News June 2008

Later June dates were unfortunately lost.

Monday 9th June

 * Brentford: Black Kite low east over Great West Road near Kew Bridge at 07:38hrs this morning, mobbed by Ring-necked Parakeets (Birdguides).
 * London Wetland Centre: 2 Pochard broods, 6 Tufted Duck broods, Hobby, 4 visible Lapwing broods (24 ads), 6ad Redshank with 2 young, 6 breeding pairs of Common Tern (2 broods so far), singing Common Whitethroat, Grass Snake/s (reservoir lagoon islands and wildside ponds), many Black-tailed Skimmer, good numbers of Common Blue (LWC website).
 * South Norwood Lake: pair Great Crested Grebe +2 young, 2 Cormorant, 8 Tufted Duck, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Nuthatch, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Long-tailed Tit, 6 House Sparrow, 2 Song Thrush, Jay, 12+ Swift (John Watson, Gavin Hawgood).
 * Regents Park: Cuckoo NW at 7.30am, p Common Terns, 8m Reed Warblers, 3 Little Owls (Tony Duckett).
 * Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens: Emperor Goose (esc), fem Mandarin with 2 duckling, fem Red-crested Pochard with duckling, Common Buzzard high south 14:08hrs, Grey Wagtail, juv Pied Wagtail, 5 Long-tailed Tit broods - Blue-tailed Damselfly, 2 Azure Damselfly, 2 Migrant Hawker, m Broad-bodied Chaser (Des McKenzie).
 * Beddington SF: Shelduck, Common Tern (Dip or Glory).
 * Farringdon: Red Kite SE at 11:20 (Stuart Harrington).

Sunday 8th June

 * Rainham Marshes: 2 Black Swan, 6 Teal, 4m Garganey, 5 Shoveler, 6 Hobby, 13 Little Egret, 2 Great White Egret reported by various people from mid-day onwards but never seen together (ELBF). 1s Little Gull (Bob Watts).
 * West Thurrock Marshes: 2 pair Oystercatchers, 2 Little Egrets, adult G/B/B/Gull, pair Gadwall and brood of Stonechats (Dave Morrison).
 * Stoke Newington Reservoirs: LNHS walk - 1 Peregrine the highlight among 38 sp. recorded (TeRNS).
 * Dagenham: 2 Common Buzzards soaring over my back garden at 1.55pm, Hobby at 4.10pm, also Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Swallow, Cormorant and Great Spotted Woodpecker seen (Vince Halley-Frame).
 * Wanstead (my garden): Hobby over at 6.30pm (J Lethbridge).
 * Brent Reservoir: Cuckoo, also Ringed Plover, 2 LRP & 2 Lapwing (Andrew Self & Roy Beddard).
 * London Wetland Centre: Common Buzzard high north, 2 Hobby, 2 Kestrel, Painted Lady (LWC website).
 * South Norwood Lake: pair Great Crested Grebe with 2 young, 6 Tufted Duck, pair Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, 8 Swift, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, 4 Ring-necked Parakeet, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, House Sparrow, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Collard Dove (John Watson, Gavin Hawgood)
 * St James' Park LNHS Walk: 1 Collared Dove, 1 Mistle Thrush, c20 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Rose-ringed Parakeet & 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker (David Lindo, Jan Hewlett, Kim Dixon et al).
 * Rainham G/Pits: 9 Shelduck, pair Shelduck with brood of (9) and 7 drake Pochard (Dave Morrison).
 * Ingrebourne Valley: female Sparrowhawk, Hobby, 4 Common Terns, 22 Lapwing (presumed failed breeders) and 2 Yellow Wagtails, also 2 Four Spotted Chasers, many Banded Demoiselles, 6 Black-tailed Skimmers, Peacock Butterfly, 2 Large Whites, Brimstone, 11 Common Blues, Holly Blue, 2 Brown Argus, Large Skipper, 2 Small Skippers, 3 Green Hairstreaks, Small Heath, Speckled Wood and 5 Small Whites (Dave Morrison).

Saturday 7th June

 * Rainham Marshes RSPB: Great White Egret again until at least 17:35hrs, showing distantly from sea-wall (Birdguides).
 * Queen Elizabeth II Res: Black Tern, Peregrine, Madagascar Teal - the bird seen earlier in the month at Beddington (DMH).
 * Alexandra Park: Cuckoo landed briefly in tree in Grove before flying off north-west, THREE Red Kites together, one headed off north-east, the other two circled, before being lost to sight (Andrew Gardener).
 * Walthamstow Res: Cuckoo, rustic female over main entrance, Red Kite drifted from Lockwood to the west and at least 4 juv Little Egrets on No5 (John Murray, Chris Freddi).
 * London Wetland Centre: 2 Common Tern chicks (at least 6 pairs), minimum 10 Lapwing chicks/juvs, 2 Redshank chicks still on scrape, 2 LRP, 1 Hobby, 1 m Peregrine, 1 m Kestrel, 2 f Sparrowhawk (all hunting), brood of 8 Pochard ducklings entrance lake (reported to have walked in through the front gates - and presumably nested in the angler's pond on the adjacent playing fields!) (D.Monk).
 * South Norwood Lake: 2 Great Crested Grebe (with 2 young), 6 Tufted Duck, 5 Song Thrush, 4 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Nuthatch, 6 Swift, 1 Common Whitethroat, 3 Ring-necked Parakeet, 5 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap, 4 House Sparrow, 1 Pied Wagtail with 1 juv, 6 Goldfinch (John Watson, Gavin Hawgood).

Thursday 5th June

 * Chingford: Raven north 17.10 (ELBF).
 * Rainham Marshes: 2 Back Swan, 9 Hobby, 11 Little Egret, 2 Avocet, Spotted Flycatcher (ELBF).
 * Oxleas Wood: Ring-necked Parakeet (P.Fallan).
 * London City Airport: 2 Linnet (PF).
 * East India Dock: no sign of Firecrest this a.m., but LRP, 3 GBBGs, plus the usuals (David Callahan).
 * Paddington Green: Sparrowhawk, pr vocal Kestrel a.m. (Des McKenzie).
 * London Wetland Centre: Gadwall (small numbers), m Teal, Shoveler (small numbers), 2 Sparrowhawk, (LWC website) - (Late p.m./early evening): 2 Redshank chicks on wader scrape, at least 9 young Lapwing on site including new brood of 4 on sheltered lagoon, 2 broods Canada Geese (7 large and 5 small goslings), one brood of 4 Tufted Duck on reservoir lagoon, Common Tern with 2 chicks on raft, a second nesting Pochard, Hobby unsuccessfully hunting Sand Martins over wader scrape, pair LRP (Martin Honey).
 * Hornsey: Hobby south over the train station (J.Murray).
 * Trent Park Area: 1 Kestrel, at Parkside Farm; 2 Skylark, at Vicarage Farm; 2 juv Pied Wagtail, together, at Parkside Farm; 1 Lesser Whitethroat, carrying food, near Oakwood entrance; 3 fem/imm Broad-bodied Chaser, at Parkside Res (Robert Callf).

Wednesday 4th June

 * Rainham RSPB: Marsh Harrier, 4 Hobby, Great White Egret on Aveley Marshes, viewable from seawall to 13:49hrs at least (Birdguides), egret still present to 19.50hrs, Turtle Dove through (Paul Hawkins, Martin Redfern), 14 Little Egret, 27 Grey Heron, 2m Garganey, 2m Wigeon, 3m Shoveler, 2 Black Swan, 2 Avocet, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 4 Hobbies, 3 Kestrel, Common Buzzard, Firecrest (ELBF).
 * Beddington SF: 4 Ringed Plover, Little Egret, Common Buzzard, Hobby (Dip or Glory).
 * Alexandra Park: Swallow NE @ 0703 (Bob Watts).
 * East India Dock NR: Firecrest, 2 Oystercatcher, LRP, 3 Whitethroat, 8 Shelduck, 5 Reed Warbler, Jay, 3 GBBG (Paul Hyland).
 * Aldenham Park Estate: Barn Owl, Willow Warbler. 3 Whitethroat, Blackcap (Steve Blake).
 * Staines Res: 4 Little Gull (KLP).
 * Mayesbrook Park: Shelduck, Shoveler, Ruddy Duck, Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, Grey Wagtail (Paul Hawkins).
 * Grange Park, N21: 2 ad Tawny Owl, 02:05 BST (Robert Callf).
 * Trent Park Area: 3(1 ad, 2 juv) Great Spotted Woodpecker, Williams Wood; 1 ad Nuthatch, Church Wood; 2(m&f) Linnet, at 'Barracks'; 4 Small Copper; 2 Brown Argus; 14 Small Heath; 1 Black-tailed Skimmer; 1 Common Spotted Orchid (Robert Callf).
 * Victoria Park: Ring-necked Parakeet nth high @ 1820 (Bob Watts).

Tuesday 3rd June

 * London Wetland Centre: several broods of Lapwing, 2 broods of Redshank (Main Lake/Wader Scrape), Common Sandpiper (LWC website).
 * East India Dock NR: Firecrest (finder Dave Callahan) present to 11.30 at least, 6 Sand Martin, 2 LRP, 6 Shelduck, 5 Reed Warbler, Common Terns down to 5 sitting (Paul Hyland).
 * Tyttenhanger GPs: 2 Oystercatcher, 2 Redshank, Ringed Plover, 2 Shelduck, 3 Swift, Hobby (Steve Blake).
 * Dagenham Chase LNR: 2 Common Redshank on the Slack for 0.5hrs then flew off, also 1 ad Lapwing with just 1 young left, cob Mute Swan catching and drowning a Canada Goose gosling then having a big flap in a show of dominance (Vince Halley-Frame).
 * Beddington SF: Hobby, 6 Ringed Plover, Grey Plover (Dip or Glory).
 * Kensal Green Cemetery: 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Common Whitethroat, 1 Hobby, 1 Common Tern (Dave Renham).
 * Alexandra Park: c40 House Martins 1845 (Bob Watts).
 * Ealing W13: Common Tern SW over house mid-afternoon - garden tick (Bill Haines).

Monday 2nd June

 * Beddington SF: wing-tagged Red Kite north, 3 Hobby, fem Peregrine (Dip or Glory).
 * Kensington Gardens: fem Mandarin, Red-crested Pochard duckling (associating with Mallard brood), juv Pied Wagtail (Des McKenzie).
 * London Wetland Centre: m Teal, 5 Shoveler, Hobby hunting Sand Martins - Lesser Stag Beetle (LWC website).
 * Monkhams Hill (Waltham Abbey): Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Mike Oakland).

Sunday 1st June

 * Crossness: 2 Little Terns off Golf Centre in morning only, 2nd summer Yellow-legged Gull, c30 Common Terns, 3 Egyptian Geese west mid morning, 2 Jackdaws (John Archer).
 * Fishers Green: Hobby, Four-spotted Chaser (David Callahan).
 * Greenland Dock: 2nd summer Yellow-legged Gull early evening plus 1 Common Tern (Richard Bonser)
 * Paddington Green: 3 Egyptian Goose low south early evening (Des McKenziie).
 * East India Dock NR: Oystercatcher, 20-30 Swift & House Martin, both uncommon here (Paul Hyland)
 * Stoke Newington: 1 C. Sandpiper, c15 Swift (TeRNS).