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Please list sightings in alphabetical order by site. Only report sightings that are of wider interest, rather than listing all common birds. However, DO NOT post details of nesting by scarce breeding birds (those included in Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, as amended). Any such reports will be removed. Please submit them instead to the appropriate London Natural History Society bird recorder. Note that records submitted here may be added to the LNHS database for use in the London Bird Report; by posting news here you agree to have your records copied by the LNHS recorder. Further information on entering sightings can be found HERE. A scalable map of the London recording area is available HERE. More London bird news can be found on the London Bird Club page on Twitter here, or by drawing together messages from many observers using the established #londonbirds hashtag here  (no Twitter account necessary for either).

Please follow the standard format used by everyone else when entering your records in order to assist automatic compilation of your records into the LNHS database - see new formatting guidance.

Tuesday 4th June 2013

 * Alexandra Park: Reed Warbler heard between platforms 1 & 2 (Alan Gibson per Bob Watts).
 * East India Dock Basin: 2 Sand Martin (the first here since April of a species that usually nests) 1 Great Crested Grebe, 4 Shelduck, 35+ Tufted Duck, pair of Common Terns with 2 chicks, 2+ singing Reed Warblers (John Archer).
 * Hampstead Heath: 2 Reed Warbler (One singing in tiny reedbed at Boating Pond nearest to the toilets as noted by Frank N and the other flying in and out of same), 1 Common Tern nearby,  seven cygnets on Sanctuary with parents, two painted lady by sphagnum bog (Jo Edwards).
 * Peckham Rye Park: no sign of the Long-tailed Duck on lake this morning (Peter Beckenham per Dave Clark)
 * Trent Park: 2 Common Tern, briefly visited Lower Lake before flying off NE, 12:08 hrs (Robert Callf & Robin White).
 * Victoria Park: West Lake - Egyptian Goose pair with brood of 5, Red-crested Pochard pair with brood of 2, 14 Greylag Geese, 20+ Swift, 2 House Martin (Bob Watts).
 * Wanstead Flats: Lesser Whitethroat with young, 5 Sand Martin, 4 House Martin, Swallow, 50 + Swift, Kestrel (Nick Croft)
 * Wanstead Park: 2 singing Reed Warbler, Wilow Warbler, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Little Egret, Hobby, Kestrel.  The Great Crested Grebe has abandoned the second nest after losing its partner, presumably to a mink, 5 Little Grebe, Swallow, 100 + Swift (Dan hennessy/Tim Harris/Mike Messenger/Nick Croft)

Monday 3rd June 2013

 * Brookmill Park, SE8: singing Reed Warbler (patch tick), singing Blackcap, Great Spotted Woodpecker, drake Mandarin, 4 House Sparrow (Conrad Ellam).
 * East India Dock Basin: pair of Common Terns with 2 chicks on one raft, 2nd pair prospecting another raft, 2 Egyptian Geese, 1 Shelduck, 49 Tufted Ducks, 2+ singing Reed Warbler, 2 singing Blackcap (John Archer).
 * Enfield (Forty Hall): 1 female Mandarin Duck with 2 ducklings - c1 week old (first brood this year, late) (Robert Callf).
 * Greenwich Park: pr Egyptian Goose with 5 small young (first breeding record here), 8 nearly full-grown Mallard young, 1 Moorhen young, 2 fledged Blackbirds, Linnet overhead, good numbers of Swifts; yesterday 3 fledged Pied Wagtails (Joe Beale and Yu-Hsuan Lin)
 * Lea Valley, Fishers Green Island: 5-6 Cuckoo,  4 Nightingale (Colin Fairweather, Barry Jones, Billy Tollemache).Long-tailed_Duck_crop.JPG
 * Peckham Rye Park: Long-tailed Duck still at 6.45 (Tom Smith); s till present to 8.45am, also 3 Swift, 1 Chiffchaff (Peter Beckenham, Dave Clark, Martin Stevens, Dan Greenwood). Anyone seen the duck this p.m? cheers ... I and three other birders, plus the parks department and every baby stroller saw it for an hour between 12:30 and 13:30, within 10 feet of us. Go for it! It will not be easier this year (Terence Baker); still present 16.30 (Andrew Self)  TQ 348 750
 * St James's Park: singing Reed Warbler showing nicely at 08:30 in tiny reedbed nearest to Horse Guards Road (Frank Nugent); also 4 House Martins north at 12.30 (Andrew Self).
 * Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park: Swallow over (Bob Watts).
 * Wanstead Flats: 4 Lesser Whitethroat, 5+ Sand Martin, House Martin, 100+ Swift, 4 Stock Dove, Kestrel, Little Egret over park (Nick Croft).
 * Walthamstow Marshes (paddocks behind stables): Turtle Dove (Jean-Patrick Elmes) Hi Jean-Patrick. Nice find! What time did you see the Turtle Dove and where about on the back paddocks? How long was it there for? Thanks :) (G Howie).
 * Wanstead Park: Reed Warbler (SoM), Common Tern (DH), Willow Warbler (TH), Hobby, Swallow, House Martin, 150+ Swift (Nick Croft). Reed Warbler Bush Wood (Paul Ferris)

Sunday 2nd June 2013

 * Alexandra Park: Little Egret low west over Filter Beds (site 1st for year), 3 Shoveler inc 2 males Wood Green Res before flying SE 0910 (June records exceptional here), Peregrine east with large prey probably feral pigeon, 2 Swallows, Common Tern (Bob Watts, Henry Wyn-Jones).
 * Brent Reservoir: Common Buzzard circled over at 11.40 (Andrew Self)
 * Canons Farm & Banstead Woods: Canons F - 14 Crossbills flew SW at 9.59am (David Campbell); Banstead W - 1 calling Hawfinch close to orchard at 10.55 (Steve Gale)
 * Canons Park HA8: 3 Swifts (Shailesh Patel, Robin Morden and Mike Cawthorne)
 * Coppetts Wood, Friern Barnet, N12: Garden Warbler (singing), Blackcap (many singing even beside the Garden Warbler), Chiffchaff (at least 3 singing), Great Spotted Woodpeckers still visiting nest site. (Bob Husband, Tony Clancy, Dr Oliver Natelson)
 * Crossness: 2 Yellow-legged Gulls (2nd-summer & 1st-summer), Mediterranean Gull (heard), 2 Oystercatcher, 4 Gadwall; also Green Hairstreak by Thames path near golf centre (1st site record) (John Archer and Richard Bonser).
 * Dollis Valley, Barnet: 4 Little Egrets arrived at 11.30, landed in trees by brook near the council estate, also Heron in brook (first time I've seen one here) (Geoff Crabtree).
 * Greenwich Ecology Park: Spotted Flycatcher (Richard Lord)
 * Hampstead Heath: 2 Reed Warbler (one singing in tiny reedbed at Boating Pond nearest to the toilets & also at Highgate 1 Pond), Common Tern, House Martin over NW, 100+ Swift (Frank Nugent).
 * Hanwell W7: a least 15 Swift briefly over my back garden which is a good count (Rob Mills)
 * Hyde Park: Reed Warbler singing from Diana Memorial Fountain reedbed (D Jordan)
 * Kentish Town NW5: Common Buzzard high N over Arctic St at 1700, single Swallow N too (Pete Mantle)
 * London Wetland Centre: possible Grey Plover circling low over reserve at 9.30 (only seen in silhouette) may have landed but not seen again after search (J Wilczur); Spotted Flycatcher by WWF hide at 14.30 (M.Parker per JW); Spot Fly still there at 5-30 and showing well until Sparrowhawk landed on same branch (David Bradshaw).
 * Margravine Cemetery: 2 Red Kite heading N (1 above, 1 W later), 1 intruding Peregrine (public site with 3 young about to fledge) (Nathalie Mahieu)
 * Osterley Park: 1 Common Tern, 2 Great Crested Grebe with 3 chicks, 3 Grey Heron, 1 Herring Gull, 15+ Jackdaw, 1 Jay, 4 Mandarin, 7 Mistle Thrush, 1 Nuthatch, 1 Shoveler, 4 Stock Doves, 15+ Swift. (V Williamson, R Woolley).
 * Peckham Rye Park SE22: female Long-tailed Duck on the lake this evening (for 2nd day) showing very well (Richard Bonser & John Archer); still on lake at 8.30pm (Steven Robinson)
 * Rainham Marshes RSPB: 7am-9.30am - 2 Marsh Harrier (ad male, imm male), 1 Hobby, 2 Avocet, 5 Common Tern (John Richardson)
 * Richmond TW9: 1 Honey Buzzard pale phase low S over Selwyn Avenue 15.40-15.45 being mobbed by crows (Franko J Maroevic)
 * Richmond Park : 2 Hobby, Common Buzzard (Phil Davies); partially leucistic Swift over Pen Ponds (S.Read per J Wilczur).
 * Staines Moor: 1 Common Tern, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Hobby, 1 Kestrel, 1 Lapwing, 1 Little Egret, 3 Meadow Pipit, 1 Pied Wagtail, 3 Reed Bunting, 1 Reed Warbler, 3 Skylark, 4 Swallow, 1 Whitethroat (Richard Woolley).
 * Walthamstow Marshes: 4 Linnet, 7 Stock Dove, 2 Reed Bunting, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, 2 Common Tern, 4 Sand Martins with 1 visible chick poking its head out the drain pipe (G Howie) 2 whitethroat, mobile between shrubs next to rail lines and marsh. Anyone else noted how dry the marsh is? Is this unusual, even concerning? (Matthew Cunningham)
 * Walthamstow Reservoirs: Lockwood - 1 Sanderling, 1 Dunlin, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 23 Shelduck (David Bradshaw).

Saturday 1st June 2013

 * Alexandra Park: Reed Warbler still singing Conservation Pond, also 2 Common Tern, 2 Swallow, 8+ House Martin (APOG).
 * Barkingside IG6: Buzzard being mobbed by 8 crows and 2 gulls (Brandon Anderson)
 * Brent Reservoir: Common Buzzard seen several times from 09.35-10.25, also Egyptian Goose & 11 pairs of Mute Swans nesting (Andrew Self & Andrew Verrall).
 * Ealing (W13): Black-tailed Godwit heard over garden just after midnight this morning (Bill Haines).
 * Enfield EN2 (Vicarage Farm): 4 (m f 2 juv) Pied Wagtail (Robert Callf & Robin White).
 * Hertford Heath SG13 (Balls Wood NR):  Great Spotted Woodpecker nest hole in ash tree with young calling & being fed (Roger Dewey)
 * Holloway N7: 1 Jackdaw. An Islington first for me (Alastair Rae).
 * London Wetland Centre: Yellow-legged Gull 1cy, Redpoll sp over (R Kaye); Hobby, first brood of 3 Black-headed Gull young, 2 pairs Redshank & 4 young still, 7 Lapwing young (J Wilczur, R Kaye, M Honey).
 * Ruislip Lido: Cuckoo calling 6:28am Poors Field area - sorry for late posting (Richard Francis).
 * Sewardstone: 3 Red Kite drifted over together N/E at 1200hrs, 2 Common Buzzard, 1 Hobby, 3 Kestrel, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 7 Willow Warbler (Hayley Lynes & Neville Smith).
 * St James's Park: singing male Reed Warbler (Bill Oddie per Dominic Mitchell).
 * Stoneleigh KT17: Hobby circling over The Glade 18.15 - 18.20, monitored at a distance by the local Common Swifts (circa 12 in total) (Neil Batten).
 * Streatham Common: Nuthatch (Richard Harrison). 2 blackcaps, 2 chiffchaffs (R Bell)
 * Tooting Commons (N end, near Rastell Ave): 2 Stock Dove, 1 Jackdaw (pr sometimes seen here), 1 Grey Heron high over heading N (Nick Granger-Taylor).
 * Wanstead Flats: Common Buzzard (Dan Hennessy), Willow Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat (Josh Selfe), 10 Sand Martin, House Martin, 3 Swallow, 100 + Swift (Nick Croft/Tim Harris)
 * Wanstead Park: Garden Warbler (Josh Selfe), pair of Hobby (Nick Croft)
 * West Norwood: Common Buzzard over The Hope pub garden 1430 (Bob Watts).

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

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