May 26th 2010

Fairlop Gravel Works:

• all 8 Canada Goose nests are now empty, and broods are scattered accross the site.
• Mute Swan, Mallard, Shelduck, pr Gadwall, Coot, Moorhen
• 2+ Lapwing, 3+ Little Ringed Plover
• c10 Lesser Black Backed Gulls, 2 Herring Gulls
• 2 Stock Dove
• c20 Swifts, 10 House Martin collecting wet mud (largest number so far)
• 2 Yellow Wagtail still present!
• 2 Linnet (DEH)

Fairlop Waters:

• c50 Swifts

Hainault, Forest Park Crematorium:

• 2 male Hobby at Forest Road Crematorium, c13:00hrs: (Neil Santy)

Ilford:

• Swift Sightings:
• Gearies centre - 6 regularly and I've spotted two nests sites (swifts going in under the eaves of houses).
• Ilford Garden 3-4 but can't tell where they're nesting, also 4-5 House Martins.
• Valentines - again 3-4 Swifts usually (Barbara J)

Valentines Park:

• Family of Mute Swans (pr + 8 cygnets on the boating lake), additional adult on Long Water.
• 1 Egyptian Goose, 1 Greylag Goose (hybrid), many Canada Geese, Mallards, few Tufted Duck, 1 male and 1 female Pochard on the baoting lake.
• 3 juvenile Grey Herons still on the nest
• 2 Great Crested Grebe on the boating lake
• 3 Lesser Black Backed Gulls, 3 Black Headed Gulls
• 5 Swift
• Great Spotted Woodpecker
• Woodpigeons, Feral Pigeons, 1 Stock Dove, 2 Collared Dove
• Wren, Robin, Dunnock, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush
• Blue Tits, Great Tits, 2 Long Tailed Tits
• Carrion Crows, Magpies,
• Starlings, 9 House Sparrow, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Greenfinch (U3A Birding Group, via MC)

Wanstead, Windsor Road:

• escaped White-cheeked Turaco again (J Lethbridge)

Wanstead Flats:

• (07:00-11:00): Great Crested Grebe (still Alexandra Lake),
• Coal Tit (by cemetry),
• squirrel swimming to island on Alexandra Lake being attacked by coots,
• 4 House Martin, loads of Swift,
• 1 imm Common Gull (Jub),
• Ring Necked Parakeet,
• 5 Cormorant,
• 2 Lesser Black Backed Gull,
• 3 Mistle Thrush,
• Reed Bunting and
• Coot, Moorhen, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Starling, Carrion Crow, Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Blue tit, Great Tit, Long-Tailed Tit, Coal Tit (by cemetery), Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Reed Bunting, Skylark, Wood Pigeon, 2 Stock Dove, Collared Dove, Green Woodpecker, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Little Grebe, Blackbird, Song Thrush, 3 Mistle Thrush, Robin, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Wren, Dunnock, Meadow Pipit (Nick Croft)

Wanstead Park:

• Reed Warbler still by Shoulder of Mutton,
• 2 Bullfinch,
• 2 Grey Heron, 1 imm Herring Gull,
• 3 Great Crested Grebe on Perch,
• Ring Necked Parakeet,
• even more loads of Swift
• also: Coot, Moorhen, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Starling, Carrion Crow, Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Blue tit, Great Tit, Long-Tailed Tit, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, 3 Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Little Grebe, 3 Great Crested Grebe (on Perch), Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Wren, Dunnock(Nick Croft)
• ps Reed Warbler still present at SOM (evening) (PFerris)

Highams Park, garden: (just outside the borough)

• My garden, Highams Park, just outside the borough: A newly fledged family of Great Tits, being fed in our Sycamore tree, the parents were busily collecting food and feeding the youngsters!! A Magpie from our nesting birds, sitting on our washing line, with food in it`s beak!! (Emma Charles)