January 2017

January highlights: a Waxwing invasion at last
My nomination for January’s bird of the month is the Waxwing. After just a handful of London reports in November and December, these Scandinavian immigrants finally invaded the capital in larger numbers during January. However, this winter’s influx has been much less impressive than the bumper irruptions of 2010–11 and 2012–13. Although there have been 150 mentions of Waxwing on this wiki in January, many sightings have been single birds, and the largest flock has comprised only about 40. This compares with throngs of 150 four years ago and 300 six years ago.

(January could possibly finish up with a more spectacular bird of the month, but only if its sole observer can convince the Rarities Committee to accept it as a first for London. On the morning of 24th January, Samuel Levy was watching Redwing pass through his Finchley garden as they left their roost and noticed an unusual pale thrush among them. It was still with the flock when the birds returned in the late afternoon, and he identified it as a female Black-throated Thrush. Unfortunately, he did not get a chance to photograph it and, although he and others looked for it over the next few days, it was not seen again.)

Water birds
January’s best anatid sighting was a one-day-only Ferruginous Duck at Staines Reservoir on the 26th. Staines also hosted a drake Scaup for part of the month, as did Walthamstow Reservoirs. Apart from eight Barnacle Goose over Walton-on-Thames (8th) and 12 Dark-bellied Brent Goose at Rainham Marshes (30th), January’s reports of wild geese mainly involved single birds, including White-fronted Goose at both Rainham and Rye Meads.

On the 24th a sick Slavonian Grebe was found at Fishers Green, and on the 29th and 30th a healthier bird was at William Girling Reservoir, along with some of the Lea Valley’s regular wintering Black-necked Grebe.

Wetland birds
Tyttenhanger GP’s two long-staying Great White Egret were both present until 19th Jan, and a single bird was last reported on the 21st. A Cattle Egret was at Rainham Marshes on the 10th and another was seen in Totteridge Valley on the 15th. By the end of the month the London Wetland Centre was hosting at least six wintering Bittern.

Birds of prey
Notable birds of prey were a Goshawk at Weald Park on 20th Jan and Merlin at four different sites during the month. Away from their regular winter haunt at Rainham Marshes, Short-eared Owl were seen hunting on more than one date at both Fairlop Waters and Ellenbrook Fields, Hatfield.

Gulls and waders
January’s leading larids were white-winged jobbies: on the 6th an Iceland Gull was seen over West Molesey and a juvenile Glaucous Gull was at Beddington Farmlands; later in the month a young Glauc was reported variously from Barking Bay, Creekmouth, Stratford, Leyton and Walthamstow. Otherwise, the most notable gulls were Kittiwake, with three sightings, and Little Gull, with one at Rainham Marshes on the 31st. (Caspian Gull seems to be no longer worth mentioning in these round-ups, having become so common that more than 60 sightings were reported this month.)

Most interesting among the 18 wader species recorded during the month were a couple of Ruff at Purfleet on the 21st.

Passerines
Sadly for twitchers who dashed off to Richmond Park to tick the pallid female Stonechat, DNA testing of its droppings has shown that the bird was not after all an exotic Stejneger’s/Siberian Stonechat but merely a washed-out European Stonechat. (And a DNA re-test has shown that the Dungeness bird previously identified as a Stejneger’s was also just a pale European bird.)

A Swallow at Walthamstow Filter Beds on the 25th to 27th broke London’s previous earliest record of 29th Jan (1809). In recent years a few Swallow have remained into the winter in southern England, and this bird was presumably a hardy overwintering bird rather than an early spring migrant. Also on the 25th, a Common Whitethroat at West Drayton was London’s first January record since one managed to overwinter at Walthamstow reservoirs in 2011–12.



The Wanstead Flats Yellow-browed Warbler, first reported on 7th Dec, managed to hang around into the new year and was last seen on 4th Jan. Siberian Chiffchaff and Firecrest were both reported from a few sites in early January, and at least one of each species survived the long cold spell later in the month. Lamorbey Park’s Firecrest, first reported on 27th Nov, remained right through the month, being last seen on the 30th.

On 2nd Jan a Bounds Green birder had a rare treat when a Marsh Tit popped into her garden. And on the 8th another garden, in Hertfordshire, produced the recording area’s first Hawfinch of the winter.

A Great Grey Shrike that showed itself occasionally in Ingrebourne Valley in the second half of the month had apparently first been seen on the 5th, although not reported at the time.

More photographs, please
Finally, it’s good to see that London birders have uploaded two dozen photographs to the wiki this month. Several of these images also feature on the Latest News page, and I have added three others to this report in the hope of encouraging more birders to show off their images here.

(Contributed by Andrew Haynes, who accepts full responsibility for any errors. Historical information is mainly based on earlier reports on this wiki and on ‘The Birds of London' by Andrew Self.)’’

Tuesday 31st January 2017

 * Alexandra Park: c100 Redwings c60 around heritage oak in Grove & 40 at W.end of lower pastures 12.10-12.20pm (Jonathan Cooke).
 * Banstead Woods: f Stonechat Holly Ln Meadow, 30 Redpoll nr Park Farm (David Campbell, Duncan Jennings and Ian Magness via CFBW blog)
 * Broxbourne GP: 2 Goosander m f (Scott Poynter via Herts BC)
 * Bushy Park: Tawny Owl calling 7.10am (Ian R Watson)
 * Clerkenwell: St John's Sq - 16 Redwing at roost (Francis O'Sullivan)
 * Collier Row: 46 Waxwing Chase Cross Rd still (BirdGuides)
 * East Dulwich SE22: 4 Blackcap (2m and 2f) in my garden (Steven Robinson)
 * East India Dock Basin: Blackcap female in copse (John Archer)
 * Hogsmill STW Nature Reserve: 5 Shoveler, 14 Tufted Duck, 2 Pochard, 14000 Black-headed Gull E, 1660 Herring Gull E, 43 Great Black-backed Gull E, 42 Lesser Black-backed Gull (41 E), 6 Redwing S, 19 Linnet (Andrew Skotnicki)
 * Kensal Green Cemetery and St Mary’s Cemetery: c20 Redwing, c10 Fieldfare, 3 Green Woodpecker (Charlie Farrell)
 * Lee Valley, Bowyers Water: drake Smew still TL368017, drake Goldeneye, 20+ Pochard, 250+ Coot (Simon Papps)
 * Lee Valley, Hall Marsh: female Peregrine, Little Egret, male Stonechat (Simon Papps)
 * London Wetland Centre: Bittern WWF hide (Shailesh Patel); 5 Pintail, 3 Bittern, 1 Firecrest, 3 Snipe, Water Pipit grazing marsh (WWT website); Caspian Gull (3rd w) Wildside hide (Alan Pearson and Jo East)
 * North Mymms Park: 40+ Siskin along track through Mymshall & Hawkshead Woods (Rupert Evershed via Herts BC)
 * Pinner (HA5): just 4 Redwing today, Green Woodpecker, Goldfinch, Coal Tit & 4 Jackdaw. A Black-headed Gull was picked up mobbing a smaller gull (about 3/4 of its size) but I think this merits further investigation before I declare anything too fanciful (Jon Ridge) - current thoughts - a 'runt' first-winter Black-headed Gull (JR)
 * Rainham RSPB: ad Little Gull, m Waxwing 1w by visitor centre still 1230 (BirdGuides)
 * Richmond Park: 125 Shoveler (J.Wilczur)
 * Rye Meads RSPB: Water Pipit still fr gadwall_hide (BirdGuides)
 * Southgate Asda, N14: No sign of yesterday's (am) Waxwings in Pickard Close or the Allotments, Fieldfares, Redwings & Goldcrest (Bob Husband et al)
 * Staines Reservoir: m Scaup & 2 Black-necked Grebe still (Dominic Pia via Twitter)
 * Stoke Newington N16: Waxwings back briefly in Sycamore tree in Winston Road back garden 8.30am (Neil Verlander); 25-35 Waxwings in the large tree behind Aden Grove & Springdale Rd 9.10am (observer?); 20 at Aden Grove & Springdale Rd N16 9NP 11:20 (Andrew Kellett) T327858
 * Tyttenhanger GPs: main pit - Caspian Gull 1w am - diff bird to the one first seen in 2016, ad Yellow-legged Gull (David Booth via Herts BC); 2ad Great Black-backed Gull briefly & the 1stW Caspian Gull first found last November. Both birds have been seen on different days in January (Steve Blake)
 * Walthamstow Filter Beds: f Black Redstart, Kingfisher, Little Egret (Dan Barrett)
 * Wanstead Flats: 28 Shoveler, 8 Gadwall, 5 Teal, 3 Pochard, 23 Tufted Duck, 15 Linnet, Kestrel (Nick Croft)
 * Wanstead Park: Little Egret, Kingfisher, Goldcrest, Coal Tit, 2 singing Stock Dove, 44 Shoveler, 13 Gadwall, 19 Teal, 19 Tufted Duck, 2 Little Grebe, Kestrel (Nick Croft)
 * Worcester Park: 90 Redwing, 1 Fieldfare (Bob Smith)

Monday 30th January 2017

 * Barn Elms playing fields, Barnes: 125 Fieldfare, 25 Redwing, 5 Mistle Thrush, 110 Starling (J.Wilczur)
 * Clerkenwell: St John's Sq - 16 Redwing am roost (Francis O'Sullivan)
 * Collier Row: 40 Waxwing Chase Cross Rd still ('PS' per Howard Vaughan via ELBF Facebook)
 * Crouch End N8: 10 Waxwing (Gary Davies via Twitter)
 * Enfield Town (River View, EN2): 2 Blackcap male and female (Robert Callf)
 * Ewhurst: 16 Waxwing still in private gdn (Surrey BC News)
 * Finsbury Park, N4: c100 Redwings, with 2 Fieldfare and 2 Mistle Thrush (Ann Feltham)
 * Hogsmill STW Nature Reserve: 7 Shoveler, Sparrowhawk, male Merlin NW at c0745, 34 Great Black-backed Gull E, 19 Stock Dove, 27 Linnet (Andrew Skotnicki)
 * Lamorbey Park: Firecrest showing well and singing near W end of lake 16.20, 5 Teal, Little Grebe (Ian Stewart)
 * London Wetland Centre: 3 Brent Goose SE, 3 Bittern (main lake N shore, reservoir lagoon and reedbed middle channel), 8 Pintail, 8 Redwing, 1m Stonechat, 1 Chiffchaff (sheltered lagoon) (WWT website); 4th Bittern (Headley hide), 1 Common Snipe, 2 Peregrine 1m 1f (Ch. X Hosp.), 7 Mute Swan 2 ad (main lake) 5 juv (wader scrape) (Martin Honey); ad Yellow-legged Gull - the usual bird, 110 Herring Gull, 115 Crow (J.Wilczur)
 * North Finchley: Red Kite N at around 9am (John Colmans)
 * Pinner (HA5): 59 Redwing, Goldfinch, Coal Tit & Long-tailed Tit (Jon Ridge)
 * Rainham RSPB: 1 Waxwing, 1 Water Pipit, 3 Curlew, 2 Common Snipe, 2 Little Egret, Green Woodpecker, 2 Stonechat, Redwing, Fieldfare (John & Janet Cadera); 12 Dark-bellied Brent Goose (BirdGuides); 2 Smew (RSPB blog - latest sightings page); 9 D-b Brent Goose, 3 Marsh Harrier, 12 Avocet, 5 Yellow-legged Gull, 160 Stock Dove, Barn Owl, Chiffchaff, 2 Rock Pipit, Water Pipit (Niall Keogh via Twitter)
 * Rye Meads RSPB: 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Common Snipe, 1 (distant) Water Pipit all from Gadwall_Hide, no sightings of Bittern today as of 14.30 (Quentin Given); 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Snipe, 2 Water Rail, Green Woodpecker, 2 Grey Wagtail, Shelduck, pr Bullfinch, Kingfisher, Cetti's Warbler (per ELBF Facebook)
 * South Lodge Farm, Enfield: Fieldfare, 60+ Redwing (Robert Callf)
 * Southgate: ASDA Chase Side - 49 Waxwing feeding on white/pink berries in Pickard Close N14 6SP (Private Parking only) behind ASDA also feeding on fruit trees (plum?) in nearby allotments access via paths behind ASDA at 10.45 am, Fieldfare and Redwings also present (Roy Beddard, Bob Husband)
 * Stoke Newington: c40 Waxwing in trees opp 159 Victorian Grove N16 8EH at 12:20 (Mike Harris) TQ334859; 3+ Waxwing Nevill Rd (BirdGuides)
 * Sutton: Peregrine perched on Quadrant Hse ledge (Ian Jones via Twitter)
 * Teddington: Little Egret flying downstream along Thames at 9:30, plus Sparrowhawk flying towards Bushy Park harassed by a Crow (Mike Foster).
 * Trent Park: 7 Goldcrest, 5 Nuthatch, 5 Treecreeper incl one singing, 16+ Siskin and c40 Goldfinch feeding in birches Moat Wood (Robert Callf)
 * Trent Park Golf Course: Little Egret along Merryhills Brook 1140 (Robert Callf)
 * Victoria Park: 25 Redwing by Wheel Park (Eduardo López-Salas)
 * Walthamstow Filter Beds: (Coppermill Lane) - 1st winter Glaucous Gull roosting on island on No. 5 Reservoir then flew towards No. 4 at 7.30 am, also pr Goosander - 12.20-12.40am; Glaucous Gull sleeping on E side of Filter Beds, Black Redstart on Middle Causeway but distant, also 3 Fieldfare & 2 Goldcrests - 12.20-12.45pm (Davey Leach).
 * Westfield Stratford: 30+ Pied Wagtail with more arriving on shopping centre roof (Nick Croft); Water Rail in Elizabeth Park wetlands, 2 Teal, 2 Little Grebe (Marco Johnson/Nick Croft)
 * William Girling Res: Slavonian Grebe still [view fr Mansfield Pk], 4-6 Black-necked Grebe (appear to be in pairs), 2 Little Grebe, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 4 Goldeneye, Peregrine Falcon over, Kestrel (Nick Croft)
 * Woodford Green: male Blackcap, Grey Wagtail, Little Egret, Goldcrest, Song Thrush, 2 Siskin, Common Buzzard, and 2 Redwing (very low nos. of this species this year) (Ken Murray)

Sunday 29th January 2017

 * Brent Reservoir: Shelduck, Pintail, 72 Pochard, 231 Tufted Duck, 22 Snipe, Little Owl, 4 Cetti's Warbler, Chiffchaff (Andrew Self, Roy Beddard)
 * Boxer's Lake, Enfield: 3 Egyptian Goose, 3 Shoveler 2m 1f, male Pochard, 8 Tufted Duck 5m 3f, 7 Common Gull, Green Woodpecker, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail, 2 Pied Wagtail, Mistle Thrush singing male, Goldcrest, 6 Siskin 5m 1f feeding in alders, 12 Goldfinch (Robert Callf)
 * Bushy Park: Great Spotted Woodpecker (drumming), Long-tailed Tit, Mistle Thrush, Nuthatch (calling), 20+ Redwing, Song Thrush (Ian R Watson)
 * Collier Row: 40 Waxwing Chase Cross Rd ('PS' per Howard Vaughan via ELBF Facebook)
 * Connaught Water: 215 Black-headed Gull, 2 Herring Gull, 2 Mute Swan, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 7 Common Gull, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 8 Mandarin Duck, 11 Teal, 36 Shoveler, 2 Grey Heron, 30 Tufted Duck (Daniel Whitelegg)
 * Ewhurst: 17 Waxwing N along Horsham Rd toward Ewhurst Grn 0910 (Robin Stride via Twitter)
 * Finchley (Garden N3): 3 Song Thrush, 3 Redwing, 2 Stock Dove & regulars (Samuel Levy)
 * Gallions Reach: 15 Black-tailed Godwit, Common Sandpiper, 2 Yellow-legged Gull 1w, Caspian Gull, Guillemot, Kingfisher, 2 Fieldfare (Gary A James via EBwS News)
 * Grays Gorge: Firecrest by Devonshire Rd steps early-am (BirdGuides)
 * Gunpowder Park: Stonechat, 7 Meadow Pipit, 2 Skylark, 4 Siskin (Neville Smith).
 * Hogsmill STW Nature Reserve: 2 Shoveler, 2 Little Egret S, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, 8400 Black-headed Gull (8050 E), 1820 Herring Gull E, 1st-winter Yellow-legged Gull E, 27 Lesser Black-backed Gull (21 E), 26 Great Black-backed Gull (25 E), Fieldfare SE, 15 Goldfinch (10 SE), 26 Linnet (Andrew Skotnicki)
 * Ingrebourne Valley LNR: Great Grey Shrike briefly in 'bomb pit' west of Berwick Ponds then flew north, 3 Sparrowhawk, 2 Kestrel, 7 Redpoll, Water Rail, 5 Cetti's Warbler (Nick Croft)
 * Isle of Dogs: 2 Blackcaps m f in East Ferry Road garden (Sean Huggins)
 * Islington: 9 Waxwing in tree outside 9 Liverpool Rd N1 0RF (BirdGuides) TQ313838
 * Knighton Wood: 1f Sparrowhawk, 3 Chaffinch, 18 Goldfinch, 1 Treecreeper, 2 Nuthatch, 5 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 4 Green Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Mistle Thrush, 7 Redwing, 3 Coal Tit, 11 Goldcrest, 15 Jay, 2 Mandarin Duck (Daniel Whitelegg)
 * Lamorbey Park: Firecrest still present (Ian Stewart)
 * London Wetland Centre: 1 Caspian Gull 2nd W, 4 Bittern, 1 Water Pipit, 10 Redwing, 8 Pintail (WWT Website)
 * Long Ditton: 2 Waxwing (Surrey BC)
 * Nags Head Lane Fishery: Teal, pr Shoveler, f Goosander on the horseshoe lake - my first record here, 2 Rook over, Chiffchaff, Bullfinch (Colin Jupp via EBwS News)
 * Pinner (HA5): Red Kite over at 13:22, 35 grounded Redwing at 14:00, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Goldfinch & Coal Tit (Jon Ridge)
 * Primrose Hill: Collared Dove (scarce here but 3rd in a week) S 0745, Grey Wagtail (Hill yr-1st) S toward reservoir 0825 (Twitter)
 * Mudchute Farm: 13 Redwings, 2 Fieldfares, 6 Monk Parakeets, Goldcrest (Sean Huggins)
 * Northolt: 2m Blackcap, Song Thrush, f Great Spotted Woodpecker in my garden (Deiniol Owen)
 * Rainham Marshes: 10 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Avocet, Water Pipit, 2 Stonechat (Nick Croft); Waxwing in bushes near entrance, Fieldfare, Redwing, Jack Snipe, Common Snipe, 8 Curlews, Marsh Harrier, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, 2 Water Rail, 5 Little Egrets, Cetti's Warbler, Reed Bunting, 8 Stonechat (Nick Baker and Seb Sattin).
 * Rammey Marsh: 2 Stonechat (Neville Smith).
 * Sewardstone Marsh: 3 Common Snipe, Woodcock flew out of Nights pits over flood relief channel and into island village (10:50hrs), f Stonechat on marsh, 20+ Siskin (one flock) feeding S/E of marsh, 2 Bullfinch (Neville Smith).
 * Southgate: 33 Waxwing perched in conifer near goods vehicle entrance to ASDA Chase Side N14 5PW 15:00-15:20 at least (Robert Callf) TQ294945
 * Staines Reservoir: ad Kittiwake briefly 1115, also m Scaup, Black-necked Grebe & ad Caspian Gull still (BirdGuides)
 * Stoke Newington N16: c35 Waxwings back in Sycamore tree in Winston road back garden. Viewable from Lavell Street 10.10am; back briefly on tree at 1.05pm (Neil Verlander & Penny Walker)
 * Thames Barrier Park: 3 Caspian Gull (2 1w and 1 3w) (Dante Shepherd) Pics here
 * Totteridge Valley: 7 Redwing, 16 Ring-necked Parakeets, 2 Egyptian Geese, 6 Canada Geese, 4 Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull (Quite an unseasonable sighting) - not unseasonal at all - R Callf, 80+ Jackdaw, 60+ Carrion Crow, 4 Stock Dove, 2 Pied Wagtail, Pheasant, 2 Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 8 Long-tailed Tit, Starling, 4 Collared Dove, Green Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail; also 3 Muntjac (1m 2f) (Samuel Levy)
 * Walthamstow E17: 1 Coal Tit in my garden (Daniel Whitelegg)
 * Walthamstow Filterbeds: Glaucous Gull 1w and Black Redstart still (David Bradshaw)
 * West Harrow: 10 Waxwing in horsechestnut tree at end of garden at 9.55 (Alex Massey)
 * William Girling Reservoir: Slavonian Grebe [view fr Mansfield Pk] (Adam Wilson)
 * Woodberry Wetlands: 2 Snipe, 3 Teal, 2 Reed Bunting, Cetti's Warbler, Yellow-legged Gull (Chris Farthing)

Saturday 28th January 2017

 * Alexandra Park: 3 Fieldfare, Little Grebe Tunnel Res (Gareth Richards, Bob Watts)
 * Bayonne Park: 44 House Sparrow (Nathalie Mahieu via Twitter) TQ240777
 * Beckenham Place Park: Cormorant, 4 Common Gull, 40+ Ring-necked Parakeet, 50+ Carrion Crow, 4 Jay, 8 Jackdaw, 4 Nuthatch, 1+ Treecreeper, 9 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Kestrel, 3+ Grey Wagtail, 13 Stock Dove, 2 Mistle Thrush, c15 Redwing, 4+ Goldcrest, 4+ Chaffinch, 2+ House Sparrow - 09.30-13.00 (Dave de Silva on behalf of Friends of Beckenham Place Park)
 * Beckton: Siberian Chiffchaff still plus 15+ Chiffchaffs, Rock Pipit and Common Sandpiper (Richard Bonser, Jamie Partridge)
 * Bowyers Water: 2 Egyptian Goose, m Goldeneye, m Smew (per ELBF Facebook)
 * Brent Reservoir: Little Owl, Shelduck, Pintail, 69 Pochard, 17 Snipe (Andrew Self)
 * Brentford: Peregrine flew on to tower of London museum of water & steam at approx 3pm (Catherine Beazley)
 * Brentwood: 75+ Pied Wagtail roosting in trees by Brentwood Inn (Andrew Stroud via EBwS News)
 * Bushy Park: 2 Kestrel, Grey Wagtail, 3 Green Woodpecker, c8 Redwing, c5 Fieldfare (Josh Exley)
 * Crayford Marshes: Great Crested Grebe, 100+ Lapwing, c600 Dunlin, Common Sandpiper, 30+ Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Yellow-legged Gull 2w, Skylark, 2+ Water Pipit (Darent Creek), 3 Stonechat, c40 Fieldfare, Redwing (Ian Stewart)
 * Crossness: Black Redstart, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 4+ Snipe, Rock Pipit, Grey Wagtail, 2 Stonechat, Cetti's Warbler, 6+ Chiffchaff (Ian Stewart)
 * East Dulwich: Waxwing in private gdn Gowlett Rd (Scott Utting)
 * Epping Forest (Chingford to High Beech): Woodcock, 22 Mandarin, 30+ Teal, 10+ Shoveler, 2-4 Buzzard, 4 Sparrowhawk, 4 Kestrel, 20+ Goldcrest, Firecrest, 10+ Nuthatch, 6 Treecreeper, 5 Redpoll, 4 Siskin, Bullfinch, Reed Bunting, 20+ Fieldfare, 30+ Redwing (Nick Croft)
 * Erith riverside: 3 Shelduck, c15 Ringed Plover, Black-tailed Godwits (Rainham barges roost), 2 Rock Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Chiffchaff (Ian Stewart)
 * Ewell, Hogsmill Open Space: 1 Little Egret in trees near railway line 13:30 (Neil Batten)
 * Ewhurst: 17 Waxwing SW over Horsham Rd 1105 (Robin Stride via Twitter)
 * Finchley (Garden N3): 12 Ring-necked Parakeets, 4 Siskin (1st time since 17th April last year they have been seen), 11 Goldfinch, 10 Greenfinch, 15 Chaffinch, 9 Long-tailed Tits, Song Thrush, 4 Coal Tit, 3 Nuthatch, Stock Dove - 13:25-14:25 (Samuel Levy)
 * Finchley West: covered footpath from Nether Street to Finchley Golf Course and Dollis Brook path to allotments but just 3 Redwing - 1425-1630 (Bob Watts); covered footpath from the playground to Dollis Park Road and then up to Nether Street - main thrush flock left before it was light - 12 Blackbird, 7 Redwing, Song Thrush, 3 Fieldfare, 2 Mistle Thrush, Coal Tit, 150 Black-headed Gull SW, 50 Common Gull SW, 2 Grey Wagtail, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Teal on pond behind Gordon Road, 5 Stock Dove, 4 Goldcrest, Nuthatch - 07:00-08:45 (Samuel Levy)
 * Fryent Country Park: 2 Gadwall in horse paddock, 6 Green Woodpecker together (Joe Taylor)
 * Harrow: Peregrine stooping on pigeons (unsuccessfully) above Morrisons 10.50 (James Massey)
 * Hogsmill STW Nature Reserve: 2 Shoveler, 5 Grey Heron (pair building nest), Sparrowhawk, 2 Kestrel, 30 Linnet (Andrew Skotnicki)
 * Ingrebourne Valley: Great Grey Shrike still (Dave Cook via ELBF Facebook)
 * Kensington Gardens: m Kingfisher Long Water still on partly-submerged willow nr Italian Gardens am (Des McKenzie via Twitter)
 * Lamorbey Park: 3 Little Grebe, Greylag Goose, Canada/Greylag hybrid Goose, 2 Egyptian Geese, Great Spotted Woodpecker (Mike Amos)
 * Leyton Tip: juvenile Glaucous Gull early a'noon (Richard Bonser, Jamie Partridge)
 * London Wetland Centre: Caspian Gull 2cy, 2 Water Pipits, 2 Bitterns, 2 f Pintail, 2 Peregrines (Josh Jones).
 * Margravine Cemetery: 50 Redwing (Nathalie Mahieu).
 * Rainham Marshes: Caspian Gull 1w by refuse jetty, ad Yellow-legged Gull Wennington Marsh, 2 Water Pipits along Thames, Grey Plover, 11 Avocets, Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, 3 Stonechats (Sean Huggins); 16+ Pintail target pools (James Heal via Twitter); R Thamse Purfleet - 27 Avocet 'swimming' at high tide off the mouth of Dartford Creek/R Darent, also ad m Marsh Harrier, Grey Plover, 500 Lapwing, 468 Dunlin, 36 Redshank, Raven, Rock Pipit (Fraser Simpson via Twitter); Waxwing, Water Pipit, Kestrel, Snipe, Curlew, Cetti's Warbler, Pintail, Shelduck, Shoveler, Teal, Wigeon, Fieldfare, Redwing (Dan Keel) Photo (below-right) by www.ilikebird.uk
 * Rye Meads RSPB: 1 Water Pipit, 1 Green Sandpiper, 4 Snipe, 1 Bittern going to roost at warbler hide (Daniel Whitelegg)IMG 6497 2.jpg
 * Scotsbridge Mill: 2 Little Egret, 2 Water Rail, Snipe, Kingfisher (Chris Sharp via Herts BC)
 * Scratch Wood: Firecrest still (Graham Harris via Dungeon Hill & Scratch Wood Birds blog)
 * Staines Reservoir: m Scaup n basin & Black-necked Grebe still (BirdGuides)
 * Stratford, Olympic Park: brownish-grey abietinus-type or eastern-type Chiffchaff feeding in shrubs outside Westfield and very tame - call was distinctive but not tristis, 2 Fieldfare, 13 Teal (Stuart Fisher); f Black Redstart (Rachel Jennings via Twitter)
 * Thames Barrier Park: 2 Caspian Gull 1stW (John & Janet Cadera)
 * The Commons LNR (Welwyn Garden City): 20+ Linnet (Keith Smith/Keith Dean via Herts BC) TL259110
 * Thorndon CP: North - 20 Fieldfare, 8 Redwing, 2 Nuthatch, Treecreeper, 20+ Redpoll in birches; South - 6 Fieldfare, 40 Redwing, Nuthatch, 16 Meadow Pipit (Andrew Cox via EBwS News)
 * Trent Park: 26 Mandarin (16m 10f), Common Buzzard, 25 Goldfinch, Goldcrest, 5 Bullfinch, f Pochard, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pete Lowman)
 * Tyttenhanger GP: 1stW Caspian Gull, 3 Little Egret, 15 Tree Sparrow, Red Kite, Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Kestrel, ?Barnacle/Canada Goose hybrid with Barnacle shaped white on head, tiny Barnacle-style bill but plain brown Canada-style upper parts (Jo Edwards)
 * Walthamstow Filter Beds: Swallow and Black Redstart still and showing very well (Frank Nugent, Alastair Dent); Glaucous Gull 1w east side showing nicely but then flew towards Olympic Park at 12:40 (Lol Bodini via Twitter, Frank Nugent, Alan Hobson); Glaucous Gull 1w at Leyton tip on roof 13:10 (BirdGuides) and all 3 again still at 16:00hrs on filter beds from Coppermill lane (Neville Smith); for a split second at 12.30 the Glaucous Gull and the Swallow were in the same scope shot, which was a very nice (and unusual) moment, also around were Sparrowhawk, 3 Great Black-backed Gulls, 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 2 Common Gulls, Green Woodpecker, Shelduck (Alan Hobson).
 * Walthamstow Reservoirs: Lockwood - 2 Goldeneye, Peregrine Falcon with kill (Feral Pigeon) on pylon; No.4 - Goosander pair (Mark Wardman); also 10+ adult Great Black-backed Gulls on Lockwood this pm - my highest count on here (Lol Bodini).
 * West Thurrock: 30 Waxwing Lakeside Retail Pk still Western Ave 13:00 (David Darrell-Lambert via Twitter)
 * Willows Farm: 40 Linnet old maize field (Steven Pearce via Herts BC)

Friday 27th January 2017

 * Alexandra Park (Tunnel Basin): adult Caspian Gull at 15.00 (James Palmer)
 * Bermondsey: 16 Redwing over Southwark Park Rd 11:20 (John Cadera)
 * Bow Creek: 2 Redshank (Tom Speller via Twitter)
 * Brent Reservoir: Shelduck, fem Pintail, Snipe, 40+ Pochard, 120+ Tufted Duck, 15 Little Grebe, 4 Goldcrest, 2 Chiffchaff (Leo Batten per Roy Beddard)
 * Canons Farm: 25 Meadow Pipit - influx (Duncan Jennings via CFBW blog)
 * Chafford Hundred: 15 Waxwing on cycle track between Mayflower Road & Saffron Road, Chafford 0845, 18 Waxwing Mayflower Rd still 1515 then flew off W (David Darrell-Lambert via Twitter); 42 Waxwing Rainbow Rd still (Ben & Thomas Rumsby per ELBF Facebook); 15 still at Weston Rd/London Rd jn RM20 3FZ 16:10 (BirdGuides) TQ577776
 * Connaught Water: Goosander (f), Great Crested Grebe, Mandarin, Teal, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Shoveler (G.Gram)
 * Crayford Marshes: 20 Avocet, 12 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Curlew, 6 Snipe, 100+ Dunlin, 3 Grey Plover, 2 Marsh Harrier, Water Rail, Cetti's Warbler, Kingfisher, 2 Egyptian Goose, 30+ Fieldfare, 7 Stonechat, 4 Bearded Tit (Nick Croft)
 * East India Dock: Water Rail still, Kingfisher (Tom Speller via Twitter)
 * Ewhurst: 12 Waxwing in private gdn (BirdGuides)
 * Finsbury Park: Large thrush flock feeding on ground - 70 Redwing, 3 Fieldfare, 1 Mistle Thrush (Chris Farthing)
 * Foots Cray Meadows: 2 Greylag Geese SW, 10+ Gadwall, f Wigeon, 4 Teal (3m 1f), 5+ Little Grebe, Water Rail, 10+ Redwing, Cetti's Warbler showed well on lake islands, Chiffchaff, 6+ Goldcrest, Nuthatch, c10 Siskin, 2+ Bullfinch (Ian Stewart, Mike Amos); also 2 Little Egret, Cormorant over, Grey Heron, 1 Sparrowhawk, f Kingfisher, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail, c50 Jackdaw (Mike Amos)
 * Greenwich SE10: Lapwing flying S/E along Woodlands Park Road 11.30 (Richard Green)
 * Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park: 3 Snipe, Tufted Duck f, Little Grebe, Kingfisher, 5 Redwing, Fieldfare, Chiffchaff (John Bushall)
 * Harringay N4: c24 Waxwings over Cavendish Road 09.50 (Simon Bradley)
 * Hogsmill STW Nature Reserve: Kestrel, Yellow-legged Gull 2w E, 12 Pied Wagtail S, Meadow Pipit NW, 21 Fieldfare S, 25 Linnet (Andrew Skotnicki)
 * Kew, National Archives: 2 Mute Swan, one ringed, red left 395. Reported. Result - Red 395 (BTO ring z90423) was ringed in the Lower Derwent valley NNR just to the south east of York on 19/8/98 as a cygnet (probable female) and one from a brood of eight.  This is amazingly the first re-sighting since ringing! – it’s been hiding for 19 years! (Barry Jones. Ring Recorder, Craig S Ralston)
 * Lamorbey Park: Firecrest 07.45 now moving back towards the dell, 7 m Teal (my highest count here), 3 Little Grebe, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine, Kingfisher, 6+ Goldcrest (Ian Stewart)
 * Lee Valley, Seventy Acres Lake: Bittern at 14.55-15.05 flew across middle of lake landed in reeds in front of hide and perched up at the end of a channel (Simon Papps)
 * London Wetland Centre: 2 Caspian Gull nr-ad 2cy, 2 Yellow-legged Gull ad 3cy, 280 Herring Gull, 25 Lesser Black-backed Gull (J.Wilczur); 2 Bittern (Simon Fogg); 3 Bittern (BirdGuides)
 * Marble Arch: 11-12 Waxwing in tall trees briefly 11:15. Very flighty and seemed to drop into trees just inside NE corner of Hyde Park. Couldn't relocate them when had the opportunity to look an hour later, though they may have just worked their way down Park Lane (Bill Haines).
 * Morden Hall Park: blue-tagged Little Egret fishing then flew towards the reedbeds 5:00, also Grey Wagtail (Arjun Dutta). Arjun, Little Egrets with blue rings are being ringed in the UK in Norfolk and Nottinghamshire by Jez Blackburn from the BTO. If you managed to get any of the details of the rings (e.g the alphanumeric codes), suggest you send to him via the "report a ringed bird" link on the BTO website (Bill Haines). Will do! (AD)
 * North Sheen Rec: 15 Greylag Geese flying SE, 30+ Redwings, 1 Fieldfare, Blackcap 07.45 (Peter Hart)
 * Notting Hill: 2 House Sparrow in gdn by Avondale Pk 1.55pm (S. Topham) TQ241805
 * Primrose Hill: flock of c15 Mistle Thrush SW toward playing field c0840 (Twitter)
 * Rainham RSPB: Waxwing still, 2 Caspian Gull 1w, 2 Marsh Harrier, Water Pipit, 24 Avocet, 3 Grey Plover, 10 Ringed Plover, 9 Curlew (per Howard Vaughan via ELBF Facebook); R Thames Purfleet - 6 Pintail, 2 Avocet, 8 Grey Plover, Curlew, 3 Yellow-legged Gull (Fraser Simpson via Twitter)
 * Stoke Newington N16: c25 Waxwings in Sycamore tree in Winston Road back garden 10.20 viewable from Lavell St (Neil Verlander/ Penny Walker); 11am — 15 Waxwings, 10 Fieldfare, lots of Redwings not too far from where they were reported this morning Winston Rd (Gary Southam, Tony Butler); counted 35 Waxwings here at 12.30pm (Nick Baker)
 * Stratford, Olympic Park: Waxwing East, drake Wigeon, 2 Common Snipe, Water Rail, Cetti's Warbler, 22 Teal, f Shoveler, 66 Tufted Duck on river, 11 Little Grebe, Sparrowhawk (Stuart Fisher)
 * The Ridgeway, Mill Hill (NW7): Little Egret flew towards Totteridge Valley at 14:32 (1st sighting for me here), also Grey Wagtail on Sheepwash pond for the first time in a while 15:35 and 3 Fieldfare N (Samuel Levy)
 * Tolworth: 20+ Waxwing S over A3 jn c1230 (Rich Sergeant via Twitter)
 * Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park: 40+ Redwing (Bob Watts)
 * Tufnell Park N19: Collared Dove feeding in my garden on Brecknock Rd - 'Home Patch Tick' (Francis Tusa)
 * Tyttenhanger GP: 1stW Caspian Gull, Snipe, Woodcock, Kingfisher, Little Egret, Grey Wagtail, 19 Tree Sparrow, 30 Linnet, c20 Skylark, Siskin, 2 Bullfinch, 2 Red-legged Partridge, Red Kite, Sparrowhawk, 2 Kestrel, Little Owl (Tyttenhanger Birders)
 * Upminster: ringtail Hen Harrier Brook St ('Roving Bumbarrel' per ELBF Facebook)
 * Walthamstow E17: 1m Blackcap in my garden (Daniel Whitelegg); c30 Redwings Church Hill 09.00 (Aron White)
 * Walthamstow Filter Beds: 12.30pm - 1 Barn Swallow & Black Redstart still present, 12 Linnets flew over & 1 Little Egret (Davey Leach + Others). Is there any tip on whether best to try to see from the road or the park? Many thanks F Tupac... I had good views of it through the sewage works off Coppermill Lane at around 3 pm (Simon Worsfold); Swallow still there at 3pm on eastern side of filter beds, 7 Fieldfare, 1 Mistle Thrush, 4+ Little Egret, 40 Greylag Geese, 2 Gadwall, 4 Tufted Duck, 1f Sparrowhawk, no sign of the Black Redstart (Daniel Whitelegg)
 * Walthamstow Marshes: Common Snipe, Water Rail, Fieldfare (Simon Worsfold)
 * Walthamstow Reservoirs: No5 - 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Grey Wagtail, 2 Shelduck, 35 Fieldfare (Daniel Whitelegg)
 * West Thurrock: 50 Waxwing Breach Rd (David Darrell-Lambert via Twitter); 15 Waxwing Lakeside Retail Pk still Western Ave, 14 Fieldfare, Song Thrush, 9 Redwing (Howard Vaughan via ELBF Facebook)
 * Woodoaks Farm nr Maple Cross: 2 Red Kite, 13 Golden Plover, Little Owl, 20+ Fieldfare, Stonechat, 30+ Linnet (Goeff Lapworth/Tony Hulls via Herts BC)

Thursday 26th January 2017

 * Banstead Woods: Woodcock (Geoff Barter & Duncan Jennings via CFBW blog)
 * Chafford Hundred: 15 Waxwing Mayflower Rd by school 0840 (David Darrell-Lambert via Twitter); 15 Waxwing Rainbow Rd (Ben & Louise Rumsby per ELBF Facebook); c50 Waxwing N over Mayflower Rd 0900 (David Darrell-Lambert via Twitter)
 * Connaught Water: Pintail, Goosander (per ELBF Facebook)
 * Crossness: 13 Avocet swimming on Thames at high tide having earlier been feeding in Barking Bay, Marsh Harrier male, 20 Golden Plover west, Yellow-legged Gull 4cy, Common Sandpiper, 5 Curlew, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, 25 Wigeon, c190 Shoveler, 2 Fieldfare (John Archer)
 * Enfield Town (River View): 2 Blackcap male and female 15:45 (Robert Callf)
 * Foots Cray Meadows: Common Snipe flushed from Cray near W end of lake flew towards five arches (patch year-1st), 2 Egyptian Geese, 12+ Gadwall, f Wigeon, 2 f Teal, 4+ Little Grebe, Water Rail, Redwing, Cetti's Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff, 10+ Goldcrest, Coal Tit, Nuthatch, 2+ Bullfinch (Ian Stewart)
 * Harold Hill: 7 Waxwing Gallows Cnr (Mark Vale, Graham Wallis via ELBF Facebook)
 * Heathrow: 6 Smew (3m 3f), pr Goldeneye, Water Rail, Kingfisher (Adam Cheeseman)
 * Hogsmill STW Nature Reserve: Sparrowhawk, 18900 Black-headed Gull (18400 E and 500 roosting), 3650 Herring Gull E, 28 Linnet (Andrew Skotnicki)
 * Holmethorpe SPs: Barnacle Goose, 2 Shelduck, 3 Little Egret, Peregrine over (Gordon Hay & Ray Baker via HSP blog)
 * Ingrebourne Valley: m Merlin (Les Harrison per ELBF Facebook)
 * Kings Cross N1: Wharfdale Road - c100 flock mainly Fieldfares and some Redwings - very flighty due to proximity of trees to traffic, Killick St - c10 Redwings still in trees. Clearly still plenty of berries round here (Reuben Braddock)
 * London Wetland Centre: 5 Bittern, 4 Fieldfare NE, 4 Pintail 3m 1f, 3 Mandarin 2m 1f, 1 Water Pipit, Peregrine hunting over grazing marsh/reservoir lagoon, Heron caught and ate a juv. Moorhen, 1 Ringed Teal still on main lake, 3 Reed Bunting 1m 2f, 1m Stonechat, 1 Common Snipe with metal leg ring, 7 Fieldfare including one briefly in front of Headley hide (Martin Honey)
 * Mill Hill NW7: 7 Long-tailed Tit together on a small (two-ball) fat ball feeder in my garden (Andrew Haynes)
 * Minet CP: Jack Snipe flushed fr flood relief channel by A312 09:15 (BirdGuides)
 * Muswell Hill: A very cold day brings 2 Fieldfare, 15 Redwing and 10 Goldfinch into my little garden (Brian Milligan); and by dusk a party of 7+ Fieldfare, feeding with the 'usual' 20+ Redwings on wet pastures near Heritage Oak in Grove Alexandra Park (Jonathan Cooke).
 * Orsett Fen: 11 Grey Partridge, Marsh Harrier, 6 Buzzard, f Merlin, 123 Skylark, 406 Redwing, 362 Fieldfare, 2f Brambling, 42 Yellowhammer, 4 Corn Bunting ('Roving Bumbarrel' per ELBF Facebook)
 * Ponders End: Brecon Rd - Peregrine carrying prey probably jackdaw being mobbed by black-headed gulls 1400 (Brian Dawton)
 * Rainham RSPB: Waxwing still, 2 Glaucous Gull (1w on Thames & 2w flew upriver), 3 Yellow-legged Gull, ad Mediterranean Gull, 1st winter Caspian Gull, 86 Great Black-backed Gull, 180 Common Gull, 2000 Black-headed Gull, 17 Avocet, 3 Grey Plover, 600 Dunlin, 9 Curlew, f Blackcap, 140 Fieldfare, 15 Redwing, 3 Marsh Harrier 2f m, Woodcock, 21 Snipe, 38 Skylark, Raven, 17 Jackdaw (per Howard Vaughan via ELBF Facebook)
 * Richmond Park: Little Egret on Beverley Brook (Angela Buxton)
 * Roding Valley Park, Woodford Bridge: Little Egret, 7-8 Fieldfares, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Cormorant, Song Thrush (Alan Hobson).
 * Rotherhithe: Canada Water - 20 Tufted Duck, 2 Common Gull, 1 Chiffchaff along the canal (John & Janet Cadera)
 * Rotherhithe: Southwark Park - f Peregrine mobbed by Grey Heron over the lake at 10:15, 2 Little Grebe, 1 Jay, 2 Tufted Duck, 7 Shoveler (John & Janet Cadera)
 * Rotherhithe: Stave Hill - 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Redwing, Common Snipe again on chalk pond and nearby reedy pond mid-morning (John & Janet Cadera, Richard Page-Jones)
 * St John's Square Clerkenwell: 17 Redwing (F.O'Sullivan)
 * Staines Moor: 58 Lapwing (flyover), 1 Water Pipit, 2 Jack Snipe, 1 Little Egret, 1 Grey Wagtail, 6 Stonechat (Thomas Gibson)
 * Staines Res: f Ferruginous Duck on North Basin by rafts w/ Pochards am (BirdGuides)
 * Stoke Newington: Waxwing on aerial above 116 Winston Rd N16 (Penny Walker)
 * Walthamstow Filter Beds: Barn Swallow, Black Redstart both still present, also 2 Lapwing, Snipe, Song Thrush, Grey Wagtails & Little Egret (Dan Barrett)
 * Swiss Cottage NW3: Eton Ave - c35 Redwing (John Cadera)
 * West Thurrock: Woodcock Lakeside Retail Park (Howard Vaughan via ELBF Facebook)
 * Whitewebbs Park: 57 Mandarin Duck 35m 22f on ornamental pond near King & Tinker PH, 2 Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 6+ Goldcrest but no sign of Firecrests, Treecreeper (Robert Callf)
 * Woodford Green: Little Egret, Treecreeper, Grey Wagtail, Goldcrest and Firecrest Hatch Woods (Ken Murray)
 * Wraysbury GPs: 7 Smew Douglas Ln (M Hunt via Berks BN)

Wednesday 25th January 2017

 * Alexandra Park: Grey Wagtail, 15 Redwing in the deer enclosure, Water Rail foraging in the creek east of the cricket ground (Eduardo López-Salas)
 * Beddington Park: 2 Waxwing S 8:00 after feeding on berries. (Arjun Dutta) whereabouts in the park were they? (JB) Near the Grange, and between it and Wallington Boys school. Visited very briefly, not a great view, but visited before school as have been desperate to escape revision! (AD)
 * Braeburn Park, Crayford: Common Buzzard on fence (Chris Rose)
 * Chafford Hundred: 20 Waxwing Rainbow Rd (Ben Rumsby per ELBF Facebook); 20 Waxwing Mayflower Rd 1515 (A Webb per David Darrell-Lambert via Twitter)
 * Cornmill Gardens: Little Egret (Tom Moulton)
 * Ewell: 4 Waxwing E (Surrey BC)
 * Finchley (N3): Fieldfare, 20 Redwing. Went out to look for the roost and didn't gain any more info than it is somewhere further along the Dollis Brook, or possibly in Finchley golf club. Bad lighting didn't help with looking for the thrush, however a paler thrush did come over and headed NW? The light was just too bad to say for definite if we had seen it. Would have been about 16:20. (Samuel Levy + SW). Hi Samuel are you able to say what road you saw the thrush in as fellow Ally Pally birder has a few hours to search the area tomorrow morning, thanks (Bob Watts) Hi Bob, we were looking off Brent way behind the houses on Wednesday, and on Tuesday it was in the gardens in Finchley way briefly (see prior report), there is a footpath that runs behind the houses, however without better lighting ,like the light on Tuesday, it will be hard to pin point were it is. During the day normally redwings and other thrushes disappear from this part of Finchley so best time for looking is early morning and an hour before sunset. (SL) An hour before sunset is when I tend to do thrush counts & the bird will probably still be amongst the group of Redwings - well done Sam - I hope the opportunity to view it arises : ) (JR) I haven't been able to look for it today tomorrow might be my next opportunity, otherwise I will be out early Saturday morning looking for it...(SL)
 * Foots Cray Meadows: 2 Egyptian Geese, 10 Gadwall, f Wigeon, 3-4 Teal, 5+ Little Grebe, 2 Little Egret, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Water Rail, Kingfisher, 2 Grey Wagtail, 4+ Redwing, m Blackcap, Cetti's Warbler, 5 Chiffchaff, 8+ Goldcrest, 2 prob Firecrest in N Cray Wood but too dark to be certain on view in holly and just a couple of calls- sounded good though, 10 Linnet, 2 Siskin, 3+ Bullfinch, f Reed Bunting (Ian Stewart)
 * Hall Place north: 26 Redwing (Chris Rose)
 * Holmethorpe SPs: Little Egret, Jack Snipe Mercers Farm brook (Gordon Hay via HSP blog)
 * Kings Cross N1: Killick St - c15 Redwings in trees - were there yesterday too. Cycling past so didn't have time to check more closely (Reuben Braddock)
 * Lamorbey Park: Firecrest still W end of college grounds c10.00, 3 Egyptian Geese, 2 Little Grebe, Grey Wagtail, 2 Redwing, 8+ Goldcrest (Ian Stewart)
 * London Wetland Centre: 2 Bittern, 4 Pintail, 1 Green Sandpiper N, 20 Fieldfare, 8 Redwing (WWT Website); 6 Bittern (2 reservoir lagoon and 4 main lake), 2 Reed Bunting and a Ringed Teal on main lake (probably an escape from the collection) (Martin Honey); 1 Green Sandpiper on reservoir lagoon on island in front of Wildside hide at 12 noon, 1 Water Pipit on grazing marsh 2pm (Mike Wheeler)
 * Margravine Cemetery: f Sparrowhawk (Nathalie Mahieu).
 * Mill Hill NW7: (Back garden) 2f Blackcap together, m Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker (Xav) full name pls?
 * Potters Bar: 15 Waxwings on Sunnybank Road between 11.30-11.45 a.m. & still there at 3.00 p.m. (Simon West); 16 at 12 Sunnybank Rd (Alan Jackson via Herts BC); 2 still 1530 in tall trees opp No 12 (BirdGuides)
 * Rainham RSPB: Waxwing still confiding by visitor centre, also mixed thrush flock with 20+ Fieldfares close up feeding around the centre (Jo Edwards); imm Merlin (per ELBF Facebook)
 * Richmond Park: 113 Shoveler (J.Wilczur)
 * Rotherhithe: Stave Hill  - 1 Firecrest still around the entrance to the ecology park at 09:25, 3 Goldcrest, 5 Long-tailed Tit, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker (one drumming) (John Cadera); Common Snipe flushed at chalk pond at 14:15 – new patch species, 1 Redwing, 2 Fieldfare over (Richard Page-Jones)
 * Staines Moor: 2 Water Pipit by R Colne still (BirdGuides)
 * Swanscombe Marsh: Oystercatcher, c40 Dunlin, 30 Redshank, 3 Avocet, 4 Snipe, Turnstone, 2 Curlew, 3 Grey Plover,10 Lapwing, Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, Kestrel, Mediterranean Gull, 4 Cetti's Warbler; 2 Chiffchaff, 5 Water Rail, flock of 27 Reed Bunting, Pochard, 3 Shelduck, 7 Pheasant, 5 Stonechat, 50+ Blackbird, 20+ Song Thrush, 20+ Fieldfare, a few Redwing, 2 Skylark, 3 Meadow Pipit, 2 Raven (Nick Croft)
 * Thames River, Vauxhall Bridge to Tower Bridge: 2 Peregrine on Tate Modern, c50 Redwing in trees at Trinity Square Gardens then flew W, 3 Great Black-backed Gull, 5 Greylag Geese, 2 Egyptian Geese, 3 Mute Swan, 7 Cormorant (incl 1 siniensis), House Sparrows at Gabriel's Wharf and Tower of London (John Colmans)
 * Trent Park: 2 Mandarin Duck, male Pochard, Common Buzzard, Kestrel, Woodcock, Green Woodpecker, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 10 Goldcrest, 3 Coal Tit, 3 Treecreeper (Robert Callf) Whereabouts were the Woodcock Robert? [Simon W] I don't want to disclose daytime roost locations on the internet - R Callf. You can't be too careful Robert - someone might read the wiki, travel to the site, and shoot the bird for the pot (Cheri B. Tward) Cheri B. Tward is presumably a pseudonym? You should use your own name for your own comments. I would imagine Robert is more concerned with the Woodcock being flushed by well-meaning but fuzzy-thinking birders than the possibility of it being shot (AW).
 * Walthamstow Filter Beds: Barn Swallow - the extremity records are being smashed into fragments today - the earliest in the book is Jan 28th 1809 (JR), Black Redstart, Kingfisher, Little Egret, 3 Grey Wagtails (Dan Barrett) Hi Dan, which filter beds do you mean please ? Thanks, Toni hi Toni, at Coppermill Lane, but no public access. You might see the Black Red perches up on a roof. Dan Thanks Dan.
 * Walthamstow Marshes: rear paddocks - 250+ Fieldfare at 16.00 (JW Davies)
 * Walthamstow Reservoirs: 11 Fieldfare, Peregrine, Common Snipe flushed from west bank of no. 1 reservoir (Harringay Birder)
 * West Drayton: Common Whitethroat flew into my garden am in the UB7 area (Sue Giddens) - Crikey Sue - that's super rare at this time of year & there are actually more London records of Roller in the book (with only 4 recorded) (JR) I was shocked & tried to get a picture, but by the time I'd got the camera, then went to take a picture of It, the bird had flown into my neighbour's garden & so far has not been seen again, I was gutted (SG). - It's probably still in the area, so a record shot is certainly not still out of the question - good luck Sue : ) (JR)
 * Woodberry Wetlands: Bittern (Tony Butler)
 * Wraysbury GPs: Douglas Ln - 12 Goldeneye 9m 3f, 8 Smew 5ad m & 1 1w m & 2f (JM Clark via Berks BN) TQ006746

Tuesday 24th January 2017

 * Beckton outfall: 5 Avocet flew up river, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Lapwing, Sparrowhawk, 2 Mistle Thrush, 3 Rock Pipit, 20+ Chiffchaff, 4 Cetti's Warbler, 300+ Teal, 50+ Tufted Duck, Shoveler, Gadwall, 3 Shelduck (Nick Croft)
 * Broxbourne Woods: 1 Firecrest, 1 Hawfinch (Adam Wilson, Bill Prior)
 * Chingford: 40+ Waxwings circled low around Queen Elizabeth Hunting Lodge E4 7QH 8.20 (I Lycett) TQ397947
 * Creekmouth, Barking: Siberian Chiffchaff still (per ELBF Facebook)
 * Croydon: 1 Waxwing by Wheathill House Croydon Rd SE20 7UJ 15:45 (BirdGuides) TQ345690
 * East Dulwich SE22: 2 male Blackcap in my garden (Steven Robinson)
 * Finchley (Garden N3): Stock Dove present again, also anyone in the area... a pale thrush came out of the redwing roost this morning, my initial thought was black throated thrush, however at the same time it could have been a pale morph redwing. I will report back after I have watched the return to roost this evening!!! (Samuel Levy) My gut instinct was correct for a change... FEMALE BLACK-THROATED THRUSH at 15:55 came in with redwing to the tops of the trees then was scared off by the builders next door before I could get my camera to it. Roost site this year is somewhere near Finchley Tennis club and the redwing and the black throated thrush use my garden to head to and from feeding grounds. If still present on Saturday morning viewing times can be arranged for Saturday evening. Otherwise the trick would be to find where it goes during the day. Also present 12 Redwing, and a steady flow W of 50+ BHG and 50+ Common Gull. (Samuel Levy).....Well Done Samuel! (Ken Murray) Thank You Ken (SL) Congratulaions! Is that the lawn tennis club, Brent Way? (Bob Watts) Yes.. Birder contacted didn't know precise location either...(SL) congratulations, a long overdue addition to the London list, a busy weekend ahead (Nick Tanner). Weather forecast is for fog till 10am tomorrow morning...
 * Finsbury Park N4: 12 Redwing (Ann Feltham)
 * Fishers Green: nr bailey bridge - Slavonian Grebe poorly and on bank, 2 Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, 3m Goosander (Peter & Linda Vaughan per ELBF Facebook)
 * Greenwich Peninsula: 6 Redwing Southern Park, 10 Linnet, Chiffchaff old Sainsburys Eco Park, 2 Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail Meantime Nursery (Richard Green)
 * Heathrow: f Smew, m Goldeneye, 2 Cetti's Warbler, 23 Snipe, Green Sandpiper (Adam Cheeseman)
 * Hoddesdon: 1 Waxwing Duke St still w/ Redwings (Roland Power via Herts BC)
 * Hogsmill STW Nature Reserve: Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, 14 Lapwing, 13 Stock Dove, 2 Redwing NE, 23 Linnet (Andrew Skotnicki)
 * Ingrebourne Valley: Bittern (Les Harrison per ELBF Facebook)
 * Lamorbey Park: 2 Little Grebe, 2 Egyptian Geese, Tufted Duck, Kingfisher, Jackdaw, Coal Tit (Mike Amos)
 * London Wetland Centre: 4 Bittern, 6 Waxwing 15:50 then S, 4 Pintail, 1 Jack Snipe, 1 Kingfisher, Water Pipit (WWT Website); 6 Waxwing c1610 (Bob Waller via Twitter)
 * Netherhall GP: Russian White-fronted Goose w/ 70 Greylags 1-2pm (Alan Harris via EBwS News)
 * Marshalswick (St Albans): Marsh Tit on gdn feeder (Tony Kavanagh via Herts BC)
 * Northfleet: 1 Waxwing Colyer Rd/Mitchell Ave jn DA11 8AQ 10:00 (BirdGuides) TQ627727
 * Potters Bar: 32 Waxwing on white rowan outside 12 Sunnybank Rd EN6 2NW 14:30 (Simon Gardner via Twitter) TL250009
 * Primrose Hill: c30 Stock Dove N pm, 25 Fieldfare incl 19 S 0850, c30 Redwing, 2 Siskin W; Red Admiral S - 08:00-14:00 (Twitter)
 * Rainham RSPB: Waxwing still behind visitor centre, 4 Black-tailed Godwit, 13 Avocet, 400+ Dunlin, 10+ Snipe, 3 Curlew, 10 Ringed Plover, Water Pipit, Rock Pipit, 110+ Meadow Pipit, 7 Stonechat, Redwing, 5 Fieldfare, 2 Kestrel, f Marsh Harrier, 4 Cetti's Warbler (Nick Croft); ad Mediterranean Gull stone barges (Magnus Andersson); 15 Avocet Aveley Bay (Fraser Simpson via Twitter)
 * Ruxley GPs: (permit only) Barnacle Goose on main lake with Canada Geese, Pheasant heard (personal site first), 3 Egyptian Geese, 3 Shoveler, f Teal, 16+ Pochard, 15+ Little Grebe, 3 Great Crested Grebe, Sparrowhawk, 2 Water Rail, poss 1w Yellow-legged Gull, Great Black-backed Gull over, 2 Kingfisher, c20 Redwing, 3 Cetti's Warbler, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, 5 Lesser Redpoll, Siskin, 6 Bullfinch, f Reed Bunting (Ian Stewart, Eric Brown)
 * Rye Meads RSPB: White-fronted Goose N w/ 2 Greylags 1545 [seen earlier pm at Netherhall GP] (Alan Harris via Herts BC); Bittern still (BirdGuides)
 * Scratch Wood area: Red Kite over Dungeon Hill pm, Stonechat Gt Parsons Land (Graham Harris per Dungeon Hill & Scratch Woods Birds blog)
 * Sidcup DA15 (York Avenue): Peregrine, Redwing (Ian Stewart)
 * Sidcup Place: Green Woodpecker, 2 Pied Wagtail, 2 Mistle Thrush, 5+ Redwing (Ian Stewart)
 * Staines Moor: 2 Little Egret, Treecreeper along R Wraysbury (Dominic Pia via Twitter)
 * Staines Reservoir: m Scaup north basin & 2 Black-necked Grebe south basin still (BirdGuides); Redshank still (Dominic Pia via Twitter)
 * Stoke Newington N16: 6 Waxwing Winston Rd 1020 briefly then flew toward Highbury (Penny Walker via Twitter)
 * Totteridge Valley: Firecrest behind St Paul's Church then off The Ridgeway, Little Owl calling (more than 1), Coal Tit, Goldcrest, c20 Redwing, 61 Fieldfare, 2 Egyptian Geese, 18 Meadow Pipits, 4 Rooks, Muntjac (Simon Worsfold)
 * Walthamstow Reservoirs: Red Kite seen distant low near Tottenham Hale Station drifting SE, Pr. Goldeneye & Kingfisher on Upper Maynard, Fem. Goldeneye & Meadow Pipit on Lockwood, Snipe flushed from Lower Maynard & 8 Fieldfare flew over E, M. Sparrowhawk low S over Reservoir offices - 12-13.00pm (Davey Leach).
 * Wanstead Flats: Little Owl (Nick Croft)
 * Whitewebbs Park: 71 Mandarin Duck 46m 25f on ornamental pond near King & Tinker PH, 2 Firecrest together near North Lodge 14:35 hrs one until 14:48 hrs at TQ327998 (Robert Callf)
 * Wood Green: 2 Waxwings flew low over Morrison's N22 6BH 08:55 (Josh Jones) TQ309902

Monday 23rd January 2017

 * Barking outfall: 10+ Chiffchaff, 3 Cetti's Warbler, Common Sandpiper, Curlew, 20+ Redshank, Sparrowhawk (Nick Croft)
 * Banstead Woods: 7 Rook over, 16 Redpoll (David Campbell via CFBW blog)
 * Battersea Park Rd: m Peregrine in rapid flight along direction of road just above roof level (Neil Anderson)
 * Brookmill Park: Female Teal (Patch tick), Little Grebe, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Redwing (Conrad Ellam)
 * Chelsea (Grosvenor Waterside): Grey Wagtail (Neil Anderson)
 * Chiswick [River Thames]: 101 Tufted Duck, f Pochard, Little Egret, Redwing (Josh Jones)
 * East India Dock NR: Kingfisher, Water Rail, 2 Reed Bunting, 8 Linnet (Paul Hyland)
 * Fulham: Wardo Ave - c40 Fieldfare feeding on Rowan berries early morning (David Wills); adult Yellow-legged Gull on R Thames off The Crabtree mid-afternoon (Josh Jones).
 * Gallions Reach: 4 Black-tailed Godwit, Common Sandpiper, Curlew, 10 Redshank, 50+ Teal (Nick Croft)
 * Gidea Park: 4 Waxwing (BirdGuides)
 * Hackney Marsh: R. Lea where meets Flood Relief Channel - 1 Green Sandpiper at 12.25 (Marcin Kempa)
 * Harold Hill: 1 Waxwing still in lime tree Gooshays Dr nr jn w/ St Neots Rd (Colin Jupp via Herts BC) TQ545913
 * Hatfield: 5+ Golden Plover (Ian Taylor via Herts BC)
 * Holmethorpe SPs: Shelduck, m Peregrine over, Woodcock flushed nr Mercers West, m Stonechat Moors, c10 Siskin (Ray Baker via HSP blog)
 * Lamorbey Park: Firecrest quite vocal generally in west end of college grounds near lake, 4 Little Grebe, Kingfisher, Fieldfare in the dell, Redwing (Ian Stewart)
 * London Wetland Centre: 1 Bittern, 1 Bearded Tit, 1 Jack Snipe (showing to within 3m of Headley Hide windows), 1 Kingfisher, 133 Shoveler, 5 Meadow Pipit, 20 Redwing (N) (WWT Website); Water Pipit, 9 Pintail, 19 Fieldfare, 1 Redwing (Josh Jones); 2 Bittern pm (BirdGuides)
 * Oakwood (Prince George Ave/ Merrivale, N14): 25 Redwing feeding on cotoneaster berries (Robert Callf)
 * Pinner: 10 Blackbird, 2 Song Thrush and Redwing on lawn. Keen on oats (Richard Francis)
 * Rainham RSPB: 1 Waxwing still nr visitor centre 0920 (Louise Moss, Terry Robinson per ELBF Facebook)
 * Regent's Park: Kestrel, 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Goldcrest, 8 Mandarins, 6 Egyptian Geese, 14 Red-crested Pochards, 4-5 Long-tailed Tits, Song Thrush, 6 Ring-necked Parakeets, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 2 Common Gulls (Alan Hobson)
 * Rotherhithe: Canada Water - 10 Tufted Duck, 6 Common Gull, 1 Pied Wagtail, 26 Fieldfare over at 12:45 flying West (John & Janet Cadera)
 * Rotherhithe: Southwark Park - 6 Canada Goose, 3 Little Grebe, Grey Heron, Lesser Black-backed Gull, c150 Black-headed Gull, c40 Redwing briefly at 12:35 before flying west (John & Janet Cadera)
 * St John's Square EC1: 6 Redwing on Swedish Whitebeam trees (Francis O'Sullivan)
 * Sidcup: 2 Waxwing in trees by A2 East Rochester Way nr Leechcroft Ave 1500 (BirdGuides) TQ457748
 * Staines Moor: 2 Little Egret, 2 Snipe, Little Grebe, 10 Meadow Pipit, 2 Skylark, 4 Stonechat, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, 4 Green Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail, Linnets, Cetti's Warbler, scattered Fieldfare and Redwing, 20+ Song Thrush, 10 Mistle Thrush, Collared Dove (Nick Baker).
 * Staines Reservoir: Drake Scaup on N. basin, a high count of 500 Pochard and 300 Shoveler presumably include birds frozen out of the local gravel pits, a Red Kite over also (John Edwards); 2 Shelduck, Redshank (Dominic Pia via Twitter)
 * Swanley Park: f Shoveler, 6 Egyptian Geese, Coot, Green Woodpecker (Andy Meaton)
 * Ten Acre Wood area: c50 Lapwing, 4 Bullfinch 2pr, Snipe, pr Reed Bunting, 2 Kestrel, Little Owl, 3 Goldcrest, 2 Song Thrush, 5 Redwing (Deiniol Owen)
 * Victoria Embankment Gardens WC2: 2 Goldcrests bathing in water feature (Joe Beale)
 * Walthamstow Reservoirs: Lockwood - 8 Goldeneye, 18 Fieldfare, 14 Meadow Pipit, Common Sandpiper (Simon Worsfold)

Sunday 22nd January 2017

 * Alexandra Park: 2 Lapwing low over Wood Green Res ice then east 1100, also 35 Common Gull, 19 Tufted Duck, Pochard (Bob Watts)
 * Aveley: 25 Waxwing Romford Rd/Usk Rd jn 0900 (Stan Brown per Howard Vaughan via Twitter) TQ563815
 * Beddington Farmlands: Bittern reported as per website.
 * Brent Reservoir: 30+ Pochard, 150+ Tufted Duck, 4 Common Snipe, 3 Water Rail, 2 Cetti's Warbler Main Hide and North Hide - res 90% frozen (Roy Beddard)
 * Brockwell Park: 20 Redwing feeding on turf (Norwood Road side), Nuthatch and Coal Tit (heard only) (Matthew J. Bradbury)
 * Bulphan Fen: 29 Golden Plover, 30+ Lapwing, 4 Grey Partridge, 50+ Skylark, 2 Meadow Pipit, 8 Yellowhammer, 2 Reed Bunting, 30+ Fieldfare, Redwing, Common Buzzard, Kestrel, 2 Sparrowhawk, Cetti's Warbler (Nick Croft)
 * Bushy Park: Cetti's Warbler by Water Gardens (R.Kaye)
 * Creekmouth, Barking: juv Glaucous Gull briefly then E (Paul Hawkins w/ Dave Morrison via Twitter)
 * Dagenham Chase: 2 Green Sandpiper, 9 Reed Bunting, 25 Linnet, f Stonechat, 3 Meadow Pipit, 14 Fieldfare, 10 Redwing, 14 Wigeon, 6 Shoveler, Little Grebe, 10 Rook, 12 Lapwing, Snipe (Vince Halley-Frame via ELBF Facebook)
 * Gallions Reach: 2 Avocet, 14 Dunlin, 3 Snipe, 6 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Curlew, 100 Redshank, 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Rock Pipit, 18 Fieldfare (Gary James via EBwS News)
 * Grays riverside: 11 Grey Plover, 50+ Lapwing, Avocet, 6 Turnstone, Curlew, Common Sandpiper, 16 Black-tailed Godwit, 40+ Dunlin, 100+ Curlew, 4 Fieldfare, Chiffchaff, Sparrowhawk, 2 Shelduck, 60+ Teal, 3 Meadow Pipit (Nick Croft)
 * Harold Hill: 9 Waxwing Ashton Rd still (Joanna Gates via ELBF Facebook)
 * Hatfield Aerodrome: pr Stonechat (William Bishop via Herts BC) TL199084
 * Highgate: c10 Waxwings flew low over houses along Chester Rd at 1110 could well be feeding locally as there are plenty of Cotoneasters and Crab Apples here (Pete Mantle)
 * Hilfield Park Reservoir: m Mandarin, 2 Water Rail, Red Kite, Kingfisher (Tony Blake via Herts BC)
 * Hoddesdon: 4 Waxwing by Duke St rbt nr BP garage early-am (Vicky Buckel per Herts BN) TL373093
 * Hogsmill STW Nature Reserve: Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Peregrine carrying Ring-necked Parakeet, 9100 Black-headed Gull (7100 E), 2240 Herring Gull E, 46 Lesser Black-backed Gull (22 E), 5 Waxwing dropped in briefly at 09:15 then flew W, Fieldfare over, 3 Redwing over, 14 Linnet (Andrew Skotnicki)
 * Kelsey Park: Kingfisher (Twitter)
 * KGV Reservoir: 4 Black-necked Grebe on south basin, c200 Linnet, Peregrine, 24 Meadow Pipit, 2 Common Buzzard, Chiffchaff, 2 Wigeon, 15 Redwing, 2 Fieldfare, 2 Mistle Thrush, 2 Kestrel, good numbers of Goosander and Goldeneye (Martin Shepherd)
 * Lamorbey Park: Firecrest heard from college grounds, 2 Little Grebe, c20 Redwing, Nuthatch (Ian Stewart); 4 Little Grebe (Mike Amos).
 * Lee Valley, Horsemill Stream: m Smew, 6 Goosander (Lisa Brady via ELBF Facebook)
 * Leyton, Jubilee Park: Green Sandpiper, Snipe, Kestrel, Grey Wagtail (JW Davies)
 * London Wetland Centre: 6 Bittern, 1 Bearded Tit, 2 Jack Snipe, 1 Water Pipit, 1 Kingfisher, 2 Snipe, 78 Wigeon, 8 Pintail, 2 Sparrowhawk (WWT Website)
 * Middlesex Filter Beds: 2 Common Snipe on the Old River at 1100 (Alastair Dent)
 * Monken Hadley Common: Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, 10 Redwing, 2 singing Coal Tit, 6 Nuthatch, 2 Treecreeper (Robert Callf)
 * Morden Hall Park: Green Sandpiper, 2 Little Egret, 3 Fieldfare, 15 Redwing, 12 Teal, Kestrel, 4 Grey Wagtail, 3 Chiffchaff (Frank Nugent).
 * Mudchute: 14 Monk Parakeets near Mudchute DLR (Alan Hobson)
 * New Ash Green, Kent: 10 Waxwing still 10:45-11:00 in tall poplars behind Ash Chapel but flighty (Tim Goss via Kent OS Bird News); 30 Waxwing (BirdGuides)
 * Northolt: m Blackcap in my garden (Deiniol Owen)
 * Pinner (HA5): Green Woodpecker, Coal Tit & 2 Goldfinch - squeaming kids & dogs next door rather compromised the session (Jon Ridge)
 * Primrose Hill: 32 Fieldfare & 9 Redwing over 07:55-08:55 (Twitter)
 * Rainham RSPB: Waxwing still c9am (Howard Vaughan via Twitter); Caspian Gull 1w at concrete barges 10.45am, 2 Water Pipits, Waxwing still mid-pm (Sean Huggins); R Thames Purfleet - 7 Avocet, 3 Waxwing W (Fraser Simpson via Twitter)
 * Rye Meads RSPB: Bittern fr kingfisher_hide then 3 arr'd at warbler_hide c1530 (RSPB twitter)
 * Scadbury Park: 8 Siskin, Treecreeper, Bullfinch (Conrad Ellam & Anita Gwynn)
 * South Norwood: Kings Rd - group of 5 Waxwings flying low S (from Crystal Palace area towards Croydon area) 12.35pm - possibly local birds rather than migrating through. (Croydon Birders)
 * Staines Reservoir: 2 Black-necked Grebe on south basin, 12 Goldeneye, Scaup still on north basin (Jim Sweetland)
 * Stoneleigh KT17: 1 adult Great Black-backed Gull circling over junction of Ewell Bypass and Stoneleigh Park Ave 10:00 (Neil Batten)
 * Ten Acre Wood area: m Pheasant, 2 Kestrel, 24 Lapwing, 4 Skylark, Meadow Pipit, c10 Redwing, 2 Rook low over, pr Reed Bunting (Neil Anderson/G. Westley)
 * Thames Barrier Park: Caspian Gull 1w and Yellow-legged Gull 2w (Richard Bonser)
 * Totteridge Valley: c70 Lapwing WNW at 11.15, 4 Fieldfare, 7 Redwing, 32 Canada Geese (John Colmans)
 * Tyttenhanger Farm: 3 Golden Plover in lge field w/ Lapwing (Tom Rollinson via Herts BC)
 * Verulamium Park: Water Rail, Kingfisher (Peter Ranger via Herts BC)
 * Walthamstow Marshes: c50 Fieldfare on rear paddocks, 2 Redwing, 1 Kestrel (f), 3 Stonechat (1 Bomb Crater Field 2 Leyton Marsh) (Alastair Dent)
 * Wanstead Flats: 700+ Common Gulls including 5 colour-ringed (one North Thames, 4 Norwegian) and metal-ringed Finnish bird [obs?]; Redpoll S over western flats (James Heal via Twitter)
 * Woodberry Wetlands: 4 Goosander (2m 2f) (Tony Butler)
 * Woodford Bridge, Snakes Lane East: Redwing, 7 Ring-necked Parakeets (Alan Hobson)
 * Yeading Brook meadows: 2 Goosander low over meadow (probably flown up from brook - patch first), Teal, m Kestrel, 133 Common Gull (sports pitch), Little Owl, 35 Fieldfare (Neil Anderson)

Saturday 21st January 2017

 * Alexandra Park: 8 Fieldfare north 1030, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 7 Tufted Duck, Pochard, 12+ Common Gull Wood Green Res (Bob Watts, Gareth Richards); 1 Lapwing (reservoir edge 14:30-until leaving at 15:30), 1 Kingfisher, 29 Common Gull, 1 Grey Wagtail (Sam Jones)
 * Beckton SW: Siberian Chiffchaff am (Shaun Harvey w/ Paul Hawkins via Twitter)
 * Broadwater Lake: f Goosander (Chris Sharp via Twitter)
 * Canons Farm: 2 Raven on deck stoney nob (Ian Magness & Ian Ward via CFBW blog)
 * Cheshunt: 30-35 Waxwing Church Ln/High Rd jn still late-am (Neale Hider via Herts BC); 75 Golden Plover in usual field west of A10 in 2nd field north of M25, 3 Waxwing High St still (Lee Evans via Herts BC)
 * Coopers Green Lane nr St Albans: 12 Golden Plover either side of lane nr Hatfield Ave turn (John Yates via Herts BC)
 * Cranford CP: Grey Wagtail, Little Egret, 7 Mistle Thrush, Green Woodpecker, partial leucistic male Mallard (Wendy Marks)
 * Eastcote (Field End Road): Grey Wagtail over Tescos (Jon Ridge)
 * Eastcote (Roxbourne Park): female Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 16 Redwing (Tim Rymer). well done with Kestrel Tim - I still need one & only two minutes away from here (JR) Jon, I saw it from Field End Rec flying into the trees bordering the brook mid-afternoon (TR) - thanks mate (JR).
 * Ellenbrook Fields: 3 Snipe, 4 Stonechat (Bill Rutherford via Herts BC)
 * Finchley: (Garden N3) Stock Dove present again today amongst the regulars (Samuel Levy)
 * Hampstead Heath: 1 Water Rail Dog Pond, 1 Kingfisher Men's Bathing Pond, 1f Siskin near Conservation Pond feeders, 8 Fieldfare over west (Tim Blackburn) Out of interest Tim, is the Dog Pond Highgate No1 with the raft? (Pete M) Yes! (TMB)
 * Harold Hill: 25 Waxwing Ashton Rd still (Helen Mathias per ELBF Facebook)
 * Hogsmill STW Nature Reserve: Kestrel, 2 Sparrowhawk, 22900 Black-headed Gull (19300 E), 6400 Herring Gull E, 13 Stock Dove (9 E), 44 Fieldfare (40 NE), Redwing, 25 Linnet (Andrew Skotnicki) some serious gull counts here Andrew : ) (JR). Yes the sky was covered with gulls around 7:30-8:30 this morning and it was a struggle to keep up at times. Luckily it dies down to a trickle soon after (AS)
 * Holmethorpe SPs: Bittern flew over Mercers West pit mid-pm (BirdGuides)
 * Ingrebourne Valley: m Scaup  1w on Reservoir - view from roadside (Dave Morrison); 2 Water Rail h, 24 Lapwing over, Bullfinch, 1+ Yellowhammer, 5+ Reed Bunting (Andrew Cox via EBwS News)
 * Lamorbey Park: Firecrest still but elusive and spending more time in college grounds, 2 Egyptian Geese, 2 Little Grebe, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine, Kingfisher (Ian Stewart et al)
 * London Wetland Centre: 4 Bittern – main lake/reservoir lagoon, 136 Shoveler – main lake/grazing marsh, 8 Pintail – main lake, 3 Water Rail – main lake/reedbed filters, 1 Water Pipit – grazing marsh, 12 Redwing – sheltered lagoon (WWT Website); 3 Common Snipe, 2 Mandarin m f main lake, 6 Fieldfare (Playing Field trees seen from Sheltered lagoon path) (Martin Honey); Green Sandpiper also seen main lake plus 1f Sparrowhawk (Wendy Newnham via MRH)
 * Middlesex Filter Beds: 1 Common Snipe on the Old River, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Goldcrest, also 5 Redwing and 2 Fieldfare over in random directions (Alastair Dent)
 * Morden Hall Park: Green Sandpiper, Common Snipe, 2 Little Egret, Kingfisher, Chiffchaff, 13 Teal, 3 Grey Wagtail, Kestrel, 4 Fieldfare, 12 Redwing (Frank Nugent).
 * Nashe's Farm nr St Albans: 25+ Golden Plover over fields (Dan Fletcher via Herts BN)
 * New Ash Green, Kent: 10+ Waxwing moving betw hawthorn hedge adj to Ash Chapel on Chapel Wd Rd TN15 7HX & ash tree opposite 15:00-15:30 also y'day (Tim Goss via Kent OS Bird News) TQ599652
 * Piccadilly Circus: 6 Ring-necked Parakeet flew E at 16:11, my first tick for this species in central London outside of the parks (Katy McGilvray)
 * Pinner (HA5): Red Kite over at 12:35, female Sparrowhawk, Grey Heron over, Green Woodpecker & 2 Goldfinch (Jon Ridge)
 * Rainham RSPB: Waxwing still by visitor centre 11am (Howard Vaughan via Twitter); 2+ Water Pipit stone barges foreshore (BirdGuides); R Thames Purfleet - 3 Pintail, Peregrine, 700+ Lapwing, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Ruff, 300+ Dunlin, Common Sandpiper, 2 Barn Owl (Fraser Simpson via Twitter)
 * Roding Valley Park, Woodford Bridge: Little Egret (Alan Hobson)
 * Romford: 2 Waxwing ring rd (Martin Blow per ELBF Facebook)
 * Rotherhithe: Stave Hill -  Firecrest (initially hard to find but calling and showing very well at 11.30 in usual place), Redwing, Fieldfare, 3 Greenfinch, 6 Long-tailed Tit (Richard Page-Jones, Rich Bonser, John Cadera). Hi John, Hope all is well. Whereabouts in the Stave Hill area of the park is best for the Firecrest? (Alan Hobson) Hi Alan, if you look at Stave Hill on Google Maps you can see a path to the right and the field below. Nearest ref: TQ362797. There are is a sort of henge at the entrance to Stave Hill and little pond nearby with chalk showing. Try along the evergreens on left of the pond or just behind it. Also the evergreens at the top of the grass area (there are some metal seats set back from the path there) I’d be happy to meet you at Canada Water tomorrow morning if you are going down there. Hope that helps. All the best, John. Hi John, Many thanks. I couldn't go today (Sun) as my girlfriend is down visiting, but I hope to come over at some point soon. Very helpful directions, thanks (AH)
 * Ruislip Lido/Woods: 28 Shoveler, Sparrowhawk, c15 Redwing, 3 Treecreeper, 3 Goldcrest, m Lesser Redpoll, feeding in birch with 7 Goldfinch near Poors Field Pond (Neil Anderson)
 * Rye Meads RSPB: Bittern still fr kingfisher_hide 1335 (BirdGuides); 2 Water Rail, Kingfisher, Water Pipit (Vicky Buckel via Herts BC); 2 Peregrine, Green Sandpiper, Raven, Cetti's Warbler, Bullfinch (RSPB twitter)
 * Sewardstone Marsh: drake Pintail 08:15 near confluence of River Lea and River Lea relief channel (Martin Shepherd)
 * South Weald: Vicarage Wood - Buzzard, Woodcock, 20 Redwing, Coal Tit (Colin Jupp per ELBF Facebook)
 * Staines Reservoir: m Scaup north basin still (BirdGuides)
 * Stratford, Olympic Park: Glaucous Gull (presumed 2nd w) flew towards tip at Leyton c810am - later relocated on roof of Leyton Indoor training pitch by JW Davies at 10:45, Kingfisher, Common Snipe, 26 Tufted Duck, 24 Teal, 5 Gadwall, f Shoveler, Reed Bunting, 3 Fieldfare (Stuart Fisher)
 * Tyttenhanger GPs and Willows Farm: Great White Egret & Caspian Gull 1w main pit still; Goosander willows farm lake (TGP twitter)
 * Walthamstow Reservoirs: Scaup back on No 4, 10 Goldeneye and 2 Goosander on Lockwood, 3 Goldeneye on West Warwick (David Bradshaw)
 * Wanstead Flats: 18 Lapwing, Stonechat, Redwing, Fieldfare, 6 Meadow Pipit, 5 Reed Bunting (Wanstead Birders)
 * Wanstead Park: Kingfisher, 5 Teal, Little Grebe, Redwing, Nuthatch (James Heal)
 * West Thurrock: 10 Waxwing Lakeside Retail Park RM20 1WN (per David Darrell-Lambert)
 * Woodoaks Farm nr Maple Cross: 4 Golden Plover, Little Owl, Stonechat (Paul Lewis via Herts BN)

Friday 20th January 2017

 * Barking Bay: 6 Wigeon, 180 Teal, 70 Shelduck, Little Egret, 4 Avocet, 260 Dunlin, 190 Redshank, 36 Black-tailed Godwit, 7 Curlew, 3 Snipe, 1 Glaucous Gull 2cy flew upstream seen later at Creekmouth, 2 Caspian Gull 2cy 4cy, 6 Yellow-legged Gull, 20 Skylark, 2 Rock Pipit, 40 Meadow Pipit, 12 Stonechat, 2 Cetti's Warbler, 85 Linnet (Nick Senior)
 * Berrylands: 6 Waxwings flew SE at 15:06 (Nick Tanner).
 * Brookmill Park: Little Grebe, 8 Redwing, Goldcrest (Conrad Ellam)
 * Canons Farm & Banstead Woods: 7 Lapwing over, 2 Rook, 70 Fieldfare, 30 Redwing, 4 Meadow Pipit, 2 Siskin, 17 Linnet, 7 Redpoll, 2 Bullfinch (David Campbell & Darragh Culley via CFBW blog)
 * Cheshunt: 20 Waxwing still top of tree High St opp Co-op 0940 (Alison Monckton via Herts BC)
 * Creekmouth: 52 Gadwall, 8 Black-tailed Godwit, 6 Snipe, Glaucous Gull 2cy at outfall then on rooftops until spooked and flew back out onto the Thames also at Barking Bay, 3 Caspian Gull 2 2cy ad, 4 Yellow-legged Gull, 2 Rock Pipit, 2 Stonechat, Siberian Chiffchaff calling intermittently and a second bird also with the full suite of diagnostic features but did not call - both near small blue substation but roaming along the channel bushes, with 24 Common Chiffchaff including 1 very pale grey variant, 6 Cetti's Warbler (Nick Senior) Glaucous pic Siberian Chiffchaff pic
 * Finchley: (Garden N3) 17+ Ring-necked Parakeets, 14 Redwing, also steady stream of Common Gulls West with at least 20-30 through between 4:15-4:35 (Samuel Levy)
 * Hackney Marshes: R Lea from Friends Bridge to Homerton Rd - 76 Teal, 38 Mallard, 23 Tufted Duck, 14 Gadwall, 35 Coot, 27 Moorhen, 8 Little Grebe, 3 Chiffchaff, 2-3 Goldcrest, 3-4 Stock Dove, 2 Kingfisher, 1 Grey Wagtail, Ring-necked Parakeet in tree hole (Marcin Kempa).
 * Harold Hill: 1 Waxwing Ashton Rd still early-am, 27 at 12:05 (BirdGuides)
 * Heathrow: f Smew, m Goldeneye (Adam Cheeseman)
 * Highbury N5: Poets Rd - No sign of Waxwings by 1145 but 30 Fieldfares and 30 Redwings (Pete Mantle); 13.45 No sign of Waxwings, 1 Redwing in the tree outside 18 Poet's Rd, 3 Long-tailed Tits potentially collecting nesting material ? (MarkF) Long-tailed Tits collecting nesting material in January is not uncommon these days - I have seen them collecting in late November nearly 20 years ago (JR)Guides)
 * Ingrebourne Valley LNR: Great Grey Shrike still on west side of Berwick Ponds c0750 (Pierce Film-Lydd via Twitter); no sign thereafter but 2 Woodcock, 5 Snipe, 14 Lapwing, 10+ Skylark, Meadow Pipit, 5 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Water Rail, 5 Bullfinch, 6 Lesser Redpoll, 2 Sparrowhawk, Kestrel (Nick Croft et al)
 * Lamorbey Park: Firecrest still present and vocal, 3 Little Grebe, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine, Kingfisher, 4+ Redwing, Nuthatch, unidentified large raptor distant to W c12.45 (Ian Stewart et al)
 * London Wetland Centre: 6 Bittern, 2 Jack Snipe, Water Pipit (J.Wilczur, S.Woolfenden, J.Cass)
 * Marshalswick (St Albans): 3 Redwing, 3 Siskin, Lesser Redpoll in gdn (Richard Geary via Herts BC)
 * New Ash Green, Kent: 10+ Waxwing by Ash Chapel on Chapel Wd Rd TN15 7HX (Tim Goss via Kent OS Bird News) TQ599652
 * Oakwood: j/n Prince George Ave / Merrivale N14 - Redwings & Fieldfares feeding on red berries (Bob Husband)
 * Orchard Estate SE13: 30 Redwing (Conrad Ellam)
 * Panshanger Park: 8 Snipe (Simon Knott via Herts BC)
 * Pinner (HA5): Red Kite over at 12:01, 2 Sparrowhawk, Cormorant north-west at 08:48, 3 Mallard west, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, 2 Goldfinch, Goldcrest & 2 Coal Tit (Jon Ridge)
 * Primrose Hill: Collared Dove S c0830 yr-1st (Twitter)
 * Queen Mother Reservoir: pr Pintail on gravel workings east of reservoir - permit holders only (Andy Tomczynski via Herts BN)
 * Rainham Marshes RSPB: 1 Waxwing wildlife gdn (Howard Vaughan blog); 26 Pintail, Water Rail, pr Marsh Harrier, 26 Avocet, Grey Plover, 1600 Lapwing, 13 Ringed Plover, 11 Curlew, 400 Dunlin, Jack Snipe, 36 Snipe, 10 Stonechat, Water Pipit (ELBF Facebook)
 * Rye Meads RSPB: 2 Water Rail, Water Pipit still fr draper hide (Herts BN twitter)
 * Scratch Wood, Surrey: Firecrest still (per Dungeon Hill & Scratch Wood Birds blog)
 * Sewardstone Marsh: 2 Stonechat, 3 Chiffchaff, Water Rail (Martin Shepherd)
 * Sidcup DA15 (York Avenue): male Blackcap in garden, 5 Redwing (Ian Stewart)
 * Staines Reservoir: m Scaup [north basin per BirdGuides], 10 Goldeneye, 2 Black-necked Grebe still (Dominic Pia via Twitter)
 * Stocker's Lake: m Goosander (Herts BN twitter)
 * Sutcliffe Park: Drake Teal, Water Rail, Common Snipe, Great Spotted Woodpecker (Conrad Ellam)
 * Swanley Park: 14 Egyptian Geese (3 Ringed birds recorded from brood at Chiswick House June 2016), Coot, Sparrowhawk, Redwing, Fieldfare (Andy Meaton)
 * The Ridgeway, Mill Hill: 2 Collared Dove (1st this year), Pied Wagtail, Ring-necked Parakeet, 4 Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Rook (1st sighting here), and Stock Dove (Samuel Levy)
 * Tyttenhanger GPs: 5 Golden Plover & Caspian Gull 1w still main pit (Herts BN)
 * Victoria Park: 18 Red-crested Pochard 15M 3F (JW Davies)
 * Walthamstow Reservoirs: Water Rail, 1-2 Common Snipe (No1); pr Stonechat, 5 Goldeneye (WW); 11 Gadwall, 16 Shoveler (EW); 4 Lapwing over, 2 Meadow Pipit (No 5); 3 Teal (No3); pr Goosander mating, pr Goldeneye & flock of c60 Redwing S at 16.40 (Lockwood) - Reservoirs 4 & 5 largely frozen over which may explain absence of regular drake Scaup (Lol Bodini).
 * Weald Park: m Goshawk, 10 Coal Tit, 2 Treecreeper, 8 Nuthatch, 4 Fieldfare, 20 Redwing, 20 Siskin, 2 Lesser Redpoll ('MJ' per Howard Vaughan via ELBF Facebook)
 * Woodberry Wetlands: Water Rail, 2 Common Snipe, 3 Teal, Reed Bunting, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Egyptian Geese (Chris Farthing)

Thursday 19th January 2017

 * Banstead Woods: 2 Pheasant, 9 Lesser Redpoll, 2 Bullfinch (Duncan Jennings via CFBW blog)
 * Bedfont Lakes CP: Bittern still on south side of North Lake then flew towards South Lake 1400 (BirdGuides)
 * Chafford Hundred: 3 Waxwing briefly Swallow_Close/Saffron Rd jn 1230 (David Darrell-Lambert via Twitter) TQ592787
 * East Finchley Station: 13 Fieldfare high E 8.00 (Neil Anderson)
 * East India Dock Basin: Water Rail showing well in NW corner at lunchtime (John Archer)
 * Enfield, Freezywater: m Blackcap in garden (Brian Dawton)
 * Enfield Town (River View, EN2): 2 Blackcap fem feeding on block of fat in garden and male feeding on berries (Robert Callf)
 * Epping Forest: 6 Brambling Great Monk Wood area (Martin Shepherd)
 * Harold Hill: 12 Waxwing still Ashton Rd early pm (BirdGuides)
 * Heathrow: 156 Golden Plover in field next to Hyatt Hotel, north of A4. (Adam Cheeseman)
 * Highbury N5: still c30 Waxwing c11:00-11:30 moving between tree behind No. 1 Poets Road, TV aerial, above No. 11 and tree in front of No. 19, also Redwing, Fieldfare, Mistle Thrush and Goldcrest seen. (Richard Moorhead); 4 still Poets Rd 1530 (BirdGuides)
 * Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens: Great Black-backed Gull 2w, Kingfisher still (Ralph Hancock blog)
 * Ingrebourne Valley: Bullfinch, 2 Reed Bunting, Cetti's Warbler, Goldcrest, Lesser Redpoll, 2 Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, 3 Pheasant (Simon Worsfold); Woodcock (Shaun Harvey via Twitter)
 * Lamorbey Park: Firecrest still present 08.35, 2 Little Grebe, Kingfisher am visit; Firecrest showed well c12.15 but gradually more elusive, 2 Egyptian Geese, Nuthatch pm (Ian Stewart et al)
 * Lee Valley, Cornmill Meadows: Green Sandpiper, 8 Teal, 20+ Fieldfare (Simon Papps)
 * Lewisham SE13, Orchard Estate: 6 Redwing perched in Lime Tree seen from balcony (Conrad Ellam)
 * London Wetland Centre: 4 Pintail, 4 Bittern, Firecrest nr last bench on path to wildside hide, 38 Fieldfare E/NE, 2 Water Pipit (WWT website)
 * Mill Hill Cemetery: 1 Woodcock top field, 28 Redwing (Bill Rutherford)
 * Pinner (HA5): Buzzard over at 14:20, 2 Sparrowhawk, 2 Jay, 2 Jackdaw over, 2 Coal Tit on feeders, singing Goldcrest & 4 Goldfinch (Jon Ridge)
 * Queen Mother Reservoir: Mediterranean Gull 2w 12:15-12:55 at least - permit only (Marek Walford via Herts BN)
 * Rainham RSPB: 10+ Avocet Aveley Bay (Fraser Simpson via Twitter)
 * Redbridge Lakes, Woodford Bridge: 4 Snipe (Alan Hobson).
 * Roding Valley Park, Woodford Bridge: Little Egret, Goldcrest (Alan Hobson).
 * Rotherhithe: 1st-winter Caspian Gull on mud by Hilton Hotel early afternoon (Richard Bonser)
 * Ruxley GPs: (permit only) 10+ Gadwall, 4+ Shoveler, f Teal, c200 Tufted Duck, 15 Pochard, c10 Little Grebe, 4 Great Crested Grebe, Kestrel, 5 Water Rail, Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail, 10+ Redwing, 4-5 Cetti's Warbler (1 singing), Chiffchaff (Ian Stewart)
 * Rye Meads RSPB: Water Pipit still draper scrape (RSPB blog)
 * Sidcup: Burnt Oak Lane/Marlborough Park junction - 12 Redwing on school field (Eric Brown); High Street - Grey Wagtail, Red Admiral (Ian Stewart)
 * Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park: 20+ Redwing, 3 Goldcrest (Bob Watts)
 * Tufnell Park N19: Brecknock Rd - 6 Redwing and 1 Fieldfare feeding off cotoneaster in my garden (Francis Tusa)
 * Tyttenhanger GPs: 2 Great White Egret still main pit 1135, Tyttenhanger Farm - 5+ Tree Sparrow in usual tree by feeders (TGP twitter)
 * Walthamstow Marshes: Paddock  c110 Fieldfare, 3 Mistle Thrushes, 10 Blackbird, 27 Linnet, 30 Chaffinch, 1 Kestrel - 14.20-16.00 (Marcin Kempa).
 * Walthamstow Reservoirs: 13 Goldeneye (5 Lockwood & 2 High Maynard & 1 No 4 & 5 West Warwick), 3 Kingfisher, Water Rail, Common Sandpiper, Peregrine, Chiffchaff, Stonechat and 4 Lapwing No 5 (Katy Thomas and Dave Morrison).
 * Wanstead Flats: 6 Redwing, 2 Goldcrest, 6 Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Reed Bunting, 10 Shoveler, 3 Teal (Wanstead Birders)
 * Wanstead Park: Chiffchaff, Nuthatch, Goldcrest, Grey Wagtail, Water Rail, Siskin, 12 Redwing, 4 Little Grebe, 15 Shoveler, 19 Gadwall, Wigeon, 5 Tufted Duck (Nick Croft)
 * Watford: Barnacle Goose on canal w/ Canada Geese by Watford business park (Ben Norcott via Herts BC)
 * Westminster: Peregrine over Victoria Street calling. Landed on Westminster Abbey (Frank Nugent).
 * Woodford Bridge: Snakes Lane East - 7 Redwings (Alan Hobson).
 * Wraysbury GPs: 6 Goosander [3m 2rh Hythe Lagoon & m Colne Mere] (Robert Martin via Twitter)

Wednesday 18th January 2017

 * Bedfont Lakes CP: Bittern still south lake 1030 (BirdGuides)
 * Bedfords Park: 2 Goldcrest, 2 Firecrest, Coal Tit ('CRJ' per Howard Vaughan via ELBF Facebook)
 * Bow Creek Ecology Park: 12 Redshank, 16 Teal (Charlie Farrell); Cetti's Warbler, Sparrowhawk female (John Archer)
 * Brockley & Ladywell Cemetery: 10+ Redwing (Conrad Ellam)
 * Brookmill Park: Little Grebe, 4 Redwing (Conrad Ellam)
 * Cheshunt: 32 Waxwing still feeding on two orange-berried rowan trees near the junction of High Street & Church Lane. Excellent views between 1.30pm and 2pm (Debbie Burkett/Brian Dawton ) TL357028
 * East India Dock Basin: Caspian Gull 1w on basin early morning, Shelduck, 10 Teal (Tom Speller); Great Spotted Woodpecker female in copse (John Archer)
 * Ellenbrook Fields: Short-eared Owl still nr cattle field 1520, m Stonechat (Pete Waldron via Herts BC)
 * Finchley: Garden N3 - 9 Redwing, also 2+ foxes 'screaming' (Samuel Levy)
 * Finchley Central Station: c30 Redwing (Bill Rutherford)
 * Grovelands Park: Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, 2 Grey Heron, 3 Mute Swan, 11 Egyptian Goose, 10 Mandarin Duck 6m 4f, 2 fem Shoveler, 16 Tufted Duck 9m 7f, fem Smew - very tame, Sparrowhawk, Green Woodpecker, Redwing, 2 Mistle Thrush, 4 Goldcrest, 2 Nuthatch (Robert Callf)
 * Highbury: Mildmay N5 - Waxwing numbers down to c10 [11am], thrush numbers down too - not many berries left now, Sparrowhawk seen (Chris Farthing); c30 Waxwing still at junction of Petherton Road and Poets Road at 12.15pm 5 mins from Canonbury Overground station (Mike Wheeler); c8 15.35 (Twitter)
 * Hogsmill STW Nature Reserve: 2 Kestrel, 12500 Black-headed Gull (10500 E), 3330 Herring Gull E, 14 Stock Dove, 5 Waxwing over (4 NW and 1 heard), 4 Redwing over, Linnet (Andrew Skotnicki)
 * Ingrebourne Valley LNR: Great Grey Shrike still in bomb field Berwick Woods (Tom Bell, Barry Tranfield, Steve Elwell et al per ELBF Facebook)
 * Kensington Gardens: c10 Redwing, Coal Tit, Green Woodpecker, singing Stock Dove (Charlie Farrell)
 * Lamorbey Park: 3 Little Grebe, Greylag Goose, Canada/Greylag hybrid Goose, m Teal, Kingfisher, Stock Dove in brief visit 8-8.50a.m no sign of Firecrest (Mike Amos); Firecrest elusive this morning but seen well 10.00, Great Black-backed Gull W, Nuthatch (Ian Stewart)
 * London Wetland Centre: 3 Bittern (showing very well at edge of main lake and one out on the ice reservoir lagoon), 6 Pintail, 1 Jack Snipe, 1 Peregrine (WWT Website); 5 Bittern, 6 Common Snipe, 1 Jack Snipe, 2 Water Pipit, 1m Stonechat, 1f Sparrowhawk, 1 Stock Dove, 8 Pintail, 1 Peregrine on Ch. X. Hosp.; 1m Bearded Tit seen and photographed from Headley hide by others (Martin Honey); 2 Jack Snipe grazing marsh (WWT website)
 * Margravine Cemetery: 4 Mistle Thrush, ca 20 Redwing (Nathalie Mahieu).
 * Mill Hill East: 11 Redwing (Bill Rutherford)
 * Minet Country Park, Hayes: Firecrest ringed & released, also 2 Little Egret, 2 Common Snipe, Lesser Redpoll, 3 Bullfinch (Dave Bookless).
 * Mottingham (The Tarn): pair Gadwall, f Teal, Little Grebe, Water Rail showing very well, 38+ Moorhen, Redwing, Goldcrest, Coal Tit, Jay, 3 Jackdaw (Ian Stewart)
 * Muswell Hill: Cranborne Rd - 6 Waxwing at 14.30 (James Palmer, Maggie Sparrow)
 * Pinner (HA5): Red Kite over at 13:12, 2 Sparrowhawk, Great Spotted Woodpecker & Coal Tit. Later: Blackcap briely seen & heard at the end of the garden (Jon Ridge)
 * Rainham Marshes: Cetti's Warbler (occasionally showing well), 3 Stonechats (1 as confiding as a Robin), 17 Avocets, Barn Owl, Water Rail, 7 Pintail, Kingfisher, 2 Fieldfares, 6 Redwings, Rock Pipit, 3 Kestrels, Meadow Pipit, 12+ Shelduck, 12 Linnets, 2 Reed Buntings, 2 Pied Wagtails, 2 Grey Herons, 7+ Stock Doves, 2 Pheasants, 12-15 Snipe, Dunlin (Alan Hobson)
 * Roding Valley Meadows NR: 3 Blackcap 2m f (ELBF Facebook)
 * Romford: 22 Waxwing Whitelands Way/Bryant Ave 1340-1410 (Colin Jump via EBwS News) TQ53904
 * Rye Meads RSPB: Bittern still fr draper hide (BirdGuides)
 * Scratch Wood: Firecrest still (per Dungeon Hill & Scratch Wood Birds blog)
 * Staines Moor: 4 Little Grebe, 2 Red Kite, Buzzard, 2 Snipe, 20+ Blackbird, 10 Fieldfare, 30+ Song Thrush, 4 Skylark (Robert Martin via Twitter)
 * Staines Reservoir: 251 Wigeon, 143 Gadwall, 73 Teal, 377 Shoveler, 329 Pochard, 575 Tufted Duck, 14 Goldeneye, 2 Black-necked Grebe, 110 Lapwing, 2 Redshank (Alan Goddard via Twitter)
 * Swanley Park: Wigeon (2nd site record), Egyptian Goose, Coot, 50 Redwing (Andy Meaton)
 * Sydenham Hill Woods: Firecrest, Redwing (Conrad Ellam)
 * The Ridgeway, Mill Hill (NW7): 9 Stock Dove, 4 Ring-necked Parakeets, Green Woodpecker (A First for me here), 3 Goldfinch, 2 Coal Tit (Also a first for me here) (Samuel Levy)
 * Totteridge Valley/Darlands Lake: fem Blackcap, 14 Fieldfare, 4 Redwing, 4 Bullfinch, 7 Teal (John Colmans)
 * Tyttenhanger GPs: 2 Great White Egret flew NW early morning, 2 Red Kite, 6 Tree Sparrow, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Goldcrest, good numbers of Bullfinch, 7 Siskin on Colne (Nick Croft); 2 GWE still on main pit 1135 (TGP twitter)
 * Walthamstow Reservoirs: 4 Goldeneye 2pr, 24 Teal & Little Egret on Upper Maynard, another pr Goldeneye on Lockwood, 22 Fieldfare & 1 Chiffchaff on Bank between 2 Maynards Reservoirs - 12-1pm (Davey Leach).
 * Woodberry Wetlands: Teal, Reed Bunting, Cetti's Warbler, 4 Egyptian Geese, Redwing, Jay (Chris Farthing)

Tuesday 17th January 2017

 * Battersea New Cemetery, Lower Morden: Buzzard south, Little Owl, 60 Redwing (Bob Smith) Patch Report available from blackcap.bob1@outlook.com
 * Bedfont Lakes: 2 drake Smew still on south lake (Jim Sweetland)
 * Bow, Abbey Creek to Cody Wharf: Grey Heron, 75+ Teal, 5 Gadwall, 5 Redshank, Reed Bunting, 2 Shelduck, Great Crested Grebe (JW Davies)
 * Butterfield Green, N16: c60 Redwing, 14 Fieldfare, Song Thrush, c8 House Sparrow (R Daley)
 * Cheshunt: 32 Waxwing still behind Leighton Ct at Church Ln/High St jn early-am (BirdGuides)
 * Connaught Water: f Smew, 8 Goosander 2m 6f, Little Egret, Buzzard, Coal Tit, 5 Nuthatch, 2 Treecreeper, m Bullfinch (Dan Barrett per ELBF Facebook)
 * Gallions Reach: Curlew, 20 Redshank, Common Sandpiper, 4 Black-tailed Godwit, 19 Teal, 2 Shelduck, 2 Kingfisher, Meadow Pipit (Simon Worsfold)
 * East India Dock /Canning Town: 93 Teal, 7 Shelduck, 10 Redshank, 2 Greenfinch, Grey Wagtail, Great Black-backed Gull (Simon Worsfold)
 * Hampstead Heath: 25 Shoveler on Ham No.1 this afternoon (Pete Mantle)
 * Harold Hill: 13 Waxwing Ashton Rd still 0930 (BirdGuides)
 * Highbury: 25 Waxwing still Pertherton Rd nr jn w/ Poet's Rd 0900 (BirdGuides); not in evidence at 13.30 approx. (Richard Moorhead); 16 present 1340 (Twitter); 37 Waxwing present at 15:00 plus a Fieldfare and Redwings (Frank Nugent, Bob Husband).
 * Hogsmill STW Nature Reserve: 5 Shoveler, 8750 Black-headed Gull E, 2240 Herring Gull E, 31 Lesser Black-backed Gull E, 29 Great Black-backed Gull E, 12 Stock Dove, Redwing; also 1st-winter Caspian Gull nearby on roof of Villiers Road Recycling Centre (Andrew Skotnicki)
 * Hounslow: High Street - 20+ Pied Wagtail roosting in tree outside Next (Tony Leppard)
 * Hounslow: Lampton Park - 3 Redwing (Tony Leppard) TQ 131763
 * Ingrebourne Valley: Woodcock, Great Grey Shrike again [last seen 5 Jan] c2pm west side of Berwick ponds by bomb hole though mobile, 7 Redpoll (Paul Hawkins via Twitter)
 * Lamorbey Park: Firecrest showing well 08.35, 3 Little Grebe, Kingfisher, drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker, 10+ Goldcrest (Ian Stewart, Mike Amos)
 * Lee Valley, Cornmill Meadows: 57 Wigeon, 72 Teal, 4 Buzzard, Red Kite, 10 Siskin (Simon Papps)
 * Lee Valley, Friday Lake: drake Smew, Cetti's Warbler, 4 Bullfinch (Simon Papps)
 * London Wetland Centre: 1 Bittern – reservoir lagoon Western corner (WWT website); 4 further Bittern main lake, 1 Water Pipit, 1m Stonechat, 14 Common Snipe, 6 Pintail, 2 Jack Snipe, 13 Mandarin, 5 Reed Bunting, c12 Fieldfare, 1 Peregrine on Ch. X. Hosp. (Martin Honey)
 * Lyle Park: Attempted to nail a Caspian Gull here this afternoon. Can anyone positively identify the gulls in the two photos I've just uploaded onto the images section? (Nick Moll) Herring for me, but keep trying, there are a fair few Caspians about! (JB)
 * Morden Hall Park: 3 Little Egret Rose Gdn (MHP Nature Group twitter)
 * Muswell Hill: 20+ Redwing M&S car park (Anne Oakes)
 * Orpington: No sign of yesterday's Waxwings 11:00 and 12:30, 30+ Redwings, Mistle Thrush, pair Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker all on deck at Green on Charterhouse Road where it meets Abingdon Way (Jo East)
 * Oxleas Wood Siskin Coaltit Goldcrest Kestrel[fm] Stockdove[Ron Turner] RT pls format properly
 * Oxleas Wood: Siskin, Coal Tit, Goldcrest, Kestrel (f), Stock Dove (Ron Turner) — this is how to do it within the preferred style adopted by everyone else
 * Pinner (HA5): 2 Red Kite (11:55 & 12:01), Sparrowhawk, 8 Redwing, Coal Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Pied Wagtail & 4 Goldfinch (Jon Ridge)
 * Pond Road, Blackheath: 20+ Redwing (Conrad Ellam)
 * Primrose Hill: 2 Kestrel, poss Curlew h over 0800, Fieldfare, 52 Redwing (Twitter)
 * Rainham RSPB: c20 Avocet, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, Marsh Harrier, Short-eared Owl (Nick Croft); Water Rail, 2+ Marsh Harrier, 3 Curlew, Barn Owl, 3 Short-eared Owl (MMcL) full name pls?
 * Rotherhithe: Stave Hill -  2 Firecrest, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Goldcrest, Jay, Kingfisher, 8 Greenfinch, 4 Chiffchaff (Richard Page-Jones); Rotherhithe, Thames - Grey Wagtail, Ring-necked Parakeet, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Common Gull (Alan Hobson)
 * Staines Res: 2 Black-necked Grebe, 7 Goldeneye, 65 Lapwing, 135 Pochard (Dominic Pia via Twitter)
 * Sutcliffe Park: 6 Commmon Snipe (Conrad Ellam)
 * Sydenham Hill Wood: 2 Firecrest (Steven Robinson)
 * Tower of London: Kestrel (Charlie Farrel)
 * Trent Park: m Bullfinch, 2 Goosander m f, 2 Pochard m f, 8 Mandarin 5m 3f, Kestrel, 3 Stock Dove, Song Thrush, Jackdaws (Pete Lowman).
 * Tyttenhanger GP: 2 Great White Egret, 5+ Little Egret, 1stW Caspian Gull briefly, 2 Green Sandpiper, Kingfisher, 8 Tree Sparrow, Red Kite (Steve Blake/Pete Elton).
 * Walthamstow Reservoirs: 1 Ad. Mediterranean Gull flew S with B.H. Gulls over No.4/No. 5 Embankment towards Sewage Works, M. Scaup & 1 Common Sandpiper on No. 4, Another Common Sand on No. 5, along with Ad. Great Black-backed Gull, 2+ Kingfisher and Water Rail (Hd.) on No. 3, Cetti's Warbler on No. 2, good numbers of Teal and Grey Wagtails in whole area - 13.00-14.00 (Davey Leach).
 * Warren Gorge: Water Rail, Kingfisher, Cetti's Warbler, Chiffchaff (per ELBF Facebook)
 * Woodberry Wetlands: Shelduck, Teal, Reed Bunting, Grey Wagtail, Cetti's Warbler, Coal Tit (Chris Farthing)
 * Wormwood Scrubs: pair Stonechat (m and f), c 12 Meadow Pipit, c 15 House Sparrow (David Jeffreys)
 * Wraysbury GPs: Scaup ad m [possibly just outside London RA] on mainly-frozen BA sailing pit but flew off w/ Tufties (Chris Lamsdell via Berks BN)

Monday 16th January 2017

 * Brookmill Park: 2 Goldcrest (Conrad Ellam)
 * Cheshunt: 36 Waxwing in various trees near the Co-op at 14:25 - originally 16 but joined by two other groups (Martin Shepherd)
 * Creekmouth: 620 Teal, 2 Curlew, 3 Caspian Gull ad 2cy 3cy, 5 Yellow-legged Gull, 8 Cetti's Warbler, 13 Chiffchaff (Nick Senior)
 * East India Dock Basin: Caspian Gull 1st winter on Thames then flew to beach by O2, Common Sandpiper on Thames, 8 Shelduck, 7 Tufted Duck, 21 Teal, Reed Bunting, Grey Wagtail (John Archer).
 * Fairlop Waters and surrounding fields: 140 Lapwings, Common Snipe, 2 Pheasants, 4 Shoveler, 6 Gadwall, 2 Teal, c130 Fieldfare, 54 Redwing, 4 Meadow Pipit, Linnet (Simon Worsfold )
 * Garston, Herts: Kingswood - 5 Waxwing Meadow Rd 1030 (BirdGuides); 7 till 1320 then flew E, 7 re-found on Garston Drive between 14.20-15.25 (Simon West)
 * Harold Hill: 18 Waxwing Ashton Rd still 0925 (BirdGuides)
 * Highbury: 15-20 Waxwing still just off Pertherton Rd at Poet's Rd 1300 (BirdGuides) N5 2SL
 * Hogsmill Water Treatment Works: 4 Shoveler, Pochard, Water Rail, Snipe, 16 Great Black-backed Gull (15 E), Redwing SE, 26 Linnet (Andrew Skotnicki)
 * Islington: 65 Redwings and 2 Fieldfares in trees behind 55 Hemingford Rd at 1355 (Pete Mantle)
 * Lamorbey Park: Firecrest seen well but not exactly showy and silent, 2 Mute Swan, Greylag, 12+ Canada Goose, Greylag x Canada Goose, c10 Mallard, 10 Tufted Duck, Little Grebe, Cormorant, 10+ Moorhen, 6 Coot, 8+ Goldcrest, Nuthatch (Ian Stewart)
 * London Wetland Centre: 2 Bittern, 1 Water Pipit, 1 Stonechat, 4 Snipe, 2 Redpoll, 7 Pintail, 1 Kingfisher, 14 Fieldfare (WWT Website)
 * Lyle Park: 3 Caspian Gull 1w, 1w Yellow-legged Gull, 3 Great Black-backed Gull 1w, Song Thrush (Nick Croft)
 * Oakwood Park: Blackcap (Robert Callf)
 * Orpington: 6 Waxwing Sevenoaks Rd 1215 before flying to back gdns (BirdGuides) BR6 9JN
 * Pinner (HA5): 21 Redwing (Jon Ridge)
 * Rainham RSPB: Grey Plover, Spotted Redshank, 3 Short-eared Owl, 3 Water Pipit (BirdGuides)
 * Roding Valley Meadows NR: 34 Fieldfare, 42 Redwing, 28 Meadow Pipit (per ELBF Facebook)
 * The Ridgeway (Mill Hill NW7): Red Kite drifting through low heading SE 12:50 (Samuel Levy)
 * Trent Park: 8 Mandarin Duck 5m 3f, fem Teal, 5 Pochard 4m 1f, 2 Tufted Duck m f, 2 Goosander m f, 2 Woodcock, 2 Stock Dove singing and displaying, 3 Green Woodpecker, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 9 Goldcrest, Nuthatch, Treecreeper (Robert Callf)
 * Tyttenhanger GP: Great White Egret, 1stW Caspian Gull, 2 Little Egret, 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Egyptian Goose, 6 Tree Sparrow (Steve Blake)
 * Woodford Bridge (Snakes Lane East): Redwing, 7 Ring-necked Parakeets. It is worth noting that the RNPs have been around in Western Europe for a lot longer than many people think. A while back I saw a medieval, C15 illuminated MS in the British Library, showing birds of northern France and England. Among them was a RNP. They were presumably pets (although it is interesting that all the other birds shown were wild species), but it shows that, in some capacity at least, they have been around in Western Europe for centuries [Alan Hobson] They've been in Britain since the Romans arrived. A 1st century AD wall painting showing them was recently discovered in London. [Ralph Hancock]

Sunday 15th January 2017

 * Alexandra Park: Little Grebe New River, 10 Pochards highlights of WEBS (Bob Watts, Gareth Richards)
 * Algenon Road, Lewisham: Male Blackcap in Garden (Conrad Ellam)
 * Archway, Despard Road: 6 Waxwings on the small trees still carrying berries 08.30, flushed twice to TVs aerials (P.Angus)
 * Bedfont Lakes: 2 male Smew, Redwing, Meadow Pipit (Andrew Peel, LNHS walk); also red-head Smew (Brian Dawton and Geoff Crabtree )
 * Bexleyheath: Horsham Road, male Blackcap in garden (Ralph Todd)
 * Brent Reservoir: drake Goldeneye briefly, also 81 Pochard, 20 Snipe (Peter Casselton, Andrew Self, Roy Beddard)
 * Cornmill Stream: 4 Goosander 2pr (Lisa Brady per ELBF Forum)
 * Dartford: Caspian Gull 2w at recycling centre (BirdGuides)
 * Gallions Reach: 2m Goosander site-1st, 4 Curlew, 7 Black-tailed Godwit, Common Sandpiper, 10 Snipe, Kittiwake, 3 Yellow-legged Gull 2ad & 1w, Caspian Gull ad, 4 Fieldfare, 2 Redwing (Gary A James via Essex BwS blog)
 * Hackney Marshes: 1 Jackdaw in treetop just S of the end of the ex-pitch and putt at 1130 (Alastair Dent)
 * Highbury N5: 22 Waxwings in usual area (at 09.30 they were in the tall tree in the rear garden of 10 Leconfield Rd N5 2SN) (D. Jordan); still present 11-11.30 (Fyfe Dangerfield); feeding at 17 Poets Rd N5 at 13:00 plus 2 Redwing (Alastair Rae)
 * Lamorbey Park: Firecrest still - foraging in bushes often only inches off the ground and calling occasionally, Little Grebe, Kingfisher, 21+ Redwing (Ian Stewart)
 * London Wetland Centre: 5 Bittern (4 Main Lake 1 Reservoir Lagoon), 2 Jack Snipe, 2 Water Pipit (Peter Gray); Caspian Gull, Bearded Tit fr headley hide (WWT website)
 * Lyle Park and the O2: 5 first-winter Caspian Gull (Dante Shepherd, Jamie Partridge and Richard Bonser)
 * Middlesex Filter Beds: 1 Reed Bunting in Bed 3 (bed nearest the pond) at 1145 (Alastair Dent)
 * Sevenoaks WR: 2 Little Egret, Water Rail, 4 Snipe, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, 20+ Siskin (Mathew Bournat via Kent OS blog)
 * Totteridge Valley: 9 Redwing, 4 Pied Wagtail, 4 Robin, Wren, 2 Dunnock, 4 Ring-necked Parakeets, 60+ Jackdaw, 22 Long-tailed Tit, Goldcrest, 20 Common Gull, Cattle Egret 15:00 amongst Belmont Childrens Farm cattle then flew low NW - Superb find Sam [JR], also 2 Egyptian Geese, 2 Pheasant, Treecreeper (Samuel Levy) thanks JR (SL)
 * Tower of London: 2 Waxwing (BirdGuides)
 * Tyttenhanger: Great White Egret still, showing tall and proud on the sandy area with Great Black-backed Gulls and possible Caspian Gull (reported by A.N. Other); also Gadwalls on the lake South of the Causeway (Geoff Crabtree and Brian Dawton)
 * Walthamstow Reservoirs: Black Redstart still on no 5 and was showing well on the rocks of the reservoir in front of the conifer trees (Walthamstow Birders); also 5 Goosander (2m 3f), Scaup and 2 Goldeneye (1m 1f) on no.4; pair of Stonechat and 4 Shoveler on East Warwick (Adam Winstanley).
 * Wanstead Flats: WeBS 3 Teal, 4 Gadwall, 18 Shoveler, 117 Mallard, 6 Pochard, 13 Tufted Duck, 269 Canada Goose, 57 Greylag Goose, 13 Mute Swan, 686 Common Gull, 112 Black-headed Gull, 8 Herring Gull, 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull; others including Meadow Pipit, 12 Linnet, Reed Bunting, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk (Nick Croft)
 * Woodford Green: 3 Siskin, 3 Chaffinch, Redwing, male Greenfinch, Little Egret, Common Buzzard and female Blackcap (Ken Murray)

Saturday 14th January 2017

 * Alexandra Park: 10 Redwing Golf Course, Meadow Pipit west over Conservation Pond, much fewer gulls than last Saturday (Bob Watts)
 * Balls Wood nr Hertford Heath: 2 Yellowhammer on footpath betw Mangrove Ln & Balls Wood (Colin Smith via Herts BC)
 * Banstead Woods: 2 Woodcock nr park farm, 3 Rook hither field, 2 Stonechat stagbury field, 20 Fieldfare, 30 Redwing, 12 Linnet, 3 Bullfinch (Ian Magness & Ian Ward via CFBW blog)
 * Bedfont Lakes CP: 3 Smew 2m rh south lake still 1140 (BirdGuides)
 * Brent Reservoir: 170+ Tufted Duck, 52 Pochard, Water Rail, 17 Snipe, Cetti's Warbler (Roy Beddard)
 * Chelsea Bridge: Caspian Gull 2cy lingering late afternoon then flew W, 3 Grey Wagtail (Nick Senior)
 * Cheshunt: 30+ Waxwing opposite Co-op Cheshunt High St (Neville Smith, Harry Lacey, Andrew Middleton); 6 W over Church Ln/A10 jn 1510 (Herts BN twitter); 8+ in gardens behind Hatton Road at 3.20pm (Simon Papps)
 * Dartford: Caspian Gull 1w at recycling centre pm (BirdGuides)
 * Ellenbrook Fields: Short-eared Owl again as 8 Jan nr BT field (John Yates via Herts BC)
 * Enfield Playing Fields: 10 Redwings (Phil Rhodes)
 * Epping Forest, High Beech woods: c12 Brambling, 5 Nuthatch, 3 Treecreeper, 2 Common Buzzard, 7 Goldcrest, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Coal Tit, Grey Wagtail, Redwing flock (Chris Baldwin)
 * Fairlop Waters: Short-eared Owl still (BirdGuides)
 * Finchley (Garden): 1 Stock Dove (1st sighting for 6 months), also Song Thrush seen again, as well as large amounts of Finches (10 Greenfinch, 25 Goldfinch, 20 Chaffinch). (Samuel Levy)
 * Friday Lake: pr Smew am (Chris Sharp via Twitter) TL371020
 * Harold Hill: c15 Waxwing Ashton Rd still opp Newey & Eyre bldg 1530; 24 reported (BirdGuides)
 * Harold Park: Little Egret over 1645, Grey Wagtail (Colin Jump via EBwS News)
 * Highbury N5: c22 Waxwings on Poets Rd (BirdGuides); Waxwings outside 19 Poets Rd (N5 2SL) in tree 14.43 (Frances B)
 * Hogsmill Open Space, Ewell: Firecrest still 1520 (Amy Niloc via Twitter); 1 Little Egret 12:10 - 12:40 but couldn't find firecrest at that time (Neil Batten)
 * Hogsmill Water Treatment Works: 28 Teal, 3 Shoveler, Sparrowhawk, 12 Grey Wagtail, 3 Fieldfare S, Redwing, 11 Goldcrest, 25 Linnet (Andrew Skotnicki, John Gale)
 * Lamorbey Park: Firecrest, Greylag, hybrid Greylag x Canada Goose, m Teal, 3 Little Grebe, Little Egret, 2 Kingfisher, Nuthatch (Ian Stewart)
 * London Wetland Centre: Caspian Gull 2cy, 60 Shoveler (J.Wilczur, S.Woolfenden); 3+ Bittern, Water Pipit, Stonechat, 6 Pintail (WWT); 4 Bittern, 7 Common Snipe, Water Rail heard, plus 1 Kingfisher and 1 Goldcrest seen by others (Martin Honey); 3 Siskin wildside (WWT website)
 * Mudchute Farm: c20 Redwing (Chris Parish)
 * Pinner (HA5): 2 Sparrowhawk, 2 Redwing, Jay, Coal Tit & 6 Goldfinch (Jon Ridge)
 * Pinner (HA5): 9 Blackbirds on lawn eating oats for second day,  Stock Doves up to seven (RF) - Hi Richard - still haven't seen any Stock Dove here yet, despite being only half a mile away - hehe, perhaps they hate me : ) (JR)
 * Poulter Park: 2 Siberian Chiffchaff again as 7 Jan by R Wandle nr wooden bridge on east side of Pk 0910 (BirdGuides); seen again at 1300, also Little Grebe (Terence Baker)
 * Primrose Hill: Stock Dove N, 3 Fieldfare, c20 Redwing, 2 Siskin WNW 0850 yr-1st (Twitter)
 * Rainham Marshes: Adult Mediterranean Gull by refuse jetty, 16 Avocets, 4 Golden Plover, 5 Ringed Plover, Grey Wagtail, 2 Stonechats (Sean Huggins); Purfleet - ad Kittiwake flew downriver 1605, 3 Yellow-legged Gull, Grey Plover, 8 Corn Bunting (Fraser Simpson via Twitter); Turnstone, Common Sandpiper, 4 Short-eared Owl, 3 Rock Pipit, 3 Water Pipit (per ELBF Facebook)
 * Ranelagh Gardens: Tawny Owl, 7 Skylark S, 23 Blackbird influx, 5 Redwing race coburni, 3 Goldcrest, 2 Coal Tit, 265 Carrion Crow, 6 Chaffinch, 1 Brambling (Nick Senior)
 * Richmond Park: Dartford Warbler (J.Wilczur); 110 Shoveler, Kingfisher (S.Woolfenden); Grey Stonechat DNA results show the bird to be a European Stonechat. Also of note the Dungeness stonechat of which this bird looked extremely similar too, has had a DNA re-test & this has shown the bird to be a European Stonechat of either form rubicolia or hibernans. Info via (BirdGuides)
 * Rye Meads RSPB: Water Pipit still fr Gadwall_hide (Twitter)
 * Staines Moor: 1 Golden Plover (beside Colne), 2 Water Pipit (Colne), 2 Jack Snipe (Colne), 3 Water Rail (Colne), 1 Wigeon (Colne), 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Red Kite, 8 Little Grebe, 4 Stonechat, Cetti's Warbler (Lee Dingain)
 * Staines Reservoir: 2 Black-necked Grebe (s basin), 18+ Goldeneye, 10 Meadow Pipit (Nick Croft)
 * Stocker's Lake: red-head Smew still (Sean Moore via Twitter)
 * Swanscombe Marsh: Avocet, Grey Plover, 140 Lapwing, 4 Curlew, Water Pipit, Rock Pipit, Peregrine, Bearded Tit (Andrew Self)
 * Theydon Bois: Little Owl (heard), 2 Buzzard, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, 2 Rook, c30 Fieldfare, Redwing, Goldcrest (Joe Dickens)
 * Tyttenhanger GPs: Exposed sand-flat - Herring-sized 1w gull with plausible Caspian features, Fishing lake - red-head Goosander, 2 Kingfisher, Great White Egret, also 15 Tree Sparrow (Jo Edwards); Fishing Lakes - 2 Great White Egret, 17 Little Egret, Green Sandpiper (Steve Blake et al)
 * Walthamstow Marshes: 16 Fieldfare and 30 Linnet on rear paddocks, 2 Stonechat (1m 1f/imm) on fence near E end of boardwalk - c11:00 (Alastair Dent)
 * Walthamstow Reservoirs: Black Redstart in SW corner of No 5 still; drake Scaup on No 4; Common Sandpipers on No 4 & No 5 (Phil Aylen, Lol Bodini, David Bradshaw); possible Ring-Billed Gull? Photographed ... any clarification? 212.jpg(East Warwick Reservoir), Merlin (Coppermill stream), Kestrel (Reservoir no.1), Green Sandpiper (reservor no.4), Stonechat female (West Warwick) Goldeneye female (West Warwick), 4+ Kingfishers, 10+ Little Egrets, 10+ Fieldfare, 10+ Redwing and numerous other birds (Malachi1) It does look quite like a Ring-Billed Gull, but the bill is odd, more ringed than one would expect at that age when a black tip seems to be normal. Can't think what else it might be. (Ralph Hancock)
 * Wanstead Flats: Woodcock, Little Owl (Bob Vaughan); 12 Linnet (Tony Brown)
 * Woodford Green: c20+ Redpolls (mobile), 4 Siskin, 5 Little Egret, 2 Nuthatch, fem Sparrowhawk, 4 Ring-necked Parakeets, Song Thrush, Chaffinch, Tawny Owl, Peregrine over (Ken Murray)

Friday 13th January 2017

 * Barnes, Barn Elms Playing Fields: I am regularly seeing a handful of Canada Geese that are not typical birds. Slightly smaller, smaller billed, squarer headed, chin strap buff and narrowing towards the top and with a black line through the white throat. Slightly darker mantle, flanks and breast. There are also birds with intermediate features. They do not really fit one of the obvious races. Is there a small cryptic population of another Canada race in London? Do others see similar birds? (R.Kaye) - Interesting observations - I have come across several smaller birds with variable plumages, but simply dismissed them as first-winters. thanks Rupert (JR) If you could get some pictures then there maybe people on here who could tell you if they are one of the many subspecies of Canada's. (SL) A study in Canada Geese wasn't exactly a career choice, but I'll see what I can do : ) (JR). Are these perhaps Canada/Greylag hybrids? These are present on nearby Barnes Pond and may well flight out from there with the Canadas. Any Canadas in this area will mostly be BTO ringed on the left leg, hybrids are not ringed. Hope this helps. (P J Belman).
 * Bedfont Lakes CP: 3 Smew now present on south lake incl 2 drakes 0900 (Paul Bursche)
 * Broadwater GP: 2 Siberian Chiffchaff by R Colne nr sailing club 1000 (BirdGuides) TQ044895
 * Brookmill Park: Little Grebe, Redwing (Conrad Ellam)
 * East India Dock Basin: Common Buzzard drifted SE 13:00 mobbed by crows, Kestrel flew S 12:55, 2 Redwing, 14 Shelduck, 6 Tufted Duck, 20 Teal (John Archer)
 * Footscray Meadows: 7 Siskin in alders near Pennyfarthing bridge (Jim Butler)
 * Greenwich Ecology Park: Drake Teal, pair of Gadwall, Little Grebe (John Bushell)
 * Harold Hill: 34 Waxwing Whitelands Way (Steve Elwell per ELBF Facebook)
 * Heathrow: by Sipson farm/Harmondsworth lane - 20+ Golden Plover (Jim Fell)
 * Hogsmill LNR: 3-4 Little Egret, Firecrest, Chiffchaff, Grey Wagtail (Geoff Barter via Twitter); open space - 2 Snipe, 4 Kingfisher, Chiffchaff (Steve Gale via Twitter)
 * Lamorbey Park: Firecrest still present 09.35, 3 Little Grebe, Kingfisher (Ian Stewart)
 * Leatherhead, Common Meadow: 1 drake Teal, 3 Little Grebe, 4 Common Gull, 1 Meadow Pipit (Neil Batten)
 * London Wetland Centre: 3 Caspian Gull - two 2cy & 4cy, 2 Yellow-legged Gull - ad & 2cy, m Scaup/Pochard(?) hybrid, 47 Fieldfare (J.Wilczur); 2 Pintail, Jack Snipe, Water Pipit (WWT website)
 * Lyle Park: 1st w Caspian Gull (regular bird), 2 Yellow-legged Gulls (Jamie Partridge)
 * Mildmay N5: Waxwings still in Poets Rd 8.45 (Sheila Warbus); 17 top plane tree, corner Petherton Rd/Poets Rd at 08.50 (Jon Agar); 22 birds at 14:15 and still plenty of berries left (Chris Farthing)
 * Pinner (HA5): Red Kite north-east at 14:26, 3 Redwing, Jackdaw, Goldfinch & Coal Tit (Jon Ridge)
 * Rainham Marshes: first-winter Caspian Gull and 5 Yellow-legged Gulls east of the stone barges on the sheltered south slope of the landfill viewable from Havering River Path, also a flock of 56 Skylarks there - probably the largest flock I have ever seen in London (Dominic Mitchell) - Great count Dom - my best London count is 60 (24/10/1996) back in the days when Skylarks were a lot easier than they are now (JR)
 * Ranelagh Gardens: 2 Egyptian Geese, Tawny Owl, Fieldfare, 30 Redwing, 3 Goldcrest, 2 Coal Tit, 5 Chaffinch (Nick Senior)
 * Redbridge Lakes, Woodford Bridge: 2 Snipe, 4 Ring-necked Parakeets, Song Thrush, Common Gull (Alan Hobson).
 * Richmond Park: grey-phase European Stonechat still present in usual place around 2pm, Common Stonechat, c100 Shoveler on Upper Pen Pond and not a lot else (Mat Hare)
 * Sidcup Place: 18 Redwing, 3 Greenfinch (Ralph Todd) were these near/in the Gdn pls? Redwing feeding on grass by the main footpath along Chistlehurst Rd - Greenfinches in pines nr building. thx v much
 * South Lodge Farm, Enfield: 45 Redwing (Robert Callf)
 * St James's Park: 1st-winter Yellow-legged Gull, Peregrine, Goldcrest (Andrew Self)
 * Staines Reservoir: 2 Black-necked Grebe still on south basin (BirdGuides)
 * Trent Park: 9 Pochard 5m 4f, 3 Tufted Duck 1m 2f, 2 Goosander m f, Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Kestrel, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 5+ Goldcrest (Robert Callf); also 3 m Mandarin, Kingfisher, Nuthatch, Stock Dove (Pete Lowman)
 * Tyttenhanger GPs: main GP - Wigeon, 2 Great White Egret & Caspian Gull 1w still, 12+ Tree Sparrow, fishing lake - Goosander, 4+ Green Sandpiper, garden wood - 2 Woodcock (Rupert Evershed via Herts BC); 2 Red-legged Partridge, 3 Kingfisher, 6 Bullfinch (TGP twitter)
 * Walthamstow Reservoirs: Black Redstart in SW corner of No 5; Yellow-legged Gull 3w - High Maynard; 4 Goosander - No 4: 4 Goldeneye on High Maynard (Paul Whiteman, David Bradshaw); Jack Snipe No1 north end new reedbed 16:10-16:20 also Water Rail; drake Scaup No4 still (Twitter)
 * Wanstead Flats: 6 Teal, 16 Shoveler, Pied Wagtail (Simon Worsfold); 4 Meadow Pipit, 11 Redwing (Nick Croft)
 * Wanstead Park: Wigeon, 39 Gadwall, 11 Shoveler, 6 Teal, Little Grebe, Meadow Pipit, 3 Redwing, Great Spotted Woodpecker (Simon Worsfold)
 * Warley Place NR: 3 Buzzard, 2 Coal Tit, 3 Nuthatch, Grey Wagtail (Brenda & David Hale per ELBF Facebook)
 * Woodford Green: flyovers - 3 Little Egret, Common Buzzard and female Sparrowhawk, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Nuthatch, 6 Siskin, 4 Goldfinch, 2 Chaffinch, 13 Ring-necked Parakeet and 14+ Blue Tits on the feeders (Ken Murray)

Thursday 12th January 2017

 * Amwell (Great Hardmead Lake): 3 Smew (all red-heads), 5 Goldeneye 4m, 160+ Lapwing, Water Rail, singing Marsh Tit just inside London recording area (according to grid ref calculations) (Nick Croft)
 * Bedfont Lakes CP: 2m Smew still 0940 (BirdGuides)
 * Bounds Green (tunnel); Brambling (flew to golf course) (Sheila Warbus)
 * Brent Reservoir: 36 Common Snipe, Sparrowhawk, 3 Water Rail, Pintail f, 8 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Redwing, 4 Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, 11 Goldcrest, Reed Bunting f, 2 Cetti's Warbler, 6 Pied Wagtail, 84 Canada Geese (Magnus Andersson and Simon Worsfold)
 * Broadwater GP: Siberian Chiffchaff still 0950 (BirdGuides) TQ044895
 * Fulham Broadway: c10 Redwing feeding on ornamental Sorbus in nearby estate with 2 Mistle Thrush & Blackbirds, flock of c20 Greenfinch over (Neil Anderson)
 * Harold Hill: 21 Waxwing still 1400 (BirdGuides); 32 reported (per ELBF Facebook)
 * Heathrow: 145 Golden Plover on fields north of A4 at Sipson Farm. (Adam Cheeseman)
 * Hogsmill Open Space: Firecrest 0940 (Amy Niloc via Twitter) TQ2150863350
 * Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens: 7 Red-crested Pochard, 10 Shoveler, c100 Common Gull, 6 Stock Dove, Green Woodpecker, Chiffchaff, 3 Treecreeper (Des McKenzie via Twitter)
 * Lamorbey Park: Firecrest still present calling occasionally c09.00- much more vocal near sunset it seems; 3 Little Grebe, 2 Kingfisher (Ian Stewart)
 * London Wetland Centre: 3 Caspian Gull - 2cy 4cy and sub-adult, ad Yellow-legged Gull (J.Wilczur)
 * Mildmay, N5: 2 Waxwings mobile in the area of Petherton Rd, Leconfield Rd & Poets Rd, favouring the white berries of the Kashmir Rowan trees on Poets Rd and resting in the very tall tree at the centre of the triangle formed by the roads mentioned above, with a large thrush flock (Chris Farthing & Tony Butler); still behind New River Ct 1215 (Twitter) [plenty of berries left on Poets Rd if anyone fancies trying tomorrow morning]
 * Mile End Ecology Park: c10 Redwing, Mistle Thrush (Charlie Farrell)
 * Pinner (HA5): 3 Redwing, Great Spotted Woodpecker & 2 Coal Tit (Jon Ridge)
 * Primrose Hill: m Kestrel, 27 Fieldfare SE 08:35-08:45, 3 Redwing - light rain began 10am (Twitter)
 * Rainham RSPB: White-fronted Goose in field, 18 Waxwing W (BirdGuides)
 * Ruislip Lido: 1 Jack Snipe late am (R.Middleton).
 * Stocker's Lake: 19 Goldeneye 7m 12f, Yellow-legged Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Kingfisher (Geoff Lapworth via Herts BN)
 * Swanley Park: no sign of Waxwings- berries all gone! Fieldfare and 20+ Redwing within the park (Ian Stewart)
 * Tottenham Hale Station: 2 Waxwing am (BirdGuides) TQ345895
 * Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park: 2 Goldcrest, Redwing (heard) (Charlie Farrell)
 * Trent Park: 4 Mandarin Duck 2m 2f, 7 Pochard 4m 3f, 3 Tufted Duck 1m 2f, 2 Goosander m f, Common Buzzard, adult Common Gull, 5 Goldcrest, 3 Siskin 1m 2f, 10 Goldfinch, 2 Bullfinch m f (Robert Callf)
 * Tyttenhanger GPs: 2 Great White Egret & Caspian Gull 1w still 1145 (BirdGuides)
 * Walthamstow (King Edward Rd): 25 Fieldfare, 3 Redwing (Caroline Nash)
 * Wanstead Flats: 11 Fieldfare, 2 Goldcrest, Skylark, singing Song Thrush, 2 singing Mistle Thrush (Nick Croft)
 * Wanstead Park: 33 Gadwall, 3 Pochard, 7 Tufted Duck, Great Crested Grebe, 3 Little Egret, singing Stock Dove (Nick Croft)

Wednesday 11th January 2017

 * Bedfont Lakes CP: 2 drake Smew, 1 Bittern on South lake (Jim Fell)
 * Blackwall: Peregrine (Charlie Farrell)
 * Broadwater Lake, Harefield: Siberian Chiffchaff P.c. tristis the R. Colne behind the yacht club, 12 Common Chiffchaff P.c. collybita along the river between the yacht club and the A412 road, On the lake itself one drake Goosander, 400 Tufted Duck, 6 Goldeneye and 150 Pochard. A duck sp. inadvertently flushed from the river flew away from me. It was larger than Teal, had a grey back, dark head and a flash of white on the lower face or neck. Maybe Falcated Duck or hybrid something or other? I could not relocate it on the river or the lake but mention this to alert people and to put the sighting on record. The one that got away . (John Edwards)
 * Brookmill Park: Little Grebe, Blackcap (Conrad Ellam)
 * East India Dock Basin: 6 Shelduck, c100 Teal (Charlie Farrell)
 * Greenwich Peninsula: 2+ Chiffchaff in trees by the Thames Path, just beyond the Emirates Air Line at 1240. (Andrew McCafferty).
 * Harold Hill: 22 Waxwing still on Ashton Road at 10:30 (Deiniol Owen et al)
 * Hogsmill SW: 25 Waxwing nearby on Lower Marsh Rd am (BirdGuides)
 * London Wetland Centre: 2 Bittern, 12 Common Snipe, 4 Pintail m 3f, 1 Water Pipit, 9 Mandarin, 1m Stonechat, 2 Jack Snipe (Martin Honey); 2 Peregrine on Charing X Hosp (Mike Wheeler); 4 Siskin (WWT website)
 * Muswell Hill: 2 Waxwing - same time (0845), same place (Cranbourne Road) as yesterday (Andrew Bailey et al); 2 in big tree and rowan in front of number 36 at 1530 for a couple of minutes, flew NE (Suzanna Maas)
 * Pinner (HA5): at least 3 Red Kite in the air at 13:28, 15 Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Green Woodpecker, Goldcrest, Coal Tit, Jackdaw & 6 Goldfinch (Jon Ridge)
 * Rainham RSPB: Turnstone, 7 Curlew, 20+ Snipe, Golden Plover, 20+ Avocet, Marsh Harrier, ad Yellow-legged Gull, Water Pipit, Barn Owl (Nick Croft/RSPB); 2 Barn Owl Coldharbour Ln after 8pm (Fraser Simpson via Twitter)
 * Ruislip Lido: Jack Snipe still fr boathouse (BirdGuides)
 * Ruxley GPs (permit only): 3 Shoveler, 6+ Teal, 13 Pochard, Little Egret, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, 2 Water Rail, Kingfisher, 11 Pied Wagtail to roost in Cray Valley, Grey Wagtail, Mistle Thrush, 20+ Redwing, Cetti's Warbler, 2+ Chiffchaff, 5+ Goldcrest, 2+ Bullfinch (Ian Stewart)
 * Scratch Wood: Firecrest still, Stonechat Long Hill (Graham Harris) (per Dungeon Hill & Scratch Wood Birds blog)
 * Sidcup station: Common Buzzard NE c14.10 mobbed by Crows (Ian Stewart)
 * Stocker's Lake: red-head Smew still (BirdGuides)
 * Stoke Newington: 1+ Waxwing Petherton Rd N5 2RT (Tony Butler per Chris Farthing via Twitter); 1 showing well w/ c40 Fieldfare behind New River Ct fr Poet's Rd 13:45-13:50 (Twitter)
 * Swanley Park: 2 Waxwing still 9.30 (Andy Meaton); showing well at midday (Conrad Ellam et al)
 * Trent Park: 5 Cormorant, Grey Heron, male Shoveler, 7 Pochard 3m 4f, 3 Tufted Duck 1m 2f, 2 Goosander m f, 4 Treecreeper, male Siskin, 6 Goldfinch (Robert Callf)
 * Tyttenhanger GPs: Caspian Gull 1w on main pit (Samuel Perfect/Larissa Simulik via Herts BC), 2 Great White Egret still (BirdGuides)
 * Walthamstow Resevoirs: Scaup (m) now on the Lockwood, 8 Goldeneye (4 on Lockwood 4 on Upper Maynard) (Richard Drew)
 * Wanstead Flats: 16 Shoveler, 7 Teal, 2 Pochard (Nick Croft, Simon Worsfold)
 * Wanstead Park: Water Rail, 60 Gadwall, 12 Shoveler, 19 Teal, Wigeon, 2 Pochard, 2 Little Egret, 2 Goldcrest, 2 Redwing, 2 Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker (Nick Croft, Simon Worsfold)
 * Waterloo: Waxwing 0930 (BirdGuides)
 * Woodoaks Farm nr Maple Cross: 40 Golden Plover N, 50 Fieldfare, Stonechat (Paul Lewis via Herts BC)
 * Wraysbury GPs: Colne Mere - 3 Goosander 2m rh (Roger Stansfield via Berks BN)

Tuesday 10th January 2017

 * Angel Islington: 20 Redwings flying over Upper Street Business Design Centre (Simon Worsfold)
 * Bedfont Lakes CP: 2m Smew still, Bittern (BirdGuides)
 * Beech Farm GP: no SEOwl this pm but Barn Owl, pr Stonechat BT field, 40 Meadow Pipit (David Booth via twitter)
 * Bishops Park (Fulham): Tawny Owl calling at 0:30am (Nathalie Mahieu).
 * Bow Creek: 20 Redshank in roost. A bit difficult to count fully today as path opposite being replaced. (Paul Hyland)
 * Brent Reservoir: 30 Common Snipe, Sparrowhawk, Blackcap m, Chiffchaff, 2 Water Rail, Reed Bunting f, Coal Tit, Goldcrest (plus Black Swan and 3 Muscovy Duck) (Steve Blake, Magnus Andersson)
 * Brookmill Park: Little Grebe, Cormorant over (Conrad Ellam)
 * Burnt Oak: 2 Mistle Thrush (Bill Rutherford)
 * Charing Cross Hospital: Grey Wagtail (Nathalie Mahieu).
 * Cole Green Tip: Woodcock, 2 Stonechat, 12 Yellowhammer (Andy Haig/Adrian Bonner via Herts BC)
 * Coopers Green GPs: 3 Ring-necked Parakeet, Barn Owl over field E of old BT site, 2 Stonechat old BT field (David Booth via Herts BC)
 * Cornmill Meadows and Breaches Farm: 20+ Teal, 50+ Red-legged Partridge, 3 Sparrowhawk, 3 Buzzard, Red Kite, 3 Kestrel, Lapwing, 100+ Jackdaw, 150+ Skylark, Treecreeper, 180+ Fieldfare, 40+ Redwing, 2-3 Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, 50+ Chaffinch, 3 Bullfinch, 2-3 Siskin (Simon Papps)
 * East Barnet: male Blackcap, 6 Goldfinch, 6 House Sparrow on garden feeders (Pete Lowman).
 * East India Dock NR: 6 Shelduck, 34 Teal, 2 Jay, Great Spotted Woodpecker (Paul Hyland)
 * Ewell, Hogsmill Open Space: 1 Little Egret perched in trees (viewed from train) (Neil Batten)
 * Hampstead Heath: Kingfisher, 4 Mandarin Duck, Kestrel around ponds on the extension (Rich Townsend)
 * Harold Hill: 35 Waxwing Ashton Rd still 1355 (BirdGuides)
 * Heathrow: m Smew, Cetti's Warbler (Adam Cheeseman)
 * Hogsmill STW Nature Reserve: 5 Shoveler, Snipe, 10 Stock Dove, 16 Waxwing dropped in for a few minutes at c09:30, 10 Redwing over, 26 Linnet (Andrew Skotnicki)
 * Ingrebourne Valley LNR: 5+ Yellowhammer, 4 Reed Bunting, pr of Bullfinch, 20+ Lesser Redpoll, 3 Linnet, 30+ Chaffinch, 5+ Cetti's Warbler, 2 Buzzard, 3 Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, 4 Water Rail, 10+ Teal, 2 Shoveler, 30+ Gadwall, 4+ Pochard, 2 Red-legged Partridge, 30+ Redwing, 10 Fieldfare (Dave McGough/Nick Croft)
 * Lamorbey Park: Firecrest calling a lot c14.40, 10 Tufted Duck, 4 Little Grebe, Kingfisher, 21 Redwing (Ian Stewart)
 * Leyton (Ruckholt Road traffic island): Water Rail (James Palmer)
 * London Wetland Centre: 2 Bittern, Jack Snipe, Water Pipit (Surrey BC twitter)
 * Muswell Hill: 2 Waxwing seen briefly Cranbourne Road at 0845, flew East (Andrew Bailey et al)
 * Primrose Hill: 2 Waxwing SSE 0805 (Twitter)
 * Rainham Marshes RSPB: Cattle Egret, Water Pipit (BirdGuides); Stone Barges - Turnstone, ad Yellow-legged Gull 09.00, Caspian Gull 2cy, juv Peregrine 15.30, Aveley Bay - Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit, Avocet, Rainham RSPB - Barn Owl hunting over reserve 14.00, Marsh Harrier, Curlew, Pintail (Ben Epstein)
 * Regent's Park: m Shelduck, Water Rail & Blackcap still (Twitter)
 * Richmond Park: grey-phase European Stonechat at bottom of Hawthorn Valley 13.45 pm (BirdGuides)
 * Ruislip Lido: 1+ Jack Snipe 'bouncing' seemingly unconcerned by work going on nearby. (Jim Fell)
 * Sidcup DA15 (York Avenue): adult Yellow-legged Gull W c13.15 (Ian Stewart)
 * St James's Park: Peregrine, the falcon over a few times this morning (Frank Nugent).
 * Swanley Park: 2 Waxwing showing well, 61 The Spinney 10am (Andy Meaton); Waxwings still performing well 12.25, also 20+ Redwing, f Blackcap, Sparrowhawk over Swanley Park, where also Chiffchaff and 2 Goldcrest (Ian Stewart et al with thanks to Andy M)P1960246.jpg
 * Totteridge Valley/Darlands Lake: m Stonechat, Meadow Pipit (both in `owl' field), Treecreeper, 7 Redwing, 2 Fieldfare, 9 Teal (John Colmans)
 * Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park: 12 Waxwing nr scrapyard meadow then SSW am (BirdGuides); 14 until 1545 when presumably went to roost (John Archer et al.)
 * Trent Park: 2 Goosander m f, 2 Gadwall 2f, f Teal, 4m Mandarin, 2 Tufted Duck m f, m Shoveler, 7 Pochard 4m 3f, Green Woodpecker (Pete Lowman).
 * Tyttenhanger GPs: 2 Great Egret, 9 Little Egret, 14 Tree Sparrow, Kingfisher, Green Sandpiper, Red Kite, 2 Common Buzzard (Jo Edwards); Barnacle Goose Tyttenhanger Farm (per Herts BC)
 * Walthamstow Marshes: Water Rail in Ditch by Cycle Path S of Marina by Main River, Fem. Sparrowhawk mobbing Buzzard over West Warwick, Reed Bunting, Grey Wagtail - 12.30-1pm (Davey Leach).
 * Walthamstow Reservoirs: m Scaup, 9 Goldeneye, 4 Goosander, Peregrine, 5 Green Sandpiper flood channel, Stonechat (Katy Thomas/Dave Morrison)
 * Wanstead Flats: 7 Meadow Pipit, 13 Shoveler, 2 Teal, Goldcrest (Bob Vaughan/Nick Croft)

Monday 9th January 2017

 * Bedfont Lakes CP: 2m Smew still on south lake am (BirdGuides)
 * Broadwater Lake: 2 Siberian Chiffchaff this morning one behind the sailing club and one in the dogwood opposite the cut, also along the river 16+ Common Chiffchaffs, 3 Goosander and 2 Water Rails (Roger Morton); Sibe Chiffy [ringed per Herts BN] still just north of sailing club by Colne 1420 (BirdGuides); also Chiffchaff ssp abietinus (Herts BN)
 * Chingford Plain/Connaught Waters: Smew f, Pintail m, Goldcrest, Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, 6 Fieldfare, Redwing (Simon Worsfold)
 * Cole Green Tip: 3 Snipe, 6 Linnet, 12 Yellowhammer (Andy Haig/Adrian Bonner via Herts BC)
 * Cornmill Gardens: Little Egret on River Ravensbourne early morning (John Archer)
 * Harold Hill: 24 Waxwing still 1400 (BirdGuides)
 * Holmethorpe SPs: 2 White Wagtail ssp alba unusual winter sighting on ploughed field by new road on Nutfield Ridge (Ray Baker via HSP twitter)
 * Kingston: Black Swan still on River Thames opposite Charter Quay (Nigel Jackman)
 * London Wetland Centre: 1 Bittern, 12 Redwing, 5 Pintail, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Jack Snipe, 1 Water Pipit (WWT Website)
 * Mill Hill, The Ridgeway: 7 Fieldfare, 4 Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 200+ Common Gulls S, 20 Black-headed Gulls SW, 10 Stock Dove W - 09:00-10:30 (Samuel Levy)
 * Muswell Hill: 2 Waxwing still in Cranbourne Road 8.45am in tall tree by number 38-40 (As I was leaving workmen were turning up to dig up the road right underneath them hopefully won't scare them off.) (MarkF); 2 Waxwing in large tree Cranbourne Road 11.45 (Bob Husband)
 * Rainham RSPB: 30+ Black-tailed Godwit, 24 Avocet, 10+ Snipe, 3 Curlew, 20+ Dunlin, Grey Plover, 3-4 Water Pipit, Rock Pipit, 20+ Skylark, 2 Marsh Harrier, Sparrowhawk, Barn Owl, 3 Stonechat, 30+ Fieldfare, 10+ Redwing, 5 Pintail (Nick Croft)
 * Ranelagh Gardens: Tawny Owl, 4 Fieldfare, 31 Redwing, 5 Goldcrest, 3 Coal Tit (Nick Senior)
 * Rotherhithe: Southwark Park - 7 Shoveler, 16 Tufted Duck, 3 Little Grebe, 2 Grey Heron (John & Janet Cadera)
 * Russia Dock Woodland: Kingfisher, Chiffchaff (Conrad Ellam); Great Spotted Woodpecker, Long-tailed Tit, 4 Goldcrest, no sign of Firecrest mid-morning (John & Janet Cadera)
 * Rye Meads RSPB: Water Pipit still fr Gadwall_hide next to painted blue no.6 11:15 (BirdGuides)
 * Swanley Park: 2 Waxwing feeding outside 61 The Spinney BR8 7YN seem settled been there since 11 am, also 5 Egyptian Geese (Andy Meaton); 2 Waxwing still present 13.00 (BirdGuides)
 * Totteridge Valley: male Peregrine hunting over Dollis Brook at Woodside Park at 09:56. Also several Redwings in gardens there (Ian Ellis)
 * Trent Park: 2 Goosander m f, 7 Pochard 4m 3f, Redwing (Pete Lowman).
 * Tyttenhanger GPs: 2 Great White Egret still (BirdGuides)
 * Walthamstow Reservoirs: Scaup m still on no. 4 showing well, 5 Pochards, Great Crested Grebe (Alan Hobson); lunchtime visit in rain - 5 Fieldfare, Redwing, Grey Wagtail, 39 Pochard & M Shoveler on no. 1, Goldcrest in Long-tailed Tit flock (Davey Leach).
 * Woodford Bridge: Green Woodpecker in cemetery on Roding Lane North (Alan Hobson)

Sunday 8th January 2017

 * Alexandra Park: Fieldfare, Chiffchaff near bridge New River (Bob Watts); male Blackcap in Garden adjacent to lower fields, and dozens of Redwings feeding on damp grass near 'heritage' oak in Grove at dusk (Jonathan Cooke)
 * Barking Bay: 60 Teal, 5 Wigeon, 16 Snipe, 2 Avocet, 29 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Knot, c40 Dunlin, 7 Curlew, 2 Caspian Gull ad 2cy, 2 Rock Pipit, 15 Skylark, 12 Waxwing S calling, 4 Stonechat, 2 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, c50 Linnet, 11 Reed Bunting (Nick Senior)
 * Beckton SW: 2 Little Egret, Water Rail, Curlew, 4 Common Sandpiper, 15+ Chiffchaff, 5 Grey Wagtail, 3 Rock Pipit (David Morrison via Twitter)
 * Beddington Park: 2 Little Egret fishing near Grange (Arjun Dutta)
 * Bedfont Lakes CP: 2m Smew still on south lake 0935 (BirdGuides)
 * Brent Reservoir: 4 Greylag Geese, 3 Egyptian Geese, 1st-winter Yellow-legged Gull, female Pintail North Marsh, Meadow Pipit over (Brent Birders)
 * Broadwater: m Goosander on R Colne, Siberian Chiffchaff by Colne behind sailing club pm (Twitter)
 * Brompton Cemetery: Chiffchaff, 10-12 Redwing (Des McKenzie via Twitter)
 * Ellenbrook Fields nr Hatfield: Short-eared Owl 1530 old BT field (J Bird via Herts BC)
 * Epping Forest, Little Monk Wood: c10 Brambling, several each of Nuthatch and Treecreeper, Tawny Owl (A.Middleton, Neville Smith) Tawny pic
 * Fulham Reach: Caspian Gull 2cy just east of Hammersmith Br, 107 Herring Gull, 103 Teal (Josh Jones)
 * Gallions Reach: 2 Little Egret, Water Rail, Curlew, 4 Common Sandpiper, 15 Chiffchaff, 5 Grey Wagtail, 3 Rock Pipit (David Morrison per ELBF Facebook)
 * Harold Hill: 24 Waxwing still Ashton Rd (BirdGuides)
 * Hogsmill STW Nature Reserve: Teal, 6 Shoveler, Gadwall, Sparrowhawk, Snipe, 39 Great Black-backed Gull E, 12 Stock Dove, 2 Redwing (Andrew Skotnicki)
 * Holmethorpe SPs: Shelduck yr-1st Spynes Mere, 2 Little Egret (Neil Randon via HSP blog)
 * Lamorbey Park: 2 Little Grebe, 2 Egyptian Geese, 2 Cormorant, 3 Tufted Duck, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Nuthatch, Coal Tit, Goldcrest (Mike Amos); Firecrest calling frequently and singing occasionally, Kingfisher, c20 Redwing (Ian Stewart)
 * London Wetland Centre: 3 Bittern, 2 Jack Snipe, 5 Snipe, 1 Grey Wagtail, 6 Pintail, 1 Water Pipit, 6 Fieldfare E (WWT Website)
 * Moor Park nr Rickmansworth: 2 Egyptian Goose, 2 Red Kite, 4 ring-necked Parakeet, 20 Redwing, 2 Lesser Redpoll (Steve Carter via Herts BC)
 * Muswell Hill: 2 Waxwing still, showing very nicely in Cranbourne Road at 08:00 (Frank Nugent); in tree opposite number 14 at 08:19 (Dominic Mitchell); still there at 10:30 and a pair of Blackcap (FN); still in trees by No38 1215 (Francis Tusa); still there at 1:20 (Harringay Birder); and at 15.00 - feeding on berries for 30 second visits despite one birder standing 6ft away…. (Matt Evans); flew off high E at 15:28, were feeding in small tree with pink blossom before flushed by car (Katy McGilvray)
 * Oxleas Wood Kestrel Jackdaw[pr] Goldfinch Goldcrest Common Buzzard[hunting in woods] Great Spotted Woodpecker Coaltit Stockdove[pr] Nuthatch [Ron Turner] RT - it only takes a moment to format your sightings so we don't have to
 * Rainham Marshes RSPB: 2 Marsh Harriers, Common Buzzard, 26 Avocets, Grey Plover, 2 Short-eared Owls, 2 Ravens, Mistle Thrush, Water Pipit, Lesser Redpoll (Sean Huggins); Merlin female over Landfill, 2 Caspian Gull 2cy Coldharbour Point, 1 Rock Pipit Aveley Bay (Nick Senior); 3 Jack Snipe after sunset, also 27 Avocet, 4 Snipe (Frank Osterburg via Twitter)
 * Reigate Town Center: 2 Redwing (A La Pietra)
 * Rye Meads RSPB: Water Pipit still fr draper hide (RSPB twitter)
 * Southgate: Footpath Playing fields behind Walker school - Tawny Owl calling & seen in flight at 8pm (Davey Leach); Waxwing by ASDA Chase Side N14 5PW (BirdGuides)
 * Staines Moor: Water Rail, 2 Jack Snipe, 2 Snipe, 3 Water Pipit (Dominic Pia via Twitter)
 * Swanley Park: 8 Egyptian Geese (pair mating plus 1 ringed bird reported), Tufted Duck m, Coot, 10 Redwing, 5 Fieldfare, 6 Mistle Thrush (Andy Meaton)
 * Ten Acre Wood area: 2 Teal, m Pheasant, 2 Buzzard (1 flew from ground 7.50 before light), Sparrowhawk, Merlin seen 8.18 flying at Skylark as it flew from ground, both birds spiralling up in the sky, Merlin then flew in front & above me in level flight showing face pattern, small compact falcon shape with pointed wings like a mini peregrine before chasing Skylark again before disappearing rapidly to north in extensive open area, c46 Lapwing, 2 Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Redwing, singing Mistle Thrush, 2 Goldcrest, 2 Rook over, f Bullfinch (Neil Anderson)
 * Thorndon CP: south - Buzzard, 3 Green Woodpecker, north - 4 Nuthatch, Treecreeper, 50+ Redpoll (Andrew Cox via EBwS News)
 * Tyttenhanger Gravel Pits: 2 Great White Egrets, fem Peregrine, 5 Tree Sparrows, Buzzard. (Davey Leach); no sign of Firecrest of 3rd Jan (Alan Gardiner via Twitter)
 * Walthamstow Reservoirs: Scaup m on no. 4, 2 Water Rail (1 on West Warwick and the other on Coppermill Stream), 4 Goldeneye m 3f on West Warwick, 18 Fieldfare, 6 Redwing, 39 Pochard, 439 Tufted Ducks, 11 Little Grebe, 3 Shelduck, 7 Teal, 20 Shoveler, 6 Little Egret, 122 Greylag Geese, 4 Egyptian Geese, 3 Stonechat m 2f, Chiffchaff, Meadow Pipit, Song Thrush, Kingfisher (Simon Worsfold); pr Goosander, 2 Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, 7 Chiffchaff, 40+ Fieldfare, 10 Redwing, Kingfisher, Little Egret, Sparrowhawk, 6 Meadow Pipit (Lockwood), up to 50 Little Grebe on the river between Stratford and Tottenham Hale including Walthamstow reservoirs (Nick Croft); f Reed Bunting west warwick, Chiffchaff & c30 Fieldfare pumphouse (Phil Aylen via Twitter)
 * Walton-on-Thames: 8 Barnacle Goose N over Thames at Anglers pub landing in swan_sanctuary (Mark Elsoffer via Twitter)
 * Wanstead Flats: 6 Meadow Pipit, flock of Linnet, Great Black-backed Gull (Wanstead Birders)
 * Wanstead Park: Water Rail, Little Egret, pr of Teal (Wanstead Birders); 2 Woodcock, Tawny Owl, 3 Little Grebe (Nick Croft)
 * Watercress LNR: f Kingfisher (Alan Gardiner via Herts BC)
 * Woodberry Wetlands: Peregrine grabbed a pigeon which escaped minus quite a few feathers, Coal Tit, 2 Reed Bunting (Chris Farthing)
 * Wormley West End, Herts: Hawfinch [London RA winter-1st] in garden (Graham White via Twitter)
 * Yeading (White Hart Roundabout): 30+ Redwing feeding in Cotoneasters (Neil Anderson)

Saturday 7th January 2017

 * Alexandra Park: Adult Mediterranean Gull Wood Green Res on bank near Tunnel Res 1015 and still 1220 then flew to Filter Beds, also Kingfisher, Jackdaw (Gareth Richards, Bob Watts)
 * Arnos Park, N11: 2 Nuthatch incl singing male (Robert Callf)
 * Bedfont Lakes CP: 2 male Smew South Lake (Y. Simmonds); also 1 Bittern (S. Fordred); Water Rail (Twitter)
 * Brent Reservoir: 31 Common Snipe, Cetti's Warbler (possible 2nd by Heron Hide), 2 Water Rail, 7 Goldcrest, 2 Redwing, 28 Pochard, 10 Gadwall, 11 Shoveler, c20-30 Teal, 2 Muscovy Ducks, Black Swan (Roy Beddard, Simon Worsfold, Andrew Haynes)
 * Brookmans Park: Raven calling over Dutch nursery (Anders Gray via Herts BC)
 * Broomfield Park, Palmers Green: 43 Greenfinch pre-roost gathering at 15:10 (Robert Callf)
 * Bury Lake: 30 Siskin (Joan Thompson via Herts BC)
 * Chiswell Green nr St Albans: Raven E 0950 (Alan Gardiner via Twitter)
 * Creekmouth, Barking: 2 Common Sandpiper, Woodcock, 10 Chiffchaff (Paul Hawkins per ELBF Facebook)
 * Crossness: Common Sandpiper, 20+ Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Kingfisher, 4 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff (Ian Stewart)
 * Dagenham Chase LNR: 3 Waxwing on Crowfoot Marsh just behind Slack 1430 ('SDr' per ELBF Facebook)
 * Erith riverside: Water Pipit, 100+ Black-tailed Godwit, 300+ Dunlin, 5 Rock Pipit, Grey Wagtail, 2 Jackdaw over (Ian Stewart)
 * Ewell, Hogsmill Open Space: 2 Little Egret (apparently three have been present recently), 1 Grey Heron (Neil Batten)
 * Fairlop Waters and surrounding fields: Firecrest, 2 Short-eared Owl, 2 Treecreeper, 2 Little Owl, Common Buzzard, Shelduck, Kingfisher, Stonechat, 300+ Fieldfare, 50-60 Redwing, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Reed Bunting, 200+ Lapwing. (Alan Thomas/Neil Twyford)
 * Finchley: gdn - Song Thrush (first one seen in at least 6 months) (Samuel Levy)
 * Finchley Central, Pointalls Allotments: 70 Redwing, 2 Pied Wagtail, 20 Goldfinch, 2 Meadow Pipits (Samuel Levy) TQ259904
 * Harold Hill: 21 Waxwing still in industrial estate on Ashton Rd nr Bampton Rd (Colin Jump via Essex BwS); 22 on Ashton Rd opp Newey & Eyre bldg (BirdGuides) TQ541910
 * Hornchurch: 4 Waxwing Upper Rainham Rd (Martin Blow et al per ELBF Facebook)
 * Lamorbey Park: 2 Little Grebe, 2 Egyptian Geese, 9 Cormorant, Grey Heron, 3 Tufted Duck, Kingfisher, 3-4 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, 6+ Goldcrests (Mike Amos).
 * London Wetland Centre: 3 Bittern, 2 Jack Snipe, c20 Fieldfare, 2 Water Pipit, 2 Common Snipe, 3 Mandarin 2m f (Martin Honey et al.)
 * Muswell Hill: 2 Waxwings from Rosebery Road early a.m., plus 2 Blackcaps m f, 2 Fieldfares over and 27 species in total (Dominic Mitchell); then Waxwings again nearby feeding in Cranbourne Road (Dominic Mitchell, Gareth Richards); no sign 1515 (BirdGuides) TQ289902 - photo Brian Milligan Waxwing_1.jpg
 * Oxleas Wood (SE9 1YG): male Firecrest bathing vigorously amongst Holly and Choisya leaves then preening in Cotoneaster Cornubia, also Tawny Owl hooting 6am (John Reid)
 * Palmers Green (Aldermans Hill, N13): Little Egret flew E at 15:25 (Robert Callf)
 * Ponders End: South Marsh channel - Green Sandpiper, Water Rail (A.Middleton)
 * Poulter Park: 2 Siberian Chiffchaff by R Wandle nr wooden bridge 0955 (BirdGuides)
 * Rainham RSPB: 1 Water Pipit, 28 Avocet, 6 Ringed Plover, 7 Common Snipe, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Peregrine, 1 Kestrel, 1 m Marsh Harrier, Barn Owl (John & Janet Cadera); R Thames Purfleet - Merlin, 773 Lapwing, Grey Plover, Black-tailed Godwit, 382 Dunlin, 3 Yellow-legged Gull (Fraser Simpson via Twitter)
 * Richmond Park: grey-phase European Stonechat still 11.15 at least in Hawthorn Valley c1400m west of Sheen car park (Bob Watts, Franko J Maroevic, Hugh Bradshaw, Dan Keel, Amanda Davies) (Photo: www.ilikebird.uk)IMG 6096 2.jpg
 * Rye Meads RSPB: gadwall_hide - Shelduck, 3 Green Sandpiper 1 colour-ringed red/white on right leg (Mike Ilett via Herts BC)
 * Scratch Wood: Firecrest still (per Dungeon Hill & Scratch Wood Birds blog)
 * Stanstead Abbotts Lakes - N lake: Bittern (Jane Free via Herts BC)
 * Stocker's Lake: red-head Smew still (William Bishop/Simon Knott via Herts BC); m Goosander still fr shoveler_hide (Paul Ward via Herts BC)
 * Swanscombe Marsh: 2 Water Pipit [one colour-ringed], Marsh Harrier, 12 Shelduck, 1500 Dunlin, 275 Lapwing, 2 Curlew, 3 Turnstone, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Raven (Andrew Self)
 * Ten Acre Wood area: Barn Owl, 4 Snipe, 2 Buzzard, 40+ Lapwing (G Westley)
 * Thames Barrier Park: Caspian Gull 1w, Common Sandpiper (David Darrell-Lambert via Twitter)
 * Totteridge Valley: 8 Redwing, 218 Common Gull, Grey Wagtail, 44 Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 70 Rook, 4 Goldcrest, 2 Stock Dove, Green Woodpecker, 14 Teal, 11 Ring-necked Parakeets (Samuel Levy)
 * Tyttenhanger GP: 2 Great White Egret, 12 Little Egret, Common Snipe, Green Sandpiper, Kingfisher, Peregrine Falcon, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, 6+ Bullfinch, 6+ Tree Sparrow. (Steve Blake)
 * Victoria Park: 9 Red-crested Pochard, f Kingfisher (David Darrell-Lambert via Twitter)
 * Walthamstow Marshes: 4 Stonechat (m & f/imm on fence at E edge of Bomb Crater Field & same again on Leyton Marsh), 5 Fieldfare over NW, no sign of Paul's Jack_Snipe at 1000 - about 10 degrees warmer than yesterday and a shedload of new rain in the Flood Relief Channel so no big surprise  (Alastair Dent)
 * Walthamstow Reservoirs: 38 Little Egret - roost on No 2 [my count exactly one year ago was 54], 3 Stonechat, 2 drake Goldeneye and 1 Kingfisher on West Warwick, Scaup and 3 Goosander [two drakes] on No 4, 1 Common Snipe, 1 drake Goldeneye and 40 Fieldfare on High Maynard, 2 Green Sandpiper on flood relief channel, also noted were a Pheasant on West Warwick and 2 Shelduck on East Warwick, 50+ Redwing, Cetti's Warbler and 3 Chiffchaff (Frank Nugent).

Friday 6th January 2017

 * Amwell NR: Bittern Gt Hardmead L opp viewpt (Herts BC)
 * Beddington Farmlands: 1 juv Glaucous Gull, 2 Yellow-legged Gull (Peter Alfrey, Kevin Guest, Frank Prater and BFBG) pics here
 * Bedfont Lakes: 2 drake Smew still at 12.30 (Jim Sweetland)
 * Canons Farm: Barn Owl briefly by farmhouse 1525 (Steve Gale via Twitter)
 * Copped Hall Estate: Red Kite, 2 Yellowhammer, 4 Common Buzzard, 24 Red-legged Partridge, 5 Rook, c70 Fieldfare, c50 Redwing, 2 Mistle Thrush, 12 Stock Dove, 2 Bullfinch, Skylark (Martin Shepherd)
 * Fairlop Waters and surrounding fields: Common Snipe, Kestrel, 11 Redwings, 47 Fieldfare, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, 21 Lapwing, Pheasant, 9 Gadwall, 5 Shoveler, 2 Meadow Pipit, Goldcrest (Simon Worsfold)
 * Forty Hall CP: Firecrest reported near Beggars Hollow entrance TQ337989, lots of Goldcrest, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, fem Sparrowhawk, handful of Shoveler on lake, Tawny Owl calling (Brian Dawton)
 * Fulham, River Thames: 4cy Caspian Gull (German-ringed, green 'XDFE'), 85 Herring Gull, 15 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 6 Great Black-backed Gull (Josh Jones)
 * Harold Hill: 23 Waxwing still opp Newey & Eyre bldg 1120 (Tim Evershed et al per ELBF Facebook)
 * Holmethorpe SPs: 2 Raven S over Mercer's Farm onto Nutfield Ridge (Steve Gale via HSP blog)
 * Lee Valley, Bowyers Water: 2 male Goldeneye (Mike Oakland)
 * Lee Valley, Friday Lake: red-head Smew, Snipe (Mike Oakland)
 * Lee Valley, Holyfield Marsh: finch flocks in wild bird seed crop north of Seventy Acres - c150 Linnet, c50 Chaffinch flock, which included one male Brambling (Mike Oakland)
 * Lee Valley, Seventy Acres Lake: Bittern in reedbed by Information Point. Bird climbed part way up the reeds after it appeared to have been disturbed by a marauding mink that was searching through the reedbed. Showed well from viewing platform to the left of the hide. (Mike Oakland)
 * Leyton Marsh: Jack Snipe in overflow channel to the east of the riding stables, view looking south from the bridge over the channel next to the pylon by the back paddocks. Bird is on the right hand side about 50-75m south under a 5mph sign. Found 09:30 still there 12:30 at least (Paul Whiteman); bird bobbing and feeding well in the rain there at 4pm. Good directions, thanks (Davey Leach).
 * Lyle Park: 4 Caspian Gull (3 first-winter and 1 second-winter) (Dante Shepherd)
 * North Finchley: fem Sparrowhawk over Lodge Lane Car Park (John Colmans)
 * Rainham Marshes RSPB: Water Pipit, Jack Snipe, 26 Avocet, Grey Plover, 2 Curlew, 10 Pintail, 10+ Rook, Merlin reported, 2 Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, Short-eared Owl, Barn Owl, 10 Stonechat, 10+ Redwing, 4 Fieldfare, 10 Cetti's Warbler, Goldcrest (Nick Croft/RSPB); Barnacle Goose on landfill w/ Canadas, 2 Ringed Plover Aveley Bay west end (Max Hellicar via Twitter)
 * Richmond Park: 4 Grey Heron - 2 pairs at nests, 3 Teal, 2 Gadwall, 0 Shoveler, 36 Pochard, 23 Tufted Duck - Pen Ponds largely frozen (J.Wilczur)
 * Rotherhithe: Canada Water - 18 Tufted Duck, 3 Common Gull (John Cadera)
 * Rotherhithe: Southwark Park - 1 Tufted Duck, 6 Shoveler, 1 Little Grebe (John Cadera)
 * Rotherhithe: Stave Hill - Firecrest still around the entrance to the ecology park, 2 Goldcrest, 6 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Grey Heron, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Grey Wagtail, Great Spotted Woodpecker (John Cadera)
 * Scratch Wood, Surrey: 1+ Firecrest still (per Dungeon Hill & Scratch Wood Birds blog)
 * Swanscombe Marsh: Water Rail, Grey Plover, Turnstone, 2 Dunlin, 2 Curlew, Rock Pipit, 4 Stonechat, 300+ Fieldfare, 50+ Redwing, 4 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, Bearded Tit, c20 Reed Bunting (Ian Stewart)
 * Trent Park: Kingfisher lower lake (Robert Callf)
 * Tyttenhanger GP: 2 Great White Egret, 12 Tree Sparrow, Little Grebe. (Steve Blake)
 * West Molesey: Iceland Gull SE over my house in Hurst Road at 8.30am. (Adam Cheeseman)
 * West Thurrock Marshes: 18 Avocet, 2 Grey Plover, 1100 Dunlin, 2 Jack Snipe (David Darrell-Lambert via Twitter)
 * Woodberry Wetlands: Snipe, 24 Pochard, Teal, Shoveler, Reed Bunting, 2 Egyptian Geese (Chris Farthing)
 * Woodlands Farm: 37 Fieldfare over, Sparrowhawk, Goldcrest (Conrad Ellam)
 * Woolwich Common: Common Buzzard mobbed by corvids (Conrad Ellam)

Thursday 5th January 2017

 * Batchworth Lake nr Rickmansworth: Cetti's Warbler by waterski club (Geoff Lapworth via Herts BC)
 * Brixton: 2 Fieldfare south, Lyham Road (Tony Stones)
 * Brookmill Park: Little Grebe, Song Thrush (Conrad Ellam)
 * Canons Farm: 2 Little Owl east side of Horse Pasture, Sparrowhawk, 2 juv Buzzard, 43 Skylark, 50 Fieldfare, 44 Redwing, Mistle Thrush, 50 Linnet, 12 Yellowhammer (David Campbell et al via CFBW blog)
 * Cole Green Tip: 2 Snipe, 2 Stonechat, 16 Yellowhammer (Adrian Bonner via Herts BC)
 * Crayford Marshes (Howbury Farm): Little Owl, 2 Rook, 2 Stock Dove, 70+ Fieldfare; Foreshore - 70 Lapwing, 60 Dunlin, 30 Lesser Black-backed Gull (Ralph Todd).
 * Dollis Brook: (near Finchley tennis club) 30+ Redwing. (Samuel Levy)
 * Enfield lock area: Redshank and Water Rail right in open plus pair Goosander flood relief channel and close up Kingfisher in Turkey Brooke. (Brian Dawton)
 * Farningham Village, Lion Hotel: Little Egret (Andy Meaton)
 * Footscray Meadows: 2 Little Grebe, 2 Mute Swan, 2 Gadwall, f Teal, 3 Tufted Duck, Water Rail, Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail, 4 Redwing (in a brief visit woodland not covered) (Mike Amos).
 * Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park: Gadwall (pair), Little Grebe (inner lake), Tufted Duck (male), Kestrel (female), Goldfinch (50+), Goldcrest (John Bushell)
 * Harold Hill: 22 Waxwing Ashton Rd still (Tim Everton et al per ELBF Facebook)
 * Heathrow: 5 Smew 3m 2f, 3 Goldeneye, 3 Water Rail, Kingfisher (Adam Cheeseman)
 * Ingrebourne Valley: Great Grey Shrike Bonnetts Wood Hill (Tom Bell, Barry Tranfield, Steve Elwell et al per ELBF Facebook); 7 Yellowhammer, Chiffchaff, 4 Water Rail, Buzzard, 5 Snipe (Dave Morrison per ELBF Facebook)
 * Kentish Town: Arctic St, 2 Waxwings feeding on a Rowan tree (1020) also Blackcap (Pete Mantle) Hi Pete! Could I get an extra steer on the Arctic St Waxwings? There aren't any trees in the street! Many thanks Francis Tusa. - birds were in gardens behind our block of flats (No.1) the tree they briefly fed on is on edge of Woodyard Close. It's favoured by Blackbirds and Woodpigeons but still has some fruit so there must be a chance they'll return tomorrow? (PM)
 * Lee Valley, Bowyers Water: 2 male Goldeneye (Simon Papps)
 * Lee Valley, Friday Lake: red-head Smew, 2 Cetti's Warbler (Simon Papps)
 * Lee Valley, Waltham Abbey, Kennel Wood area: f Stonechat, c220 Skylark, 27 Lapwing, 9 Stock Dove, 8 Red-legged Partridge, 3 Common Buzzard, Kestrel, Linnet, 3 Fieldfare, 7 Song Thrush, 3 Goldcrest (Martin Shepherd per ELBF Facebook)
 * Lippitts Hill: Woodcock flushed (Brian Dawton)
 * London Wetland Centre: 2+ Bittern, 4 Jack Snipe, 2 Water Pipit, 1m Kestrel, 2 Stock Dove, 1 Peregrine (Martin Honey)
 * Richmond Park: The grey-phase European Stonechat still showing by the fallen willows at 12:30, Peregrine, 2 Little Owl, 3 Kestrel, 4 Stock Dove, 48 Shoveler, 8 Gadwall, 3 Teal, 33 Pochard, mating pair of Grey Heron, Water Rail calling SE of southern Pen Ponds, Stonechat, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Song Thrush, 2 Redwing, Meadow Pipit (Magnus Andersson, Simon Worsfold)
 * Ruxley GPs (permit only): 6 Mute Swan, 1 Canada Goose, 6+ Mallard, 20+ Gadwall, 3 Shoveler, f Teal, 15 Pochard, 100+ Tufted Duck, 10 Little Grebe, 3 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Cormorant, Little Egret N, 3 Grey Heron, 3+ Water Rail, 4+ Moorhen, 250+ Coot, Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail, Fieldfare, 10+ Redwing, 3 Cetti's Warbler, 3+ Chiffchaff, 5+ Goldcrest, Lesser Redpoll, 3+ Bullfinch, 1+ Reed Bunting in to roost (Ian Stewart)
 * St James's Park: female Sparrowhawk (Andrew Self)
 * Sidcup Place: 6+ Redwings (Mike Amos).
 * Staines Moor: 5 Jack Snipe, Green Sandpiper, Water Rail, Little Grebe, Kingfisher, 45 Fieldfare, 8 Song Thrush, 3 Stonechat (Thomas Gibson)
 * Staines Reservoir: 3 Smew 2m rh south basin till noon then S/SE (Surrey BC)
 * Stanborough Reedmarsh: Kingfisher (Keith Dean via Herts BC) TL230105
 * Stocker's Lake: f Smew fr Shoveler_hide (Geoff Lapworth via Herts BC); 25 Siskin in alders nr Stockers house (Steve Carter)
 * Sutcliffe Park: Water Rail, Common Snipe (Conrad Ellam)
 * Swanley Park: 6 Egyptian Geese (2nd record in 30 yrs), Coot (rare here), 100+ Redwing, 25 Fieldfare, Kestrel, Heron (Andy Meaton
 * Syon Park: Grey Wagtail, 2 Little Owls, 20 Redwing (f.McK) full name pls?
 * The Ridgeway (Mill Hill): 30+ Redwing feeding on field in front of BCF. (Samuel Levy) Where is BCF? Also suggest heading should read: Mill HIll, The Ridgeway, NW7 (Belmont Children's Farm). [SL - site renamed to match 1) farm address & 2) LNHS site-database format - feel free to change it back if you prefer] TQ224928
 * Thorney CP: m Bullfinch, 2 Shoveler, 3 Gadwall, Grey Heron, Goldcrest, 2 Goldfinch, 3 Redwing, Fieldfare, Chiffchaff, Dunnock, Ring-necked Parakeet (Sue Giddens).
 * Tooting Common: Little Owl in usual tree at back of Bedford Wood (per Peter White)
 * Tottenham Marshes: Wild Marsh area/Chalk Bridge - f Peregrine on pylon by Banbury Reservoir, f Goosander, Green Sandpiper and 3 Grey Wagtail on Overflow channel, 3 Teal in Lea River - 12-1pm (Davey Leach).
 * Upminster Golf Club: 5 Waxwing (Colin Robinson per ELBF Facebook) TQ559875
 * Waltham Abbey Gardens: 30 Fieldfare, Coal Tit (Martin Shepherd)
 * Waltham Abbey, Kennel Wood area: f Stonechat, c220 Skylark, 27 Lapwing, 9 Stock Dove, 8 Red-legged Partridge, 3 Common Buzzard, Kestrel, Linnet, 3 Fieldfare, 7 Song Thrush, 3 Goldcrest (Martin Shepherd)
 * Walthamstow: Lockwood - pr Goosander, 6 Goldeneye 3m 3f, 3+ Little Grebe, Green Sandpiper, 17 Fieldfare (Stuart Fisher); Peregrine, Meadow Pipit, Fieldfare, Kingfisher, Common Sandpiper - c3pm (Simon Worsfold)
 * Wanstead Flats: 6 Skylark (Bob Vaughan); 6 Shoveler, 3 Teal, 2 Goldcrest, 30 Fieldfare, 8 Redwing, 2 Kestrel (Nick Croft)
 * Wanstead Park: Water Rail, 2 Little Egret, 35 Gadwall, 6 Shoveler, 3 Pochard, 8 Tufted Duck, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Chiffchaff, 2 Redwing, 3 Goldcrest (Nick Croft)
 * Watercress LNR: Water Rail, 30+ Siskin (Andrew Steele via Herts BC)
 * West Drayton: Bottom of Swan Rd by bridge Little Egret along river (Sue Giddens)
 * Wraysbury GPs: 2 Smew m f, 8 Goldeneye, Kingfisher (Thomas Gibson)

Wednesday 4th January 2017

 * Alexandra Park: Water Rail (Conservation Pond) (James Palmer)
 * Belhus Woods CP: 14 Pochard, 2 Water Rail, 6 Lapwing, 8 Siskin, 6 Lesser Redpoll, 2 Bullfinch, 17 Linnet, Chiffchaff, Barn Owl, 12 Redwing, 6 Fieldfare, Kestrel ('Roving Bumbarrel' per ELBF Facebook)
 * Blackfriars: Great Black-backed Gull on foreshore by Mondrian hotel (D Bates)
 * Chelsea Bridge Wharf: Grey Wagtail (Neil Anderson)
 * Foots Cray: Little Egret, Grey Wagtail on Hales Field c16.20 (Ian Stewart)
 * Fulham: 20+ House Sparrow behind Clem Attlee estate (Nathalie Mahieu via Twitter)
 * Grovelands Park: Great Crested Grebe, 2 Cormorant, Mute Swan, 11 Egyptian Goose, 12 Mandarin Duck 7m 5f, 22 Tufted Duck 14m 8f, Sparrowhawk, 8 Common Gull, 4 Stock Dove, Grey Wagtail, 2 Redwing, 8 Goldcrest, Coal Tit singing, 5 Nuthatch incl four males, Treecreeper (Robert Callf)
 * Harold Hill: 9 Waxwing still Ashton Rd 0930 (BirdGuides)
 * Hatfield: Marsh Tit nr Hatfield Hse car-park entrance (Kathy Sharman via Herts BC)
 * Hockenden area: Stonechat in gorse on bike field, Pheasant, Sparrowhawk, 10+ Fieldfare, Redwings (Ian Stewart)
 * Hogsmill STW Nature Reserve: Teal, Shoveler, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine, Kestrel, Snipe, 13200 Black-headed Gull (12900 E), 4900 Herring Gull E, 43 Lesser Black-backed Gull (40 E), 2 Fieldfare over, 5 Redwing (Andrew Skotnicki)
 * Kingston: Black Swan still on River Thames opposite Charter Quay (Nigel Jackman)
 * London Wetland Centre: 2 Water Pipit, 1 Jack Snipe, 2 Bittern, 5 Mandarin 3m 2f, 3 Pintail 2m f, 2m Stonechat, 1 Song Thrush, 3 Peregrine on Charing Cross Hospital (Martin Honey)
 * Lyle Park: 1 first-winter Caspian Gull, 3 Yellow-legged Gull (Dante Shepherd)
 * Middlesex Filter Beds: 15 Redwing at 0830 (1 in treetop & 14 over SE), 1 Goldcrest, 3 Collared Dove (back for spring) (Alastair Dent)
 * Millfields E5: 2 Stock Dove in poplars by the orchard at 0900 (back for spring - none here over the winter) (Alastair Dent)
 * North Wembley: 6+ Fieldfare & c20 Redwing feeding in large Cotoneasters (Neil Anderson)
 * O2, North Greenwich: 2 second-winter Caspian Gull, Swiss yellow ringed Yellow-legged Gull HD232 (Dante Shepherd)
 * Petts Wood: area - Buzzard, Woodcock flushed from hillside south of Cray Valley GC, 7 Skylark, c40 Meadow Pipit (Ian Stewart via Twitter)
 * Rainham Marshes RSPB: 6 Kestrel, 123 Redshank, 123 Teal, 25 Shelduck, Song Thrush, 16 Black-tailed Godwit, 36 Gadwall, 4 Pied Wagtail, 22 Meadow Pipit, 167 Wigeon, Reed Bunting, 212 Lapwing, 2 Raven, 20 Curlew, 2 Water Pipit, 19 Avocet, 4 Dunlin, 12 Linnet, 5 Stonechat, 12 Fieldfare, 64 Redwing, 2 Knot, 7 Skylark, 28 Pintail, 5 Little Egret, 20 Shoveler, 2 Barn Owl, Green Woodpecker, 17 Pochard, 13 Tufted Duck, 2 Cetti's Warbler, Rook, Marsh Harrier, 56 Golden Plover, 4 Snipe (Total of 65 Species seen) (Samuel Levy)
 * Ruislip Lido: Jack Snipe still present in SW corner asleep amongst the sallows. View from the boathouse on the dam. (John Edwards)
 * St Pauls Cray Hill Park: Woodcock flushed from hillside, Buzzard, 7 Skylark, c40 Meadow Pipit, 3 Linnet (Ian Stewart)
 * Staines Moor: pm. 1 very pale Short-eared Owl NW corner, 5+ Kestrels, 1 Little Egret, 1 Water Pipit, 8 Meadow Pipits, 4 Stonechat, Skylark, 2 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Snipe, numerous Cormorants flying over, 20+ Fieldfare, 10+ Redwing, 8 Song Thrush, Linnets, Siskin (Nick Baker).
 * Stoke Newington: pm. 7 Waxwing, 1 Redwing (Penny Walker) Location please? [CF] Garden, Winston Rd N16 [PW] Thank you.
 * Stoneleigh KT17: 137 Herring Gull ne (Neil Batten)
 * Strawberry Hill Ponds: Firecrest in beech left of path by pond (BirdGuides)
 * Sunbury: 5 Waxwing Shears Way (Tony Sweetland via Twitter)
 * Totteridge Valley/Darlands Lake: Little Egret, 2 Reed Bunting, c25 Fieldfare, c45 Redwing, 22 Rook, 20 Canada Geese, 9 Teal (John Colmans)
 * Trent Park: Kingfisher, 2 Bullfinch, 4 Shoveler 3m f, 5 Pochard 3m 2f, f Tufted Duck, Redwing, Fieldfare, c40 Black-headed Gull (Pete Lowman).
 * Tyttenhanger GP: 2 Great White Egret, 11 Little Eget, Kingfisher, Green Sandpiper, Tree Sparrow, 2 Bullfinch, 2 Red-legged Partridge, 2 Red Kite (Steve Blake)
 * Walthamstow Reservoirs: 2 Black-necked Grebe on Lockwood, also pr Goldeneye & f Sparrowhawk over, f Peregrine flew low E over both Maynard Reservoirs, ad Yellow-legged Gull, 1 Fieldfare & Grey Wagtail around Upper Maynard - 12.10-13.10 (Davey Leach); drake Scaup No4, pr Goosander on N of Lockwood - 12:25-13:30 (Stuart Fisher)
 * Wanstead Flats: Yellow-browed Warbler briefly with Long-tailed Tits at 08:30 (Rob Sheldon); Y-bW again briefly at 14:30, 3 Goldcrest, 4 Skylark, 12 Linnet, Reed Bunting, c20 Shoveler, 2 Teal, 2 Gadwall, 10+ Tufted Duck, 4 Pochard, 3 Redwing, Kestrel (Nick Croft)
 * Wanstead Park:  Firecrest, Nuthatch, Coal Tit in Bush Wood (Bob Vaughan); 3 singing Coal Tit, 5 Goldcrest, 13 Fieldfare, 3 Redwing, 3 Mistle Thrush, Kingfisher, 5 Little Egret, 5 Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, 4 Shoveler, 3 Teal, 32 Gadwall, Pochard, 15 Tufted Duck (Nick Croft/Mike Messenger)

Tuesday 3rd January 2017

 * Brentwood: Brambling Woodman Rd Cemetery (per ELBF Facebook)
 * Brookmill Park: Little Grebe, 4 Redwing over (John Bushell & Conrad Ellam)
 * Chislehurst ponds: Male Mandarin (Ian Stewart)
 * Connaught Water: Redwing, 4 Goldcrest, Treecreeper, M Pintail 08.00-10.20 (G.Gram).
 * Creekmouth: Siberian Chiffchaff (Jamie Partridge and Dante Shepherd) Pics here and here
 * Dagenham Chase LNR: Little Grebe, Green Sandpiper, 2 Rook (Vince Halley-Frame per ELBF Facebook)
 * East India Dock NR: 8 Shelduck, 4 Reed Bunting (Paul Hyland)
 * Enfield: Bullsmoor Ln - 2 Goosander pair on New River then flew south at 8:45, Kingfisher (Deiniol Owen).
 * Finchley: gdn - 60 Blue Tit, 25 Great Tit, 6 Long-tailed Tit, 6 Coal Tit, 25 Goldfinch, 10 Greenfinch, 15 Chaffinch, 10 Robin, 4 Dunock, 9 Redwing (into roost), 7 Ring-necked Parakeet, 2 Nuthatch, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Wren, 10 Blackbird (and all the usual pigeons and crows) - (First Bird count this year 3-4:15) (Samuel Levy)
 * Hogsmill STW Nature Reserve: Kestrel, 12800 Black-headed Gull (12100 E), 1800 Herring Gull E, Kingfisher, 23 Stock Dove, 11 Redwing, 15 Linnet (Andrew Skotnicki)
 * Holmethorpe SPs: Nuffield Ridge - 2 Red Kite, 3 Buzzard, Peregrine, Woodcock (Gordon Hay via HSP blog)
 * Hornchurch: my garden this morning - 2 Waxwings (flew off North), 17 Redwing, 2 Goldcrest and 9 Fieldfare (Dave Morrison)
 * Ingrebourne Valley: Woodcock (Steve Smith per ELBF Facebook)
 * Lamorbey Park: 2 Little Grebe, Little Egret, Grey Heron, 2 Mute Swan, c30 Canada Geese, Egyptian Goose, Kestrel, Kingfisher, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Goldcrest, small flock of Siskin (Mike Amos).
 * London Wetland Centre: 2 Bittern (main lake), 1 Water Pipit (wader scrape), probably 2 Jack Snipe (grazing marsh), 2 Mandarin (wildside), 3 Pintail 2m 1f (main lake) (Martin Honey)
 * Lyle Park, Thames Barrier Park and by the O2: 4 Caspian Gull (3 first-winter and 1 second-winter) (Jamie Partridge and Dante Shepherd)
 * Orsett Fen: 10 Grey Partridge, 2 White-fronted Goose, Water Rail, 164 Lapwing, 23 Golden Plover, 367 Redwing, 257 Fieldfare, 23 House Sparrow, 181 Starling, 2 Corn Bunting, 4 Reed Bunting, 5 Meadow Pipit, 119 Skylark, 43 Yellowhammer, 11 Linnet, Tawny Owl, Barn Owl, Little Owl, f Marsh Harrier, 6 Buzzard, f Peregrine, m Sparrowhawk, 7 Kestrel ('Roving Bumbarrel' per ELBF Facebook)
 * Petts Wood: 2+ Firecrest, Fieldfare, 200+ Jackdaw, Rook, Siskin (Ian Stewart)
 * Ponders End: 3 Song Thrush flew SW together mid-morning; yesterday 3 Bullfinch Yardley Hill with interesting calls (A.Middleton)
 * Rainham RSPB: 2 Marsh Harrier, 8 Avocets, Little Stint, 2 Mediterranean Gull 1w, Yellow-legged Gull, 50 Rook, Raven (per ELBF Facebook)
 * Richmond Park: grey-phase European Stonechat still near Hawthorn valley, near large fallen Willows 300 yards East of Cambrian Gate along horse track (Birdguides).
 * Rotherhithe, Stave Hill Ecology Park: Firecrest 11:15 (Tim Rymer).
 * Ruislip Lido: 1 Jack Snipe opposite the boathouse late morning (Roger Morton)
 * St James's Park: Rook over W at 08:35 (Frank Nugent, Jo Lawrence)
 * Sidcup DA15 (York Avenue): 8 Fieldfare NE, Redwing (Ian Stewart)
 * Sidcup Place: 12+ Redwings, Goldfinch in grounds of Registry office by Morrison's (Mike Amos).
 * Stocker's Lake: rh Smew still (BirdGuides)
 * Stoke Newington West Reservoir: Mediterranean Gull (Chris Farthing)
 * Sutcliffe Park: Green Sandpiper (John Bushell)
 * Tyttenhanger GP: 2 Great White Egret, 11 Little Egret, Water Rail, Green Sandpiper, Kingfisher, Snipe, Peregrine, c20 Skylark, Red Kite (S Blake/P Elton); Firecrest at edge of car park by bailiff's caravan (Alan Gardiner via Twitter)
 * Upminster: Jack Snipe St Mary's Ln ('Roving Bumbarrel' per ELBF Facebook)
 * Walthamstow Reservoirs: m Scaup and Grey Wagtail on No4, Meadow Pipit and Green Sandpiper flushed from No5, f Goldeneye, 8 Shoveler and 38 Little Egret on East Warwick - 12.10-13.10 (Davey Leach).
 * Wanstead Flats: Stonechat, Fieldfare, 4 Redwing, 7 Meadow Pipit, Goldcrest, 20 Shoveler, 3 Gadwall, 2 Teal, 4 Pochard, 4 Tufted Duck, 12 Linnet, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk (Nick Croft)
 * Wanstead Park:  Firecrest, 10 Goldcrest, Treecreeper, 2 Nuthatch, Coal Tit, 2 Siskin, 5 Redwing, 15 Fieldfare, 2 Teal, 33 Gadwall, 7 Shoveler, 3 Pochard, 12 Tufted Duck, 6 Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker, Sparrowhawk (Nick Croft)

Monday 2nd January 2017

 * Alexandra Park: 1+ Water Rail at dusk by small pond by NW corner of Wood Green reservoir, c25 Fieldfare, 2 Redwing, 25+ Magpie (to roost) (Sam Jones)
 * Amwell: f Smew right of watch point, Woodcock flew from railway crossing towards watchpoint at 1710; also Marsh Tit and 17 Red Kite less than a mile outside London recording area (Neville Smith); Barn Owl fr viewpt at dusk (Chris runs via Herts BC)
 * Barking Bay: 3 Wigeon, 8 Black-tailed Godwit, 5 Curlew, 1 Knot, 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Caspian Gull 2cy ad, 5 Yellow-legged Gull, 14 Skylark, 30 Meadow Pipit, 4 Stonechat, Bearded Reedling, 2 Cetti's Warbler, c60 Linnet, 12 Reed Bunting, 1 Corn Bunting (Nick Senior)
 * Bounds Green: Marsh Tit briefly in garden am never seen in this area before (Sheila Warbus)
 * Boyles Court (Warley): Woodcock, Kingfisher, 100 Jackdaw to roost, 2 Fieldfare, 2 Meadow Pipit, 2 Bullfinch (Andrew Stroud via EBwS News) TQ577915
 * Brent Reservoir: Pair of Nuthatches clearing nest hole driven off by pair of parakeets, Water Rail, Sparrowhawk (Francis O'Sullivan); 14 Common Snipe, 2 Cetti's Warbler East Marsh, Chiffchaff (Roy Beddard, Steve Leeke); Black Swan and 3 Muscovy Duck still present (seen from my car as I waited to cross Cool Oak Bridge) (Andrew Haynes)
 * Crayford Marshes: Barn Owl hunting over NE area of landfill close to Moat Lane 16.50, 2 Grey Plover at Darent mouth, 2 Common Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Curlew, Stonechat (Ian Stewart)
 * Colliers Wood (River Wandle): 2 Little Egret in Wandle Park, 1 Chiffchaff (Keith Bates)
 * Creekmouth: 1 first-winter Caspian Gull (Dante Shepherd and Jamie Partridge)
 * Crossness: Black Redstart fem in sewage works around sludge tanks, 3 Buzzards soaring together, c85 Shoveler, 32+ Wigeon, Water Rail, Stonechat fem by Thames path (John Archer)
 * Dagenham Chase LNR: 3 Reed Bunting, Kestrel, 3 Bullfinch, 3 Sparrowhawk, 26 Wigeon, 2 Kingfisher, Buzzard, 2 Fieldfare, Little Egret, Snipe, 14 Long-tailed Tit, 73 Lapwing, 89 Ring-necked Parakeet, 3 Goldcrest, 4 Egyptian Geese, Peregrine, Chiffchaff, Cetti's Warbler, Water Rail, 6 Linnet (Vince Halley-Frame per ELBF Facebook)
 * Fairlop Waters and surrounding fields: 2 Short-eared Owl, 2 Little Owl, Common Buzzard (Neil Twyford)
 * Gallions Reach: 75 Gadwall, 3 Peregrine Falcon, Knot, Snipe, 32 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Curlew, 2 Common Sandpiper, Yellow-legged Gull, Rock Pipit, Stonechat, 6 Fieldfare, 2 Cetti's Warbler, 14 Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrest, 75 Linnet (Gary A James via EBwS News)
 * Garden Wood (Tyttenhanger area): Woodcock (Rupert Evershed/Richard Coombes/David Booth via Herts BC); Marsh Tit w/ mixed tit flock (Dan Fletcher via Herts BC)
 * Grovelands Park (Southgate): f Firecrest in laurels near Winchmore Hill Road entrance calling but elusive, 2 Lesser Redpoll and 9 Siskin in alders by lake, 11 Egyptian Geese, 16 Mandarin 9m 7f on lake, 2 Treecreeper, 9 Redwing, 3 Fieldfare, 2 Green Woodpecker and 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming, large numbers of Nuthatch and Goldcrest in area, 3 Coal Tits - 7.30-9.15am (Davey Leach)
 * Gunpowder Park: Sparrowhawk, Green Woodpecker, Song Thrush, a few Redwings, 6 House Sparrows, 4 Reed Buntings and a pair of Bullfinches (Harry Harrison)
 * Hackney Downs: 40+ Ring-necked Parakeets, 2 Mistle Thrushes (Dusk) (Sue Barry)
 * Hogsmill STW Nature Reserve: 5 Shoveler, Teal, 3 Pochard, Sparrowhawk, Snipe, 12700 Black-headed Gull (11000 E), 1040 Herring Gull E, Great Black-backed Gull N, Kingfisher, 6 Redwing, Fieldfare W (Andrew Skotnicki)
 * Hornsey (Priory Park): female type Blackcap (James Palmer)
 * Ingrebourne Valley: 2 Green Woodpecker, 14 Long-tailed Tit, 6 Meadow Pipit, Lesser Redpoll, 3+ Reed Bunting (Andrew Cox via EBwS News)
 * King George V Reservoir: pr Goosander, 33 Linnet (Nick Moll via ELBF Facebook)
 * Kingston upon Thames: Black Swan on River Thames opposite Charter Quay (Nigel Jackman)
 * Lamorbey Park: No sign of Firecrest late am, Little Egret, 2 Kingfisher (Ian Stewart et al)
 * Lee Valley (adjacent to King George V Reservoir): Few Redwing and Fieldfare on grazing land between Navigation canal and reservoir, also a flock of 33 Linnets; pair of Goosander on eastern branch of River Lee adjacent to sailing club (Nick Moll)
 * Little Woodcote: Barn Owl 1650 (Ian Eagles via Twitter)
 * London Wetland Centre: highlights included 3 Bittern (2 seen from Observatory looking towards Headely Hide and another looking towards WWF Hide - latter not seen by me), Water Pipit, 2 Water Rail, 2 Jack Snipe 1 seen by other observer, m Stonechat, Peregrine (CX Hospital) (Bill Haines); 3 Pintail, 2 Peregrine, 2 Reed Bunting, several Snipe (Mat Hare)
 * Lyle Park: 5 first-winter Caspian Gull (Dante Shepherd, Jamie Partridge and Richard Bonser)
 * Pinner (HA5): Red Kite over at 12:39 & the same or another north-west at 15:06, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Redwing over, 6 Goldfinch & Coal Tit on feeders, Long-tailed Tit, Jackdaw & 2 Common Gull (Jon Ridge)
 * Rainham RSPB: Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, 17 Avocet, 3 Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, Yellow-legged Gull, Chiffchaff, Short-eared Owl, 2 Raven (per ELBF Facebook)
 * Regent's Park: Male Kingfisher end of main lake by wildlife garden behind tennis courts (Toni Piccolo)
 * Richmond Park: grey-phase European Stonechat still near Hawthorn valley near large fallen Willows 300 yards East of Cambrian Gate along horse track, nearby 2 Stonechats, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker heard near Sheen Gate car park early am per visitors (Franko J Maroevic); by pen ponds 1 Dartford Warbler, 6 Stonechat, 1 Peregrine, c80 Shoveler (Oscar Dewhurst); presumed Stejneger's showing well 15.00 in grassland beyond fallen willows. This bird reminds me of a similarly cold toned bird seen by me and Des McKenzie at Thamesmead some twenty years ago. I am trying to dig out my notes. (R.Kaye); 88 Shoveler, Little Owl, Kingfisher (Pen Ponds); 3 Meadow Pipit, 7 Stonechat, probably 2 Dartford Warbler (Neil Anderson/K. Bull); also Little Owl at Bog lodge and Kingfisher on upper Pen ponds (J.Murray); Woodcock over (Mark Elsoffer via Twitter)
 * Ruislip Lido: Jack Snipe seen from boathouse 9.45am (Tim Rymer).
 * Rye Meads RSPB: Bittern, 2 Red Kite, Peregrine, Water Pipit, 2 Green Sandpiper (Graham White via Twitter)
 * Staines Moor: Water Pipit (Surrey BC)
 * Staines Reservoir: Great Northern Diver (Surrey BC)
 * Surbiton: 16 Cormorant, 10 Lapwing, 5 Little Grebe on Seething Wells Filter Beds (Nigel Jackman)
 * Swanscombe Marsh: Jack Snipe & Water Pipit on foreshore/saltmarsh, 2 Marsh Harrier, 10 Avocet, 61 Black-tailed Godwit, 82 Lapwing, 54 Redshank, 4 Stonechat, 1160 Fieldfare, 100 Redwing, 2 Cetti's Warbler, Chiffchaff (Andrew Self)
 * Trent Park: Common Buzzard, 6 Pochard 3m 3f, Woodcock, fem Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, 4 Treecreeper, 2 Bullfinch (Robert Callf)
 * Walthamstow Marshes: 2 Stonechat 1m 1f/imm on Leyton Marsh, f Kestrel over Bomb Crater Field, 14 Linnet on rear paddocks - 11:00-12:00 (Alastair Dent)
 * Walthamstow Res: Drake Scaup on No4 and 44 Little Egrets roosted on East Warwick. (J.Murray); f Goldeneye on Lockwood (Phil Aylen via Twitter)
 * Wandle Park: Colliers Wood - 2 Little Egret (Surrey BC)
 * Wanstead Flats: No confimred sighting of Yellow-browed Warbler by evening, Chiffchaff, 3 Goldcrest, Stonechat, Skylark, Grey Wagtail, 6 Pochard, 3 Tufted Duck, 7 Shoveler, 6 Teal, 4 Gadwall, Common Buzzard, Kestrel, Linnet (Wanstead Birders)
 * Wanstead Park: Treecreeper, 2 Nuthatch, 2 Coal Tit, Sparrowhawk (Bob Vaughan/Tony Brown)
 * Willows Farm: Barnacle Goose w/ Canadas Willows Farm Lake (Herts BC)

Sunday 1st January 2017

 * Ashley Pit: 12 Goosander (Andy Bartlett via Herts BC)
 * Brent Reservoir: 2 Cetti's Warbler, 30+ Snipe, 310 Common Gull, Chiffchaff & 9 Goldcrest included in 54 species (Andrew Self, Andrew Verrall, Roy Beddard)
 * Broxbourne Woods: Marsh Tit, 8 Siskin (Jenny Sherwen via Herts BC)
 * Canons Farm & Banstead Woods: 3 ad Great Black-backed Gull over, Collared Dove, 7 Rook, 23 Skylark, f Stonechat hither field, 20 Fieldfare, 200 Redwing, Meadow Pipit, Lesser Redpoll, 8 Bullfinch, 21 Yellowhammer broadfield - 49 spp (David Campbell via CFBW blog)
 * Charing Cross Hospital: 3 Peregrine Falcon (juvenile still around) (Nathalie Mahieu).
 * Creekmouth, Barking: Curlew, Knot, 4 Common Sandpiper, 25 Redshank, Caspian Gull 3cy, 15 Chiffchaff, 2 Grey Wagtail, 2 Rock Pipit, 2 Reed Bunting (Paul Hawkins per ELBF Facebook)
 * Danson Park: 2 male Pochard, 3 Teal, Water Rail (Ian Stewart)
 * Ealing (W13): Female Blackcap in garden - 25 species recorded from house during day. (Bill Haines)
 * Foots Cray Meadows: Cetti's Warbler, Chiffchaff, Shoveler, Water Rail, Little Egret (Ian Stewart)
 * Greville Place LNR, Kilburn NW6: 20 Redwing, 2 Goldcrest (Francis O'Sullivan) TQ257833
 * Hammersmith (Wendell Park): 1 Waxwing w/ Fieldfares 1305 (BirdGuides) TQ216796
 * Harold Hill: 9 Waxwing still (BirdGuides)
 * Hilfield Park Reservoir: Red Kite, Kingfisher (Tony Blake via Herts BC)
 * Hogsmill STW Nature Reserve: 3 Teal, Shoveler, Pochard, 6300 Black-headed Gull (5500 E), 30 Lesser Black-backed Gull mainly E, 640 Herring Gull mainly E, Kestrel, 10 Stock Dove, Kingfisher, 7 Redwing, Fieldfare W (Andrew Skotnicki)
 * Holmethorpe SPs: 3 Little Egret, 2 Green Sandpiper, 5 Jack Snipe, 2 Tawny Owl Nuffield Ridge & WC lagoons, pr Stonechat Moors (Gordon Hay & Ray Baker via HSP blog)
 * Hornsey: male Blackcap, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, 2 Redwing in my garden (James Palmer)
 * Lamorbey Park: Firecrest, Siskin (Ian Stewart)
 * Leyton: 1 Waxwing flew ENE over Leyton Fire Station at 11:00. (Paul Whiteman)
 * London Wetland Centre: pr Pintail, Bittern showing well beside WWF hide, pr Peregrine perched on Charing X Hospital, Water Rail, Jack Snipe (missed by me), Water Pipit (Neil Anderson et al); Bearded Tit reedbed (feeding on seed heads just S of bench on path to Wildside Hide), 10 Fieldfare, 11 Redwing, 4 Siskin (WWT website)
 * Lower Chingford: 3 Goosander, Redshank (James Palmer)
 * Lyle Park: 2 Caspian Gull (first-winter and second-winter), 6 Yellow-legged Gulls, 1 Fieldfare, 4 Redwing, 4 Linnet (Dante Shepherd) Pictures here
 * Nags Head Lane Fishery: 6 Tufted Duck, Little Grebe, pr Great Crested Grebe displaying, Cormorant, Snipe, 2 Green Woodpecker, 1ay, 3 Greenfinch, m Bullfinch (Colin Jupp via EBwS News)
 * Pinner (HA5): Fieldfare, 15 Redwing, Coal Tit & a rather 'messed up' first-winter Common Gull (Jon Ridge)
 * Rainham RSPB: - Happy New Year everyone - a.m - 2 Short-eared Owl and 1 Barn Owl, 35 Black-tailed Godwits, Grey Plover, 15 Avocet, 11 Ringed Plover, Peregrine, 14 Pintail, 2 Stonechat, 4 Rock Pipit and 1 Water Pipit, Chiffchaff, Dark-bellied Brent Goose and Kingfisher (Dave Morrison); also 3 Little Egret, 3 more Avocet, 3 Golden Plover, 1200 Lapwing, 7 Curlew, 200 more Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Turnstone, Knot, 700 Dunlin, Jack Snipe, 23 Snipe, Caspian Gull 1w, 3 Yellow-legged Gull, 2 Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, another Barn Owl, 40 Rook, 3 Raven, 14 Skylark, another Chiffchaff, 9 Cetti’s Warbler, 5 more Stonechat, 23 Fieldfare, 80 Redwing, Grey Wagtail, 9 Meadow Pipit, 4 more Rock Pipit, 4 more Water Pipit - 87 spp (per Howard Vaughan et al via ELBF Facebook)
 * Rayners Lane, Roxbourne Park: Nuthatch, Goldcrest, Common Gull (Tim Rymer)
 * Richmond Park: grey-phase European Stonechat still near Hawthorn valley. In long grass near lower large fallen willows. 300 yards East of Cambrian Gate along horse track. From gate walk uphill on left gravel path. Cross cycle track and turn left on horse track 10 yards beyond (Franko J Maroevic)
 * Rotherhithe: Canada Water - 10 Tufted Duck, 1 Common Gull, 2 Pied Wagtail (John & Janet Cadera)
 * Rotherhithe: Greenland Dock - 40 Tufted Duck, 8 Great Crested Grebe (John & Janet Cadera)
 * Rotherhithe: Southwark Park - 1 f Teal, 8 Tufted Duck, 2 Shoveler, 2 Egyptian Goose, 13 Greylag, 6 Canada Goose, 3 Little Grebe, Grey Heron, Goldcrest, 6 Long-tailed Tit, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Jay (John & Janet Cadera)
 * Rotherhithe: Stave Hill - Firecrest still around the entrance to the ecology park, 1 Chiffchaff, 4 Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, 2 Grey Heron, 1 Chiffchaff, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Grey Wagtail, Jay, Kingfisher (John & Janet Cadera)
 * Ruislip Lido: 1 Jack Snipe (seen mid-afternoon) (R.Middleton)
 * Rye Meads RSPB: Bittern Kingfisher_hide, Water Pipit fr Gadwall_hide (Andy Bartlett via Herts BC)
 * Scratch Wood, Woodmansterne: 2 Rook, 2 Firecrest [site-1st], 4 Lesser Redpoll [Gt Solom's Wd] (Dungeon Hill & Scratch Wood Birds facebook)
 * South Harrow: Red Kite following Piccadilly Line (Michael Robinson)
 * Staines Res: Brent Goose, m Scaup 1w, 11 Goldeneye, 2 Black-necked Grebe, 2 Red Kite (Dominic Pia & Tony Sweetland via Twitter)
 * Stocker's Lake: 12+ Red-crested Pochard, Ring-necked Parakeet (Axel Kirby); m Goosander (Clifford Smout)
 * The Mores Wood: Tawny Owl pellets under pine tree just outside wood, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Goldcrest, Nuthatch, 3 Treecreeper, Grey Wagtail, 20 Chaffinch, 25 Siskin, 3 Bullfinch feeding in alders (Andrew Stroud via EBwS News) TQ560960
 * Tottenham Marshes: Barn Owl near allotments and canal South Marsh c4 am (Stuart Fisher); female Stonechat in usual place, plus Kingfisher on Pymmes Brook near cafe (Quentin Given)
 * Totteridge Valley/Darlands Lake: Little Owl, 2 Grey Wagtail, 2 Bullfinch, 3 Redwing, 2 Fieldfare, Mistle Thrush, 11 Teal (John Colmans)
 * Tyttenhanger GP: fem Goosander, 2 Great White Egret, 3 Little Egret, Peregrine Falcon, Green Sandpiper (Steve Blake)
 * Verulamium Park: Kingfisher by bridge nr Fighting Cocks (Andy Day via Herts BC)
 * Walthamstow Reservoirs: 2 Green Sandpiper in Flood Relief (reservoirs closed today seen from road) (Quentin Given)
 * Wanstead Flats: Yellow-browed Warbler still on Alex, Stonechat (Jonathan Lethbridge)
 * Wanstead Park: Firecrest, 3 Water Rail, 5 Little Egret (Jonathan Lethbridge/Tim Harris)

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