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By posting news here you agree that your reports may be added to the LNHS database for use in the London Bird Report. A scalable map of the London recording area can be found here. Please list sightings alphabetically by site, following our standard format to assist automatic compilation of records into the database. Only report sightings of wide interest rather than listing all common birds but DO NOT post details of nesting by scarce breeding birds (those included in Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, as amended). Any such reports will be removed; please submit them instead to the appropriate LNHS bird recorder. More London bird news can be found on Twitter by searching for sightings from many different observers using the #londonbirds hashtag or by visiting the London Bird Club page (no Twitter account is necessary for either). To join the London Bird Club and support our work please visit the LNHS website. The 2013 London Bird Report is now out - to get a copy please click here.

Tuesday 3rd May 2016

 * Brent Reservoir: 2 Dunlin, 2 Snipe, 5 Little Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper (Brent Birders)
 * Brookmill Park: Sparrowhawk, 2 singing Blackcap (Conrad Ellam)
 * Camden: Red Kite drifting slowly NW over Camden Road NW1 at 17:40 (Frank Nugent).
 * Colliers Wood (River Wandle): 1 Lesser Whitethroat singing at the Pumping Station, 1 Goldcrest towards Plough Lane, 1 Green Woodpecker (Keith Bates)
 * Enfield Chase: 5 Red Kite together 12:45 (Robert Callf)
 * Hounslow Heath: pair Redstart by enclosure (Jim Fell)
 * Leatherhead, Common Meadow: 1 Little Egret, 2 Kingfisher, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Goldcrest, 3 Common Whitethroat, 6 Black cap, 5 Chiffchaff, 2 Swallow, 1 Pied Wagtail (Neil Batten)
 * Northolt: f Sparrowhawk in my garden (Deiniol Owen)
 * Otford: ORIENTAL TURTLE DOVE (Western, race meena) ex Rufous, see yesterday times updates. Oriental Turtle Dove still Otford (near Sevenoaks) in back gardens of street names Old Walk/The Butts (Twitter); seen 05:25, 07:31 (BirdGuides)
 * Pinner (HA5): Common Buzzard over, 5 Swift, 7 Goldfinch, singing Goldcrest & 2 Long-tailed Tit (Jon Ridge).
 * Rainham Marshes: f Redstart Aveley Bay buddleias, 3 Wheatear Aveley Bay, 70 Swift (Fraser Simpson); 6 Little Egret, 2 Common Buzzard, 2 Marsh Harrier, 4 Hobby from Serin Mound, 1 female Peregrine, 1 Sanderling, 33 Dunlin, 2 Greenshank, 8 Whimbrel, c.40 Common Tern, c180 Swift lingering & light passage W, 13 Wheatear (just 2 males), 1 male Stonechat (Nick Senior)
 * Rainham: Lesser Whitethroat and Chiffchaff singing at the railway station (Fraser Simpson)
 * Stockley park Hayes: Lesser whitethroat (Jim Fell)
 * Rammey marsh: 2 Short-eared Owl 1752hrs (Neville Smith).
 * Sutcliffe Park: 6 Greylag Geese+ 1 Hybrid, 2 Sparrowhawk, Blackcap, 2 Sedge Warbler, 4 Reed Warbler, 6 Swift over, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Yellowhammer briefly calling(1st for site) (P Kite).
 * Tottenham Marshes (Southern end - 13.00 - 13.30) : Hobby drifting over Lockwood, Garden Warbler in Allotment Hedge, Singing Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Singing Sedge Warblers (Pr. seen mating), M Kestrel hunting over Allotment, AT least 6 Whitethroats holding territory, Weasel ran across Cycle Path (Davey Leach).
 * Totteridge Valley: f Whinchat in `owl' field, Lapwing, 3 Swift, 2 Swallow, 3 Common Buzzard, Kestrel, 3 Coot still, good numbers of singing Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Whitethroat; also 2 m Orange-Tips (John Colmans)
 * Wanstead Flats: Common Sandpiper, Cetti's Warbler, Sedge Warbler (all on Alex), Garden Warbler, 4 Lesser Whitethroat, 16+ Whitethroat, Willow (Chiff) Warbler, 20 + Swallow, 3 House Martin, 20 + Swift, 2 Meadow Pipit, 5 Skylark, 3 Kestrel, 3 Reed Bunting, Linnet3 Pochard, 4 Tufted Duck, 3 Little Grebe (Nick Croft/Bob Vaughan/Peter Brinton)
 * Wanstead Park: Little Egret (Bob Vaughan)

Monday 2nd May 2016

 * Bow, Fish Island (E3): Black Redstart singing on rooftops in Dace Road, near Old Ford Lock, also viewed from Greenway (Jan Dobbie)
 * Brent Reservoir : Dunlin from Main hide, 100+ Swift, 16+ Common Tern, 3 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Common Sandpiper (Oliver Simms)
 * Fairlop Waters: Wheatear (male), Kestrel, 3-4 Skylarks, 2+ Linnets, 20+ Swifts, 2 Sand Martins, half a dozen House Martins, 3+ Swallows, 4 Green Woodpeckers, Egyptian Goose, Little Grebe, Gadwall, half a dozen Whitethroats, 2 LBB Gulls, Jay, Meadow Pipit (Neil Twyford, Mike Messenger and Alan Hobson).
 * Fisher's Green: 3-4 Nightingales, but sundued because of the chill; Cuckoo, 3-4 Garden Warbler, 2-3 Lesser Whitethroat (Francis Tusa)
 * Gallions Reach: 3 Common Sandpipers, 10 Common Terns 13.30 (Peter Hart)
 * Greenwich Park: Reed Warbler (first of year), 2 lesser Whitethroats (one singing), Common Whitethroat territory, Willow Warbler (silent), Chiffchaff territory, 2 Common Swifts, Linnet over (Joe Beale)
 * Hall Marsh Scrape: Nuthatch in copse next to south end at 07:45 (Martin Shepherd)
 * KGV Reservoir: Little Gull (adult), 2 Artic Tern, 5+ Common Tern, 5+ Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, 3 Sanderling, Hobby, Yellow Wagtail, Wheatear (Neville Smith).
 * London Wetland Centre: 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Common Snipe, 12 Common Swift, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 6 Redshank, 5 Wheatear, 1m Whinchat, 1m Yellow Wagtail, usual warblers (Martin Honey)
 * Mill Hill NW7: att Bob Husband; returning pair of breeding Swift noted this am. (Steve Blake)
 * Mudchute: male Peregrine, 11 Common Tern East, 2 Swallow North, 1 male Common Redstart (briefly on south side of Globe Rope Walk), 10 Blackcap, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Sedge Warbler, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Lesser Redpoll South; late aft Hobby West, 6 non-singing Willow Warblers (Nick Senior)
 * Orpington: HOOPOE in garden (Birdguides)
 * Otford: ORIENTAL TURTLE DOVE (Western, race meena) still present on The Butts at 08:15 (Andrew Self); long wait, 7 hours for some, lucky with only 3 hours, but bird re-appeared c4.55 and showed to about 50 observers for 15 minutes, then a heavy rain shower scattered the mob, but bird re-appeared after shower and more pics were taken, also Hobby overhead, then dashed by later; local resident served tea or coffee to birders, would accept no payment, the tea arrived at same time as bird so was too excited to think of any drinking (Andrew Verrall + very many observers)
 * Pinner (HA5): Robin in full song at 03:38 - woke me up, 5 Goldfinch, singing Goldcrest, Song Thrush, 2 Swift & 2 Pied Wagtail (Jon Ridge).
 * Rainham Marshes: 2 Whinchat on Wennington Marsh, 4 Grasshopper Warbler singing (Fraser Simpson)
 * Rammey Marsh: Grasshopper Warbler reeling quietly south end, 2 Lesser Whitethroat NE end (Francis Tusa)displaying Skylark (Neville Smith).
 * Richmond Park: Cuckoo (A.Buxton) 2 Common Sandpiper, 6 Common Tern, m Redstart, Whinchat (RPBRG)
 * Ruislip Lido/Poor's Field: 2 Buzzard, 2 Common Tern, 2 Swift, 4 Swallow, c10 House Martin (4 birds collecting mud in front of Water's Edge Pub), 12+ Blackcap, 2 singing Garden Warbler, Whitethroat, singing Willow Warbler, 5 singing Chiffchaff, pr Bullfinch (LNR), recently killed young Badger on main road opposite Athletics Club (Neil Anderson/Kathryn Bull)
 * Staines Reservoirs: Sanderling, 5+ Arctic Tern, Little Gull, Comm Sandpiper, 2 Little Ringed Plover (Dominic Pia-Twitter) 2 Whimbrel, 1 Grey Plover, 1 Dunlin and 1 Oystercatcher (Chris Turner)
 * Stroud Green: very vocal Cuckoo heading north at 5.40am.
 * Swanscombe Marshes: 1 Cuckoo, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 15 House Martin N, 8 Swift N (P Beckenham, R Keith)
 * Ten Acre Wood: Lesser Whitethroat, several Whitethroat, Little Egret, Chiffchaff, Great Spotted Woodpecker pair, Greenfinch pair (Tim Rymer)
 * Tottenham Marshes; singing Grasshopper Warbler still, plus Willow Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat (Lol Bodini)
 * Walthamstow Marshes: Lesser Whitethroat singing in the scrub on the E side of the Flood Relief Channel, opposite the (very quiet) paddocks. 4 Swallow N up the R Lea 07:30 - 08:30 (Alastair Dent)
 * Wanstead Flats: Cetti's Warbler (first on patch since 2009), Sedge Warbler, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, 13 + Common Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Whinchat, 10 + Swallow, 2 Sand Martin, 5 House Martin, 10 + Swift, Hobby, Sparrowhawk, 3 Kestrel, 2 Pochard, 2 singing Meadow Pipit, Yellow Wagtail, 4 Skylark. 2 male Reed Bunting, pr Linnet (Wanstead Birders)
 * Wanstead Park: Cuckoo singing by Shoulder of Mutton, Peregrine Falcon, Hobby, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, 5 singing Common Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Great Crested Grebe with 1 chick, 4 Little Grebe, 5 Swift, 3 House Martin, 10 + Swallow, 2 Little Egret, Grass Snake (Nick Croft)
 * Woodlands Farm E4: Common Buzzard, Kestrel, 5 Swallows, 5 Whitethroats, 2 Willow Warblers, 2 Garden Warblers, 4 Blackcaps, 3 Linnets and lots of singing Song Thrushes. (Harry Harrison)
 * Walthamstow Reservoirs: 3 Arctic Tern in mixed flock ahead of showers, plus 2 other on No4 briefly, Hobby, 700+ Swift and lots of hirundines, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 6 Cetti's Warblers, 7 Sedge Warbler, 5 Common Sandpiper, 2 Yellow Wagtail N (Stuart Fisher). Also White Wagtail & Black-tailed Godwit no 4 res (Lol Bodini/Jamie Partridge).
 * Woodford Green: 1 solitary Swift (first sighting this year) over my garden 1200, Blackcap (a garden first) on ivy berries (Steve Howey)
 * Wimbledon Common: Spotted Flycatcher (David Wills).

Sunday 1st May 2016

 * Brent Reservoir: female Wheatear on playing fields, 4 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Snipe, Common Sandpiper, 5 Common Terns, Peregrine, 3 Sparrowhawks, pair of Kestrels, also prob 80+ Swift, Willow Warbler still centre oakwood, Garden Warbler still not far from northbank pond, 2 Lesser Whitethroat around, then Holly Blue, Green-veined White, Small White, Peacock + 30th Apr males of Orange Tip and Brimstone (Andrew Self, Andrew Verrall)
 * Burnt Oak: male Linnet feeding on the ground at 14:30. Also Grey Wagtail and Mallard pair present on garden pond for last two days (Deb Jackson)
 * Bushy Park: pair Blackcap, Chiffchaff, male Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming, Kestrel, 2 Mistle Thrush, Skylark singing, Song Thrush, 2 Stock Dove, male Tufted x Red Crested Pochard hybrid, no gulls (Mat Hare)
 * Bushy Park: Goldcrest, Housemartin, Kestrel, 2 Mistle Thrush, 2 Sparrowhawk, 3 Swallow, 3 Swift. (Ian R Watson)
 * Dartmouth Park (NW5): 1 Red Kite heading S at 11:35, also 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Common Buzzards, 1 Swift, 6 Swallows and 3 House Martins (Tim Blackburn)
 * Eaton Park Road, N13: Swallow flew N at 13:00 (Katy McGilvray)
 * Greenwich Park: Common Whitethroat nest-building, Redpoll over, Egyptian Geese still with at least 7 small young, 8 Common Swifts over, 3 Goldcrest territories, plenty breeding bird activity, many migrants moved on but 37 species recorded a.m. (Joe Beale)
 * Greenwich Peninsula: Common Sandpiper, 2 Oystercatcher on foreshore, Sparrowhawk over dome, Little Egret, 2 Little Grebe, 7 Common Tern, House Martin,  at least 2 Reed Warbler in Ecology Park, Blackcap, in Southern Park, 3 Common Whitethroat in meadow next to Southern Park (Conrad Ellam et al)
 * Home Park: Chiffchaff, 37 Egyptian Geese, Lesser Black Backed Gull, 4 Mistle Thrush, Pheasant, many Sand Martins, Short-Eared Owl mobbed by crow 16:30, Skylark, Song Thrush, 5 Stock Dove, several Swallow, 7+ Swift, no Black-Headed Gulls (Mat Hare)
 * KGV Reservior: 7 Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Greenshank, 4+ Common Tern, 1 Arctic Tern,2 Northern Wheatear, 4 Yellow Wagtail, White Wagtail (Neville Smith et al).
 * Lamorbey Park: No sign of Pied Flycatcher am, pair Mute Swan, at least 9 Canada goslings, c10 Tufted Duck, pair Great Crested Grebes attempting a nest, Sparrowhawk plucking prey, 2 Peregrine, Green Woodpecker, pair Great Spotted Woodpeckers at nest hole, 2 Pied Wagtail, Swallow W, 9+ Blackcap, 2 Whitethroat, 2+ Chiffchaff, 4+ Goldcrest, Nuthatch (Ian Stewart, Mike Amos)
 * London Wetland Centre: 2cy Iceland Gull, 225 Herring Gull (J.Wilczur) 2 Shelduck - pair, 2 Shoveler - pair, Little Egret, 3+ Common Sandpiper, 1+ Little Ringed Plover, Snipe, 6 Redshank, 3 Common Tern, 14 Swift, f Lesser Redpoll (M.Andrews, M.Caiden, JW)
 * Mudchute: 2 Yellow Wagtail N, 5 Swallow W, 1 Wheatear, 12 Blackcap, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Chiffchaff; later 1 Garden Warbler, 7 Greenfinch (Nick Senior)
 * Lonsdale Road Reservoir: 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Swift, 2 House Martin (Rich Petley)
 * Otford: ORIENTAL TURTLE DOVE still early am. (Dominic Mitchell et al via BirdGuides - photo here) and again late afternoon (BirdGuides)
 * Oxleas Wood Greenwoodpecker Kestrel[pair mating] Sparrowhawk Hobby Gardenwarbler Blackcap[m/fm] Chiffchaff Firecrest Swallow Goldfinch Stockdove[pair] Nuthatch [Ron Turner]
 * Pinner (HA5): 2 Swallow over (north-west at 16:59 & west at 18:46), 2 Swift, 2 Jackdaw north, singing Goldcrest, 4 Goldfinch. Also; male Orange-tip, male Brimstone & 2 Holly Blue butterflies (Jon Ridge).
 * Rainham Marshes: 3 Cetti's Warblers (excellent views of one in the bushes by the main car-park), 1-2 Hobbys (landfill), Cuckoo (woodland), 5 Wheatears (landfill), Buzzard, Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Sedge Warblers, 4 Reed Warblers, 2 Blackcaps, 14 Whitethroats, Chiffchaff (making 7 species of warbler I saw here today), 2 Dunlin, 3 Little Egrets, Red-legged Partridge, Oystercatcher (in Aveley Bay), 3 Swallows, 5 Reed Buntings, 3-4 Grey Herons, Wigeon, 9 Pochard, 30+ Shelduck, around 20 Redshank, 3 Snipe, around half a dozen Linnets, 10 Skylarks, 40+ Lapwings (Alan Hobson).
 * Rainham Marshes West. Wryneck still early am. (Birdguides)
 * Sevenoaks KWT: Shelduck, pair Teal, 5 Little Ringed Plover, 6 Lapwing, Greenshank, 4+ Swift, 50+ Sand Martin, 20+ House Martin, 20+ Swallow, 5+ Garden Warbler, 10+ Blackcap, Reed Warbler, Chiffchaff, 4 Goldcrest, Nuthatch, 4 Treecreeper, Reed Bunting (Ian Stewart)
 * Sidcup DA15 (York Avenue): 2 Hobby over, Buzzard E, Sparrowhawk,5+ Swift, 2 Peregrines, 4+ Swallow, 3+ House Martin, singing Blackcap (Ian Stewart)
 * Staines Moor: 3 Cettis Warbler, 20+ Whitethroats, 3 Lesser Whitethroats, 30 Blackcaps, 10 Chiffchaffs, 3 Sedge Warblers, 1 Reed Warbler (all singing), 2 Pheasant (m), 2 Hobby-one catching dragonflies, Red Kite, Sparrowhawk, 4 Kestrels, 3 Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 10 Sand Martin, 20+ House Martins, 50+ Swift- in a huge spiral above the reservoir, 20+ Swallows, Linnets, Meadow Pipits, Skylark, 3 Little Egrets, 4 Reed Bunting, 4 Redshank (Nick B).
 * Stoke Newington Reservoirs (East reservoir know known as Woodberry Wetlands is fully open to the public from today): Common Sandpiper, 2 Shelduck, displaying pair of Great Crested Grebes, Whitethroat, Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers, Cetti's Warblers, Reed Buntings, Grey Wagtail, 3 Swift (Chris Farthing)
 * Stratford, Olympic Park: Sedge Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 8 Reed Warbler, Cetti's Warbler, 11 Common Whitethroat, Peregrine over, 10 Blackcap (Stuart Fisher)
 * Ten Acre Wood area: m+f Pheasant, Kestrel, 8 Lapwing, Little Ringed Plover, 8 Stock Dove, Swift, 6 Skylark, 3 Swallow (pr sat by stables where they usually breed), Meadow Pipit, 14 Whitethroat, 4 singing Lesser Whitethroat, 8 Blackcap, Sedge Warbler, 4 singing Chiffchaff, c5 Rooks back + forth (1 carrying food in throat headed south over wood so not headed for Ickenham rookery), 6 Reed Bunting (Neil Anderson/G. Westley)
 * Thorney C.P. :6 Common Terns on Raft, Cetti's Warbler. (Sue Giddens)
 * Tooting common: couple of swift circling over the common (Will Rose)
 * Totteridge Valley: 2 Linnet on ground, Rook, 2 Swift over (Ian Ellis)
 * Tufnell Park: 6 Swift, 2 Swallow over the Tube (F Tusa)
 * Victoria Park: m&f Sparrowhawk, pair Little Grebe, pair Great Crested Grebe, 7 Red Crested Pochard, 2 Grey Wagtails, Chiffchaff, Swift and 12 Mistle Thrush. 39 species total (Harry Harrison)
 * Wandsworth Common: Wheatear, 3 Swift, Swallow, 8 Blackcap, 2 Willow Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff (Nick Rutter)
 * Wanstead Park: Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Greylag Goose, pair Gadwall (Ian Ellis)
 * Yeading Brook meadows: 2 Little Egret, 3 Swift, 3 Skylark (2 singing), 5 Whitethroat, 2 singing Lesser Whitethroat, 5 Blackcap (Neil Anderson)
 * Walthamstow - Wildmarsh East: Grasshopper Warbler still singing very enthusiastically this evening, thanks to ProfW on Twitter for directions! Recording here (Andrew McCafferty)

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

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