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By posting news here you agree that your reports may be added to the London Natural History Society database for use in the London Bird Report. Please list sightings alphabetically by site, following our standard format to assist automatic compilation of records into the LNHS database. Guidance on entering sightings is given HERE. 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. A scalable map of the London recording area can be found HERE. More London bird news can be found on Twitter’s London Bird Club page or by drawing together tweets from observers using the #londonbirds hashtag (no Twitter account is necessary for either).

Monday 8 July 2013

 * Brookmill Park, SE8: Kingfisher, Stock Dove, 4 Swift, House Martin, 4 Blackcap, Goldcrest, 8 House Sparrow (Conrad Ellam) After being absent for many years, House Sparrows have nested in the new flats near the northern end of the park.
 * Crossness: Is there any news on the Bonaparte's Gull today? Thank you
 * Staines Reservoirs: 1 Turnstone flew N @ 07.53. 1 Little Ringed Plover, 3 Black-necked Grebe, 4 Yellow-kegged Gull on the gantry of KG VI Reservoir and an adult Peregrine landed there briefly (Bob Warden per FJM).
 * Wanstead Flats: 34 Black-headed Gull (inc. 1 juv), 5 Skylark, 2 Meadow Pipit,  3 House Martin, 20+ Swift (Nick Croft).
 * Wanstead Park: 3 Common Tern, 17 Black-headed Gull, Hobby, 7 House Martin, 10+ Swift (Nick Croft),  Garden Warbler (Bush Wood) (Tim Harris).

Sunday 7 July 2013

 * Brent Reservoir: Common Buzzard circled over at 10.20, Greenshank & 3 Green Sandpipers (Andrew Self & Andrew Verrall)
 * Brookmill Park, SE8: Kingfisher, 2 Blackcap (Conrad Ellam)
 * Crossness: Bonaparte's Gull adult or second-summer still at sewage outfall; also adult Mediterranean Gull and Little Egret on the foreshore (John Archer, Richard Bonser, Paul Hawkins, James Lowen, Richard Smith, Mick Southcott, Graeme Spinks, Mike Robinson, Dominic Mitchell et al). what's the el al for?
 * Gallions Reach: Little Egret, 1 first-summer Mediterranean Gull, 1100 Black-headed Gulls (about 20 juvs with them)  4 Oystercatchers, 1 Lesser Whitethroat. (Gary A James); nearby, adult Yellow-legged Gull flew upriver past Woolwich Ferry at 16:20 (Dominic Mitchell).
 * Greenwich Ecology Park Little Egret (over) Richard Lord
 * Hammersmith Bridge: 2 juv Peregrines half-heartedly chasing pigeon by edge of river (Neil Anderson)
 * London Wetland Centre: 3 juv Redshank still, brood of 4 yg Lapwing still, 4 broods of 7 yg Common Tern, 6th & 7th broods & 80 adult Black-headed Gull, 3 broods Gadwall, 18 broods Tufted Duck, Kingfisher (J.Wilczur).
 * Lower Chingford: 4 Green Sandpiper, 1 Greenshank, 3 Lapwing, 1 Common Sandpiper, 3 Little Egret (James Palmer).
 * Regent's Park: Presumed Grass Snake on path in London Zoo near canal. Right size and olive green / brown but no other markings or collar. Zoo staff said none of their snakes were missing! (Chris Bird).  Could it perhaps have been an Aesculapian Snake?  One of the last issues of the "London Naturalist" featured an article on London reptiles and there is (or at least used to be) a self-sustaining / naturalised population of these snakes along the canal in Camden (Ian Ellis). Thanks Ian - I've had a quick check and that seems more likely but I had no idea that Aesculapian was a possibility (CB)
 * Roding valley: Sparrow Hawk, Red Kite quartering low over park, Little Egret, none appeared to be breeding,(Jean-Patrick Elmes).
 * Rotherhithe: 2nd-summer Yellow-legged Gull on barges by Greenland Pier 7pm; also 50 Black-headed Gulls (3 juveniles), 4 Common Terns, Ring-necked Parakeet, 2 Swift, 6 House Martins (Richard Bonser).
 * Stoke Newington Reservoirs: Garden Warbler in privet bushes, this morning, seen from road (Pete Mantle)
 * Uxbridge: Red Kite over west end of Hillingdon House Farm watched from Uxbridge Cricket Ground at 3.20 pm. (Alex Randall)
 * Walthamstow Reservoirs (Lockwood): Cuckoo along channel W of res (Pete Lambert per Lol Bodini).
 * Wanstead Flats: Kestrel, Coal Tit (Nick Croft)
 * Wanstead Park: Garden Warbler still singing in old sewage works (Tim Harris), Common Tern heronry, Common Buzzard (Jonathan Lethbridge/Nick Croft), Little Egret, Great-crested Grebe, 40 + Swift, House Martin (Nick Croft)

Saturday 6 July 2013

 * Barnes Green Pond: 6 Egyptian Geese (1 well-grown brood of 4), 3 Moorhen (1 well-grown juvenile), 2 Mute Swan (5 eggs from this species possibly abandoned on island), 6 Tufted Duck, 6 Coot (1 brood of 2), Grey Heron, 7 Canada Geese (one growing juvenile) (Matt Reed).
 * Brent Reservoir: Green Sandpiper, Lapwing & Little Ringed Plover; also first Marbled Whites & Ringlets out (Brent Birders).
 * Castelnau: (Devereux Lane Pond): 5 Mute Swan (one brood of 3), 10 Coot (two broods of 4 & 1), Grey Heron, Common Tern, 2 juv Sparrowhawk playfighting over, Reed Warbler. (Matt Reed).
 * Chiswick House: 25 Coot (11 young from 5 broods, 2 adults still on nests), 9 Canada Goose (one brood of 5), 6 Mute Swan (one brood of 4), 9 Egyptian Geese (one brood of 7), 3 Moorhen (one juvenile), 20 Mallard (13 young from two broods), 2 Tufted Duck, Chiffchaff singing just SE of site.(Matt Reed).
 * Crossness: adult Bonaparte's Gull at the sewage outfall early afternoon (Mike Robinson); still present early evening, also 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls, 2 Yellow-legged Gulls (2nd summer, 1st summer) (John Archer) Photos here.
 * Greenwich: Up to 6 Linnets seen and heard from my garden in Woodlands Park Road (Richard Green), 40 Black-headed Gulls on River Thames east of Cutty Sark including 1 juvenile (Richard Bonser).
 * Langham Pond (Runnymede) LNHS trip: At least couple Red Kites throughout day (initially 2 seen by Egham Station), min 3 Buzzards through day (1 very whitish bird), 2 Kestrel, families Reed Warblers, 3 singing Reed Bunting, 2 White-letter Hairstreak along entrance track, Downy Emerald + 3 teneral Ruddy Darter (Neil Anderson + group).
 * Leg of Mutton LNR: 5 Grey Heron (at least 3 young from at least 2 nests - this could be a new breeding location), 20 Mallard (one brood of 7), 2 Moorhen (one on nest), 7 Coot (3 on nests), Chiffchaff singing, 2 Mute Swan, 1 LBB Gull, 25 Tufted Duck, 3 Pochard, 1 fem/eclipse Shoveler (early autumn returner?) (Matt Reed).
 * Staines Reservoirs: 5 Litle Ringed PLover, 3 Yellow-legged Gull. (Bob Warden per FJM).
 * Uxbridge town centre: 1 Red Kite over - not exactly unusual locally but always nice to see (Roger Dewey).
 * Walthamstow res (N side): 2 Common Sandpipers, 3 Jackdaw, Cuckoo (Lol Bodini/Stuart Fisher).
 * Wanstead Flats: 5 Lapwing south (Bob Vaughan).
 * Wanstead Park: 2 singing Coal Tit (Bob Vaughan).

Friday 5 July 2013

 * East India Dock Basin: 2 Little Ringed Plovers, drake Teal, Grey Seal downriver at 8:40am (John Archer)
 * Ewell (Hogsmill Open Space): 4 singing Blackcap, 1 singing Chiffchaff, 2 Nuthatch, 3 Stock Dove, 26 Common Swift (Neil Batten)
 * Ham Lands: Lesser Whitethroat carrying food items to same bush as earlier in the week (Spencer Neal).
 * Horsenden Hill: Sparrowhawk carrying prey; few butterflies but 2 White-letter Hairstreak + my first Small Skippers (2) (Neil Anderson)
 * Kingston upon Thames: Probable Mink climbing onto Steven's Ait. Not avian but could have consequences to local birdlife (Phil Davies from Mike Foster)
 * Leyton: probable Short-eared Owl over Leyton High Rd heading towards Wanstead Flats (Josh Selfe)
 * London Wetland Centre: 3 Lapwing broods, 3 fledged Redshank juvs, 2 Peregrine, 2 Gadwall broods, 7 Common Tern chicks (Adam Salmon)
 * Swanscombe Marsh: Nightingale seen, also 5 Oystercatchers, 6 Shelduck, Cetti's Warbler (Andrew Self)
 * Walthamstow Reservoirs, Lockwood: Fem-type plumaged Ruff flew north over Blackhorse Lane (06:30) (Stuart Fisher)
 * Wanstead Flats: Great Spotted Woodpecker feeding young still in nest hole, Lesser Whitethroat singing SSSI, possible calls of young Willow Warbler, 30+ Swift, 3 House Martin (Nick Croft).
 * Wanstead Park: Common Tern, Nuthatch (Bob Vaughan); Little Egret, 10 Black-headed Gull circling over Shoulder of Mutton, 20+ Swift, House Martin (Nick Croft).

Thursday 4 July 2013

 * Canary Wharf (Heron Quays area): 3 Common Tern, 9 Great Crested Grebe (pair with 3 young), 4 Tufted Duck, 5 House Martin south of the river from Westferry Circus (Stuart Fisher).
 * Chiswick Park: 6 Coot (1 brood of 3), 3 Moorhen (pair copulating), 8 Canada Geese, 1 Grey Heron (Matt Reed).
 * East India Dock Basin: female Long-tailed Duck (the Peckham/Greenwich/Rotherhithe bird - 1st site record - at lunchtime but no sign at 5.15pm), 2+ Siskins (including a juvenile, the first July Siskins I've ever seen in London), 2 Little Ringed Plovers, Sparrowhawk, 14 Common Terns (pair + 2 fledged young, 5 pairs incubating), House Martin, Swift (John Archer).
 * Gunnersbury Park: 7 Canada Geese (1 brood of 5), 4 Tufted Duck, 2 Egyptian Geese (Matt Reed).
 * Hampstead Heath: Common Sandpiper at West Heath Leg of Mutton Pond until at least 16:00(Frank Nugent).
 * Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens: 50 Mute Swan (2 broods of 1 & 6), 60 Greylag Geese (one brood of 7), 28 Egyptian Geese (one brood of 4 - not long hatched), 4 Great Crested Grebe (one well-grown juvenile), 6 Moorhen   (one very small chick at Italian Gardens), Coot (at least 3 broods and 5 nests still being sat/constructed), 1 Red-Crested Pochard (Matt Reed).
 * Ravenscourt Park: 3 Canada Geese (1 well-grown Gosling), 4 Moorhen (2 well-grown youngsters), Coot (1 juvenile and 2 nests still being sat on/constructed), 1 Mute Swan, 3 Tufted Duck. (Matt Reed).
 * Upper Walthamstow: Collared Dove gorging at niger seed feeder, regular visitor (Paul Bee).
 * Totteridge Valley:  Kestrel, 14 Rook, c20 Swift, Swallow, male Bullfinch, good numbers of Chiffchaff, Whitethroat and Blackcap: also Ringlet, Gatekeeper and Large Skipper (John Colmans).
 * Vauxhall Park: Peregrine chasing a Herring Gull, BTO Nest Record Count of Blackbirds nests - zero compared to previous years (Michael Mac).

Wednesday 3 July 2013

 * Brixton Rd SW9: Blackcap singing from front garden (Steven Robinson)
 * Brookmill Park, SE8: Kingfisher, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 House Martin, Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap (Conrad Ellam)
 * Canary Wharf: Peregrine on 41st floor exactly 4 feet from my desk (Laurence Wormald). Wow! In 30 years working in central London, the most interesting bird I ever saw from my office window was a budgie  .Andrew Haynes.  It's a juvenile...
 * Crossness: Little Gull (1st summer off the sewage outfall 1.30 to 2pm at least), Mediterranean Gull (1st summer off sewage outfall) (Ian Stewart per JA)
 * East India Dock Basin NR: 3 Shelduck, 7 Sand Martin, 1 House Sparrow (Bow Creek). (Gary A James).
 * Ewell Village (Lower Mill): 1 singing Blackcap, 2 Grey Wagtail (Neil Batten).
 * Greenwich Park: a Treecreeper seen briefly in the Flower Garden was possibly the first for over 10 years, also juv Goldcrest, 4 juv Wrens being fed by parents, 10 baby Mallards, 4 lots of Moorhen young (1 independent juv, 2 half-grown, another 3 half-grown and 3 very small) (Joe Beale and Yu-Hsuan Lin).
 * Ham Lands: Lesser Whitethroat carrying food (Spencer Neal). hi Spencer. Could you please give directions for this bird? I would like to see habitat. Ta, J.Wilczur.  Hi, Apologies but as I think it's visiting a nest (catching insects in a tree and taking them to bushes) I don't wish to put the exact location on the internet as I think it would be easily disturbed. I  put some notes on my Surreybirders entry for the bird, Spencer. OK, I understand, thanks JW.
 * Hampstead Heath: Hobby over Parliament Hill Fields at 10:00 and 1 House Martin among the Swifts (Frank Nugent).
 * Pinner: Great Tits still feeding young in nest box. This seems a bit late, any thoughts?(Richard Francis).
 * Rotherhithe: Common Tern and 2 Egyptian Geese Surrey Water, 9 Black-headed Gulls (1st returning birds - 4 off Greenland Pier, 5 Greenland Dock). 45 Tufted Ducks (33 Surrey Water, 12 Canada Water) but no sign of female Long-tailed Duck on Canada Water/Surrey Water today or yesterday (Richard Bonser).
 * Staines Reservoirs: 1 Black-necked Grebe, 3 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Yellow-legged Gull, 1 Egyptian Goose and 3 goslings (Bob Warden per FJM).
 * Walthamstow Marsh: 3 Swallow by riding stables. (Paul Whiteman, Mike Messenger)
 * Wanstead Flats: Lesser Whitethroat SSSI still singing, 4 House Martin, 30 + Swift, 9 Black-headed Gull west, 20 + Herring Gull west (Nick Croft)
 * Wanstead Park: Lesser Whitethroat Old Sewage Works, Common Tern, singing Goldcrest (Nick Croft)
 * Woodlands Farm, DA16: Tawny Owl calling at dusk, heard during bat survey,Common and Soprano Pipistrelle seen (Conrad Ellam)

Tuesday 2 July 2013

 * Brunel University Bicentenary Gardens: 2 singing Lesser Whitethroats, present for about a month but no females seen. Monk Parakeet over calling, first site record. Also Brown Argus and Ringlet butterflies, 21 Bee Orchids in two groups and 4 Pyramidal Orchids (Roger Morton).
 * East India Dock Basin: ad Mediterranean Gull on island at 12:45, 2 Little Ringed Plovers (not breeding here so no Schedule 1 considerations), 12 Common Terns (pair feeding 2 fledged young on island, 4 pairs appear to be incubating on raft), 2 Shelducks, 26+ Tufted Ducks, 6+ Sand Martins (John Archer).
 * Kensington Gardens: 10 Swift over Round Pond. (Matt Reed).
 * Little Venice: 20 Canada Geese, including 4 young probably from 2 broods, 2 Mute Swan, 2 Egyptian Geese, 3 Pochard, 1 Greylag, 4 Tufted Duck. (Matt Reed).
 * Lonsdale Road Reservoir: Red Kite over 1.45, 1 Shoveller (john gordon).
 * Marylebone (Church St Estate): 4 Herring Gull chicks now, probably from 3 broods. Adults incredibly vocal. Also 1 Jay. (Matt Reed).
 * Queen Elizabeth II Res: ad Roseate Tern flew in from the east 0619, attempted to land twice then flew off high west then north 0625 (DMH).
 * Snaresbrook/Leyton Flats: Treecreeper calling from oaks near car park early am, Nuthatch, 2 Coal Tit, 9 Blackcap, 8 Chiffchaff, 3 Whitethroat (incl a juv), 4 Great Crested Grebe (ad with brood of 3), 6 Stock Dove (Stuart Fisher).
 * Staines Reservoirs: 1 Black-necked Grebe, 3 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Common Sandpiper, 4 Yellow-legged Gull. (Bob Warden per FJM).
 * Thorney CP, Iver: 1 Kestrel, several well-grown Common Tern young on raft (Roger Dewey).
 * Tower of London: Kestrel flew from Trinity Square Gardens past Tower to South Bank (John Colmans) Mute Swan on Thames between City Hall & Tower of London (Paul Whiteman)
 * Wanstead Flats: 2 Sand Martin, 3 House Martin, 30 + Swift, eclipse drake Gadwall on Alex (first returning autumn bird), 3 Little Grebe, 4 Meadow Pipit, 6 Skylark (Nick Croft).
 * Wanstead Park: Reed Warbler on Shoulder of Mutton, Common Tern over, 9 Black-headed Gull, eclipse drake Gadwall (probably the same as on Alex), Great Crested Grebe, 5 Little Grebe, female Sparrowhawk (Nick Croft).
 * Wraysbury GP: female or imm Golden Oriole flew off from poplars by station (Birdguides).
 * Yiewsley: 2 Grey Wagtail with insect food - R Frays at Trout Lane bridge. (Roger Dewey).

Monday 1st July 2013

 * Brookmill Park, SE8: Kingfisher (Conrad Ellam)
 * Dartford Marshes: Little Egret, Kestrel, 2 Cetti's Warbler (John Bushell & Conrad Ellam)
 * Eel Pie Island TW1: 1 adult  1 2nd winter & poss one immature Yellow-legged Gulls viewable from Ham side of the river (Phil Davies).
 * East India Dock Basin NR: 1 Egyptian Goose, Sparrowhawk, 3 pairs Common Tern (2 fledged Juv), 7 Swift, 6 Sand Martin. (Gary A James).
 * Gallions Reach: Oystercatcher 2, Swift 3, House Martin 3, Sand Martin 2. (Gary A James).
 * Ham Lands:  3 Common Whitethroat including one carrying food, 11 Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Common Tern, House Martin  (Spencer Neal).
 * Marylebone: one Herring Gull chick on top of tower block between Church St & Penfold St with 7 adults. (Matt Reed).
 * Old Park Wood, Harefield: 6 Crossbill over at 05:50 (Mark Telfer per Gareth Richards).
 * Rotherhithe: Female Long-tailed Duck still on Canada Water at 0730 and 1200 (Richard Bonser, Alastair Dent).
 * Staines Reservoirs: 1 Black-necked Grebe, 2 Yellow-legged Gull, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Stock Dove. (Bob Warden per FJM)
 * Swanley Park : Bullfinch  Same WhiteCroft garden tree as last year (see pic)(Andy Meaton)
 * Tyttenhanger GP: Hobby, Red Kite, 2 Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, 2 Oystercatcher, Little Ringed PLover 21 Lapwing. 3 Yellow Wagtail (Steve Blake)
 * Wanstead Flats: 2 Lesser Whitethroat, Sand Martin, House Martin, Swallow, 50 +Swift (Nick Croft).
 * Wanstead Park: Little Egret, Kingfisher, Kestrel, Common Tern, 5 Black-headed Gull, 50+ Swift, House Martin (Nick Croft).

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

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