common Whitethroat - 1st on 18/04, 19 on 30/04; Willow Warbler - 8 on 13/04; Chiffchaff - 7 on 04/04; Goldcrest - 1 singing on 04/04; Long-tailed Tit - 8 on 04/04; Sedge Warbler - 1st on 01/04, 22 on 23/04; Reed Warbler - 1st on 21/04, 9 on 30/04; Goldfinch - 1 on 19/04; Reed Bunting - 8 on 09/04. ESCAPES/FERALS: Black Swan 1 from 01/04, 2 from 09/04 throughout; Swan Goose - 3 throughout. (David Callahan).

HighlightsJantoMar2006