NewsJune2006

From Londonbirders

June 29 2006

• Staines Res: 3 Black-necked Grebes on north basin (Birdguides)
• Beddington SF: Greenshank,also 10 Green Sandpipers (Beddington Farm Bird Group)

June 28 2006

• Kensington Gardens: Peregrine circling over Kensington Palace at 09.20hrs, c.40 Swift, singing Chiffchaff (Des McKenzie).
• Chiswick: Common Buzzard soaring low over Chiswick roundabout at 13:00 (Birdguides)
• Staines Res: 3 Black-necked Grebes 7pm (David Combes)

June 27 2006

• Ingrebourne Valley: Redshank, 3 Green Sandpipers, 6 drake Teal (first returning birds), Turtle Dove, Yellow Wagtail and 2 Ring-necked Parakeets (Dave Morrison).

June 26 2006

• East India Dock: 3 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Linnet (site tick for me), Reed Warbler, Blackcap, 23 Cormorant (Richard Harrison).
• Staines Res: 3 Black-necked Grebe on the north basin this a.m. (Birdguides).
• Thornton Heath-! very wet Eagle Owl with ring in front garden/main road (Mick Cook).
• Dollis Brook: Common Tern fishing at junction of North Circular/Brent Street (Fraser Simpson).

June 25 2006

• Staines Res: 3 Black-necked Grebe on the north basin this a.m. (Birdguides).
• Tyttenhanger GPs: 2 Green Sandpipers plus a Ringed Plover (Birdguides).
• Brent Res: Hobby in afternoon (Andrew Self).

June 24 2006

• Beddington SF: 2nd-summer Yellow-legged Gull, Brent Goose, Hobby & Little Ringed Plover (Beddington Farm Bird Group)
• Harefield Lake: 4 Little Ringed Plover and a Redshank (Simon Buckingham)
• Cornmill Meadows/Fishers Green (Lee Valley): 1 Buzzard soaring high and heading North at 12.30 hrs (Barry Bottomley).
• WWT London Wetland Centre: Avocet pair with 4 chicks now on wader scrape, where there is also a Common Snipe. Two Hobby hunting dragonflies over grazing marsh/main lake (Martin Honey).
• Stoke Newington Reservoirs: 15 Common Tern, Lessr black backs with two chicks, all the usal warblers etc. (Mark Pearson)
• South Norwood Country Park: 1 Common Tern with BTO metal ring unable to read & 1 Kingfisher (Ernest Thomason)

June 22 2006

• Rammey Marsh: Grasshopper Warbler reeling at 21.45 (Martin Shepherd).
• Kensington Gardens: Common Tern, c.100 Swift, c.60 House Martin included at least 20 juvs (Des McKenzie).
• East India Dock: 2 Little Ringed Plover, 7+ adult Common Tern plus 7 chicks (Richard Harrison).
• Ruislip Lido: Little Ringed Plover feeding along the waters edge but flew off at 08.40 (Tim Clark per AS).
• Hampstead Heath ponds:1 Common tern.13.30 hrs (Paul Angus).

June 21 2006

• Walthamstow Res: Hobby south, plus two broods of Shelduck (12 & 7 chicks) (David Callahan).
• Rainham Marshes: 1 Little Egret north of railway, from the train (David Darrell-Lambert).
• Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens: 81 Mute Swan, f Mandarin, 2m Ruddy Duck, 129 Coot, c.80 Swift, 40+ House Martin (inc. juvs), Reed Warbler (Des McKenzie).
• Ruislip Lido: Little Ringed Plover feeding along the waters edge between 06:55 and 07:30 (Tim Clark per AS).
• Harefield Lake: 3 Little Ringed Plover (Simon Buckingham).
• Lord's Cricket Ground: 1 G-S Woodpecker behind Grandstand! (N Millar).

June 20 2006

• East India Dock: singing Reed Warbler, singing Song Thrush (2nd record this year), 10+ adult Common Terns (Richard Harrison).
• Canary Wharf: Peregrine high above Jubilee Place Park (Richard Harrison).
• Tottenham Marshes: 4.45pm - Little Ringed Plover high south along River Lea, then over towards Banbury Res, calling - 1st return passage for the site!? (David Callahan).
• Barbican Centre: 1 m Wigeon on the lake with a pair of displaying Grey Wagtails. Also 1 m House Sparrow (David Fox) - a pair of Grey Wagtail have fledged at least 1 young in the Barbican area, though this may be unrelated to DF's sighting (Des McKenzie).

June 19 2006

• Rainham Marshes RSPB: Black Tern flew east at 18:45 (Birdguides)
• WWT London Wetland Centre: Avocet pair have in fact hatched four young (Jan Wilczur). [Further to Jan's entries on LWC Avocets: by 9am Sat 17th two chicks had hatched and were attended and sheltered away fom nest by both parents for some hours; by late afternoon Sat, one adult seen to return to sit on the nest -and now there are four. Thankfully, it was a hot Saturday: Angus Innes].
• Blackfriars Bridge: drake Wigeon flew upriver at 1320hrs, also 5+ Yellow-legged Gulls on the river (Rob Innes).
• South End Green:Peregrine upsetting the local kestrel over the Royal Free Hospital.07.50 hrs (Paul Angus).

June 18 2006

• Walthamstow Res: Spoonbill present again on East Warwick island up to 16.00hrs at least (Nick Tanner via DMc).
• Wilberforce Road, Finsbury Park N4 - Tawny Owl sitting on observer's house (first record in 9 years) (Ian Bradshaw).
• Bentley Priory: Common Tern flew over, Buzzard, Redstart (Alan Lewis)
• Upper Sydenham: Red Kite flew SE at midday (Nardine Montague-Gibson per AS)

June 17 2006

• Walthamstow Res: Spoonbill on East Warwick Island; 3pm on East Warwick Island in breeding plumage (J.Murray)
• Cheshunt: 7 Hobbys together over 70 acres lake, f Peregrine from Weir Hide, 2 Sika Deer @ Cornmill (J.Murray).
• WWT London Wetland Centre: Avocet pair have hatched two young. Lapwing, 13 pairs, three young from two broods survive. Little Ringed Plovers, 5 pairs, no young so far. Redshank, 5 pairs, no young so far (Jan Wilczur); also 5 Reed Warblers, 1 Sedge Warbler and a Stock Dove (N. Millar) and 1 Hobby (Gabriel Jamie).
• Teddington: Nightjar showing well from 11pm next to station on top of telegraph pole opposite station and on telegraph wires accross road.

June 16 2006

• West Kensington: "White Stork" possible rising on a thermal and then moving East around 1.00 p.m. (Jim Knight).
• St James's Park: 1 brood of Pintail and 2 broods of Red-crested Pochard (David Darrell-Lambert), also broods of Fulvous Whistling Duck and Black Swan (Andrew Self).
• Beckenham Place Park: 5 Lapwing flying due South West at 20:15Hrs. (K.J.Summerfield).
• Teddington: Nightjar showing well from 10pm next to station and along Cromwell Rd (N. Millar).

June 15 2006

• Chafford Hundred: 1 Little Egret east (David Darrell-Lambert).
• East India Dock: 4 Blackcap, Whitethroat, Pochard (site tick for me) 12+ adult Common Terns. (Richard Harrison)

June 14 2006

• Teddington: Nightjar still present 10.20-11pm (at least) close to railway station/garden centre along Cromwell Road at times showing well on telephone wires (Mike Wheeler)

June 13 2006

• SE1 Waste ground on Redcross Way: Probable Black Restart.[non-singing individual seen without optics] (Paul Whiteman)
• Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens: 1p Egyptian Goose, c.40 Swift, Grey Wagtail, singing Reed Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, c.240 Starling; also c.20 Common Blue Damselfly, 1m Emperor, c.20 Black-tailed Skimmer (Des McKenzie).
• East India Dock: 3+ Blackcap, singing Reed Warbler, 4 Stock Dove, 5 Heron, 3 Shelduck. 10+ adult Common Terns and minimum of 3 largish chicks. (Richard Harrison)
• Rainham Marshes: 2 Little Egrets (David Darrell-Lambert).

June 12 2006

• Paddington Green: escaped White-eared or White-cheeked Bulbul (not specifically identified) along Adpar Street at 12.30hrs (Des McKenzie).
• Teddington: Nightjar still present Bolton Gdns/Cromwell Rd (RBA)

June 11 2006

• Stoke Newington West reservoir: Humming-bird Hawk-moth (TeRNS)
• Just S of M25 / M40 junction c 4.20 pm: Buzzard (Nigel May)
• Archway: 3.20pm Red Kite overhead north; 4.30pm Great White Egret over north (Benjamin Epstein)
• Kensington Gardens: Common Tern and singing Reed Warbler (Des McKenzie).
• Knight's Hill/Dulwich 19.20: Hobby overhead heading SSW (Martin Honey).
• Primrose Hill: House Martins nesting in Regent's Park Road (David Fox)

June 10

• Rainham Marshes: 2 Avocet (non-breeding), Hobby, 3 Little Egrets, 2 Cuckoos (David Callahan).
• Walthamstow Res: Spoonbill on East Warwick Island until 1545 at least - turns out that this was the same Dutch-ringed bird present at Rainham yesterday (David Callahan).
• Teddington: Nightjar still present until 2200 at least, right outside station, displaying and hawking down to 2 metres (David Callahan).
• Netherhall (Lea Valley): 2 Turtle Dove; Bullfinch; 2 Shelduck (Nigel May)
• Kensington Gardens: 1 singing Reed Warbler (David Jeffreys).

June 09

• Oxford Street W1: Peregrine south at 16.42hrs (Des McKenzie).
• Richmond Park: Nightjar churring in middle of park at 10.30pm (John Palmer).
• Tower Hamlets Cemetery: Crane flew NW at 1350 - it was observed picking up height using the thermals on flat wings before heading off at speed (Bob Watts, Phil Hissey)
• Rainham Marshes: Spoonbill - same bird as Walthamstow Res, June 10th (from ELBF website).
• Rye Meads (RSPB): many Common Terns (one pr mating), Turtle Dove calling, 2 Kingfishers (1 fishing), 1 Grey Wagtail and several Warblers various (Sedge, Reed, Garden, Blackcap, Common and Lesser Whitethroats, Willow and Chiffchaff)(David Fox)

June 08

• Hyde Park: 4 Common Tern (Des McKenzie).

June 07

• Leyton: 5 (!) Red Kites over the house, came in from the NNE and went off SSE at 11:45 (Paul Whiteman)
• Paddington Basin: 2 Common Tern (Des McKenzie).
• St. John's Wood: Hobby hunting Swifts in the area between 19.08hrs and 19.14hrs (Des McKenzie).

June 06

• Regents Park:7 singing Reed Warblers, 4 Kestrel chicks in box(Tony Duckett)
• Walthamstow Res: Cuckoo, Kingfisher (David Callahan).
• St James' Park: Two Reed Warblers (David Bradshaw).
• East India Dock: 1 Oystercatcher briefly, 1 Reed Warbler singing (Richard Harrison).
• Camley Street Natural Park: 2 Reed Warblers (Tom Clarke).
• Paddington Green Area: first Herring Gull chicks hatched from small local colony (Des McKenzie).
• Teddington: Nightjar again on Cromwell road near Bolton Gardens junction on pavement 9.20-9.50pm (RBA).

June 05

• Cromwell Road Teddington: Nightjar showing well from 22:15 to 23:30 at least close to the junction with Bolton Gardens. Favouring the area of lamp post 120. Churring, wing clapping, sitting in the road and on cars. Apparently present for 11th day (Chris Wilkinson).
• Walthamstow Res: Blue-headed Wagtail reported at Lockwood (P. Lambert via D. Callahan).
• East India Dock: 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Whitethroat (Richard Harrison).

June 4

• Rainham Marshes RSPB: Montagu's Harrier (Birdguides).
• River Thames - Marble Hill Hall, Twickenham, upstream to Deep Cross (by rowing skiff): The more commentworthy were: 4 pairs Great C Grebes, 1 pr with young; 2 Common Terns flying upriver; 9 Egyptian Geese on Twickenham river bank steps opposite Eel Pie Island at known public feeding point for Canada Gees and Swans, 2 with very white heads and no eye patch (largest number seen together along this reach where pairs quite common); 1 Grey Wagtail flying low across Deep Cross reach towards Ham Riverside Lands; 3 Cormorants with the flaps out in the sun; numerous Whitethroats and Blackcaps singing and calling from riverbank shrubbery and trees. (For future reference, rowing skiffs can be hired - £10 returnable deposit and three pound per person per hour from the Ham boat ferry at the upstream end of Marble Hill Hall Park 10am to 6pm daily in the summer. 1 hour is fine for downstream to Richmond and back, perhaps 1 1/2 hours for leisurely row upstream to Teddington Lock and back. Different bird perspective and great summer exercise! The contiguous public grounds of Marble Hill Hall (Eng Her), Orleans House and 300 yards to York House Gardens (both Richmond Council), will usually yield Goldcrests and Ring-necked Parakeets all year round and Nuthatches, GS Woodpeckers and Treecreepers regularly. The opposite bank has Ham House (NT) and a mile of productive shrubbery and woodland in the public Ham Riverside Lands, beside the towpath to Teddington Lock that provides, with the pedestrian ferry, a circular walk. Excuse the travelogue - but its worth a plug (Angus Innes.)
• Totteridge Valley: Cuckoo, Lapwing and 2 Spotted Flycatchers. (Ian Ellis)
• Rainham Marshes RSPB: Female Montagu's Harrier for its 2nd day up to 11.35am at least (M K Dennis posted by V H-F).
• Bishopsgate, East London Line: Spotted Flycatcher and 2 Painted Lady's.(Dave Morrison).
• Beech Farm: Turtle Dove present at the farm.(Mark McManus)
• Kensington Gardens: 1 female Mandarin on edge of round lake, three large raptors and a falcon over very high, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2.30-3pm (observer?).
• Harlington Sports Ground ex Chelsea - field on other side of road- 3 Lapwings feeding with a couple of hundred starlings , several pied wagtails, 6 skylarks present singing and the odd Meadow pippet - all on land destined for new Heathrow runway(Mike Goodall)

June 3

• Dagenham: Red Kite flew North towards Chadwell Heath at 10.10am [a garden tick!] (Vince Halley-Frame).

June 2

• Amwell: 2 Turtle Doves (one purring at 16.32 and two in flight close-by heading NE at height a few minutes later) (Martin Shepherd).
• Blackfriars Bridge: Oystercatcher flew downriver at 1320hrs. (Rob Innes)
• Barnes WWT :1 Lesser Whitethroat, 35 Carrion Crows and 2 Foxes on Grazing Marsh (Phil Hobbs)
• Valentines Park: drake Garganey with Mallards (David Darrell-Lambert).
• West Thurrock: Garden Warbler singing by pool and Little Egret (David Darrell-Lambert).

June 1

• Barnes WWT: 2nd summer Yellow-legged Gull (Matthew Palmer)
• Hyde Park, Southern bridle track: old lady feeding 7 Grey Herons with Pepperamis! (N Millar) .. 7 equals the best site count (DMc). Imagine she feeds them daily...about 7pm (NM)
• Molesey: Red Kite flew NE over at 1530 (Steve Spooner).