July 17, 2010

July 17th 2010

Fairlop Waters:


  • 2 Buzzards (Jean Hutchins)

Roding Valley Park, north:

  • Little Egret in the usual place
Valentines Park:


  • Common Tern still present at the boating lake (PHopkins)
  • Great Crested Grebe pr with young, and another egg on a 2nd nest! (GWare)
  • I went over to Valentines Park with a friend yesterday (Saturday 17th July), specifically to try and see the Great Crested Grebe family, as I'd not seen the baby yet. We were in luck! I'm not sure how old the baby is now, but it was swimming around on its own in the water, near the nest, with Mum and Dad nearby. Mum was sitting on the nest, which I'm told is a new nest, only a few feet away from the old nest. Dad was very busy bringing new nest material back and forth, and Mum was then 'arranging' it. After a while, Mum stepped off of the nest - and we saw one egg in the nest! I didn't realise they had new families so soon after the previous one? Baby jumped onto Mum's back whilst she was in the water, so that was delightful to watch. After a while, Mum 'tipped' the baby gently back into the water, whilst she returned to sit on the egg in the nest. However, baby then crawled back onto Mum's back again, this time whilst she was on the nest. (Kathy Hartnett)

Wanstead Flats:

  • Whimbrel south,
  • Common Tern (S Fisher) Yellow Wagtail (S Fisher, N Croft [96/103]),
  • Kingfisher (on Alex), Common Sandpiper (ditto, J Lethbridge) - later 2 birds,
  • Lesser Whitethroat (juv) (JL),
  • 2 Sparrowhawk, Kestrel,
  • Swift passing through, Swallow (NC), Sand Martin (SF), 10+ House Martin,
  • Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Meadow Pipits, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush,
  • Shoveler, Tufted Duck (on Alex - SF, NC), 10 Ring-necked Parakeet, 15+ Cormorant, 5 Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Lttle Grebe and the usuals - see I told you it would be massive, even if my contribution was only the Swallow! (Nick Croft).

Wanstead Park:

  • the Pochard were still on Shoulder of Mutton Pond, a Heron popped in and was later mobbed by some crows, and then of course Tawny Owls [97 tick for the Wanstead year] (Nick Croft)

Woodford Bridge: Roding Lane North:

  • Green Woodpecker in the cemetary (AHobson)

No comments: