LONDON NEWS

Black Redstart

Holmethorpe Sand Pits: 1 Little Gull (adult winter plumage, Mercer's Lake for third day), 1 Little Ringed Plover (Water Colour lagoon 2).London Wetland Centre (Barnes WWT): 2 Bearded Tits, 7 Waxwings east.King George Reservoir: 1 (f) Long-tailed Duck -north basin, 15 Goosander, 20+Goldeneye, 1 Dunlin, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 3 Redshank,1st Summer Black Redstart west bank.Staines Res:pr Shelduck, 20+ Goldeneye, Slavonian Grebe (south basin), Black-necked Grebe (south basin).

LONDON NEWS

 Juvenile red-throated diver

King George VI Reservoir: Black-throated Diver & Great Northern Diver reported yesterday.Staines Reservoir: 06.50-08.50 Slavonian Grebe (S.Basin, west corner, from 08.00), 1 Red Throated Diver (N.Basin), 2 female Scaup (S.Basin), 2 Little Ringed Plover.Walthamstow Res Lockwood: Redshank, Wheatear. West Warwick Slavonian Grebe.Middlesex filterbeds NR: Single Firecrest, 7 singing chiffchaff, skylark over.Hackney E8 Amhurst Rd/Institute Place junction: 14:15 c.20 Waxwing returning regularly to tall tree after feeding nearby.Mickleham: 20-25 Hawfinch at Juniper Bottom. 2 Marsh tits, Nuthatch, 2 Stock doves from car park.Selsdon: Two Red Kites circling over shops, mobbed by a Crow, at 14:10.

PATCHBIRDING

Here's how am doing so far with 75 points.

LONDON NEWS

Grey Plover

 Red Knot

Walthamstow Reservoirs: Knot through Lockwood Reservoir this morning; also 2 Grey Plover & Buzzard.(Lol Cumming,KJMcmanus). Richmond Park: Marsh Harrier male flew north over Pen Ponds at 10.05.Rainham Marshes: Kittiwake.Staines Reservoir: Red-throated Diver still on North Basin, two female Scaup on South Basin this morning.Wormwood Scrubs: Kittiwake flew southeast this morning; also Wheatear.

LONDON NEWS

Yellow Wagtail

Leyton E10: Yellow Wagtail SE @ 06:35.Lewisham Park SE13: 1 Red Kite, over at 4.00pm.Weybridge KT13: ♂ Black Redstart on track perimeter fence at Mercedes-Benz World in an area with no general access.Ladywell Fields, SE13: c12 Waxwings feeding in tall trees directly behind Lewisham Hospital.Streatham Common SW16: 3 Waxwing.

UK & LONDON NEWS

Black-throated Thrush

UK MEGA:BLACK-THROATED THRUSH (M) @Banchory in garden of 31 Ash Tree Road; Ring doorbell to view.LONDON:Rainham Marshes: Little Gull. 2 Black Redstart, Wheatear, f Stonechat all along Ferry Lane.Bromley:Richmond Park:RING OUZEL.LOCKWOOD RES;AD MED GULL,55 Lapwings.(KJM). Central Library reports of parakeet heads being left on window ledges culprit unknown (Ozzy Osbourne or a Peregrine I suspect). (Good luck to him/her/it in continuing to right the ecological balance - ) - A silly, spurious argument, frankly. Parakeets provide some welcome exotic colour. The argument about 'right[ing] the ecological [which you spell incorrectly] balance' is spurious because you are using it selectively - I'm sure you wouldn't start blasting Little Owls out of trees, for example. Maybe because Little Owls do little damage whereas Parakeets do more? Of course it's selective, some species have more impact than others.-(Great Spotted Woodpecker  12.00hrs). I believe Dave Harris of the Surrey Bird Club may be of assistance here - He viewed Peregrines at Walton Res. for a number of years treating Parakeets as light snacks and beheading the victims before eating a little and discarding (if I remember rightly) (Neil Batten). The Peregrines at CXH have made Parakeets a specialty of theirs (Nathalie Mahieu). THIS PAGE IS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR RECORDING THE LATEST SIGHTINGS. IF YOU WANT TO ARGUE THE MERITS OF PRESERVING OR CULLING PARAKEETS, USE ANOTHER.(WIKI WARS I LOVE IT).

LONDON NEWS

 Firecrest

Tower Bridge: Kittiwake 09.00.Wanstead Flats: Kittiwake east along Cemetery boundary, 3 Golden Plover on police scrape till 08:00.Wanstead Park: Firecrest Bush Wood.

LONDON NEWS

Stone Curlew 

Wanstead Flats:STONE CURLEW until 10.00 am then flew off high north-west.Walthamstow Reservoirs: Lockwood - Dunlin (winter plumaged) N, male Wheatear, 3rd yr Yellow-legged Gull; East Warwick - Slav Grebe.Mickleham, Surrey: c40 Hawfinch.Tyttenhanger GP Black-necked Grebe 2 Oystercatcher.Cross Ness: adult Little Gull east past golf centre 12.45pm before flying southeast inland; pair of Common Scoters east past golf centre 12.24pm and Wheatear still.Rainham Marshes RSPB: 2 ad Little Gull, 2pr Common Scoter, drake Goosander, 2 male Wheatear (1 ad, 1 1st winter), 3 Black Redstart (1 male, 2 female), Common Sandpiper, ad Med Gull.

LONDON NEWS

Kittiwake 

Grays: 8 adult Little Gulls by Wharf Public House and 3 Kittiwakes flew upriver.Cross Ness: first-summer male Wheatear in the paddocks and 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls off the golf centre.Mickleham: c45+ Hawfinch c. 07:45, 40 + still at 11:00.Ferry Lane: 2  Northern Wheatear and Female Black Redstart on foreshore.Wanstead Flats: Northern Wheatear in ditch west of Alex but briefly.

LONDON NEWS

Black-necked grebe

Lockwood res:Summer Plumaged BLACK-NECKED GREBE,Buzzard.(KJM).Brent Reservoir: Avocet until 16.10 at least.Bushy Park: Red Kite, 12 Waxwings.Crayford Marshes: 2 Raven flew SW at 06:45, Spotted Redshank, Little Owl, 2 Pintail (pair), Chiffchaff, 3 Curlew.London Wetland Centre: 2 Avocet dropped onto wader scrape at 9.10am.Staines Moor: Red Kite, Buzzard, Jack Snipe, Little Egret, Sand Martin, Water Pipit.Gallions Reach E6: 1 Dunlin, 3 Oystercatcher, 5 Curlew, 3 Black-tailed Godwit.Middlesex Filter Beds NR: singing male Firecrest in bed adjacent to river at 15:15.Perivale UB6: 2 Waxwings in trees directly opposite Perivale Library on Horsenden Lane South.Queen Mother Reservoir: Long-tailed Duck and Rock Pipit.King George V Reservoir: female Scaup still on S basin early afternoon, 4 Goosander, 1 White Wagtail.

UK & LONDON NEWS

White-throated Sparrow 

UK NEWS:MEGA:White-throated Sparrow Churchinford Somerset(23rd Jan - 3rd March)..LONDON NEWS:
Crayford Marshes: Spotted Redshank, Bar-tailed Godwit, 5 Corn Bunting, 2 Pintail (pair), 9 Black-tailed Godwit, Yellow-legged Gull, 2 Green Sandpiper.Staines Reservoir: Red-throated Diver still on N Basin, juv Great Northern Diver, Black-necked Grebe.Wanstead Flats: probable imm Marsh Harrier east over northern flats towards Ilford.Loughton, Essex IG10 (Avondale Drive): 13 Waxwing 11.00am.Tyttenhanger GP 2 Oystercatcher, Redshank, c20 Golden Plover, 25+ Fieldfare,12 Lesser Redpoll, 4 Meadow Pipit, Red Kite, Kingfisher, 3 Skylark, 33+ Shoveler, Little Grebe.

LONDON NEWS

King George V Reservoir: Long-tailed Duck.Queen Mother Reservoir: Long-tailed Duck.Canons Farm: Brambling, 27 Stock Dove, 17 Pheasant, 2 Buzzard, c150 Chaffinch, 9 Fieldfare, 12 Redwing, 5 Song Thrush, 17 Blackbird, 8 Yellowhammer, 12 Dunnock; many of them singing.Crayford Marshes: Spotted Redshank, immature Marsh Harrier, Little Owl, 2 Green Sandpiper, Cetti's Warbler, Rock Pipit.Staines Reservoir: 2 Common Scoter, Red-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver.Wanstead Flats: Woodlark over pub scrub NE, f Stonechat.Regent's Park/Primrose Hill: 1 Red Kite high E 09:40.

LONDON NEWS

Staines Reservoir: Red-throated Diver.

Black-tailed Godwit

Crayford Marshes: Little Ringed Plover, Spotted Redshank, 2 Pintail (pair), Common Buzzard, 10 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Yellow-legged Gull, 2 Peregrine (pair), Water Rail, Little Owl, 2 Green Sandpiper, Chiffchaff.Sewardstone Marsh: Long-eared Owl  sitting in the open on new fence line on the east side of the marsh level with Northfield Nursery.Walthamstow:East warwick Rock Pipit (Lol Cumming).West warwick Slav grebe still.(KJMcmanus).

LONDON NEWS

Little Gull

 Hawfinch

Mickleham, Juniper Bottom: Hawfinch (110+), first birds arrived at 06.40, largest flock of 80 at 07.35 - 07.50, 30+ on western wooded slope. Activity reduced from 10.30 onwards.Leyton Oliver Road E10: c07:15 Great White Egret flew south east.Gallions Reach: 2 ad Little Gulls, Yellow-legged Gull, 2 Shoveler, 9 Curlew, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Common Snipe, 2 Skylark, 8 Fieldfare. Rainham Marshes RSPB: 4 Knot flushed from west end Aveley Bay (Nick Croft), 200 + Dunlin, Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Golden Plover, Snipe, Redshank, Marsh Harrier,, Peregrine Flacon, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Rock Pipit, Caspian Gull, Short-eared Owl, Barn Owl, Black Redstart.

LONDON NEWS

Canons Farm:Barn Owl.

Coccothraustes coccothraustes

Mickleham, Juniper Bottom: 90-110 Hawfinch from 8am.East Dulwich: 13 Waxwing briefly feeding in Crab Apple Tree outside 109 Crystal Palace Road. Slavonian Grebe still present on West Warwick & Rock Pipit on east warwick.Middlesex F.B. Still at least 1 Firecrest in central wooded bed.Canons Farm: BARN OWL currently showing well at rear entrance to usual cowshed viewable from Reads Rest Lane.

LONDON NEWS

Red-throated Diver

Staines Reservoir: Black-throated Diver, Red-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver.Crayford Marshes: Spotted Redshank, Bar-tailed Godwit, 3 Grey Plover, 158 Golden Plover, 4 Pintail, Little Owl, Water Rail, Rock Pipit, 3 Green Sandpiper.King George V Res.: 1 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Curlew, 3 Common Buzzard over farmland, 8 Goosander.Lockwood res: 2 Buzzard,Sand Martin.(KJM).

LONDON NEWS

 Ring Ouzel

Canons Farm: Ring Ouzel (London year-1st) @10:10 by Reads Rest Cottages (CFBW).Crayford Marshes: Spotted Redshank, 2 Knot, adult Mediterranean Gull, 2 Grey Plover, 2  Pintail (pair), Little Owl, Cetti's Warbler, Green Sandpiper, 3 Rock Pipit.Mickleham Woods 30+ Hawfinch this morning.

LONDON NEWS

Iceland Gull

Crayford Marshes: Iceland Gull flying up-river at 08.09.Wanstead Flats: Short-eared Owl NNW over brooms.Walthamstow Reservoirs: First winter Little Gull battling against wind over East Warwick at 7am.Lee Valley RP: Hall Marsh - summer-plumage Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Snipe; Flood Relief Channel - 5 Goosander (3m & 2f).

LONDON NEWS

Spoonbill 

Crayford Marshes: 1st winter Little Gull, Sandwich Tern, 4 adult Kittiwake all flew up the Thames a.m; Spotted Redshank, 2 adult Mediterranean Gull, Grey Plover, 35 Golden Plover, 5 Curlew.Rainham Marshes: Spoonbill on Purfleet Scrape. Betchworth: c12.BRENT GEESE flew north late morning. 60+ Hawfinches Juniper Bottom still.

LONDON NEWS

Mickleham: 100+ Hawfinch at Juniper Bottom late morning. Some pics here. There was no sign of any this afternoon or yesterday afternoon (following 12+ seen at 10.30am) so it seems mornings might be most reliable if you are visiting. Park at the Whitehill car park on Headley Lane at TQ 176 529 and walk SSE for c650 yards till you reach tall conifers on your right with open leaf litter bottom (shortly before pile of ash surrounded by stakes), this is TQ 180 524 - the birds spent a lot of time in these pines and also flew to feed in the yews on the other side of the path and also visited bare deciduous trees further down. Flock seemed to divide into two, with 60-70 or maybe more flying south for a time while 40 or so remained near said tall conifers, with other birds calling elsewhere. We had fifty in a tree in one scope view at one point. (David Campbell, Jamie McKenzie and Josh Burch). TQ 180 524 is 19.88 miles from St Paul's. Is this the highest-ever count in the London Area? My highest count in Dagnam Park/Duck Wood - a regular site in the 1980's and early 1990's - was 50+ on 23rd February 1986 (C. Jupp). I have looked through all the Essex Avifauna's: 200 in Epping Forest on 28th Feb 1942 and flocks of 200-300 were also recorded there in the 19th Century. The above appears to be the first three-figure flock in the London Recording Area outside of Epping and the last there was over 70 years ago, so an excellent record.

Hawfinchs at juniper bottom.(DKCampbell).

HAWFINCH 100+ at Juniper Bottom (TQ 180523) Ten Acre Wood area: 2 Barn Owls, Jack Snipe, Little Egret.

LONDON NEWS

Crayford Marshes: 18 Waxwing feeding on Rose hips near the recycling centre; Spotted Redshank,  2 Avocet, 20 Curlew, 10 Oystercatcher, Green Sandpiper.Leyton: 19 Waxwings in Sycamore corner of Oliver Rd & Inskip Close E10. 10:45-11:00 at least. Walthamstow Reservoirs: West Warwick res - Slavonian Grebe still.

LONDON NEWS

Firecrest

Brent Reservoir: Slavonian Grebe from path to hides all afternoon.Crayford Marshes: 3rd winter Caspian Gull, Spotted Redshank, Common Buzzard, 3 Rock Pipit, 2 Green Sandpiper.Forest Gate E7 (Earlham Grove/Durning Hall): 48 Waxwing.Walthamstow Reservoirs:Lockwood res: Sand Martin 1st London,Lockwood channel (Pair) Mandarin Duck.(KJMcmanus).Slavonian Grebe now on West Warwick.Middlesex Filter Beds: 2 Firecrest (1 singing), 1 Chiffchaff.

SPRING IS HERE

Sand Martin 

Mandarin Duck 

Not a bad day at the patch with london's 1st summer migrant SAND MARTIN and then shorty after 6 jackdaws both scoring birds.After a couple of more hours of stalking out and with no joy i went on a walk abouts and i scored with a patch mega a pair of MANDARIN DUCKS.62spp 67 points.

LONDON NEWS

Barn Owl

Crayford Marshes: Barn Owl, Spotted Redshank, Ruff, 6 Corn Bunting, Grey Plover, 149 Golden Plover, 4 Rock Pipit, Water Rail, Little Owl, Kingfisher, Green Sandpiper, 5 Oystercatcher.Rainham RSPB: Female and 2 imm male Marsh Harrier, imm male Hen Harrier, female peregrine, Common Buzzard, 3 Water Pipit (Stone Barges) male & female Black Redstart (Ferry Lane Ind Est).Ten Acre Wood area: Jack Snipe, 2 Common Snipe, Barn Owl, Little Egret.