LatestNews

By posting news here you agree that your reports may be added to the LNHS database for use in the London Bird Report. A scalable map of the London recording area can be found here. Please list sightings alphabetically by site, following our standard format to assist automatic compilation of records into the database. Only report sightings of wide interest rather than listing all common birds but 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 LNHS bird recorder. More London bird news can be found on Twitter by searching for sightings from many different observers using the #londonbirds hashtag or by visiting the London Bird Club page (no Twitter account is necessary for either). To join the London Bird Club and support our work please visit the LNHS website. The 2013 London Bird Report is now out - to get a copy please click here.

Sunday 4th October 2015

 * Hampstead Heath: 2 Red Kite, low at 08:15 and high at 14:30, 13 Common Buzzard included 6 together at 13:25, 3 Linnet NW, 4 Siskin 30+ Meadow Pipit, 2 Swallow S, 8 House Martin S (Frank Nugent).
 * Kentish Town: Arctic Street, Osprey flew high N at 1230, also Wheatear perched on nearby house roof (Spring Place) at 1115 and 2 Siskins S (Pete Mantle)
 * London Wetland Centre: Pintail, Mandarin, 2 Little Egret, migrant Heron high SW, Buzzard, Water Rail, 20 Snipe, House Martin, 4 Stonechat, fem Redstart still, Grey Wagtail, 3 Pied Wagtail on marsh and 29 alba Wagtail mostly SW, 16 Meadow Pipit, 22 Chiffchaff including 1 abietinus, 7 Magpie S, Linnet in, 11 Lesser Redpoll, Siskin, 7 Reed Bunting (R.Kaye, O.Dewhurst)
 * Lower Chingford: female Pintail (on flood relief channel near the North Circular Road), 2 Green Sandpiper (James Palmer)
 * Swanley Park ; Buzzard (SE), Sparrowhawk, Grey wagtail, 4 Coal tit plus Common Darter, Migrant Hawker and Emerald Dragonflys (Andy Meaton)
 * Ten Acre Wood area: 2 m Pheasant, 2 Buzzard leaving roost, f Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, 4 Lapwing, Snipe, Kingfisher, c20 Meadow Pipit, 2 m Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff with tit flock, pr Stonechat, small influx of Song Thrush + Blackbird, 4 Mistle Thrush, 5 Rook, 6 Reed Bunting, 24 Linnet (Neil Anderson/G. Westley)
 * Totteridge Valley: Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Stonechat (owl field), 3 House Martin, c25 Meadow Pipit, 8+ Siskin, 2 Sparrowhawk (Ian Ellis)
 * Trent Park: 2 Chiffchaff together in ash near Cockfosters entrance (Robert Callf)
 * Wanstead Flats: 1w m Ring Ouzel, m Stonechat, 3 Lesser Redpoll, Siskin, 20 Linnet, pair Wigeon, f Pochard, 2 Skylark, 10 Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, 4 singing and 6 calling Chiffchaff (Bob Vaughan)
 * William Girling Reservoir (viewed from Mansfield Park): 2 Black Necked Grebe (James Palmer)
 * Wormwood Scrubs: 1 male Lesser Whitethroat, c7 Blackcap, c12 Chiffchaff, 1 male Stonechat (up to 5 recently), c30 Meadow Pipit, 2 Collared Dove, 2 Linnet, 2 Green Woodpecker (1f & 1 imm), c40 Goldfinch & several Jackdaw heard. (David Lindo) I would like to know how you sex Lesser Whitethroats at this time of year? Robert Callf

Saturday 3rd October 2015

 * Alexandra Park: Kingfisher (New River) (James Palmer)
 * Beulah Heights (SE25): Common buzzard being mobbed by 10+ carrion crow @ 1412 hrs (Richard Gowing)
 * Brent Reservoir: Little Egret, 13 Wigeon, 4 Snipe, 4 Lapwing, 3 Water Rail, Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap, 6 Chiffchaff, Reed Warbler, Lesser Redpoll, 5 Siskin (Roy Beddard, Andrew Verrall)
 * Eastcote (Abbotsbury Gardens): Linnet over (Jon Ridge).
 * Gallions Reach: Guillemot downriver @ 08.29, Little Egret, 5 Chiffchaff. (Gary A James).
 * London Wetland Centre: Mandarin, Pintail, 54 Wigeon, 2 Water Rail, 10 Snipe, Skylark SW, 35 Meadow Pipit dropping in and S, Rock Pipit on to marsh from E, 7 alba Wagtail S, 2 Grey Wagtail, 2 Redwing NW, fem Redstart by Peacock Tower, 40 Chiffchaff, 11 Swallow SE, 3 Siskin, 14 Lesser Redpoll NE/S (R.Kaye); also 1 Yellow Wagtail SW (Oscar Dewhurst).
 * Middlesex Filter Beds: 1 Goldcrest at 12:00 (Alastair Dent)
 * Mudchute Park: Snipe 1, Common Gull 5 West (4 1st cal year), Barn Swallow 1, Meadow Pipit 2, 2 Redwing SW, 12 Chiffchaff, 1 Firecrest (near Asda exit), 3 Goldcrest, 2 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Reed Bunting (N P Senior)
 * Oxleas Woods (SE9 1YG): Chiffchaff, Coal tit, Goldcrest and Firecrest in spruce and Pyracantha (John Reid)
 * Pinner (HA5): Grey Wagtail east at 08:29, Siskin, 2 Coal Tit, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, several Song Thrush & Blackbird (implying an arrival), Green Woodpecker & Long-tailed Tit (Jon Ridge)
 * Rainham Marshes: Great White Egret again briefly over Target Pools 12:03 (Twitter)
 * Richmond Park: Autumn bird count - 64 species included - 8 Wigeon, 2 Red-crested Pochard, 2 Water Rail heard, Common Gull west, Kingfisher, 17 Skylark, 33 Meadow Pipit, 17 Stonechat, Lesser Whitethroat, 32 Chiffchaff, Reed Bunting - poor vis-mig and some regulars AWOL (RBBRG) ; also 1 Whinchat on and 14 Siskin and a Common Buzzard over Pond Slade (Frank Nugent). Thanks Frank, did you happen to see a Coal Tit and where was the Whinchat please? (JW) . Hi Jan. The Whinchat was loosely associating with 5 Stonechat on Pond Slade pm. I didn't notice a Coal Tit. Frank 
 * South Norwood CP: 7 Bearded Tits in large reedbed. (Croydon Birders)
 * Staines Reservoirs: Red-breasted Merganser (Birdguides)
 * Swanscombe Marsh: Wigeon, Little Egret, Curlew, 9 Redshank, Green Sandpiper, 4 Common Sandpiper, 10 Swallows, 40 Meadow Pipit, 2 Rock Pipit, 6 Stonechat, 17 Cetti's Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat & 8 Chiffchaff (Andrew Self) Also ad Yellow-legged Gull on foreshore, Common Gull, Water Rails calling, 3 Lapwing, Raven, Reed Warbler and Sparrowhawk (Peter Beckenham)
 * Sewardstone/King George V Reservoir north sheep field: 2 Raven feeding on dead sheep, viewed from stone bridge (Neville Smith)
 * Tottenham Marsh: Peregrine, 12 Swallow, Cetti's Warbler (heard), Firecrest (James Palmer)
 * Woodford Green: Two Swallows going North over, 2 Chiff Chaff, Blackcap, Firecrest and Hawfinch both in garden briefly and imaged. (Ken Murray)

Friday 2nd October 2015

 * Alexandra Park: 2 Firecrests in cricket scrub to 9 am at least, plus 6+ Blackcaps (all male), 2 Chiffchaffs, 3 Goldcrests, and Peregrine over filter beds (David Callahan). Firecrest earlier heard Conservation Pond and then cricket scrub 0700 (Bob Watts)
 * Barnet near Dollis Brook/Quinta Open Space: at 10am over a dozen swallows on telegraph line (Alex Coltman)
 * Brent Reservoir: Little Egret, Wigeon, 2 Lapwing, 7 Snipe, Green Sandpiper, Reed Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, 8 Chiffchaff (Roy Beddard)
 * Bromley: 1-2 Grey Wagtail along Ravensbourne at Millvale. Grey Wagtail also heard at Bromley South station and 2 Jackdaws over here (Ian Stewart)
 * Cheshunt Marsh: Hobby (James Palmer)
 * Cockfosters, Herts. EN4: Juvenile male Sparrowhawk (possibly from Oak Hill Woods NR) hunting birds on our garden bird feeder (Anna & Bob Husband)
 * Crystal Palace Park: Greylag, 2 Egyptian Geese, 10+ Shoveler, 10+ Tufted Duck, Great Crested Grebe, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Meadow Pipit over, Pied Wagtail, 5+ Chiffchaff inc 1 singing, 10+ Goldcrest, 4+ Nuthatch, 2+ Jay (Ian Stewart)
 * Ewell Village: 1 Chiffchaff, 3 Grey Wagtail, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Meadow Pipit over, 4 Ring-necked Parakeet, large numbers of Titmice moving through the village (Great, Blue, Coal and Long-tailed) (Neil Batten).
 * Fishers Green (opposite Goose Fields): Snipe (James Palmer)
 * Greenwich Peninsula: very high tide, water lapping onto path in places. 2 Common Gull, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 adult Yellow-legged Gull by cable car (see photo) (Mike Paice)
 * Harvil Rd, South Harefield. 11 Stonechat in fields ( 4 south of road, 7 north of road.) An amazing count and maybe one of the highest ever for the London area outside of the Thames Marshes and Staines Moor ?. Presumably passage birds and in over forty years of birding in this area I have never seen more than two birds here ! (John Edwards). This area is not Harefield Moor as mentioned yesterday.(DP). the historic Harefield Moor was lost under Broadwater Gravel pit many years ago. These fields part of Park Lodge Farm. Superb John lovely to read this (Dan Pinkham) Unfortuntely, now to ruined by HS2. Excellent work guys, when I found six at PPF (06/03) this year, I almost fell out of my chair! (JR). Excellent all - HS2 kills it. Quail in farmer's field July just not enough to confirm for a report (Dan Pinkham)
 * Mayflower Park: 3 Peregrines, Blackcap male, 2 Chiffchaff(Bob Smith)
 * Richmond Park: 3 Redwing (SE), 1 Song Thrush (W), 6 Siskin, 1 Linnet (W), 3 Skylark (S), 5 Wigeon, 10 Meadow Pipit, 4 Stonechat, 4 Reed Bunting, 2 Chiffchaff (Oscar Dewhurst).
 * St James's Park: Sparrowhawk (Andrew Self) ; 4 Common Buzzard over, all approached from N, all going SE, one at 14:25 the next much lower at 14:40, the other two together at 14:50 (Frank Nugent).
 * Sidcup DA15 (York Avenue): Common Buzzard SE mobbed by crows 17.00, Meadow Pipit over early pm, Kestrel, Peregrine, singing Chiffchaff in garden, 1-2 Goldcrest (Ian Stewart)
 * Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park: 2 Coal Tit of British race Turning Circle - rare here just 3rd record in 10 years and one record of continental bird also 2+ Chiffchaff, 5+ Goldcrest (Bob Watts)
 * Walthamstow Res (brief pm visit Lockwood): 2 Green Sandpipers, 1 Lapwing, 3 Teal, 2 Shoveler (Lol Bodini)

Thursday 1st October 2015

 * Alexandra Park: Kingfisher, Little Grebe Wood Green Res 0700 (Bob Watts)
 * Beddington Farmlands: Cetti's Warbler still on main lake. 6 Siskin, 1 Redpoll, 6 Swallow (Twitter)
 * Brent Reservoir: Little Egret, Wigeon, Snipe, Green Sandpiper, 2 Lapwing, Water Rail, 5 Swallow, 3 Meadow Pipit, Reed Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff, 11 Siskin (John Gravatt, Andrew Verrall)
 * Brockwell Park/Lambeth: 2 Chiffchaff, 14 House Sparrow, 250-approx Ring-necked Parakeet daily at dusk roost in single poplar tree (Michael Mac).
 * Brookmill Park: Little Egret, Mandarin, Kingfisher, Chiffchaff (Conrad Ellam)
 * Crayford Marshes: Avocet, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit at Darent mouth, Spotted Redshank flew east from saltings as tide rose, 5 Wigeon, Common Buzzard, 2 Sparrowhawk, 2-4 Kestrel, Hobby, c20 Ringed Plover, c20 Golden Plover, c40 Lapwing, 25+ Dunlin, Green Sandpiper, c40 Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 16 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Snipe, Yellow-legged Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 4+ Skylark, 2+ House Martin, 10+ Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Blackcap, 3 Cetti's Warbler, 2+ Chiffchaff, 2+ Goldcrest, 3-4 Jay, Jackdaw, 3 Reed Bunting (Ian Stewart)
 * Crystal Palace Park: Lesser-spotted Woodpecker call/drumming along woodland path back of houses, Main lake - 1 Grey Wagtail, 11 Cormorant (8 swimming and diving in unison), 13 Shovelor, 3 Egyptian Geese (max count to date), 3 G C Grebe, 2 juv Grey Heron, 1 L B B Gull (Michael Mac).
 * Danson Park: 4+ Egyptian Goose, pair Gadwall, male Shoveler, 3 Little Grebe, 3+ Great Crested Grebe, adult Yellow-legged Gull, Chiffchaff (Ian Stewart)
 * Eastcote (Field End Road): Grey Wagtail over The Ascott public house (Jon Ridge).
 * Foots Cray Meadows: Cetti's Warbler still present 18.40, Little Grebe, Common Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Water Rail, 300+ Black-headed Gull NE towards Thames area roosts, Kingfisher or 2, Grey Wagtail, 6+ Chiffchaff, 6+ Goldcrest (Ian Stewart)
 * Frays Farm Meadows LWT: Stonechat, Wheatear, 3 Siskin (Dan Pinkham)
 * Harefield Moor: 8 Skylark, 7 + Meadow Pipit, 5 Stonechat (Dan Pinkham)Dan, Which section of the colne Valley do you class as Harefield Moor? ( John Edwards). Hi John locals seem to call it this - enter Harvil Road Harefield into Streetmap alternatively I think correct is TQ054884 (Dan Pinkham) - It is the large open area across the road from Park Lodge Farm or Bayhurst Woods (JR). Looks to be the area south of Harvil Rd, John. Thanks Dan for reply (JE).
 * Lamorbey Park, Sidcup: 2 Mute Swan, 2 Egyptian Geese, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Grey Heron, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, 3 Jay, Magpie, Gt Spotted Woodpecker, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Moorhen, Coot, Ring Necked Parakeet, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin, House Sparrow, Starling, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Wren, 2 Goldcrest, Peregrine. 26 species in one hour.(Eric Brown). 3 Egyptian Geese c16.00, Little Grebe (Ian Stewart)
 * London Wetland Centre WWT: Bittern - Main Lake (LWC website, per Angus Innes);
 * Millfields E5: 4 House Martin high overhead at 07:30 (Alastair Dent)


 * Oxleas Woods (Crookston Road SE9 1YG): 2 Firecrest in Holly within garden again showing well, also Coal Tit, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Nuthatch (John Reid) Hi John, I assume the path behind the houses on the N side of Crookston would be good to see them? Thanks S. James. Hi, the path in the woods along the N side of Crookston is as good as anywhere in the woods, I suspect there must be more than two as I get them regularly year after year in my garden which is adjacent to the woodland path
 * Pinner (HA5): 15 Jackdaw south-west, 2 Siskin east, Goldfinch, Goldcrest, Coal Tit & Pied Wagtail (Jon Ridge).
 * Purfleet: 22 Golden Plover, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 16 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Ringed Plover, 1 Dunlin, 95 Lapwing, 22 Redshank all on mud east of Dartford Creek mouth, viewed from Purfleet (Fraser Simpson)
 * Rainham RSPB: 5 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Common Buzzard, 3 Kestrel, Barn Owl, 1 Curlew, 1 Oystercatcher, 1 Avocet. Also 1 Stoat, 8 Common Seal on South shore and 1 Grey Seal heading down river at 12:50 first seen east of Mar Dyke. (John Cadera)
 * Richmond Park: 1 Fieldfare (S), 3 Redwing (SE) 3 Song Thrush (W), 6 Linnet, 16 Meadow Pipit, 5 Reed Bunting, 4 Stonechat, 32 Siskin, 2 Lesser Redpoll (S), 3 Chiffchaff (Oscar Dewhurst)
 * Sidcup DA15 (York Avenue): Hobby S c9am, Tawny Owl heard 00.35, 1-2 Sparrowhawk, Peregrine, Kestrel, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Coal Tit (Ian Stewart). Total of 81 species in London Borough of Bexley today.
 * Staines Reservoir: Black-Necked Grebe, 2 Dunlin, Pintail, Peregrine. (Jim Sweetland)
 * Swanley Park : 2 Tawny Owls 1 am, Grey Wagtail, 71 Canada Geese (Andy Meaton)
 * Sydenham Hill Wood: 2 Firecrest feeding in ivy-clad trees along Green Chain Walk/old railway track with goldcrest, wren and mixed tit flock. Jackdaw calling from Dulwich Wood borders. (Daniel Greenwood, Dave Clark).
 * Walthamstow Marshes: Flock of 15 Linnet on the rear paddocks at 08:00 (Alastair Dent).  40+ by 11.00 (D Beadle)
 * Whitings Hill/Arkley South Fields: 5.30-6pm Flock of 14 Meadow Pipits in grass field plus Tawny Owl flying low over about 6pm (David Martens, Alex Coltman)
 * Woodford Green: Yellow-browed Warbler in garden 8.02 am and imaged, plus 3 Blackcap, Chiff Chaff and Lesser Whitethroat. (Ken Murray)

Archived News
LONDON BIRDING NEWS FROM ALMOST EVERY PREVIOUS MONTH SINCE JULY 2002 {C}