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ted Please list sightings in alphabetical order by site. Only report sightings that are of wider interest, rather than listing all common birds. However, DO NOT post details of nesting by scarce breeding birds (those included in Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, as amended). Any such reports will be removed. Please submit them instead to the appropriate London Natural History Society bird recorder. ''Note that records submitted here may be added to the LNHS database for use in the London Bird Report; by posting news here you agree to have your records copied by the LNHS recorder. Further information HERE.''

Monday 27th August 2012

 * Acton Cemetery: Goldcrest (Charlie Farrell).
 * Brent Reservoir: 2 Sandwich Tern over at 09.15, also 4 Yellow Wagtail, 100+ Swift, 3 Green Sandpiper, 7 Common Sandiper] & 3 Lapwing (Andrew Self & Andrew Verrall).
 * Crossness: 6 Turnstones roosted on seawall by Crossness Engines, juv Arctic Tern feeding by sewage outfall, c130 Common Terns (50+ feeding off sewage outfall, c80 upriver), adult Mediterranean Gull, 4+ Yellow-legged Gulls (2 adults, 3rd winter, 1+ juvs), Little Egret, 3 Common Sandpipers, 2 Swallows east, Goldcrest (John Archer & Andy Wardell).
 * King George V Res: 11 Arctic Tern south, 2 juv. Black Tern, 2 Swift, 2 Grey Wagtail, Sand & House Martin & Swallow present in low numbers ( Tony Clancy).
 * London Wetland Centre (WWT, Barnes): Despite the lack of mud still 3 or 4 Common Sandpiper, 2 Green Sandpipe, r6 Common Snipe. 1 Hobby, 2 Sparrowhawk, 1 Sedge Warbler, ad Reed Warbler feeding young, 2 Whinchat, 1m Reed Bunting, 1 Common Tern, several Sand Martin visiting nest bank, some House Martin, Swift, Willow Warbler, Cetti's Warbler and Chiffchaff. Also seen were Kingfisher, 2 Peregrine (Martin Honey).
 * Lord's Cricket Ground: 1 Jersey Tiger on hanging basket - and not to be confused with Essex Lion (John Colmans)
 * Nine Elms Sainsbury's Car Park: Kestrel perched, then headed west then circled back east at 1pm (Michael Mac).
 * Osterley Park: 05.25 1 Barn Owl. 1 Little Owl. 1 Hobby. 2 Whinchat. (K.Fisher)
 * Rainham RSPB Reserve: 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Buzzard, 1 Hobby, 1 Ruff, 1 (4 reported) Green Sandpiper, 4 Black Tailed Godwit, 6 Little Egret, Reed Warbler (Nigel May). 2 Sandwich Tern east at 10 25; 6 Yellow Wagtail, 3 LRPs, 3 Swift(David and Ian Bradshaw).
 * Regent's Park: 2 Spotted Flycatcher (Old Golf School wildlife pen, area 39), 7 Willow Warbler, 5 Chiffchaff, 5 Blackcap, 1 Swift, 2 House Martin, 1 imm Kestrel. Big clearout of migrant songbirds over the last two days (birdman_euston).
 * Richmond Park:1 Honey Buzzard flew very low S over Thatched House Lodge being mobbed by Jackdaws and Parakeets @ !6.40. (Steve Read per FJM)
 * Staines Moor: 07:30-12:30 very quiet - 2 Whinchat still along new fence beside Colne at north end, 1 Hobby, 2-3 Common Whitethroat, c15 Swallow S, c100 Goldfinch, c40 Linnet, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kingfisher. 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Little Egret and small numbers of Swallow and House Martin at Stanwell Moor (Lee Dingain).
 * Staines Reservoir: 06.20-08.45 1 Curlew Sandpiper 06.25-06.30 (N.Basin, west bank), 2 Black Tern (S.Basin), 5 Little Gull (S.Basin), 1 Hobby (S.Basin), 5 Common Sandpiper, 1 Dunlin, Swift, Swallow, House Martin, Sand Martin (A.Luscombe, Bob Warden).
 * Tyttenhanger GP : 3 Mediterranean Gull (1ad 2juv) 2 Little Ringed Plover (juvs) (Steve Blake
 * Walthamstow Marsh: 3 Yellow Wagtails Cow field, Lesser Whitethroat in Tit flock North end, 1 Yellow Wagtail & Wheatear Horse field. (Paul Whiteman) Conclusive proof that 75% of flava Wags when asked preferred Cows to Horses.
 * Wanstead Flats: Wryneck showed well briefly at 10am, male Redstart, Whinchat, Wheatear, 2 Yellow Wagtail over (Wanstead Collective).
 * Woodlands Farm (Shooter's Hill) Hobby, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Blackcap, Whitethroat (Conrad Ellam)
 * Woolwich Common: 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 5+Blackcap, 5+Chiffchaff, 10+Whitethroat, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker (Conrad Ellam)
 * Wormwood Scrubs: 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, c8 Common Whitethroat, c8 Blackcap, 1 Willow Warbler, c6 Chiffchaff & 10 Linnet (The Scrubbers).

Sunday 26th August 2012

 * Brent Reservoir: 4 Common Buzzards west at 10.40, also 3 Yellow Wagtails over, 3 Green Sandpipers, 10 Common Sandpipers & 3 Lapwing (Andrew Self & Andrew Verrall).
 * Brent Cross: 6 Grey Wagtails feeding along the River Brent opposite the bus station outside the Shopping Centre; Sparrowhawk soaring overhead (Frank Nugent).
 * Canons Farm: 1w male Common Redstart still & Whinchat, 2 Yellow Wagtails (Ian Jones, Geoff Barter, David Campbell et al).
 * Colney Hatch Lane/North Circular - waste ground: 2 Yellow Wagtails (P.Angus).
 * Edgwarebury, Edgware, Middx: Whinchat, Wheatear, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Spotted Flycatchers, Buzzards, Sperrowhawk, Little Owl (NW London RSPB Group Birdwalk: Bob Husband, Fay Broom et al).
 * Fairlop Waters: Wood Sandpiper (Birdguides).
 * Gallions Reach: 2 Little Tern downriver @ 12.00, 4 Black Tern, Caspian Gull (juv), 17 Common Tern, 4 Common Sandpiper, 9 Lapwing, 2 House Martin, 5 Chiffchaff, Jersey Tiger Moth (Gary A James).
 * Greenwich Park: 1 Pied Flycatcher just N of ranger's House (Martin Hallam per James Lowen).
 * Hampstead Heath: 1 Wheatear, Running Track, 07.30, being harassed by one or other of between 25-30 Mistle Thrush; 4 Swallow, over Parliament Hill, 11.00; 4+ Spotted Flycatcher, 2nd Hedge, Parliament Hill (Frank Nugent) And a Lesser Whitethroat in hawthorn near bandstand ( Pete Mantle).
 * Hextable: Osprey south-east 13:10 (D. McKenzie).
 * London Wetland Centre (WWT, Barnes): 2 Green Sandpiper, 3 Common Sandpiper, 1 Ringed Plover and 1 Dunlin (behaving like the odd couple, never more than metre or two apart), 3 Common Snipe, Wheatear and Whinchat, Hobby hawking dragonflies (for second day), 4 Buzzard over, Peregrine, 1 juvenile Marsh Harrier (low overflight 1pm), Shoveler, Teal (70+), Common Pochard, Gadwall + common ducks, Sand Martin still visiting bank, occasional House Martin and Swift through (high), Reed Warbler, Blackcap, Cetti's Warbler, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff and usual common residents. A lot of dragon and damsel fly activity - and grasshoppers (Angus Innes), 5th Buzzard over SW at 15.45, plus Kingfisher on wader scrape and Common Tern (Martin Honey).
 * North Finchley: Charm of 50+ Goldfinches over house several times this afternoon (John Colmans).
 * Northolt and Greenford CP: Buzzard by Aladdin Tower, A40,12.35 slowly drifting E + gaining height, 2 Kestrels, 50+ Small Red-eyed Damselflies (Northala) (Neil Anderson).
 * Osterley Park: 3 Whinchat, 3 Wheatear (Tom Smith)
 * Rainham Marshes: Montagu's Harrier and Spoonbill (Birdguides).
 * Regent's Park: 1 Wheatear on cricket pitches, area 37 by the Hub 0745-0830; 5 Spotted Flycatcher in old lime trees by old Golf Course, area 39 (Francis Tusa, birdman_euston). 1 Yellow Wagtail over SSW 10:25, 1 juv Pied Wagtail, 2 Common Sandpiper (resting together opposite area-35 lookout 11:30), 1 imm Garden Warbler (Leaf Yard Wood, area 41 at 12:40), 2 Common Whitethroat (areas 39 and 41), 1f Sparrowhawk, 4+ Swift, 20 House Martin, 22 Chiffchaff, 6 Willow Warbler - there was a marked exodus of this species overnight (birdman_euston, Park staff, Morg and Rose).
 * Staines Reservoir: 3 Black Tern on S basin, SW corner and 5 juv Little Gull. Also 1 Black-necked Grebe, 3 Common Sandpiper by late am, 5 Swift (Franko J Maroevic); 9-10 am 2 Hobby, others had Peregrine earlier, 60+ Swifts, smaller numbers of Swallows, House + Sand Martins (Neil Anderson).
 * Totteridge Valley: 4 Crossbill over Darlands Lake calling, Yellow Wagtail heard over Folly Farm, Treecreeper nearby, 50 Swallow north of Folly Farm soon South, plus c20 local breeders around, also Common Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and 2 Little Owls (Tony Clancy, Ian Ellis).
 * Ten Acre Wood area: 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Whinchat (G Westley).
 * Trent Park: 2 Whinchat (new birds), Lesser Whitethroat, 6 Chiffchaff, 5 Mandarin (f) ( Pete Lowman).
 * Walthamstow Marshes (south): 1 Whinchat, 2 Wheatear (TeRNS).
 * Wanstead Flats: Wryneck showing again on SSSI at c09:30 but not after 10:40, Marsh Harrier (thanks to Barry Bishop, Sean Harvey, Nick Croft), also 4 Common Redstart, 6 Wheatear, 3 Whinchat, 3 Spotted Flycatcher, Reed Warbler, Willow Warbler, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, 3 Swift, 6 Sand Martin, 4 Swallow, Hobby, 3 Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, (a Wanstead Wryneck collective).
 * Wormwood Scrubs: 2 female Common Redstart, 1 Sedge Warbler, c30 Blackcap, c20 Common Whitethroat, & 2 Lesser Whitethroat (David Lindo).

Saturday 25th August 2012

 * Brent Reservoir: 3 Arctic Terns to 08.30 only, Crossbill over, 4 Green Sandpiper, 8 Common Sandpiper, 3 Lapwing, 45 Swifts, 10 Chiffchaff, 4 Willow Warblers, 4 Blackcaps, 3 Whitethroats & Garden Warbler (Andrew Self & Andrew Verrall)
 * Bentley Priory: 1f Common Redstart, 1 Spotted Flycatcher (Richard Francis)
 * Blackheath Dips: 18 Swifts, early evening (Joe Beale)
 * Brookmill Park: Mandarin, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Song Thrush, Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap (Conrad Ellam)
 * Canons Farm/Banstead Woods: Honey Buzzard circled then gained height & slowly drifted SE over Canons Farm then Banstead Woods 10.20am-10.25am (Steve Gale via David Campbell). Osprey flew SW over Banstead Woods then Canons Farm 3.34pm-3.38pm (DC) & 1st-winter male Common Redstart still along Slangs (gravel track running from Reads Rest Lane near Lunch Wood, to railway) (Ian Magness, DC et al).
 * Hampstead Heath: Spotted Flycatcher and 2 Whithethroats along Hedge 2 (Pete Mantle)
 * Harringay: Yellow Wagtail, SE over Cavendish Road, N4, 7.45 p.m. (Simon Bradley)
 * London Bridge: Little Gull feeding on what appeared to be sewage outfall after huge thunderstorm.4 pm (P.Angus)
 * London Wetland Centre, Barnes: 3 Whinchat, 2 Green Sandpipers, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Kingfisher (Jim Fell), also 3 Common Sandpiper, 18 Swift, Peregrine, Sparrowhawk, Hobby, (still) nesting Sand Martins, House Martins, 3 Common Snipe, 1 Common Tern, Chiffchaff, Willow & Cetti's Warblers, Blackcap, Whitethroat - plus 2 Yellow Wagtail (Martin Honey).
 * Regent's Park: 1 imm Lesser Whitethroat (Leaf Yard Wood, area 41 at 12:05), 2+ Spotted Flycatcher (Old Golf School, area 39 at 08:30), 2 Garden Warbler (1 imm in Old Golf School wildlife pen at 08:00; 1 ad in area 34 at 11:40), 1 imm Common Sandpiper (11th day in Longbridge Sanctuary near viewing platform, area 35 at 11:00), 1 imm m Kestrel (catching invertebrates on wet lawn next to Cricket Pen, area 31 at 06:15), 1 Common Whitethroat, c30 Willow Warbler, c15 Chiffchaff (birdman_euston).
 * Richmond Park: 1 Tree Pipit flew off calling from gravel track just W of Holly Lodge towards cattle enclosure nearby @11.15. Not looked for subsequently. (Franko J Maroevic)
 * Staines Moor: 10.00-11.30 3 Common Redstart, 2 Whinchat, 2 Northern Wheatear, Hobby, Common Whitethroat, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk (A.Luscombe).
 * Staines Reservoir: 06.20-09.20 2 Black Tern, 6 Little Gull, 1 Black-necked Grebe (S.Basin), 1 probable juv. Ruff, 10 Common Sandpiper, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel (A.Luscombe, Bob Warden, et al) 18.30-20.00 1 juv Ruff still, on old rafts on N basin then on S basin. 1 juv Black Tern, 12 Common Terns, 6 juv Little Gulls, 30 Swifts, 25 Swallows 20 House Martins 12 Sand Martins. 1 Black-necked Grebe. (Ken Purdey & Franko J Maroevic)
 * Ten Acre Wood area: m Pheasant, low Buzzard alarming 3 Hobbies out of wood (1 seen hunting later), pr Kestrels, m Sparrowhawk, 24 Lapwing, Green Sandpiper, 12 Stock Dove, 6 Chiffchaff, 5 Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, 5 Blackcap, 6 Linnets (Neil Anderson)
 * Totteridge Valley: Willow Warbler, 6 Whitethroats, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, female Kestrel (Ian Ellis).
 * Trent Park: 2 Whinchat, Spotted Flycatcher, Hobby, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, 5 Chiffchaff, Blackcap, 3 Common Swift, 2 Mandarin (f).( Pete Lowman).
 * Wanstead Flats: 8.30 - 9.15 Wryneck in scrub in SSSI just south of Lake House Rd (Tony Brown), still showed briefly at 11:20 frequenting Hawthorn between path near Lime trees and Lake House Road, this is on the west side north-east of Jubilee Pond and not near the Centre road side on a grid ref of approx (TQ403866). Also here 1 juv Pied Flycatcher, 1m & 1f Common Redstart (Stuart Fisher, T Harris, T Brown), Whinchat (Tim Harris), Spotted Flycatcher (Steve Thorpe), also noted several hirundines heading SW, mostly House Martins (S Fisher) Long wood: at least 2 Spotted Flycatchers, 11 Mistle Thrush, 1 Kestrel, 1 Sparrowhawk and 1 Lesser Whitethroat. 20 Greylag (Alexandra lake) and 2 Egyptian Geese (Model Yacht Lake) also (Ben Green). 1 Common Sandpiper seen first by Ornamental lake then lake near tea hut (Donna Welch).

Friday 24th August 2012

 * Bankside SE1: 2 Willow Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff, Whitethroat at east end of Tate Modern (Simon Fogg)
 * Brent Reservoir: Yellow Wagtail south at 07.10 (Andrew Self). First excursion to Brent Reservoir - Ruddy duck, Grey Heron, Cormorant, Great crested grebe, Goldfinch flock, Black-headed gull, Mute Swans and cygnets (Dawn Painter); evening visit: 4 Wigeon, 4 Green Sands, 9 common Sands, 3 Lapwing & 7 Swift (Andrew Self).
 * Canons Farm: 1st-winter male Common Redstart along gravel track near Lunch Wood leading from Reads Rest Lane to railway (a.k.a. Slangs), showing quite frequently between 11.25am & 6.55pm, also a Yellow Wagtail over (David Campbell).
 * Crayford Marshes: Whinchat, Garden Warbler, Wheatear, 3 Greenshank, 2 Yellow Wagtail, Common Buzzard, Whimbrel, 5 Common Sandpiper, Lesser Whitethroat, 5 Yellow-legged Gull, 65 Swallow. (Kev Jarvis).
 * East India Dock Basin: Sparrowhawk, 19 Teal, 2 Tufted Duck, Reed Warbler (John Archer).
 * Greenwich Park: flock of 10 House Martins (scarce this year), 3-4 Chiffchaffs, also 5 Swifts (Joe Beale).
 * Margravine Cemetery: 1 Swift (9:40 catching thermal over hospital) (Nathalie Mahieu).
 * Northwood: 1 Common Crossbill in conifers at extreme southern point on Northwood Golf course (Richard Francis)
 * Kensal Green Cemetery and St Mary’s Cemetery: 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 3+ Green Woodpecker, 3+ Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Stock Dove (Charlie Farrell).
 * Regent's Park: 3+ Spotted Flycatcher (Old Golf Course wildlife pen, area 39 at 07:30), 1 imm Garden Warbler (bathing in newly-replenished Leaf Yard Wood water-hole 20m to R of bird feeder, area 41 at 08:40), 2 imm Common Whitethroat (areas 20 and 41), 19 Willow Warbler, 21 Chiffchaff, 10 Blackcap, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 ad m Sparrowhawk (mobbed by seven parakeets over Longbridge, area 35 at 10:20), 4 House Martin (birdman_euston).
 * Staines Moor: 1 Common Redstart, 3 Wheatear along new fence by River Colne at N end late pm. (Franko J Maroevic)
 * Staines Reservoir: 6 Black-tailed Godwits flew S.E @ 06.50. 5 Little Gulls still. (Bob Warden per FJM).
 * Tyttenhanger GP: Peregrine Falcon, 2 Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Little Egret. (Steve Blake)
 * Wanstead Flats: Pied Flycatcher (DH) possibly second bird (JL), 4 Spotted Flycatcher, 3 Whinchat, 4 Wheatear, 50 + Chiffchaff, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, 30 + Common Whitethroat, 4 + Willow Warbler, 20 Mistle Thrush, 2 Yellow Wagtail, Linnet, Sparrowhawk, Budgerigar (Dan Hennessy, Jonathan Lethrbidge, Nick Croft, Tim Harris, Steve Thorpe, Keith Marchant), Common Redstart (m) fly catching in SSSI at 14:40 (Steven Robinson).
 * Woodlands Farm (Shooter's Hill): Hobby, Sparrowhawk, Willow Warbler, 3 Whitethroat, 5+Blackcap, 5+Chiffchaff (John Bushell & Conrad Ellam)
 * Wormwood Scrubs: 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Willow Warbler, c12 Whitethroat, c10 Blackcap, 2 immature Reed Bunting & a Stock Dove. (The Scrubbers)

Thursday 23rd August 2012

 * Bankside SE1: Tree Pipit at west end of Tate Modern at 06.30. Flew off south after being flushed by dog. Also 2 Willow Warbler and a Chiffchaff. 2 Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Reed Warbler and Willow Warbler at east end of Tate Modern at 14.30 (Simon Fogg, Reuben Braddock)
 * Barking Bay: Ruff, Tree Pipit, 5 Yellow Wagtails by 8.30am (Dave Morrison per JA).
 * Brookmill Park: Great Spotted Woodpecker, Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff, Goldcrest (Conrad Ellam)
 * Bushy Park: Yellow Wagtail, 24 Meadow Pipits, Whinchat, Lesser Whitethroat, 17 Common Whitethroats, 10 Blackcaps, Garden Warbler, 3 Reed Warblers, 4 Willow Warblers, 6 Chiffchaffs, 2 Reed Buntings (Tony Duckett).
 * Canons Farm: 2 Tree Pipits still this morning, mobile around fields in vicinity of farmhouse, plus Whinchat in hedge on north side of hay meadow just east of derelict barn and 2 juv Yellow Wagtails on Legal & General playing field (David Campbell).
 * Colne Valley, Longford: Common Buzzard, Kingfisher (Adam Cheeseman)
 * Crayford area: Approx 450 Starlings on pylon next to Bexley Council depot by Bexley/Dartford border. 1 Green Woodpecker rear of Sewer Embankment at Thames Road Wetland (new site tick). (Chris Rose).
 * Crayford Marshes: Black Kite mobbed by a Peregrine then drifted west at 12:25; juvenile Marsh Harrier, Whimbrel, Hobby,Yellow Wagtail, 6 Yellow-legged Gull, Wheatear, 6 Common Sandpiper. (Kev Jarvis).
 * Greenwich Park: very quiet, 3 Swifts over was about the best, no sign of yesterday's Pied fly; also 1 m Vapourer moth (Joe Beale)
 * Hampstead Heath: Whinchat at 1pm on thistles near Tumulus; nice, but who decided to cut down all of the whinchat friendly habitat by the running track yesterday? (Chris Bird, Nina Smith) Kingfisher fishing on Sancturay pond, Egyptian geese on nest, 2 Grey Heron, Common Tern, Cormorant, Tufted duck, Black-headed Gull and rather spectacular Wasp Spider and Roesel's Bush-cricket 12pm (Dawn Painter). I hear you, Chris and Nina. On 2 August in Regent's Park, a worker was tasked with removing the creeping thistle around the area-34 Chat Bush (only the most valuable shrub, from a birding perspective, in the centre of London!), so what did they do? Clear-cut all the vegetation, down to anthill-level, to a 10m radius around it! Haven't seen a Whinchat, Stonechat or Redstart near it since... Some landscape gardeners clearly need to be acquainted with the term, selective cut! I did have a friendly 'chat' with the Park Manager about it later but try as I might, I'm not sure the penny completely dropped (birdman_euston). They're simply destroying the competition; how can I put it, living things with an IQ similar to their own.(Richard Francis). I think you'll probably find they are managing the site sensitively for species other than birds. They have some very important invertebrate species populations on the Heath and it is standard practice to cut and clear meadow areas at this time of year to continue improving the quality of the habitat. (A. Cheeseman) One way to confirm the reason: ask the site manager. Even if AC is correct, in future couldn't the work be rescheduled for a time later than the height of migration? My impression is most members of the chat subfamily indigenous to the UK need all the help they can get (b_e).
 * Leyton Flats: 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 7 Willow Warbler, 10 Chiffchaffs. (Gary A James).
 * Lonsdale Road Reservoir, Barnes: 40+ teal, 1 Cetti's Warbler (John Gordon)
 * Margravine Cemetery: flock 18 Goldfinch (15 juveniles) (Nathalie Mahieu).
 * North Finchley: Hobby seen twice over Summers Lane Allotments during day. (Tony Clancy)
 * Rainham Marshes: Black Kite flew south 11.09; joining a Honey Buzzard also south. (Howard Vaughan per FJM); Grey Plover, 2 Whimbrel, Green Sandpiper, Common Buzzard, Marsh Harrier, Hobby plus 5 wasp spider, sev shrill carder bee (James Lowen: who was feeding his daughter on site at 1109, in blind ignorance of Howard's raptors...) So sorry to hear of your site circumstances today James. Although it won't be a consolation, a similar thing happened to me on Staines Moor a few years ago. Rob Innes found a Black Kite at the S end and even Justin Quail, who I had brought to see a Red-backed Shrike, saw it fly over. We were behind some willows,100 yards away from J.Q, as I was chatting to Bill & Edna McCubbin.(Franko J Maroevic)
 * Regent's Park: (07:00 - No sign of yesterday's redstart in area 41.) 1m Northern Wheatear (Open Spaces, area 38; Park's first migrant of the season), 1+ Lesser Whitethroat (brambles in front of Leaf Yard Wood water bath, area 41 at 07:15 and in Old Golf School, area 39 two hours later), 3 Spotted Flycatcher (in the species' most reliable Park migration haunt: dead branches of tall lime trees bordering SW side of Old Golf School wildlife pen, area 39), 3 Garden Warbler (two in Cricket Pen, area 31 at 06:15; one in area 41), 23 Willow Warbler (only 3 seen in early morning by b_e, who couldn't find any mixed flocks!), 18 Chiffchaff, 3 Common Whitethroat, 1 Reed Warbler, 7 Blackcap, 3 House Martin (birdman_euston and Tony Duckett).
 * Richmond Park: 1 Common Redstart in oaks near old riding ring, NW of Holly Lodge early am, late pm seen at E end of Holly Lodge horse paddocks. 2 Wheatears old riding ring. 1 Spotted Flycatcher hawthorn valley near Cambrian Gate mid am. 2 Whinchats on Lawn Field above Lower Pen Pond mid pm. Hobby hunting over (Tim Howard per FJM) 1 Whinchat, 2 Stonechats Pond Slade early am. (Steve Read per FJM).1 Barn Owl again hunting along edge of Isabella Plantation near Bramble Gate at dusk. (Chris Wilkinson per FJM) Owl hunting along North side of Isabella at dusk viewed from central road (C Wilkinson)
 * Staines Moor: 11.00am-12noon: 2 Whinchat (on fence posts by river). (Neil Randon)
 * Staines Reservoir: 7.15am-10.30am: 5 Little Gulls (4 south basin, 1 showing really well on north basin), 2 Turnstone, 2 Hobby (Neil Randon, Bob Warden).
 * Totteridge Valley: 1 Redstart fem: 8 Whitethroat: 1 Swallow: 1 House Martin: 2 Sparrowhawk: 2 Bullfinch: 12 Chiffchaff: 4 Blackcap (John Colmans)
 * Tower 42: 2 Jackdaw east (site tick), c4 Common Buzzard and a Peregrine on the Tate Modern (Tower 42BSG)
 * Tufnell Park N7: Spotted Flycatcher in my back garden 8am (Adrian Platt).
 * Tyttenhanger GP: Wheatear, 3 Little Egret, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, 10+ Swallow, 3 Buzzard. (Steve Blake)
 * Walthamstow Reservoirs: Lockwood Turnstone,Greenshank (KJMcmanus).
 * Wanstead Flats: right! 2 Common Redstart (male flycatching in Lime trees) SSSI, 5 Spotted Flycatcher (2 SSSI, 2 Alex, 1 Long Wood), Common Crossbill (h over SSSI), 1-2 Sedge Warbler, up to 100 Chiffchaff across the flats (majority in 2 large mixed tit flocks), 2 Garden Warbler, 30 + Common Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, 10 + Blackcap, c. 10 Willow Warbler, Goldcrest, 2 Yellow Wagtail over, 6 Meadow Pipit, 2 Linnet, c. 20 Goldfinch, Common Buzzard (over NW SSSI - ST), Kestrel, 10 + House Martin (Nick Croft/Steve Thorpe/Jonathan Lethbridge); 3-4 Spotted Flycatcher SSSI, no sign C. Redstart (Dan Hennessy)
 * Wormwood Scrubs: 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Garden Warbler, c12 Whitethroat, 4 Blackcap, 3 Willow Warbler, c50 Goldfinch, 2 Immature Reed Bunting (A Ramesh).

Wednesday 22nd August 2012

 * Brent Reservoir: 2 Little Egret, 2 Green Sandpiper, 7 Common Sandpiper, 3 Lapwings + 3 others in off, perched Kingfisher, 16 Swifts with 50+ House Martins, Willow Warbler, few Chiffchaffs (Steve Leeke, Shailesh Patel, Andrew Verrall).
 * Brookmill Park: Mandarin, Sparrowhawk, 2 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff (Conrad Ellam).
 * Bushy Park: 14 Meadow Pipit, 6 Skylark, 6+ Sand Martin (with House Martins and Swallows), 2 Little Owl (pair), 8 Chiffchaff (fide Tony Duckett).
 * Crayford Marshes: Wheatear, Whimbrel, 2 Greenshank, Peregrine, 6 Yellow-legged Gull, 11 Common Sandpiper, Cetti's Warbler. (Kev Jarvis).
 * Crossness: c10 Yellow-legged Gulls (adult, 3rd winter, c8 juvs), 5 Common Sandpipers, 7 Lapwings, 1 Oystercatcher, 58 Teal, 2 Chiffchaffs (John Archer).
 * Gallions Reach: 1 Ringed Plover, 12 Lapwing, 22 Teal, 5 Common Tern, Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff. (Gary A James).
 * Greenwich Park: 10 Swifts over and 1 Pied Flycatcher on western edge (1st of year), seen briefly and elusive. Just to notify visitors, 60% of the Park is still closed (Joe Beale and Yu-Hsuan Lin).
 * Hampstead Heath: Hobby over Kenwood by Thousand Pound Pond (sham bridge) at 18:20.(Allan Stewart)
 * Kensington Gardens: Mallard with 2 young chicks; m Pochard. (Matt Reed).
 * Mayesbrook Park: 64 Greylag including many juveniles, 2 Egyptian Geese, 1 Little Egret, 2 Little Grebe with 2 young. Also 1 Common blue and 1 Red-eyed damselfly. (Ben Green)
 * Regent's Park: 1 Great Black-backed Gull (seen by Dave Johnson high over the Park in early morning), 3+ Spotted Flycatcher (two in Cricket Pen, area 31 at 07:15; one or two in Old Golf School, area 39 at 08:00), 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Garden Warbler (Cricket Pen), 20+ Willow Warbler, 6 Chiffchaff, 3 Swift, 9 House Martin (Dave Johnson, castlehaven and birdman_euston). 1 first-winter m Common Redstart 6.00pm, hawthorn near holm oak at SE corner of fenced-off Leaf Yard Wood, area 41 (Tony Duckett per Rose & Morg); I looked for it just before sunset but no joy (b_e).
 * Richmond Park: 2 Whinchats and 2 Common Whitethroats in bracken alongside horse track at 16 Acres near Ham Crossroads till early am at least.1 Barn Owl flying towards Isabella Plantation over Middle road at dusk. (Steve Read per FJM)
 * Sewardstone: Green Sandpiper, Hobby, Little Egret, 5 Swift, c70 House Martin high SW, c50 Swallow (Martin Shepherd).
 * Snaresbrook Crown Court and Eagle Pond: Firecrest and Willow Warbler with 11 Long-tailed Tit, Swift belting West early am, Coal Tit, Goldcrest, 2 Little Egret (1 on Eagle Pond most of day), Reeve's Muntjac casually wandering towards Eagle Pond (2nd sighting of perhaps same individual in last 2 months) (Stuart Fisher)
 * Staines Moor: 2 Whinchat still (around new fence at north end), 1 Yellow Wag over, 2-4 Hobby, 1 Reed Warbler, lots of Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap, 3 Common Whitethroat, 1 Common Buzzard south, small groups of Swallow also moving south (Lee Dingain - few pics here ).
 * Staines Reservoir: 17.30-19.00 5 Black Tern (S.Basin), 1 Green Sandpiper (Causeway bank, S.Basin), 19 Common Sandpiper (A.Luscombe).
 * Walthamstow res (Lockwood): Greenshank took off calling, went S at c19.00 (L Bodini).
 * Wanstead Flats: Whinchat, Spotted Flycatcher, Common Sandpip er, 27 + House Martin, 5 Swallow, Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Yellow Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Skylark, 20 + Goldfinch (Nick Croft/Dan Hennessy/Jonathan Lethbridge/Steve Thorpe/Tim Harris)
 * Wanstead Park: 5 Little Egret on Roding, 2 Grey Heron, Kingfisher, Sand Martin, 2 Swallow, House Martin, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Sparrowhawk, Kestrel (Nick Croft)
 * Wormwood Scrubs: 1 male Wheatear, c2 Willow Warbler, 1 Sedge Warbler, c6 Blackcap, c10 Whitethroat, c5 Chiffchaff, 1 Common Tern south, 2 immature Reed Buntings and the curious sight of a male Peregrine simultaneously chasing a Sparrowhawk & Kestrel! (The Scrubbers)

Tuesday 21st August 2012

 * Alexandra Park: Willow Warbler Cricket Scrub (Bob Watts). 1 Common Sandpiper and 2 House Martin at 8:40 (Wood Green Reservoir) (James Palmer) In evening, 3+ Willow Warbler, 3 Spotted Flycatcher in birches at top of the Grove (Gareth Richards).
 * Bankside SE1: 2 Reed Warbler, Willow Warbler in birches next to Tate Modern (Simon Fogg)
 * Brent Reservoir: Wigeon, Yellow Wagtail over, 2 Green Sandpiper, 5 Common Sandpiper & 3 Lapwing, perched juv Kingfisher (Brent Birders).
 * Brookmill Park: Mandarin, Sparrowhawk, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Blackcap, Willow Warbler (Conrad Ellam).
 * Bushy Park: 1 Lesser Whitethroat (brambles by Keepers Cottage), 4 Common Whitethroat (Dukes Head Passage), 6 Willow Warbler (Silver Birch Glade), 6 Chiffchaff (mainly near Dukes Head Passage) (fide Tony Duckett).
 * Crayford Marshes: 2 Arctic Tern, 2 Greenshank, Whimbrel, Black-tailed Godwit, 13 Common Sandpiper, 8 Yellow-legged Gull, 5 Common Tern, 32 Ringed Plover, 4 Dunlin (Kev Jarvis).
 * Dagenham: Osprey high over our back garden at 7:05pm. Flying fast and direct going SE. (V. Halley-Frame).
 * Hackney Marsh: 2 Little Egret on Lea islet s. of flood channel outlet. (TeRNS)
 * Hall Place North: 2 Jackdaw, 1 Green Woodpecker. (Chris Rose).
 * Hampstead Heath: Large tit flock between Sanctuary Pond and Spring Pond contained c.10 Willow W and 10 Chiffchaffs (possibly more) at about 0830 (Pete Mantle/ Dave Porritt).
 * Hornsey (Crouch End Playing Fields): 1 Spotted Flyctacher (James Palmer)
 * Mayfield Farm, Bedfont: Wheatear. (Adam Cheeseman)
 * Rainham: 3 Caspian Gulls (ad/near-ad/1s) on the tip at Coldharbour Lane; also 50+ Yellow-legged Gulls and two presumed hybrids - one particularly "atlantis-like" (Josh Jones)
 * Regent's Park: 1 Whinchat (flushed twice by dogwalkers from green-plastic-mesh fence in Cricket Squares, area 37, E of The Hub between 08:30 and 09:00; flighty, flew long distance each time to tops of plane trees E and W), 1 first-summer m Common Redstart (S side of Cricket Pen, area 31 - where the two Pied Flycatchers were two days ago - 09:40 onward; sedentary but very elusive, hiding high in foliage of silver birch saplings - pic here: Regent's Park Birds ), 3 Garden Warbler (one imm in brambles near newly-replenished water bath and bird feeder at SE edge of Leaf Yard Wood, area 41 at 08:15; one in Old Golf School, area 39; one imm in Cricket Pen with Redstart), 3 Common Whitethroat, 12 Willow Warbler, 8+ Chiffchaff, 1 Swift, 10 House Martin (birdman_euston, Dave Johnson and Tony Duckett).
 * Staines Moor: 2 Common Redstart & 2 Whinchat (Birdguides) 5.15pm been watching for half an hour 2 Whinchat sitting on new barbed wire fence near to the bridge that leads to Stanwell Moor, also 2 hobby, lesser Whitethroat and 1 redstart by the old trailer (Jim Sweetland)
 * Tyttenhanger GP: Spotted Flycatcher, Kingfisher,10+ Swallow, 4 Common Tern, 4+ Blackcap, 4+ Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Common Sandpiper, 3 Little Egret. (Steve Blake)
 * Wanstead Flats: Whinchat, Sedge Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, 3 Common Whitethroat, Pied Wagtail (Cat & Dog), 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 broods Tufted Duck, Grey Heron, Yellow Wagtail (Jubilee), Reed Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, House Martin (East end of Long Wood) (Dan Hennessy/Steve Thorpe/Tim Harris/Jonathan Lethbridge/Nick Croft/Stuart Fisher)
 * Woodside Park: 2 Willow Warblers (1 juv) and a juv Goldcrest with large mixed tit flock ranging through gardens (Ian Ellis.
 * Wormwood Scrubs: 1 Tree Pipit south plus c12 Whitethroat, c8 Blackcap, 1 Willow Warbler, c5 Chiffchaff & 2 immature Reed Buntings (David Lindo). 1 Spotted Flycatcher at 0920 on the Embankment along with c10 Whitethroat, 5 Blackcap, flew off after being disturbed by hunting female Kestrel (A Ramesh).

Monday 20th August 2012

 * Alexandra Park: 1 Wheatear and 1 Whinchat at 8:40 (south west perimeter of cricket field) (James Palmer). Both chats with a 2nd Wheatear SW corner cricket pitches until 7pm at least, also Whitethroat, Swallow, 5+ Chiffchaffs, 5+ Blackcap (Gareth Richards, Bob Watts).
 * Amwell: Tree Pipit flying south, Yellow Wagtail flying south, so well in London area (Herts site).
 * Archway/Hornsey: Tawny Owl 3am - first in over a year. Put up an owl box last autumn, fingers crossed (Dawn Painter).
 * Bankside SE1: 3 Reed Warbler, 4 Willow Warbler in birches next to Tate Modern (Simon Fogg, Reuben Braddock)
 * Barking Bay: No sign Tawny Pipit by 10:00, though a couple of observers say they saw/heard possible bird. 3 Ringed Plover, Green Sandpiper, 3 Common Sandpiper, Wheatear, 2+ Yellow Wagtail, c.30 Linnet (Nick Croft/Keith Marchant et al). 12 Yellow Wagtail, Tree Pipit (Dave Darryl-Lambert).
 * Barnes Angling Lakes: female Mandarin (M Bournat)
 * Battersea Park Lake: pr Great Crested Grebe at new nest in new spot, f Tufted Duck and 5 small ducklings, female Mute Swan + 5 big cygnets, informed male had wing amputated after dog attack - now in sanctuary, pr Egyptian Geese but not bred this year nor have Red-crested Pochards (Michael Mac).
 * Blackheath: 1 Wheatear, juv Goldfinches, 2 Swifts, otherwise generally quiet (Joe Beale).
 * Brent Reservoir: Chestnut Teal again (here to support the Oz team at the Olympics?), 2 Lapwing, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper (I might well have seen more of these waders if I hadn’t managed to leave my bins at home) (Andrew Haynes).
 * Brookmill Park: Mandarin, Kingfisher, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Willow Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff (Conrad Ellam).
 * Canary Wharf, Heron Quays. 2 Egyptian Geese on small raft at east end of the platform over the water.Phil Laurie
 * Canons Farm: 1+ Tree Pipit south of Reads Rest Cottages, 2 Whinchats in hay meadow just east of Reads Rest Cottages (David Campbell & Ian Jones).
 * Crayford Marshes: Whimbrel, Green Sandpiper, Little Owl, 7 Common Sandpiper, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Willow Warbler, Kingfisher, 2 Yellow-legged Gull, juvenile Stonechat, Peregrine, 20 Ringed Plover, 4 Dunlin. (Kev Jarvis).
 * Greenwich Peninsula: 1 Reed warbler, 1 Willow warbler, 1 Chiffchaff (James Lowen, German Pugnali)
 * Hampstead Heath : f Common Redstart,Spotted Flycatcher,5+ Willow Warbler and 3 Chiffchaff in Hedge 3, Parliament Hill.18:30.(Allan Stewart)
 * Hilfield Park Reservoir: Wood Sandpiper (Birdguides, permit only).
 * Lee Valley Park: Bittern Watchpoint on 70 Acres Lake. A note on sightings board in hide that a Bittern has been seen there twice within recent days (though not by me). Clearly too early for returning wintering bird? Does this mean a resident bird or birds? John Stevens.
 * Lonsdale Road Reservoir: 24 Teal, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Green Sandpiper (both Sandpipers showing well together at western end of reservoir, feeding on the mud), 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 House Martin, 1 Blackcap and 1 Chiffchaff. Also 4 Migrant Hawkers (M Bournat). Green Sandpiper still showing well at 8pm, though did not see Common Sandpiper in quick visit; also 3 Swift over (Rich Petley - thanks to M Bournat for patch tick). No problem Rich, glad you got to see it.
 * Regent's Park: 7:35-8:30: No sign of Pied Flycatchers although another birder reported seeing one at 5:45. 2 Blackcap plus roving flocks of Willow Warblers & Chiffchaffs moving between areas 31 & 32 and wetland pen trees. Also Jay & Coal Tit in area 32 plus Cormorant & Grey Heron over (James Hudson). 2 Spotted Flycatcher - one at W side of old Holford House field bordering the Leaf Yard Wood, area 40 at 08:15; one at S side of Cricket Pen, area 31 at 08:50 (birdman_euston). 5+ Spotted Flycatcher (one in Cricket Pen; one in Old Golf School, area 39; 3+ NE side of Leaf Yard Wood, area 40), 1 Lesser Whitethroat (brambles at SE edge of Leaf Yard Wood, area 41), 2 Common Whitethroat (Wetland Pen, area 32), 1 Common Sandpiper (6th day in Longbridge Sanctuary, area 35) (fide Tony Duckett and Dave Johnson).
 * Wanstead Flats: m Common Redstart (DH), Common Sandpiper (ST) Spotted Flycatcher (Dan Hennessy/Steve Thorpe).
 * Woodlands Farm: Common Buzzard 2pm (John Bushell & Conrad Ellam)

Sunday 19th August 2012
''Please just post your sightings and nothing else. if you need to be this verbose start a blog, thankyou (Nick Tanner). At least it's a more interesting use of space than intolerent, petty, rude, smart-alec remarks that put a negative touch on this page; sorry for further clogging this post up but after reading several such remarks recently I feel it's a point in need of making that the rudeness of some people who need to get a sense of perspective is a far more serious threat to this valuable resource than pleasant people posting common birds or adding a small amount of extra prose to their sightings (anonymous, and don't even think about starting on that one again). Thanks, anonymous. To be fair to NT, I should have added I was recording a lifer (almost all of my quarter-century of birding having taken place in North America) and (thanks to Tony Duckett's blog I'm aware that) non-flyover Tree Pipits are unusual in the Park, especially in QM Gardens (b_e). Totally agree with anonymous - some people can be a bit miserable (anonymous). Handbags at ten paces - it's so pointless (ANON).''
 * Alexandra Park: Greenshank SW 0800 over Filter Beds (1st for >10 years), 3 Willow Warblers, 2 Whitethroat, 8+ Blackcap, 3+ Chiffchaff, 5 Swallow through, 3+ House Martin, nearby 4 Swifts mid morning Hornsey (Bob Watts, Gareth Richards).
 * Barking Bay, Creekmouth: Tawny Pipit 19.25 till 20.16 (Birdguides).
 * Battersea Power Station: 3 Common Terns, Yellow Wagtail over, Chiffchaff, 40 House Martins over, 2 Swift over and a Grey Wagtail.(Dave Morrison)
 * Brent Reservoir: Snipe, 3 Green Sandpiper, 8 Common Sandpiper, 3 Lapwing & escaped Chestnut Teal (Brent Birders).
 * Broadwater: Hobby, Kingfisher, Buzzard. (Charlie Farrell) also Peregrine reported earlier.
 * Brookmill Park: Mandarin, Stock Dove, Kingfisher, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff (Conrad Ellam).
 * Canons Farm: juvenile Cuckoo on wires near Reads Rest Cottages (Ian Jones et al).
 * Downe Bank, Bromley: 2 Ravens overhead (Grant Hazlehurst)
 * Gallions Reach: 3 Common Buzzards, 7 Black Tailed Godwits, 3 Redshank, 8 Common Sandpipers, 91 Common Terns, 1 Yellow Wagtail, Whitethroat, 4 Chiffchaffs, 2 Blackcaps, Reed Warbler,, (Gary A James & Nick Tanner).
 * Harold Hill: Pied Flycatcher in ash tree behind my garden just before 2pm, with small tit-flock, then moved through into adjacent Dagnam Park (C.Jupp).
 * Hatton Cross: 2 Kestrel, Linnet, 400+ Starling gathering to roost. (Charlie Farrell)
 * Rainham: I Garganey, 2 Green Sands, 2 Greenshank, I Black-tailed Godwit, I Common Sandpiper (David & Ian Bradshaw)
 * Regent's Park: 2 imm, yesterday's a definite female (see Tony Duckett's blog for a perfect photo: Regent's Park Birds) and today's new bird a probable male (Tony's great pics have forced me to reconsider the sex of the new one - unless there were three of them!) Pied Flycatcher (one chasing the other in front of five very appreciative birders at S edge of Cricket Pen, area 31 at 08:15), 1 Tree Pipit (Park's first migrant this season; perched briefly in two trees, then flew down out of sight to join the Chiffchaffs in the NW section of the Rose Wheel, Queen Mary's Gardens, area 17 at 09:35 - I can't imagine it lingered there for long, due to a constant stream of camera-wielding Park visitors; breast band with thick, sharp black stripes on rich buff-yellow - emphasis on yellow, as seen from below in absence of direct sunlight - background, coalescing into very small, diffuse central spot; a second, sunlit side view - at which point I realised I was looking at a pipit - revealed head with malar stripe and without the 'open-faced' look of a meadow pipit, little or no obvious side-striping under the wing, pale-pink legs - without obvious extra-long hind claws though I admit this was the one feature I was not specifically looking for - & no tail-wagging observed, strangely), 1 Common Sandpiper (seen for 5th day by another observer, this time just NE from viewing platform in Longbridge Sanctuary, area 34 at 07:00), 7 House Martin (birdman_euston).
 * Richmond Park: Little Owl by Roehampton Gate, 3 Swift and 2 Sand Martin flying high over Pen Ponds in the evening. (M Bournat)
 * Stanmore: Great Crested Grebe pair with 1 chick on "The Lake". 1 Coot brood and other pair building nest at Stanmore Place apartment block complex. (Matt Reed).
 * Staines Reservoirs: 1 Wood Sandpiper updated on Birdguides at 17.35. (Updated for info only FJM)
 * Ten Acre Wood area: Red-legged Partridge, 2 Hobbies in air together, Kestrel with vole, Green Sandpiper, 29 Lapwings, 6 Stock Doves, 3 Swallows, f Redstart (Sharvel Lane), loose flock of 18 Mistle Thrushes through, 23 Linnets, my first Painted Lady of year (Neil Anderson).
 * Totteridge Valley/Darlands Lake: 1 Garden Warbler: 1 Lesser Whitethroat: 2 Willow Warbler (1 singing briefly again): 6 Whitethroat: 8 Swallow: 1 Sparrowhawk fem: 1 Mandarin fem: good numbers Chiffchaff, several Blackcap (John Colmans).
 * Wanstead Flats: Pied Flycatcher (probably an imm male) occasionally showing well in Long Wood, 2 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Wheatear, c3 Lesser Whitethroat, 22+ Whitethroat, 2 Willow Warbler, 1 Garden Warbler, 4 Swallow, 1 Common Sandpiper so far (Dan Hennessy, Tony Brown, Nick Croft, Stuart Fisher, J Lethbridge, Steve Thorpe, Harry and Barry, James Palmer). pics here http://wansteadbirding.blogspot.co.uk/ 2 Tree Pipit (James Palmer)
 * Wanstead Park: Common Sandpiper on Heronry (Kathy Hartnett), Kingfisher, juv Sparrowhawk calling (Wren Group guided nature walk)
 * Woodlands Farm: Whinchat (John Bushell)

Saturday 18th August 2012

 * Alexandra Park: 5 Willow Warblers, 2 Whitethroat, 5+ Blackcap, 3+ Chiffchaffs, 4 Swift, 4+ House Martin, 2 Swallow, Common Buzzard west 1030, Purple Hairstreak (Andrew Gardener, Gareth Richards, Bob Watts).
 * Brent Reservoir: Turtle Dove south at 08.40, also 3 Green Sandpipers, 8 Common Sandpipers & 3 Lapwing (Brent Birders)
 * Brookmill Park: Mandarin, 2 male Kingfishers fighting, Stock Dove, female Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, Goldcrest (Conrad Ellam).
 * Canons Farm: 2 Tree Pipits flew over (David Campbell, Nic Tidmarsh and Ian Magness).
 * East India Dock Basin NR: 12 Teal, 1 Yellow-legged Gull, 2 Common Sandpipers, 4 Reed Warblers, Jersey Tiger Moth. (Gary A James).
 * Fulham: Jersey Tiger Moth (Matt Dunckley)
 * KGV Reservior: Corn Bunting 0915-0930hrs- north west corner of north basin, flushed from grass bank and sat in hawthorn for ten mins before flying north. Also 1 Black Tern on the south basin, 21+ Common Sandpipers, 1 Green Sandpiper in the relief channel. 1 (f) Goldeneye south, 5 Shoveler south. 2 Hobby north basin. 1 Yellow Waglail north, 4 Grey Wagtail (Neville Smith & G.Hamilton)
 * London Wetland Centre WWT: 1 Crossbill (flying W), 1 Whitethroat, 11 Swallow, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Common Sandpiper, 3 Snipe, 1 Curlew, 59 Teal, 36 Shoveler (Adam Salmon)
 * Regent's Park: 1 imm f Pied Flycatcher [Birdguides; seen by Tony Duckett before 08:00 on top of willow in Wetland Pen, area 32; seen independently by Hugh Prior at 08:00 in Cricket Pen, area 31 with a few Willow Warblers and a Common Whitethroat, 4 Great Crested Grebe (pair with two young - Park's first brood of the year, hatched within the last few days - on parent's back beside nest at NE tip of Heron Island, area 8 at 08:30), 1 imm Garden Warbler (Queen Mary's Gardens, area 19 at 07:15), 1 imm Common Whitethroat, 5+ Willow Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap, 3 Swift, 3 House Martin (birdman_euston). Common Sandpiper (4th day), 1 Garden Warbler (Cricket Pen), 4 Reed Warblers, 5 Common Whitethroats, 6 Blackcaps, 7 Chiffchaffs, 15 Swifts, Jersey Tiger Moth (Tony Duckett)
 * Wanstead Flats: Whinchat, 2 Wheatear, Spotted Flycatcher, Yellow Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, 10 Meadow Pipit, 6 SKylark, 10 + House Martin, Swallow, 6 Swift, 3 singing Willow Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 30 + Common Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, 20 + Chiffchaff, Blackcap, 16 Goldfinch, Reed Bunting, 5 Gadwall, new brood of Tufties on Jubilee, 4 Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Kingfisher on Alex (Dan Hennessy/Jonathan Lethbridge/NickCroft)
 * Wanstead Park: Pied Flycatcher north island ornamental waters, Reed Warbler, 2 Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Hobby, 2 Sparrowhawk, 200 + Black-headed Gull hawking for insects (Nick Croft/Stuart Fisher) Common Sandpiper (Dan Hennessy)

Friday 17th August 2012

 * Alexandra Park: 150+ Starling pre roost over Filter Beds, 5+ Swifts, House Martin (Bob Watts).
 * Bankside SE1: 2 Willow Warbler in birches at east end of Tate Modern (Simon Fogg)
 * Brent Reservoir: 4 Green Sands, 8 Common Sands & 3 Lapwing (Brent Birders)
 * Brookmill Park: Mandarin, Kingfisher, Stock Dove, Coal Tit, Goldcrest, 3 Chiffchaff (Conrad Ellam)
 * Catford (River Pool) SE6: Kingfisher, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, 4 Jersey Tiger Moth (Terry Wilson).
 * Crayford Marshes: 2 Whinchat, 2 Greenshank, 2 Whimbrel, Black-tailed Godwit, Green Sandpiper, 8 Yellow-legged Gull, 9 Common Sandpiper, Hobby, Peregrine, 34 Ringed Plover. (Kev Jarvis).
 * Ewell Village (Lower Mill): 3 Kingfishers, 3 juvenile Chifchaff, several Common Darters (Neil Batten).
 * Hampstead Heath: 2 Common Sandpiper, as yesterday, Highgate No 1 Pond, and also using Mens Bathing Pond and flying over the Boating Pond, 07.00; 1 Common Tern still, and still the odd Swift through (Frank Nugent).
 * London WWT: 3 Green Sandpipers (seen by other observers), 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Wigeon (male eclipse), 1 Kingfisher, 1 Peregrine over, 1 Swift and 1 House Martin south, also several Migrant Hawkers (M Bournat)
 * Margravine Cemetery: 2 Swift over hospital ~3pm, 3 Peregrine Falcon (Nathalie Mahieu).
 * Regent's Park: 1 Common Sandpiper (third day in Longbridge Sanctuary, area 35 before 07:00), 2 Common Whitethroat, 10 Chiffchaff, 6 Willow Warbler, 3 Reed Warbler, 9 Swift, 11 House Martin, 1 ad Sparrowhawk. Gradually decreasing number and variance of migrant warblers observed in Park with strengthening S winds this week (birdman_euston, Dave Johnson and Tony Duckett).
 * Richmond Park: 1 Barn Owl again along edge of Isabella Plantation near Bramble gate at dusk. (Steve Read per FJM) 2 Whinchat showing well until 19:00 at least in same area as reported on Wednesday (in bracken 200m east of riding ring). Closely associating with 2 Common Whitethroats. (James Hudson)
 * Staines Reservoir: several Black Tern still (S basin), Common Sandpiper (S basin, along causeway), Hobby (N basin) (Nigel Sluman). 6 Black Tern (south basin), 12 Common Sandpiper (north basin raft) up to 20.45hrs. (Neil Randon, Ken Purdey).
 * West Ham Park: No sign of yesterday's Pied Flycatcher found by Marco Johnson at 08:00am (SteveThorpe).
 * Wanstead Flats: Crossbill east along line of City of London cem (NC), Yellow-legged Gull (DH), Wheatear, 12 Mistle Thrush, 2 Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, c. 20 Common Whitethroat, 5 Blackcap, 10 + Chiffchaff, 17 House Martin, 3 Swift, 5 Kestrel, m & f Sparrowhawk, Hobby, Tufted Duck (a new brood of 5 on Alex), 5 Gadwall, 7 Meadow Pipit (Dan Hennessy/Nick Croft)

Thursday 16th August 2012

 * Alexandra Park: 6+ Swifts, 3 House Martins, Willow Warbler with mixed flock platform 1 also 3+ Chiffchaffs, 2 Blackcap 1800 (Bob Watts).
 * Barking Bay: 4 Whinchats, 9 Swift, Ringed Plover, 5 Common Sandpiper and a Common Tern (Dave Morrison per JA).
 * Bankside SE1: 2 Willow Warbler in birches at east end of Tate Modern (Simon Fogg)
 * Brent Reservoir: Hobby chasing c20 House Martins, loose flock 63 Swifts flying South, then stopped to feed awhile, Lesser Black-backed Gull attacked 2 sleeping Common Sandpipers on raft, missed by about half an inch, 3 Lapwing, 3 Green Sandpipers and 7+ Common Sandpipers (Andrew Verrall).
 * Brookmans Park: 2 Crossbill south over The Grove 10.25am (Andrew Haynes).
 * Brookmill Park: Kingfisher, Blackcap, Chiffchaff (Conrad Ellam).
 * Crayford Marshes: 4 juvenile Arctic Tern, 3 Whimbrel, Greenshank, 16 Common Sandpiper, 2 Kingfisher,38 Common Tern, 32 Ringed Plover. (Kev Jarvis).
 * East Finchley allotments: 2 Willow Warblers in amongst the greengages..oh yes and a Silver Y moth. (Dawn Painter)
 * Finsbury Park: 10 Pied Wagtail, 6 Mistle Thrush (James Palmer).
 * Hampstead Heath: 2 Common Sandpiper Highgate No 1 Pond 07:50 (Frank Nugent & Allan Stewart).
 * Limehouse Salmon Lock, 2 Grey Wagtails (Phil Laurie)
 * Rainham Marshes: 15 Ring-necked Parakeets, 2 juv Mediterranean Gulls, Whimbrel, 9 Common Tern, male Marsh Harrier, 17 Common Snipe (flushed by Harrier), 12 Little Egret, 3 Juv Dunlin, Ruff, Green Sandpiper, 38 Teal and 11 Black-tailed Godwits (Dave Morrison). 2 Whimbrel, 4 Ruff, 9 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Common Sandpiper, 3 Green Sandpiper, Greenshank, 8 Snipe, 3 Redshank all on Aveley Pools this afternoon (Oliver Simms).
 * Regent's Park: 1 Common Sandpiper (flew in from main lake to NW arm, area 1 at 06:50), 1 Garden Warbler, 6 Reed Warbler (five together in Wetland Pen, area 32), 3 Common Whitethroat, 10 Willow Warbler, 10 Chiffchaff, 1 ad male Kestrel, 1 Sparrowhawk, 25+ Swift (birdman_euston and Dave Johnson).
 * Richmond Park: Starlings landing on deer-has anyone else observed this? (see picture). Juvenile buzzard, Common Terns (Andy Sunters).
 * Rotherhithe: juvenile Mediterranean Gull still showing well off Greenland Pier this morning; also 3 Common Sandpipers (highest count for site) (Richard Bonser).
 * Staines Moor: 1 Whinchat, 2-3 Hobby, 1 Sparrowhawk, 3 Kestrel, 1 Little Egret,1 Lesser Whitethroat, 60+Goldfinch (flock) (Neville Smith).
 * Staines Reservoir: 0830hrs,14 Black Terns - south basin, 1 Oystercatcher - on raft, north basin, 4 Common Sandpiper (Neville Smith). Black Terns still present 18.00. (Alex Randall)
 * Totteridge Valley: 1 Common Buzzard: 3 Kestrel: 2 Sparrowhawk: Swift: 3 Whitethroat: 10 Chiffchaff (1 singing): Bullfinch: Mandarin fem Darlands Lake (John Colmans)
 * Wanstead Flats: Whinchat, Spotted Flycatcher still east end of Long Wood, Hobby over Alex, 2 Garden Warbler, 20 + Common Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, 5 Swallow, 12 House Martin, 3 Swift, 5 Skylark, 6 Meadow Pipit, 2 Stock Dove (Nick Croft).
 * Wanstead Park: Lesser Whitethroat, Little Egret, 2 Grey Heron, 5 Stock Dove, 12 Goldfinch (Nick Croft).
 * West Ham Park: Pied Flycatcher 08:00am (Marco Johnson per Steve Thorpe). No sign during evening (Steve Thorpe).

Wednesday 15th August 2012

 * Alexandra Park: Swift, 4 House Martins, 3 Chiffchaff, Blackcap 7am (Bob Watts).
 * Bankside SE1: 1 vocal and mobile Willow warbler in birches at east end of Tate Modern (Simon Fogg)
 * Brent Reservoir: 3 Green Sandpiper, 3 Common Sandpiper, juv Shelduck, c25 Swift, 2 Teal (Oliver Simms)
 * Brookmill Park: Mandarin, Sparrowhawk, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Coal Tit (Conrad Ellam)
 * Crayford Marshes: Sandwich Tern flew upriver; 3 Avocet, Whimbrel, 2 Little Owl, Yellow-legged Gull,12 Common Sandpiper, 26 Ringed Plover, 4 Dunlin. (Kev Jarvis).
 * Crossness: 2 juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls, 3 Common Sandpipers, 8 Common Terns and hybrid Ruddy Shelduck x Shelduck (once again, like JA has already mentioned, there is no midriver outfall so please don't expect an abundance of autumn terns lingering anymore - sad times) (Richard Bonser)
 * Gallions Reach: 5 Little Terns upriver 10.40, 1 (1w) Little Gull upriver 10.22, 8 Sandwich Terns, 10 Arctic Terns, 150+ Common Terns, 11 Lapwing, 14 Teal, 6 Swift. (Gary A James)
 * Lower Chingford (near Russell Lane E4): 4 Sandwich Tern, 8 Little Egret, 8 Green Sandpiper (James Palmer).
 * North Finchley: Juvenile Cuckoo at my allotments on Summers Lane been present for a few days. (Tony Clancy) Tony, I think I have heard a cuckoo over at East Finchley Allotments, coming from the direction of the cemetery but I only hear it once and I can't be certain, self-doubt etc - but very exciting news! (Dawn Painter)
 * Regent's Park: 1 Common Sandpiper (flying near rocky island beach NE of Longbridge before 07:00), 1 Garden Warbler (Cricket Pen, area 31), 2 Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, 12 Little Grebe (5ad & 7yg, including the glad sight of two near-fully-grown young off area 2, raising to 12 the tally of different progeny - from five different clutches - seen in the past week), 2ad Great Crested Grebe, 2 Swift, 7 House Martin (birdman_euston and Dave Johnson).
 * Richmond Park: 4 Crossbills in small pine enclosure opposite Broomfield Hill car park @13.00. (Tim Howard per FJM) 2 Whinchat, east of riding ring (Hugh Bradshaw). Where is the Riding ring exactly and are these birds in an area that is less disturbed? (i.e. what are the chances of them hanging around this evening?) (Tony Wileman) The ring (a dilapidated fence ring) is just north of Holly/Bog Lodge. The whinchat are in a large bracken area about 200 yards to the east of the ring. One was there on sunday so they should stay around - if not try the smaller bracken clump 50 yards to the north east (Hugh Bradshaw). 2 whinchat still present up to 19.30 in large bracken patch before they flew off out of view (they may still be on site though). Thanks Hugh for the detailed directions but they still needed a bit of work as it was rather windy and they kept low down as much as possible. (Tony Wileman)
 * South Norwood Lake: (09:50hrs) Little Egret on Jetty still there at 10:10hrs, 8 Cormorant, pair Great Crested Grebe with 2 young, ( 2 Jersey Tiger moths) (John Watson)
 * Rotherhithe: adult Sandwich Tern downriver past Greenland Pier 11.49am; also juvenile Mediterranean Gull coming to crackers 11.55am-12.35pm, juvenile Yellow-legged Gull on barges and Common Sandpiper downriver 12.20pm (Richard Bonser).
 * Totteridge Valley: 60+ Ring-necked Parakeets (site record?) flew towards Mill Hill this evening; also 2 Kestrels, Sparrowhawk, Little Owl, Whitethroat, Blackcap (Ian Ellis).
 * Valentines Park: 2 juvenile Sparrowhawks calling from tree tops, one being mobbed by magpies. Later on heard one in our garden trees - the adults are regular visitors. (barbara miller)
 * Wandsworth Common: a week after my first record a second (this time var. lutescens) Jersey Tiger at a privare garden near the station (Neil Anderson)
 * Wanstead Flats: 2 Spotted Fycatcher still Long Wood, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, 14 Mistle Thrush, Common Gull, Common Buzzard (Nick Croft/Tim Harris). Is Long Wood the avenue of trees running southwest from Bush Wood or somewhere else? (Tony Wileman) Hi. No, Long Wood runs east from Centre Road and north of the model aircraft green on Wanstead Flats, it is a thin strip of woodland with paths either side, go to the east end of the strip of wood and you will see some scrub just before a playing field, this is often where the Spot Flys are (Stuart Fisher) or use this link http://wansteadbirding.blogspot.co.uk/p/map.html. Thanks Stuart, actually went for the whinchats in Richmond Park last night instead, may try for the spot flys tonight (Tony Wileman)
 * Wanstead Park: Hobby south over OSW, Reed Warbler, Lesser Whitehroat, Sand Martin, House Martin, 6 Stock Dove (Nick Croft)
 * Wormwood Scrubs: 1 Peregrine, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 9 Swift & a Greylag. (David Lindo)

Tuesday 14th August 2012

 * Alexandra Park: Whitethroat 0700 Cricket Scrub, Willow Warbler Top Field 1900 (Bob Watts). Willow Warbler and 1 + Spotted flycatcher, tall ash trees near N. end conservation area (Jonathan Cooke).
 * Blackheath: 1 Peregrine 0710 (James Lowen)
 * Brent Reservoir: 4 Green Sands, 10 Common Sands, 3 Lapwing, Hobby, juv Shelduck, Greylag Goose & escaped drake Chestnut Teal (Anas castanea) Aussi sp (Brent Birders).
 * Brookmill Park: Kingfisher, Blackcap, Chiffchaff (Conrad Ellam).
 * Crayford Marshes: Black Tern flew downriver at 10:47; 2 juvenile Arctic Tern also down river; Whimbrel, Green Sandpiper, 7 Yellow-legged Gull, Hobby, Peregrine, 11 Common Sandpiper, 4 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Egyptian Goose, 22 Ringed Plover. (Kev Jarvis).
 * Ewell (Hogsmill Open Space): Kingfisher, 2 Chiffchaff, 7 Common Darter dragonflies (Neil Batten)
 * Hampstead Heath: 3 Garden Warbler, 2 Blackcap and 1 Common Whitethroat feeding on brambles in Hedge 1, Parliament Hill 07:30 (Allan Stewart).
 * Nunhead Cemetery: 1f Blackcap, 10 Sand Martin over SW, 1 Song Thrush, 1 juv Sparrowhawk being chased back and forth through treetops by three magpies (Martin Stevens).
 * Regent's Park: 1 Hobby (flew in from W at 06:30 and immediately stooped on a low-flying swift before heading S, eating breakfast on the wing and/or preparing the meal for its young - could it be migrating this early, following the swifts south?), 1 drake Gadwall in breeding plumage off area 2 (first of the 'autumn'), 2 Common Tern (adult feeding juvenile), 9 (then 8) Swift, 2 House Martin, 6+ Chiffchaff (three gleaning insects from the roses at ground level in Queen Mary's Gardens, area 19 at 07:10), 2 Willow Warbler (birdman_euston). 2 Reed Warbler, 2 Garden Warblers, 10 Blackcaps, 20+ Willow Warblers, 15+ Chiffchaffs (Tony Duckett)
 * Staines Reservoir: 09.00-11.00. 4-12 Black Tern (distant), Common Tern, 100's Swift, Swallows, 1 Hobby, 1 Sparrowhawk soaring, 1 Common Sandpiper, 8 Lapwing. (Roger Dewey) and 17.50-19.30 16 Black Tern, 8 Common Sandpiper (A.Luscombe).
 * Totteridge Valley: 20+ Common Whitethroats (many juvs) just in large scrubby field adjacent to Darlands Lake - including 9 in same hawthorn keeping an eye on a nearby Little Owl (Ian Ellis).
 * Trent Park: Hobby, 6 Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Mandarin (f), 4 Goldfinch. ( Pete Lowman),
 * Tyttenhanger GP 1+Greenshank (probable 2), 2 Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, 3 Buzzard (Steve Blake)
 * Wanstead Flats: 2 Spotted Flycatcher (east end Long Wood), 3+ Garden Warbler, 4 Lesser Whitethroat, 30+ Common Whitethroat, 2 singing Willow Warbler + others, 20 + Chiffchaff, 15 Blackcap, 2 Skylark, 8 Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, 2 Stock Dove, 3 Kestrel, 14 Mistle Thrush, 22 House Martin, 2f Shoveler, 4 Gadwall, Common Gull (Nick Croft/Jonathan Lethbridge/Tim Harris/Dan Hennessy)
 * Wormwood Scrubs: 1 Peregrine, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 3 Reed Bunting, 1 Stock Dove, c3 Willow Warbler, c12 Blackcap, c15 Whitethroat, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 5 Swift, 1 Meadow Pipit & c70 Goldfinch. (Rob Ayers & David Lindo)

Monday 13th August 2012

 * Alexandra Palace: 8 Swifts and 4 H Martins over the pitch + putt at 1900 (Pete Mantle)
 * Bankside SE1: 2 Willow warbler in birches at east end of Tate Modern (Simon Fogg)
 * Brookmill Park: Mandarin, Stock Dove, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, Goldcrest (Conrad Ellam)
 * Bushy Park: Common Crossbill? with two wingbars 9.05am, 10 Blackcaps, 4 C.Whitethroats, 10 Willow Warblers, 6 Chiffchaffs (Tony Duckett) Can you give us an indication of the width and colour of the wing bars please Tony. (Paul Whiteman) Some more detail on Tony's blog http://www.regentsparkbirds.blogspot.co.uk/ (John Fordham) Thanks (PW)
 * Crayford Marshes: juvenile Kittiwake flew down river; 14 Arctic Tern, Whimbrel, Green Sandpiper, 16 Common Sandpiper, 3 Egyptian Goose, 4 Yellow-legged Gull, Lesser Whitethroat, juvenile Stonechat, Cetti's Warbler, Willow Warbler, 42 Common Tern, 8 Ringed Plover, 4 Dunlin. (Kev Jarvis).
 * Dagenham: Hobby hunting Dragonflys over my Garden ( Geoff Harding ).
 * Harold Wood Park, Romford: 7 Crossbills flew west at 2.50pm (C.Jupp).
 * KGV Reservoir: 1500-1715hrs 12 Black Terns on the south basin, also at least 7 Common Sandpiper and 5 Turnstone went through south @ 1705. (Neville Smith)
 * North Finchley: 5 Swift S at 7am (John Colmans)
 * Rainham: adult Caspian Gull (metal ringed - same bird as seen at Pitsea on 4th Aug) on the tip viewable from near Riverside car park/stone barges (Richard Bonser).
 * Regent's Park: 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Reed Warbler, 6 Willow Warbler, 4 Chiffchaff (birdman_euston).
 * Richmond Park: 1 Barn Owl hunting along edge of Isabella Plantation near Bramble Gate @ 21.00. (Steve Read per FJM)
 * Sewardstone: Oystercatcher in from NE to KGV Reservoir (Martin Shepherd).
 * Snaresbrook Crown Court: 2 Gadwall (Eagle Pond), 2 Swift, Blackcap, 2 Goldcrest, 2 Coal Tit, 25 Ring necked Parakeet west early am, 1 Purple Hairstreak, 3 Migrant Hawkers, 2 Emperor, 2 Brown Hawker (S Fisher)
 * Staines Reservoirs: 15 Black Terns on S basin late am. 1 Green and 7 Common Sandpipers. 1 Whimbrel over S early am. (Bob Warden per FJM) Yellow Wagtail on courseway :(Sue Giddens)
 * Totteridge Valley: 8 Mistle Thrush: 6 Whitethroat: 8 Pied Wagtail: c35 Goldfinch (many juvs): Bullfinch(John Colmans)
 * Wanstead Flats: possible Tree Pipit (in oak tree in scrub east of Alex), 2 Crossbill west over SSSI, Common Sandpiper (TH), 2 Garden Warbler, 2 singing Willow Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, House Martin, Swallow, 4 Swift, Coal Tit, 12 Mistle Thrush, Gadwall still Alex, Tufted Duck with broods of 5 Jubilee and 8 still on Alex, Common Gull, 2 Kesttrel, Sparrowhawk (Nick Croft/Tim Harris/Steve Thorpe)
 * Woodlands Farm: (Purple Emporer (John Bushell)
 * Wormwood Scrubs: 2 Peregrines, c3 Garden Warbler, c18 Blackcap, c2 Lesser Whitethroat, c30 Whitethroat, 2 Swift and a Weasel was watched trying lure a Song Thrush to it by frantically running back and forth across a path. Our 5th record of this elusive mammal. (David Lindo)

Sunday 12th August 2012

 * Alexandra Park: Wood Warbler on southern edge of Top Field briefly 1030 but not since (this isolated former playing field is situated at the most northerly part of the Park, below the boating lake. The nearest car park, adjacent to Alexandra Palace and the boating lake, is probably closed, so best park in The Avenue or Alexandra Park Road). Also 1, possibly 2 Treecreeper and Garden Warbler here. Kingfisher (h) Wood Green Res, Swift, House Martin Wood Green Res, Whitethroat Cricket Scrub, 3 Willow Warblers (Andrew Gardener, Bob Watts).
 * Barking Outfall: Garden and Willow Warbler, 16 Common Terns, 9 Common Sandpipers,4 Oystercatchers, Curlew, 3 Swift, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 5 Teal and 11 Sand Martins.(Dave Morrison)
 * Brent Reservoir: 2 Green Sands, 7 Common Sands, 3 Lapwing, juv Shelduck, 16 Chiffchaffs & 6 Willow Warblers (Brent Birders)
 * Brookmill Park: Mandarin, 2 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Coal Tit (Conrad Ellam)
 * Crossness: 2 Common Sandpiper, 6 Oystercatcher, 4 Lapwing, Shelduck hybrid still around, 2 Swallow north (Conrad Ellam)
 * Eel Pie Island: Egyptian Goose, pair with 5 young (Clive Herbert)
 * Gallions Reach: 1 Common Buzzard SE 10.40, 2 Sparrowhawks, 5+ Common Sandpipers, 3 Sandwich Terns (2 ads, 1 juv), 60+ Common Terns, 12 Swift. (Gary A James & Nick Tanner).
 * Gunnersbury Triangle LNR: c5 Swift and a Hobby east (David Lindo, Corinna Smart et al)
 * Hornsey: 10+ House Martins migrating through 1230 (Bob Watts).
 * Hounslow East: 09.15 adult Hobby over the tube station (K.Fisher)
 * Hyde Park: 2 Peregrines circling and calling over Parade Ground event site at 11.45 ( enjoying the Blur soundcheck) (D.Jordan)
 * Ladywell Cemetery; Green Woodpecker, Sparrowhawk (with noisy juvenile,unseen but nearby in trees) Phil Laurie
 * Richmond Park: 2 Whinchat (1 riding ring, 1 "hawthorn valley") (Hugh Bradshaw)
 * Sewardstone: 4 Greenshank calling heading NE at 07.20 (Martin Shepherd).
 * Staines Reservoir: 12 Black Terns on S basin late am. (Bob Warden per FJM)
 * Thames Barrier: 2 juvenile Arctic Terns fishing + adult & juvenile Common Tern upriver 4.30, Yellow-legged Gull (Conrad Ellam)
 * Totteridge Valley: a calling Common Crossbill flew over Woodside Park at 11:45. A Hobby, 2 Sparrowhawks and 4 Common Buzzards seen from Highwood Hill early afternoon (Ian Ellis).
 * Leyton and Walthamstow Marshes: Garden Warbler, 6 Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Blackcap, 2 Gadwall, 3 Kestrel, juv Sparrowhawk (Stuart Fisher)
 * Wanstead Flats: 110 Ring Necked Parakeet south this evening, 7 Gadwall still Alex, 8 Swift (Nick Croft)
 * Wanstead Park: Green Sandpiper, Kingfisher (Nick Croft)
 * Woodlands Farm (Shooter's Hill) Purple Emporer 1.30 (John Bushell).
 * Wormwood Scrubs: 1 Garden Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 male Reed Bunting & a male Sparrowhawk. (David Lindo)

Saturday 11th August 2012

 * Alexandra Park: 2 Willow Warblers, 3+ Chiffchaffs, sev Blackcap, Swift, 3 House Martins (Gareth Richards, Bob Watts).
 * Brent Reservoir: Little Egret east at 10.10, also 4 Green Sandpiper, 8 Common Sandpiper, 3 Lapwing (Brent Birders)
 * Chiswick Eyot: 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Swallow S, 3 Teal, 2+ Chiffchaff, 1 Hobby over House Martin colony. (Louis Freeland-Haynes)
 * Crossness: Marsh Harrier NE at 11.45, juv Arctic Tern W at 10.30, 60+ Common Terns (including 38 W 9:40-10:30), hybrid Common x Ruddy Shelduck, Shoveler, 23 Teal, 8 Gadwall, 5 Common Sandpipers, 16 Lapwings, 3 Sand Martins SE, Sparrowhawk (John Archer).
 * East India Dock Basin area: 5 Common Teal (male Chestnut Teal), 2 Tufted Duck, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine, 7 Common Sandpiper, adult Mediterranean Gull, 2 Common Tern, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Sand Matin, 2 Swallow, Reed Warbler, Chiffchaff (Gary A James, Nick Tanner).
 * Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park: 3 adult Little Grebes plus total of 3 young, Common Tern pair and one young (now starting to fly short distances), 12 Linnets just outside Park (Joe Beale).
 * Hampstead Heath: Common Buzzard over @ 9.20, seen from top of Cohens Field; 12 Mistle Thrush on Athletics track (Frank Nugent).
 * KGV Reservoir: Yellow Wagtail (Martin Shepherd).
 * Mercedes-Benz World (Weybridge) female Wheatear on edge of track in area with no general access. (Simon West)
 * Rainham Marshes RSPB: eclipse drake Garganey, 26 Little Grebes, female Sparrowhawk, female Ruff, Common Sandpiper, c8 Yellow-legged Gulls, Northern Wheatear (Dominic Mitchell), Spotted Flycatcher still, 2 Greenshank, 8 Green Sandpiper, 32 Snipe, 2 Whimbrel, 2 Golden Plover, 33+ Little Egret, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Marsh Harrier (Jonathan Lethbridge, Nick Croft, Dave Darrell-Lambert et al)
 * Regent's Park: 1 first-summer Hobby over NE 07:45, 2 Garden Warbler, 6 Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, 200 Black-headed Gull (incl. 5 imm), 2 Common Tern (birdman_euston and Dave Johnson). Greenshank, 2 Reed Warblers, 6 Blackcaps, 12 Willow Warblers, 6 Chiffchaffs (Tony Duckett).
 * Richmond Park: 4 (2 juvs) Common Terns, 1 Northern Wheatear (Tony Duckett)
 * Stoneleigh (Cuddington Rec.): 6 Common Swift east and 13 Herring Gull (Neil Batten).
 * Totteridge Valley: 4 Little Owls calling, 2 Common Buzzards, female Sparrowhawk, light passage of Swallows & House Martins, c20 Chiffchaffs (Ian Ellis).
 * Trent Park: Common Buzzard plus another unidentified raptor high SE over Ride Wood at 16: 30 pm which looked good for Osprey ( too high to be definitive). Common Tern, Mandarin (f), 12 Goldfinch, 2 Common Whitethroat, Chiffchaff. ( Pete Lowman).
 * Tyttenhanger GP: 4 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper, juvenile Shelduck. (Steve Blake/Rick Flesher)
 * Woodlands Farm (Shooter's Hill) 2 Hobbys displaying (John Bushell)
 * Wanstead Flats: f Common Redstart (east of Alex), 5 Garden Warbler, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, 4 Swallow, 10 + House Martin, 7 Gadwall (first returning birds to the Alex), Tufted Duck with brood of 8 ducklings still, 2 Egyptian Goose, Snipe, Common Gull, 4 Kestrel, 2 Sparrowhawk (Nick Croft/Dan Hennessy)
 * Wanstead Park: Reed Warbler (Nick Croft)

Friday 10th August 2012

 * Alexandra Park: Common Tern Wood Green Res 0630, also Whitethroat, 3 Blackcaps, 2 Chiffchaff Cricket Scrub, 3 Willow Warblers in flock N of Conservation Pond 1630 (Bob Watts). Common Sand near Tunnel Res (Dave Callahan).
 * Bankside SE1: Sedge Warbler and 4 Willow Warbler in community Garden area at east end of Tate Modern at 12.15 (Simon Fogg).
 * Brent Reservoir: 4 Green Sands, 9 Common Sands, 3 Lapwing, juv Shelduck & first Water Rail of autumn but fewer warblers (Brent Birders)
 * Crayford Marshes: 4 Whimbrel, Yellow Wagtail, Greenshank, 3 Egyptian Goose, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Green Sandpiper, 11 Common Sandpiper, Hobby, Little Owl, Nuthatch, Corn Bunting, Willow Warbler, 3 Cetti's Warbler, 7 Yellow-legged Gull, 20 Common Tern, (Kev Jarvis).
 * East India Dock Basin: very quiet birdwise, 1 Chiifchaff the only migrant, but a male Long-tailed Blue butterfly (probably the first in London since they bred at Gillespie Park in August 1990) was more than adequate compensation! It was in the strip of meadow on the east side of the Copse 12:45-13:25, when it was flushed and chased off by a Common Blue and flew up into the treetops, with no further sign by 14:10 (John Archer); nor by 1700, but 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Willow Warbler (James Lowen): PS I thought Long-tailed Blue bred at Kew in the mid 90s? Excellent find, whatever the species' history in London. A massive congrats from me (Billy Dykes)
 * Gallions Reach: 2 Sandwich Terns, 23 Common Terns, Oystercatcher, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff. Green Woodpecker. (Gary A James).
 * Hampstead Heath: 5 Willow Warblers at Parliament Hill early on otherwise quiet (Pete Mantle)
 * Hatton Garden: 1 Jersey Tiger (R Bell)
 * Lee Valley, Cornmill Meadows: 4 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Green Sandpiper, 51 Lapwing, 2 Snipe, 3 Teal, 2 Cetti's Warbler (Simon Papps).
 * Mayfield Farm, Bedfont: Common Sandpiper. (Adam Cheeseman)
 * Middlesex filter beds/Hackney Marshes: Hobby, swift, 2 willow warbler including one mixed chiff singer, (Jamie Partridge)
 * Nunhead Cemetary (SE15): 1 Whitethroat (scrub), 3 v active Chiffchaff, 3 Sparrowhawk (1 ad, 2 juvs calling), 1 Green Woodpecker (Peter Beckenham)
 * Rainham: 1 Pied & 2 Spotted Flycatcher and several Willow Warblers in the cordite woodland and male Marsh Harrier 1600 to 1700 (David Bradshaw)
 * Regent's Park: 3 Garden Warbler, 5 Willow Warbler, 5 Chiffchaff, 10 Little Grebe (including one fully-grown youngster to add to the nine seen yesterday), 2 Great Crested Grebe, 1 imm male Kestrel, 115 Black-headed Gull (four imm), 2 Common Tern (adult feeding juvenile), 15 Swift, 20 House Martin (birdman_euston).
 * Snaresbrook Crown Court: male Firecrest in Holly bush early am briefly, Goldcrest, 18+ Long tailed tit (1 juv carrying a 3/4 grown Poplar Hawk moth caterpillar in its beak), male Coal Tit, juv Sparrowhawk, 2 Brown Hawker, 2 Emperor, 1 Banded Damoisel, plus loads of Common Blue and Red eyed Damselflies (Stuart Fisher)
 * Totteridge Valley: 2 Red Kites plus a male Sparrowhawk between 12:00 - 12:20 at which point the kites drifted slowly SE towards Finchley (Ian Ellis).
 * Tyttenhanger GP 5 Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, 2 Hobby, 3 Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, 2 Lesser Whitethroat. (Steve Blake)
 * Wandsworth Common: JerseyTiger flying + briefly settled on a fence in private garden near station. My first sighting here (Neil Anderson)
 * Wanstead Flats: 3 Garden Warbler, 3 Swallow, 14 House Martin, Sand Martin, family of Goldfinch, fledged young still being fed by parents (Nick Croft/Dan Hennessy/Jonathan Lethbridge)
 * Wanstead Park: Garden Warbler (OSW), Goldcrest, Sand Martin (Nick Croft)
 * Woodlands Farm (Shooter's Hill) Hobby, Garden Warbler, Swift, Whitethroat, 6 Blackcap, 6 Chiffchaff (Conrad Ellam)

Thursday 9th August 2012

 * Alexandra Park: Willow Warbler subsinging opposite Conservation Pond 0630, also 3+ Chiffchaffs calling, 2 Common Terns Wood Green Res, local House Martin, 15+ Swifts moving through west 1700, no Willow Warblers in mixed tit flock alongside res in evening just 3+ Chiffchaffs (Bob Watts).
 * Brent Reservoir: 3 Green Sands, 9 Common Sands, 3 Lapwing, juv Shelduck, Greylag Goose & 20 Chiffchaffs (Brent Birders)
 * Bankside SE1: Willow Warbler in the birches at east end of Tate Modern 0640. Sedge Warbler and 5 Willow Warbler in community Garden area at east end at 12.45 (Simon Fogg).
 * Causeway NR: Common Sandpiper - 4th day present, Kingfisher. (Adam Cheeseman)
 * Crayford Marshes: Wheatear, Whimbrel, 2 Egyptian Goose, 2 Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, 3 Corn Bunting, Little Owl, 7 Common Sandpiper, 5 Yellow-legged Gull, Willow Warbler. (Kev Jarvis).
 * Hampstead Heath: Garden Warbler .Parliament Hill in Hedge 1 at 07:45.Also Whitethroat & Blackcap.(Allan Stewart)
 * Hyde Park/Serpentine: 6 Egyptian Geese flew close to swimmers and landed during the Women's 10K Olympic swim - seen on TV at 12:15pm (Michael Mac).
 * Hyde Park/Serpentine: Great Crested Grebe and Common Tern at start/finish line Women's 10k swim not long before start, family of coots there throughout and sat on the pontoons at the end of the race and a heron landed next to the giant screen near the stands.(L Leadbeater)
 * Ladywell Cemetery; Great Spotted Woodpecker (Phil Laurie)
 * Lee Valley: Wood Sandpiper still at Cornmill Meadows for 6th day (Birdguides). no sign of Wood Sand from 4-6.45pm, 5 Green Sandpipers, 4 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Snipe present. c75 Lapwing, 20+ House Martin (J Anderson)
 * Lewisham: 8 Swift west (Conrad Ellam)
 * Leyton Flats: 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Common Sandpiper, 6 Swifts, Ring-necked Parakeet, Whitethroat, 3 Willow Warbler, 4 Chiffchaffs, Nuthatch. (Gary A James).
 * Middlesex filterbeds/hackney marshes: common sands flew down the river, 3 willow warbler, 2 common witethroat, lesser whitethroat. (J. Partridge)
 * Regent's Park: 16 Little Grebe [7 ad & 9 yg; a fifth brood (of four, a season high) has hatched just W of York Bridge, area 13, making this the most successful breeding year on record for this species in the Park - there may be as many as five pairs and 12 young on the Boating Lake at present, feeding in the grassy shallows on recently-emerged shoals of perch fry], 4ad Great Crested Grebe (one on nest), 3 Garden Warbler, 8+ Willow Warbler, 6 Chiffchaff (birdman_euston and Tony Duckett).
 * Nunhead Cemetary: Garden Warbler, 6pm, feeding on elderberrys, 3 sparrowhawks calling (Andrew Birks)
 * Richmond Park: juv Little Grebe Pen Ponds, 3 Common Terns, Common Sandpiper, Hobby, Large raptor Sp 11.55am SE, 5 Grey Wagtails (Tony Duckett)
 * Totteridge Valley/Darlands Lake: 1 Spotted Flycatcher: Little Owl: 2 Willow Warbler (one briefly in song): Lesser Whitethroat: 5 Whitethroat: 5 House Martin: 5 Swallow: 2 Swift: Mandarin fem+1jv: Bullfinch (John Colmans)
 * Walthamstow Marshes: Peregrine on pylon, 16 Linnet. 2 swift and single sand martin (Jamie Partridge)
 * Wanstead Flats: 3 Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler and recently fledged Chiffchaff (Jonathan Lethbridge

Wednesday 8th August 2012

 * Alexandra Park: 1 Wood Warbler (near the middle platform at 5.55 p.m.), 1 Common Sandpiper (on New River) (James Palmer).
 * Bankside SE1: 5 Willow Warbler in the birches at west end of Tate Modern (Simon Fogg).
 * Barking Riverside: 1 Sand Martin increased to 25 by 19:30 (Ben Green)
 * Blackheath: 1 Willow warbler (James Lowen)
 * Brent Reservoir: 3 Green Sandpiper, 9 Common Sandpiper, 3 Lapwing, 12 Chiffchaff & 11 Willow Warbler (Brent Birders).
 * Brookmill Park: Mandarin, Sparrowhawk, Coal Tit, 2 Chiffchaff (Conrad Ellam).
 * Crayford Marshes: Wheatear, 2 Whimbrel, 2 Green Sandpiper, 11 Common Sandpiper, Little Owl, Corn Bunting, Hobby, 14 Yellow-legged Gull, 2 Willow Warbler, Cetti's Warbler, 3 juvenile Sedge Warbler, 17 Dunlin. (Kev Jarvis).
 * Crossness: Bearded Tit again in protected area but very elusive (Steve Carter per JA).
 * Enfield: Barn Owl at 4.00 a.m. in Oak Tree on The Ridgeway just before Botany Bay (Simon West)
 * Ewell (Hogsmill Open Space): 4 Stock Dove, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Beautiful Demoiselle, pair of Common Darter mating and egg laying (Neil Batten).
 * Hampstead Heath: 20 Mistle Thrush feeding on athletic track.07:30.(Allan Stewart).
 * Hampstead (Flask Walk, NW3): Willow Warbler feeding and calling in birch. Very unusual here (Sash Tusa).
 * Lonsdale Road Reservoir: 1 Chiffchaff, 1f Blackcap, 1 Grey Wagtail, 2 Egyptian Goose, 2 juv Pochard still (Rich Petley) small Tit flock including 3 Goldcrest and 4 Long-tailed Tit, juv Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff & Blackcap; also 7 Teal and 20 House Martin @ 9am (M Bournat) In addition, f Sparrowhawk over eastern reedbed at 12:40, and at least 7 terrapins basking in warmth, including a very young one probably hatched this spring (Matt Reed). Apparently they don't breed in UK yet it's too cold, so it could be a new "throw in" - ?(Michael Mac). Nests have apparently been found in the UK and I suspect that they do breed at this site in particular, although I have no proof, as I have also seen very small specimens there, often several at once. The warmer micro-climate in London may have an influence (Martin Honey). This is v interesting as at least one herp expert i chatted to was adamant that terrapins cannot breed here due to climate. What sp terrapin - red-necked slider? (James Lowen)
 * Lee Valley: Wood Sandpiper still at Cornmill Meadows for 5th day (Birdguides).
 * Regent's Park: 1 Garden Warbler, 8 Willow Warbler, 1 Common Whitethroat, 2 Reed Warbler (summer residents, at NW end of area-5 reed bed), 1 Chiffchaff (among the last of the dwindling summer residents, calling from its territory in the grounds of The Holme, area 10 at 08:15), 135 Black-headed Gull (one imm; some of the local mob have flown the coop, at least temporarily, now that half of the moored rowing-boats they roosted on have been removed to clean off the 'whitewash'), 7 House Martin, 1 Swift (birdman_euston).
 * Richmond Park (Pen Ponds): 2 Common Tern, 2 Little Owl (1 adult, 1 owlet in oaks by car park). 4 Willow Warbler in large 50+ tit flock by car park (Billy Dykes).
 * Snaresbrook Crown Court and Eagle Pond: 4 Crossbill in Norway Spruce before heading west (mid morning), Willow Warbler calling, juv Sparrowhawk, fem/imm Kestrel, Coal Tit, 3 Brown Hawker, Southern Hawker, 5 Common Darter, 40+ Red eyed Damselfly, 100+ Common Blue Damselfly (Stuart Fisher).
 * Stepney: 3 House Martins Cable Street 3pm (Bob Watts).
 * Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park: Sedge Warbler in bullrushes Scrapyard Meadow pond (my 2nd record both at this site), Southern Hawker (Bob Watts).
 * Trent Park: 16 Blackcap, 4 Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Garden Warbler, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Goldfinch, 3 Mandarin (f). ( Pete Lowman).
 * Wanstead Flats: 2 Spotted Flycatcher - Long Wood (Dan Hennessy/Tony Brown), Sedge Warbler (TB), 2 Garden Warbler, 20 + Chiffchaff, 20 + Common Whitethroat, 4 Lesser Whitethroat, 3+ Willow Warbler, 3 Swallow, 10 + House Martin, 20 + Swift, 14 Mistle Thrush, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, 6 Meadow Pipit, Kestrel (Dan Hennessy/Tony Brown/Jonathan Lethbridge/Steve Thorpe/Nick Croft).
 * Whitechapel; 2 Swift west 1030 (Bob Watts).
 * Woodlands Farm (Shooter's Hill) 7 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, at least 7 Blackcap, 1 Garden Warbler, 3 Whitethroat (John Bushell & Conrad Ellam).
 * Wormwood Scrubs: 1 male Peregrine, c3 Willow Warbler, c45 Swift & 2 Sand Martin west. (The Scrubbers)

Tuesday 7th August 2012

 * Bexleyheath - Red kite circling over Horsham Road garden for a couple of minutes at 1.30pm
 * Brent Reservoir: 2 Green Sandpipers, 10 Common Sandpipers, 2 Lapwing & 13 Chiffchaffs (Andrew Self)
 * Brookmill Park: Mandarin, Coal Tit, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff (Conrad Ellam)
 * Canada Water (Opposite Library) Reed Warbler (Phil Laurie)
 * Chiswick Pier: Pochard pair with 4 75% grown youngsters (unlikely to be the Lonsdale Rd birds despite the close proximity) (Matt Reed)
 * Crayford Marshes: 2 Whimbrel, 16 Yellow-legged Gull, Black-tailed Godwit, Corn Bunting, 8 Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, 14 Dunlin, 5 Ringed Plover, 5 Little Egret. (Kev Jarvis, Phil Cliffe).
 * East India Dock Basin: Willow Warbler, Swift, 1+ House Martin, 2+ Sand Martins (John Archer).
 * Ewell Village (Bourne Hall): 1 Cormorant, 25 Black-headed Gull, new brood of 3-4 tufted duck chicks on lake (Neil Batten).
 * Regent's Park: 1 Pied Flycatcher (in dying elder shrub in middle of Cricket Pen, area 31 at 07:35, not seen again by the time I left at 09:30; probably the same bird as yesterday but two brief views in quick succession were insufficient to confirm this), 8 Little Grebe (three adults feeding five young; four successful pairs this year, with as many as eight young currently being fed), 2 Garden Warbler, 1 Common Whitethroat, 7+ Willow Warbler (one singing), 3+ Chiffchaff, 5 House Martin (birdman_euston). I paid a brief lunchtime visit to the area and found a Spotted Flycatcher with a mixed flock of tits and warblers (mostly willow). This could have been a different bird though. (Andrew Birks) Nice one, Andrew. If anything, the PF I saw this morning had more white in the wing than the one yesterday. Birds in the Pen were noticeably more elusive today, sheltering as they were from the local Sparrowhawk, a chill morning breeze - and me! (b_e). I am not suggesting your PF was an SF!(apologies for abbreviations), but that is what I saw, definitely spotty, in the area with a small avenue of Rowans, if that makes sense? Where exactly do you mean by Cricket Pen?(AB) Sorry, Andrew, I didn't realise you were elsewhere than the Cricket Pen, which is marked by the number 31 in this weblink: Regent's Park Bird-Sightings Map. Your rowans, I believe, are just SW of the Old Golf School (number 39 on the map) - historically a favourite haunt of migrant SFs (b_e). I see now, I was in the wrong spot! cheers (AB). Yes, the Cricket Pen is named after the insect, not the sport - a misconception I held until recently myself! (b_e).
 * Purley, Tesco: A stunning little Stock Dove feeding in the lawn near the store entrance. (Charlie L)
 * Walthamstow Reservoirs: East Warwick, Wheatear (KJMcmanus).
 * Wanstead Flats: Wheatear (first returning bird of the autumn and 2 days later than last year) with 12 Mistle Thrush on playing fields, also singing Willow Warbler (Jonathan Lethbridge)

Monday 6th August 2012

 * Alexandra Park: Honey Buzzard low SE over Top Field pursued by LBB Gull 16.47, 2 Green Sand N 1752, 2 Willow Warblers in mixed tit flock alongside Wood Green Res, 80+ Swifts (Bob Watts).
 * Brookmill Park: Mandarin, Chiffchaff (Conrad Ellam)
 * Crystal Palace Park - Stage Pond: 1 Swift, f Mallard 12 1wk ducklings. Boating Lake - 1 Great-crested Grebe carrying 1 chick, f Mallard 3 ducklings, 4 Brood of Moorhen, 2 Green Woodpecker - blackberries also late (Michael Mac).
 * Lee Valley: Wood Sandpiper still at Cornmill Meadows for 3rd day, thanks for the find john. (Rich Stead).
 * Crayford Marshes: 3 Whimbrel, 10 Little Egret, 6 Yellow-legged Gull, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, Green Sandpiper, Willow Warbler, 7 Common Sandpiper, 11 Dunlin. (Kev Jarvis).
 * East India Dock Basin area: Oystercatcher, 4 Common Sandpiper (Bow Creek), 1 Swift, 3 Sand Martin, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff. 2 Jersey Tiger Moths (Eco Park). (Gary A James).
 * Grand Union Canal: (Uxbridge Rd - Hayes & Harlington station) eclipse Mandarin, Mute Swan on nest and a seperate pair with 6 cygnets, Mallard brood, Moorhen brood and another nest building, 8 Canada Goose (Matt Reed)
 * Leyton Flats/Snaresbrook: Crossbill over early morning, Hobby, Common Sandpiper somewhere on Eagle Pond, 2 juv Swallows south west, Sparrowhawk, 6+ Chiffchaff, Grey Heron, Mistle Thrush, 8+ Swift (S Fisher)
 * London WWT: Cetti's Warbler, 4 Black-tailed Godwit (M Bournat), Peregrine (Steven Robinson).
 * Lonsdale Road barnes; 7 teal, 2 Shoveler, 2 juv Pochard 4 Juv Tufted duck, Familys of Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, and Reed Wablers, 2 Pied Wagtail;(john gordon) 10 House Martin and 1 Swift at 9am (M Bournat)
 * North Finchley: at least 3 Swift over house during day (John Colmans)
 * Regent's Park: 1 adult (middle tertials with narrow though unworn, clean white feather-edgings of even width - it was a very accommodating bird!) female (no forehead spots; no contrast in light sooty colouration of inner v outer tail feathers and upper tail coverts) Pied Flycatcher (in silver birches at NE end of Cricket Pen, area 31 at 09:25; found with the only flock of warblers I saw all morning), 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Common Whitethroat, 1 Reed Warbler, 6 Willow Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff, 13 House Martin, 5 imm Black-headed Gull with the usual mob of 150+ adults (birdman_euston).
 * Richmond Park: 7 Common Terns plus 2 juveniles (pics at Regent's Park Birds) 10 Swifts, 5 Grey Wagtails (Tony Duckett).
 * South Norwood Lake: pair Great Crested Grebe with 1 young, 18 Tufted Duck + total of 27 young from 6 broods, Mallard with late brood of 6, 2 Cormorant,1 Swift S/E, 3 Blackcap, 5 Chiffchaff, pair Bullfinch (rare at this site) (John Watson & Gavin Hawgood)
 * Totteridge Valley: Sparrowhawk: 3 Swift: House Martin: Swallow: 4 Mistle Thrush: many Chiffchaff (John Colmans)
 * Wanstead Flats: Common Sandpiper, Little Egret, Grey Heron, 9 Mistle Thrush, Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Sparrowhawk, House Martin, 6 Swift (Nick Croft/Jonathan Lethbridge)
 * Wanstead Park: 3 + Willow Warbler, Reed Warbler, Grey Wagtail, 5 Great-crested Grebe, 4 Sand Martin, House Martin, 20 + Swift, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel (Nick Croft)
 * Willowtree Marina: Mute Swan on nest, Mallard brood (nature area), 2 Coot broods (1 in nature area), Reed Warbler (nature area), Grey Heron, 10 Lesser Black-Backed Gull (both in nearby flooded paddock) (Matt Reed).

Sunday 5th August 2012

 * Alexandra Park: 30+ Swift, House Martin, 2 Common Terns, some large mixed tit flocks containing Nuthatch but very few warblers, just 1 Chiffchaff and a few Blackcaps, also new Mallard brrod of 5 ducklings Boating Lake, Southern Hawker Nuclear Bunker (Bob Watts).
 * Barking Bay: 14 Swift, 2 Common Tern, 19 Black-tailed Godwit, Common Sandpiper, 2 Ringed Plover, 4 Oystercatchers and Ruddy Shelduck Hybrid. Also pair of adult Great Black-backed Gulls with juvenile that most certainly came from Lesser/Herring colony 1/4 mile upriver (Dave Morrison).
 * Battersea Park Lake: 3 Swifts feeding at dusk, f Pochard +1 young, pr Great Crested Grebe appear to have failed, Mallard 5 small young, 50 Cormorants starting to use roost again, pr ringed Egyptian Geese (Michael Mac).
 * Brent Reservoir: 9 Common Sands, 2 Green Sands, 3 Lapwing, juv Shelduck, Greylag Goose 3 Willow Warblers (Andrew Self & Andrew Verrall)
 * Brookmill Park: Mandarin, juvenile Goldcrest (Conrad Ellam).
 * Crossness: 2 Garden Warblers (first site records for the year), 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 30+ Swifts, Black-tailed Godwit, Green Sandpiper, 3 Common Sandpipers, 14 Lapwings, juv Yellow-legged Gull, hybrid Ruddy x Common Shelduck (John Archer).
 * Dagenham Chase LNR: 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 2-3 Bullfinch, 2 Shoveler, 1 Common Tern, 50+ Black-headed Gull, a few Swifts and 1 Swallow. ( V.Halley-Frame & Steve Drake ). Coal Tit at far end of reserve by YMCA in a private garden. ( V.Wakeling per VHF ).
 * Gallions Reach: Red Kite NW 10.40, 12 Common Sandpiper, 4 Lapwings, 1 ad Mediterranean Gull, 140 Common Terns, 270 Swift, 23 Sand Martins, 3 Swallows, 3 Meadow Pipits (Gary A James & Nick Tanner).
 * Hampstead Heath: 2 Willow Warblers early morning (Pete Mantle). At least 4 Chiffchaff & 2 ad & at least 2 juv Reed Warbler, Highgate 1 pond; 1 Shoveler, Sanctuary Pond; Kingfisher, Hampstead 1 Pond (Frank Nugent).
 * High Barnet: Herring Gull being pursued by Red Kite over the Hospital at 8.00pm.(seen from my garden - Kite a garden tick for me) Geoff Crabtree.
 * London Wetland Centre: 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 13 Teal, 14 Shoveler, 8 Willow Warbler, 5 Chiffchaff, 1 Kingfisher, 8 Cetti's Warbler (Adam Salmon). A further 9 Black-tailed Godwit there this evening (Martin Honey).
 * Lee Valley: Wood Sandpiper still at Cornmill Meadows for 2nd day (Birdguides).
 * Minet CP (Hayes): Little Egret feeding in brook, 2 Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, 2+ Whitethroat families, c10 Linnet (Neil Anderson)
 * North Finchley: c20 Swift moving S around 20.45 (John Colmans).
 * Regent's Park: 1 ad Lesser Whitethroat (W end of Cricket Pen, area 31 at 09:20; Park's first seasonal migrant), 1 imm Common Whitethroat (location same as for LW above), 2 Garden Warbler (adult in Leaf Yard Wood, area 41 at 08:20 - greyish cast to plumage and not noticeably buffy below; another bird in Cricket Pen fide Tony Duckett), 4+ Willow Warbler, 6 Chiffchaff, 2 Common Tern (adult feeding juvenile). Calm morning - after brisk S winds so far this month (birdman_euston).
 * Ten Acre Wood area: - Where is Ten Acre Wood??? Hobby, 23 Lapwing, Little Ringed Plover successfully bred, Skylark, 2 Treecreeper, m Reed Bunting, 11 Linnets (Neil Anderson)
 * Totteridge Valley: fem Sparrowhawk, 20+ Pied Wagtail, 30+ Swallow, 21 House Martin, 10+ Swift, 30+ Goldfinch, 4 Bullfinch (Ian Ellis).
 * Walthamstow Reservoirs: 20+ Common Sandpiper, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat (KJMcmanus).
 * West Molesey: Common Sandpiper over my garden in Hurst Road, calling at 07.30 (Adam Cheeseman).
 * Yeading Brook: Pheasant heard, f Kestrel, Sparrowhawk juv heard +then both parents + 1 juv in air, 2 Swift, Skylark, 6+ Meadow Pipits, Willow Warbler, Bullfinch (Neil Anderson).

Saturday 4th August 2012

 * Alexandra Park: Common Tern, 35+ Swifts, new Mallard brood of 8 ducklings New River (Bob Watts).
 * Brent Reservoir: 11 Common Sands, 3 Lapwing, 5 Wilow Warblers, juv Shelduck & c150 Swift (Brent Birders)
 * Bromley-by-Bow (Abbey Creek): Common Sandpiper, 5 Swift over (Stuart Fisher)
 * East Dulwich (Dunstans Road, Back Garden): 2 Hobby over together (1 with prey) in direction of Dulwich Wood (Martin Stevens).
 * Fulham Reach (Thames 8/8.40): 1 Common Sandpiper, 4 Swift heading West, 1 juv Lesser Black-backed Gull with parent (Nathalie Mahieu).
 * Horsenden Hill: 5 Crossbill E/SE at 10.10. Also apparently 2 Sparrowhawk broods and Small Red-eyed Damselfly (Andy Culshaw).
 * Hyde Park/Serpentine: 1 very nervous Coot took flight as I watched start of Olympic Triathlon on TV - as I have contributed to the BTO NRS Scheme for last 5 years - I just wonder what damage has been done by the Olympics being held in Hyde Park/Serpentine. They started actual games today and no birds seen in usual nesting areas from what shown on TV! So wonder what impact it's had? Just a thought?(Michael Mac).
 * King George V Res: 50+ Common Sandpiper ( 1 flock of 18 birds flew south together), large flock of House Martins drifted South,10 Sand Martin, 50+ Swifts (Tony Clancy)
 * Lee Valley: Wood Sandpiper (adult), 2 Green Sandpiper & 15 Lapwing at Cornmill meadows, Also 4 Green Sandpipers & 3 Little Egrets at Hall Marsh scrape (J.Murray & Snr).
 * London Wetland Centre: 1 (mainly) summer plumage Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2+1 Common Tern flying SW, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, c.20 Swift, c.12 Sand Martin, lots of Reed Warbler, 1/2 Chiffchaff, 2 Cetti's Warbler plus Peregrine seen (Martin Honey).
 * Rainham Marshes area: Marsh Harrier, 2 juvenile Cuckoo, summer plumaged Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Whimbrel, 3 Common Sandpiper, 5 Oystercatcher, 10+ Yellow-legged Gull, 10 Swift (Stuart Fisher).
 * Stoneleigh (Broadway, Cuddington Rec. Shadbolt Park & Auriol Park): 101 Common Swift west in 2 1/2 hours, 17 Herring Gull, 7 Black Headed Gull, 3 Lesser Black Backed Gull, 32 Ring Necked Parakeet, female Kestrel, Chiffchaff and Blackcap (Neil Batten)

Friday 3rd August 2012

 * Alexandra Park: Swift, Common Tern 0630 (Bob Watts).
 * Olympic Park - Greenway Entrance - 1 Swallow enjoying the insects over the planted wallflower beds (jo East)
 * Brent Reservoir: 7 Common Sandpiper, 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Lapwing, juv Shelduck (Brent Birders)'
 * Catford SE6 River Pool: 4 Sparrowhawks, 2 young 2 adults, great views (Terry Wilson).
 * Crayford Marshes: female Garganey flew along the creek, then flew over to University Way; Whimbrel, 22 Yellow-legged Gull, Green Sandpiper, 3 Greenshank, 12 Common Sandpiper, 2 Willow Warbler, 2 juvenile Sedge Warbler, Corn Bunting, 16 Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plover, 3 Little Egret (Kev Jarvis).
 * Ewell Village (Lower Mill): 4 Common Swift (Neil Batten).
 * Leyton, Marsh Lane: f Crossbill flew West @ 13:10 (Paul Whiteman) Yay House/patch tick!
 * Little Britain Lake: Kingfisher, 2 Blackcaps, 1 Chiffchaff, Grey Heron, Swallow, 2 Swift, 8+ Greylag, not a good sight coot strangled by fishing line hanging on from a bush (Sue Giddens).
 * Mile End: 4+ Swift west 11am (Bob Watts).
 * Greenwich Peninsular Ecology Park: 2 Little Grebe with four young, Common Tern feeding chick, 1 Water Rail calling, 1 Reed Warbler, 150+ Black-headed Gull on foreshore, 1 Swift. Also 2 Red-eyed Damselfly (Ben Green).
 * Regent's Park: 2 imm Garden Warbler, 1 imm Common Whitethroat (both in Cricket Pen, area 31), 1 imm male Kestrel (Wetland Pen, area 32), 135 Black-headed Gull (only one imm), 9 House Martin, 5 Swift, 3 summer-resident Chiffchaffs calling, 2 Willow Warbler calling. Little obvious passerine migration observed in the Park during brisk S winds of the last few days, except for a few Willow Warblers moving through and out (birdman_euston).
 * South Kensington: Peregrine over Queen's Gate Gardens at roof-top level heading NE at 18.30 (Martin Honey).
 * Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park: 6+ Swifts 1245 (Bob Watts).
 * Tyttenhanger GP: Little Ringed Plover, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Buzzard (Steve Blake).
 * Walthamstow Reservoirs: (Lockwood) Crossbill, Redshank, Hobby (K. J. Mcmanus).
 * Wanstead Flats: 14+ House Martin, 30 + Swift, 20 + Chiffchaff, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 10 + Common Whitethroat, 3 Kestrel, 2 Sparrowhawk (male + juv), Grey Heron, Little Grebe, 8 Meadow Pipit, 1 Skylark (NickCroft/Steve Thorpe).
 * Woodside Park N12: four Sand Martin flew south over Westbury Road gardens (garden tick :) at 10:30. (Ian Ellis).

Thursday 2nd August 2012

 * Alexandra Park: 16 Swifts, 2 Common Terns (Bob Watts).
 * Brent Reservoir: Little Egret, 2 Green Sandpiper, 6 Common Sandpiper, 2 Lapwing (Andrew Self).
 * Brookmill Park: Mandarin, Kingfisher, Stock Dove, Coal Tit, Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap (Conrad Ellam) + first Jersey Tiger Moth of the year.
 * Catford SE6 (River Pool): Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Reed Warbler, Blackcap, 3 Sparrowhawk 2 young, 5 Swifts, Jersey Tiger (terry Wilson)
 * Chiswick House: 1 Black-headed Gull, 3 Coot broods (including a tiny chick and an almost full size juv sharing a nest) & 2 more nests, 2 Grey Heron, 8 Mute Swan (2 adults, 6 cygnets), 6 Tufted Duck (Matt Reed).
 * Crayford Marshes: 36 Yellow-legged Gull, Whimbrel, 4 Greenshank, 2 Green Sandpiper, 10 Common Sandpiper, 4 Corn Bunting, 19 Dunlin. (Kev Jarvis).
 * Crossness: 2 Black-tailed Godwits on flooded paddock, 8 Common Sandpipers, 1 Common Tern (the cooling water outflow from Barking Power Station, which is in the middle of the river off the golf centre, has been modified this year and no longer attracts large feeding flocks of gulls and terns), 1 Lesser Whitethroat (John Archer)
 * Dartford Crossing (M25): Group of 9 ducks (Shoveler-sized) bobbing on the high tide beneath the QE2 Bridge on the Essex side, black heads and white fronts/breast, poss sawbilled. Did anyone else see these? What were they? (Geoff Crabtree). Juvenile Shelduck (Tony Clancy). Thanks, Tony --GC.
 * East Finchley Allotment: Willow Warbler 11am ish (Dawn Painter)
 * Galllions Reach: 1 Turnstone, 1 Ringed Plover, 4 Redshanks, 10 lapwing, 8 Common Sandpiper, 4 Oystercatcher, 1 Common Tern, 11 Swift, Chiffchaff. (Gary A James).
 * Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park: Common Tern pair with 1 young, Coot and Moorhen broods, Little Grebe with 1 young. Also Red-eyed Damselfies, Brown Hawkers. Jersy Tiger just outside park (Joe Beale)
 * Hampstead Heath: 3 Crossbills SW at 0725, 2 Linnets over, 50 Swifts circling over fairground site, Kingfisher at Ham.1 ( Pete Mantle)
 * Hanwell W7: 12+ Swift hawking overhead my garden which is hardly a record number but better than the 2 I usually see each evening, Hobby drifted West around 19:30 (Rob Mills)
 * Heathrow Airport: 2 Black Redstart (m, juv) this juv appeared to be developing white wing patches so presumably m? If you are reading this and are the person(s) that entered the gates at the end of Exeter Road into the Babcock compound early this morning to look for the Black Redstart and a friend(s) of the gent I watched wandering the car park until asked to leave please do consider Heathrow is a highly security conscious area (Rob Mills). So much for high security!
 * Lonsdale Road Reservoir: fem Pochard with 2 juv, 2 Blackcap, 2 Reed Warbler, Chiffchaff, Teal (juv), Grey Wagtail (juv) (M Bournat)
 * New Cross: Hobby seen from train just NW of New Cross Station at 1803hrs (Rob Innes).
 * Pinner, Ruislip Woods & Haste Hill Golf course. Nine miles at sub 8 min mile pace this morning, 5 miles later. Saw a few dogs en route and also saw the Ruislip lido and plenty of litter. Totally irrelevant in keeping with yesterdays post about fish in a pond (Richard Francis UK ranked runner and birder) Did actually come across a flock of 21 Mistle Thrushes on the golf course.
 * Southmere Lake, Thamesmead: 2 Egyptian Geese (John Archer).
 * Stoneleigh Broadway: Probable flock of 7 Crossbills flew low west over at 08.20 heading towards Ewell Court. Not viewed through optics and only present for say, 20 seconds, but the flight call sounded very good for this species (although I haven't seen or heard a crossbill for a long time. Apologies) (Neil Batten).
 * Totteridge Valley: 2 Common Buzzards, one a juvenile, together on dead tree, Sparrowhawk, male Kestrel, 2 Swift, 4 Swallow, fem Mandarin with one duckling o Darlands Lake, 1 Common Gull (John Colmans).
 * Wanstead Flats: Singing Willow Warbler (+2 others), 3 Lesser Whitethroat, Tufted Duck with 7 chicks (Alex), f Shoveler, 2 Egyptian Goose, 10+ Swift, 4 House Martin, Kestrel (Nick Croft/Dan Hennessy)
 * Wanstead Park: Spotted Flycatcher, Nuthatch, Reed Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Sparrowhawk with 2 juv birds, Kestrel, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Common Tern, 5 Sand Martin, 3 Great-crested Grebe (Nick Croft) Common Sandpiper, Heronry (Dan Hennessy) Friday: 2 Crossbill over garden (J Lethbridge)

Wednesday 1st August 2012

 * Brent Reservoir: 3 Green Sandpiper, 8 Common Sandpiper, 3 Lapwing, c130 Swifts (Brent Birders).
 * Canons Farm: Oystercatcher flew NE and Sedge Warbler near farmhouse (both 1st site records), fem Peregrine (David Campbell).
 * Crayford Marshes: Whimbrel, 3 Greenshank, 18 Yellow-legged Gull, 6 Oystercatcher, 11 Common Sandpiper, Little Owl, Peregrine, 2 Corn Bunting, 22 Dunlin. (Kev Jarvis).
 * Dalston: Swifts still around (Jon Agar).
 * East India Dock Basin: 15+ Swifts SW at 12:45, 1 Sand Martin, just 1 Tufted Duck, House Sparrow over East India DLR station this morning (John Archer).
 * Ewell Village (Bourne Hall): 1 Cormorant, 8 Black-headed Gull (Neil Batten). p.s. persons unknown appear to be dumping ornamental fish into the Hogsmill between Bourne Hall and the Lower Mill. Species include Koi, Common and Mirror Carp, Chub, and most bizarrely a small Sturgeon. There is also a Red-eared Terrapin at the Lower Mill. This is a widespread problem, We had Lavender Pond local nature reserve drained and the fish were removed. A local came over and boasted that him and his mates were going to restock the pond so that they could continue to fish there. Sure enough, the next day another local was seen tipping a bucket of fish in to the pond (Conrad Ellam) 
 * Gallions Reach retail park, Beckton: 3 Peregrines over together (Lol Bodini).
 * Me Cemeteryargravin: Hobby over east at 5pm (M Bournat)
 * Marylebone (Balcombe Street): 2 House Martins in flight and only saw 1 nest in brief visit to the area (Michael Mac).
 * North Finchley: c9 Swifts this am (John Colmans).
 * Osterley Park: 8 Swifts, 8 Egyptian Geese (inc 3 juv), Pochard, Common Tern, 2 Coal Tit, 2 Goldcrest, 8 Mandarin, Little Owl. 44 species in total (M Bournat)
 * Thorney CP: Green Woodpecker, Grey Heron, 2 Common Terns, Jay, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, 2 Swallows, Song Thrush, 2 Collared Doves, 2 Dunnocks, Greenfinch, 2 Swifts, Herring Gull.(Sue Giddens)
 * Tyttenhanger GP: 3 Green Sandpiper (Steve Blake)
 * Walthamstow Reservoirs: Whimbrel south over Lockwood Reservoir calling (KJMcmanus).
 * West Thurrock Marshes: 14 Common Terns up river, 11 Oystercatchers, Little Egret and 8 Swifts (Dave Morrison).
 * Woolwich (Royal Victoria Gardens): 1 Common Gull (Ben Green)

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