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'''Please do not post details of scarce breeding birds (those included in Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, amended 2000). Any such reports will be removed. Please list rarest sightings at top rather than alphabetically.'''

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Thursday 2 September 2010

 * Rainham Marshes: female Hen Harrier on silt lagoons at 09:30 (no public access), male Marsh Harrier over Wennington, 3 juvenile Ruddy Shelduck on Aveley Pools from the new hide at 12:00 (Londonbirders Twitter).
 * Alexandra Park: Spotted Flycatcher, Lesser Whitethroat, Swallow Cricket Scrub 7am (Bob Watts).
 * Canons Farm: Common Redstart and 2 Whinchats near farmhouse, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 1+ Meadow Pipit, Common Buzzard, 3 Sparrowhawks, Kestrel, Rook, 7 Yellowhammers, c.70 Linnets, singing Goldcrest, singing Coal Tit, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, House Martin, c.3 Swallows, Chiffchaff, 4+ Common Whitethroats, 1+ Stock Dove, 2 Rose-ringed Parakeets, 7+ Pied Wagtails, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2+ Green Woodpeckers, Greenfinch (David Campbell).
 * Hammersmith Bridge: 1 Grey Wagtail, 1pr Egyptian Goose + 4 goslings, 8 House Sparrow by Riverside Studio & 7 Housemartin over Barnes (Nathalie Mahieu).
 * South Harrow (Roxeth Rec): male Bullfinch briefly, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, lots of juvenile Greenfinches - this species seems to have done well here this year. (Alex Massey)
 * Stoke Newington Reservoirs: 2 Common Redstarts, Pied Flycatcher, 3 Spotted Flycatchers, Sedge Warbler, Garden Warbler, Hobby, lots of phylloscs, etc; Little Egret east, 11:55 (Mark Pearson et al)
 * Tower 42 (City of London): Grey Heron high south, Buzzard sp (flew behind building pursued by crows and didn't emerge from the other side so identification not resolved), Great Black-backed Gull south, up to 5 Peregrine Falcon, 2 Swift, c50 Swallow, House Martin (Swifts and hirundines south) (T42BSG).
 * Tower Hamlets Cemetery: Common Buzzard (dark individual) flew east 1215 (from direction of Tower 42), also House Martin and Sand Martin (Bob Watts)
 * South Norwood Lake: out3 Mute Swan, 15 Tufted Duck, 5 Cormorant, 6 Chiffchaff (3singing) 1 Green Woodpecker, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Nuthatch, 9 Ring-necked Parakeet, c8 Long-tailed Tit, 1singinging Coal Tit, 8 Jay, 4 Herring Gull (over) c20 Goldfinch, 3 House Sparrow, (John Watson)

Wednesday 1 September 2010

 * Brent Reservoir: Little Stint in east marsh from main hide at 09.55 (AGV per AS); Little Stint still present late morning, plus Garganey for second day, 3 Wigeon, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, 2 Snipe, 8 Lapwings (5 observers); also Whinchat on Dam & 2 Little Egrets over in evening (Andrew Self).


 * Crayford Marshes: 3 Avocet and 3 Knot on Thames foreshore, Little Owl, 2 Hobbies, 2 Wheatears, 24 Ringed Plover, 8 Redshanks, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Greenshanks, 20 Dunlin (Kev Jarvis & KJM).


 * Dagnam Park LNR: imm male Common Redstart, 1 Whinchat; good hirundine passage pm with 100+ Swallow and 20+ House Martin. Also 6+ Ring-necked Parakeets (Colin Jupp).


 * Fairlop Waters: Black Necked Grebe, juv Hobby, Common Sandpiper (Redbridgebirdwatching)


 * Fairlop Gravel Works: 3 Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper (Redbridge Birdwatching)


 * Five Oaks Lane, Chigwell: 100+ Swallow, 3 Whinchat, Wheatear, Spotted Flycatcher, Tree Pipit (Redbridgebirdwatching)


 * Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens: very vocal juv Hobby circling c40ft above Hudson Memorial (possibly one of the birds seen by SP on 26/08; this sp has been known to roost at Buckingham Palace Gardens previously and hang about Hyde Park), 6 House Martin, fem / imm Common Redstart (Kensington Gardens Flower Walk, constantly chased by Robins to 07:48 at least. Probably the same bird as present on 26/08), Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Blackcap, 4 Chiffchaff, 6 Willow Warbler (2 singing), Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher (occasionally showing well in trees north of Serpentine Island and toward Old Police House to 10:00 at least), Reed Bunting; also 62 Mute Swan, 18 Egyptian Goose, ecl m Mandarin Duck, 3 Shoveler, 10 Red-crested Pochard, juv Little Grebe, ad fem Sparrowhawk, Peregrine Falcon carrying prey low north-east over Buck Hill, 4 Stock Dove (1 singing), 4 Green Woodpecker, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, 30-35 Robin, Song Thrush, 5 Mistle Thrush, 6 Goldcrest, 5 Coal Tit (3 singing), Nuthatch, 2 Treecreeper, Jay, 3 Goldfinch (1 juv) (Des McKenzie).


 * London Wetland Centre: Garganey still on the scrape, Snipe, Cetti's Warbler, etc (M. Bourne); 96 Shoveler, Sparrowhawk, 7 Common Snipe, 3 Cetti's Warbler (LWC website).


 * Regent's Park: Whimbrel 7.10am SW, Hobby, 3 Swifts, 2 Sand Martins, 45 House Martins, Spotted Flycatcher, 3 Common Whitethroats, 8 Blackcaps, 10 Chiffchaffs, 6 Willow Warblers (Tony Duckett).


 * Richmond Park: 1 Common Redstart in Holly/Bog Lodge Enclosure (Hugh Bradshaw). A Wheatear late am. (Steve Reed & Tim Howard) Spotted Flycatcher Thatched House Lodge.


 * Stoke Newington Reservoirs: 2 (female / immature and moulting male) Common Redstarts associating with Pied Flycatcher in LWT garden and New River trees 1040 - 1340 at least; 10 Willow Warblers, 8 Chiffchaffs, Common Whitethroat, 4 Blackcaps, 3 Reed Warblers, Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Common Terns, Spotted Flycatcher (TB) plus the usuals (Mark Pearson Hackney Wildlife); Pied Fly still present 16:30, also 2 Sandwich Terns over (second ever site record) (Dominic Mitchell per MJP, the latter now in tears at missing the terns)


 * Alexandra Park: 2 Spotted Flycatchers, Linnet (poss 2), 7 Chiffchaffs (10+ overall) in cricket scrub (David Callahan). Hobby with prey (larger than martin sp) flew west 1800 (Bob Watts).


 * Brookmill Park (Lewisham): 1 Heron, 16 Mallard, 1 Mandarin, 6 Moorhen, 6 Coot, 3 Black-headed Gull, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 10 Woodpigeon, 1 Stock Dove, 4 Wren, 6 Robin, 6 Blackbird, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Goldcrest, 5 Great Tit, 5 Blue Tit, 3 Magpie, 2 Carrion Crow, 1 Goldfinch, 3 Greenfinch (Conrad Ellam).


 * Canons Farm & Banstead Woods: 2 Whinchats, 8 Meadow Pipits, Hobby, 3 Common Buzzards, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Yellowhammer, 30+ Linnets, 13 Swallows, 4+ Goldcrests (1 singing), Bullfinch, 7+ Nuthatches, 2+ Coal Tits, 8 Chiffchaffs (1 singing), 3 Common Whitethroats, 3 Blackcaps, 2+ Stock Doves, 2 Pied Wagtails & 26 Black-headed Gulls on Legal & General, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 6 Green Woodpeckers, 7+ Rose-ringed Parakeets (David Campbell).


 * Crossness: juv Black Tern still at the Golf Centre Outfall late p.m., 2 Whinchat in Paddocks (Birdguides).


 * Hounslow Heath: 3 Buzzard sp. presumably Common, thermalling high over the site. (Ian Peirce per Adam Cheeseman).
 * Ingrebourne Valley: Spotted Flycatcher (Shaun Harvey).


 * KGV Reservoir: Whimbrel, Common Snipe, 15 Yellow Wagtail, Whinchat, Wheatear, 4 Little Egret, Hobby, Sparrowhawk (Martin Shepherd).


 * Lonsdale Road Reservoir: 1 male Wigeon in eclipse (patch tick!), 1 Kingfisher at eastern end-flew off east, 1 Sedge Warbler at eastern end, 1 Common Sandpiper at western end, 1 Grey Wagtail flyover N onto Thames, juv Little Grebe (indicative of breeding?) (I've been seeing at least 2 Little grebes present regularly over summer, L. F-H), 40+ Teal, 15+ Gadwall, 10+ Pochard (M Bourne).


 * Mitcham Common: 3+ Kestrel (female perch and hover hunting at close quarters for hour around Bidder's Pond; juv male and female in tree with me underneath near old factory site; another? two seen distant over One Island pond then SW direction Beddington plus two other distant single bird sightings), Sparrowhawk(fem) near Seven Islands (Stuart M)


 * Paddington Green: Peregrine Falcon (probable m) in area early a.m. and still present late p.m., Stock Dove high south, 1-2 Grey Wagtail (DMc).
 * Pinner Park Farm: 3 Hobby, 2 Little Owl, 2 Chiffchaff & not a single Swallow in sight (JR).
 * Rainham Marshes RSPB: Marsh Tit on woodland feeder am (Londonbirders Twitter).


 * Sewardstone: 2 Spotted Flycatcher, 5 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Common Buzzard (Martin Shepherd).


 * South Harrow (Roxeth Allotments) solitary Swift feeding over our plot just before 8pm - 1st here for 3 weeks (and latest ever seen here) (Alex Massey)


 * South Norwood Lake: 2 Mute Swan, 5 Cormorant, f Shoveler, Little Grebe, 17 Tufted Duck, Sparrowhawk, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Nuthatch, 1 Collared Dove, 2 Herring Gull, c12 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Coal Tit, 6 Chiffchaff, 7 Ring-necked Parakeet, c16 Goldfinch (John Watson).


 * Staines Moor: 9.30am. 2 Little Egret, 2 Kestrel, 8 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Wheatear (Neil Randon). 26 Yellow Wagtails around feeding cattle at N end, at dusk. Also Wheatear, 2 juvenile Hobbies, Little Egret, 5 Common Snipe. (FJM)


 * Staines Reservoir (06:30-08:30): 5 Ringed Plover, 3 Dunlin, Kingfisher (Nigel Sluman); 8.30am: Peregrine Falcon (sitting on top of pylon between Staines and KGVI reservoirs), 2 Ringed Plover, 2 Yellow Wagtail (on bank of KGVI reservoir), 1 Common Tern (Neil Randon)


 * Tower Hamlets Cemetery: Sand Martin hawking and Collared Dove calling opposite Soanes Centre (Bob Watts).


 * Trent Park, Cockfosters, Enfield: 6 Spotted Flycatcher, Blackcap, 2 Willow Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff, Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Swallow, 2 Common Buzzard. (Pete Lowman, Bob Husband (RAH).


 * Tyttenhanger GPs: 2 Hobby, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Willow Warblers and Chiffs still, 3 Common Tern, 16 Gadwall, 4 Shoveler, 2 Teal (Steve B).


 * Wanstead Flats (06:00-10:00): Hobby (north over Alex), 4 Sparrowhawk (inc. 3 together over Wanstead Park), Kestrel, Yellow Wagtail over, 2 Pied Wagtail, 1 Spotted Flycatcher (mid way down Long Wood on the south side), 8+ Chiffchaff, 7+ C. Whitethroat, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 2+ Blackcap, 2 Garden Warbler (east of Alex), numerous Robin making their presence known, 3 Song Thrush (in the same tree), 4 + Blackbird, no sign Whinchat or Wheatear, Dunnock, Wren, very few Starling (the flocks and associated Mistle Thrush absent), Blue Tit, Great Tit (both very numerous), 13 + Jay, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Jackdaw, 7 GS Woodpecker, 7+ G Woodpecker, Swallow heard, 2 House Martin, Skylark, 10+ Greenfinch, Goldfinch, 2 Shoveler, 4 Gadwall, Mallard, Mute Swan (4 adults again and three others flying over, + cygnets of resident pair), Canada Goose, Little Grebe, Coot, Moorhen, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, 26 RN Parakeet, 2 Heron, 40 + BH Gull, 8 Herring Gull (6 Juv), 10+ LBB Gull, 8 Cormorant (Nick Croft).


 * Wanstead Park pm: Spotted Flycatcher at old sewage works, 12 Sand Martin, 3 Swallow south (S Fisher)


 * Willows Farm: Yellow Wagtail, Whinchat, 50+ Swallow (Steve B).


 * Wormwood Scrubs: 2 Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Hobby, c10 Swift, c12 Meadow Pipit, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Whinchat, Northern Wheatear, c10 Common Whitethroat, 3 Blackcap, Chiffchaff, 5 Willow Warbler