April 13th 2009

Fairlop Gravel Works:

• Daniel Erickson-Hull, Jonathan Makengo, Tajinder Lachhar and Alan Thomas sightings from Fairlop Works and Fairlop Nature Reserve 8am-11am
• 1 Shelduck, also Mallard, 6 Tufted Duck, Coot, Moorhen.
• a few Lesser Black Backed Gulls, 1 being mobbed by Little Ringed Plovers.
• Grey Heron flew from site and 1 Cormorant (over)
• 4 Little Ringed Plover (being very vocal and impressively displaying)
• 6 Lapwing, including 1 doing it's broken wing trick.
• a few Swallows, 5 Linnet, 2 Meadow Pipit and about 10 Skylark.
• 2 Green Woodpeckers calling
• 4 Pheasant seen (1m, 3f) others heard distantly.
• at least 2 (probably 4) Wheatear (2m, 2f).
• 3 Stock Dove (over) (DEH/JM/AT/TL)
• Also, 2 Redshank, am (Steve Bacon)
• 6 Redshank seen at 4pm (Jonathan Makengo/Ryan Rnlanda)
• 2 Buzzard seen flying high at 4.30pm (JMak)
• 1 Kestrel hunting... (Jmak)
• 2 Green Sandpiper and 3 Snipe at 7pm (DEH/TL/AT)
• 2 Sand Martin nest prospecting (it looked like)
• Long Tailed Tits feeding on Hainault Road
• 10 Tufted Duck, 6 Shoveler on the northern works site, with 1 Little Grebe (Shoveler flew to southern site)
• 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker (heard)
• 30+ (maybe a lot more) Pied Wagtails flying into roost at 7.30pm among which were at least 2 White Wagtails
• 3 Wheatear still present at 7.30 (2 male, 1 female)

Fairlop Waters NR:

• 9 or 10 Swallows around the Riding School barns. Also, in thier paddock there was an impressive collection of birds: 12 Meadow Pipit, c30 Linnet, c20 Goldfinch, 1 beautiful female Yellow Wagtail, 10 Collared Doves and a few Feral Pigeons. Also: 10 Greenfinch, 5 Chaffinch, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Robins, Blackbirds and Wrens.
• Many Rabbits in the field opposite, including young.
• 4 Blackcap and 5+ Chiffchaff in the vicitity of the lagoon, and a Willow Warbler.
• 3 male and a female Reed Bunting, 2 Jays and 1 Dunnock.
• 2 Moorhen and a Coot near the Lagoon, and Mute Swans.
• 4 Stock Doves (over)
• a further 2 Green Woodpeckers.
• Also: Carrion Crow, Magpie, Starling, Wood Pigeon. (TJ/AT/JMak/DEH)
• 2 Little Owls seen copulating (again) at the usual place at 7.40pm
• Great Crested Grebe and Long Tailed Tit (Madeline Sevoir)

Clayhall:

• Grey Heron flying over Woodford Avenue

Wanstead Park:

• 2 Egyptian Geese
• male and female Blackcaps (J-P Elms)

Roding Valley Park:

• Little Egret seen standing in the middle of the river, while I drove accross the bridge at Woodford Bridge (DEH)

Claybury Park:

• 3 Blackcap including a pair, 2 Chiffchaff. (Alan Hobson)
• Green Woodpecker, 5 Great Spotted Woodpecker (AH)
• 5 Stock Dove, 6 Jays, 4 Lesser Black Backed Gull. (AH)

City of London Cemetery: (just outside the borough)

• 2 Swallows over
• 3 Redwing
• 3 Coal Tit, including a pair at a nest hole, alarm calling at Magpie and Jay (SFisher)

Aldersbrook: (just outside the borough)

• Little Egret (SFisher)