NewsDec2003

Dec 31 Gannet over Beddington SF at 10.15, also Caspian Gull, Med Gull & Little Egret (Johnny Allan) Firecrest, 2 at Weald CP by entrance to Belvedere car park TQ568939 (Birdguides) Smew at Island Barn Res (Steve Spooner) Bittern at Sevenoaks WR, reserve now closed until 3.1.04 (Birdguides)

Dec 30 Avocet at Barking Bay (Birdguides) Bittern at Barnes WWT, also 80+ Wigeon (John Arbon) Great Northern Diver at Essex Arena Pits, viewable from Thurrock Services (Birdguides) Merlin at Staines Res (Birdguides)

Dec 29 Smew, 7 at Bedfont Lakes CP (Birdguides) Brent Goose at Staines Res, of pale-bellied race (Birdguides) White-headed Duck at Broadwater Lake (Birdguides) Little Egret at Morden Hall Park (Birdguides) Long-tailed Duck at Island Barn Res (Steve Spooner)

Dec 28 Waxwing, 4 at Seven Kings Park, before flying off to Aldborough Road at 11.30 (Phil Blatcher) Great Northern Diver at Essex Arena Pits, viewable from Thurrock Services (Birdguides) Caspian Gull at Beddington SF, also Little Egret (Johnny Allan) Black-necked Grebe at Ockenden, Stubbers OBC Pit (Birdguides) Caspian Gull at King George V Dock (Birdguides) Mediterranean Gull at Stocker's Lake, see photo, also 3+ Goldeneye (Andrew Moon) Goosander, 2 at Shepperton GP, also 10 Goldeneye (Birdguides) Yellow-legged Gull, 6 at Lower Sunbury Water Treatment Works (Birdguides)

Dec 27 Great Northern Diver at Essex Arena Pits, viewable from Thurrock Services (Birdguides) Red-necked Grebe at Thorpe Water Park, also 5 Smew (Birdguides) Caspian Gull at King George V Dock (Birdguides) White-headed Duck at Broadwater Lake, also 10 Little Egrets & 11 Yellow-legged Gulls (Birdguides) Smew, 3 at Amwell GP, also 2 Little Egrets (Birdguides)

Dec 26 Waxwing, 3 at Honor Oak Park, Bexhill Road SE4 (Birdguides) Great Northern Diver at Essex Arena Pits, viewable from Thurrock Services (Birdguides) Smew, 7 at Bedfont Lakes CP (Birdguides) Smew, 4 at Belhus Woods CP (Birdguides) Caspian Gull at King George V Dock (Birdguides) Red-necked Grebe at Thorpe Water Park, also 2 Red-crested Pochard (Birdguides)

Dec 25 Smew at Dagenham Chase NR (Birdguides) Smew, 3 at Belhus Woods CP (Birdguides) Caspian Gull at King George V Dock (Birdguides)

Dec 24 Smew, 4 at Stocker's Lake, also 7 Goosander (Birdguides)

Dec 23 Smew, 7 at Bedfont Lakes CP (Ken Purdey) Ring-billed Gull at Woolwich Common, in front of the Royal Military Academy (Birdguides)

Dec 22 Red-breasted Merganser at Wraysbury GP, also 10 Smew & 17 Goosander (Birdguides, Oliver Metcalf) Bittern at Barnes WWT (John Arbon) Firecrest at Dagenham Chase (Birdguides) Red-necked Grebe at Thorpe Water Park, also 2 Red-crested Pochard (Birdguides)

Dec 21 Smew, 8 at South Ockenden, Mollands Pits (Birdguides) Smew, 10 at Lee Valley, Hooks Marsh (Birdguides) Red-necked Grebe at Thorpe Water Park, also 6 Smew (Birdguides) Long-tailed Duck at Walton Res (Steve Spooner) White-headed Duck at Broadwater Lake, also 5 Goosander on River Colne (Simon Buckingham) Great Northern Diver at Essex Arena Pits, viewable from Thurrock Services (Birdguides)

Dec 20 Black-throated Diver at Staines Res, south basin, also Little Gull (Birdguides) Great Northern Diver at Essex Arena Pits, viewable from Thurrock Services (Birdguides) Red-necked Grebe, 2 at Thorpe Water Park (Birdguides) Bittern at Bedfont Lakes CP, also 4 Smew (David Combes) Goosander at Barnes WWT (Birdguides)

Dec 19 Smew, 12 at Wraysbury GP, also 20 Goosander & Red-breasted Merganser (Birdguides) Pintail at Staines Res, also 3 Green Sands (Oliver Metcalf)

Dec 18 Bittern at Bedfont Lakes CP, also 8 Smew (Birdguides) Water Rail at St James's Park in reedbed (Andrew Self) Yellow-legged Gull, 2 at QE2 Res (Steve Spooner)

Dec 17 Long-tailed Duck at Island Barn Res, also Smew (Steve Spooner)

Dec 16 Merlin at Beckton Sewage Works, also Rock Pipit & 2 Common Sands (Dave Morrison) Bittern at Richmond Park, Upper Pen Pond (Birdguides)

Dec 15 Smew, 3 at Amwell GP, also Jack Snipe & Goldeneye (Birdguides) Long-tailed Duck at Island Barn Res, also Smew (Dave Harris) Bittern at Barnes WWT (Birdguides)

Dec 14 Great Northern Diver at Essex Arena Pits, viewable at east end of car park at Thurrock Services (Birdguides) White-headed Duck at Broadwater Lake, also 22 Goldeneye (Simon Buckingham) Med Gull at Bushy Park, on Teddington Cricket Club field (Birdguides) Smew, 7 at Stocker's Lake, also 4 Goosander & 10 Goldeneye (Birdguides) Smew at Island Barn Res, also Med Gull in roost (Dave Harris) Smew, 7 at Lee Valley, Hooks Marsh (Birdguides)

Dec 13 White-headed Duck at Broadwater Lake, also 10 Goldeneye & 100+ Siskins (Simon Buckingham) Smew, 12 at Bedfont Lakes CP (Ken Purdey) Firecrest, 2 at Weald CP by entrance to Belvedere car park (Birdguides) Bittern at Lee Valley Bittern Watchpoint (Birdguides)

Dec 12 Smew, 4 at Bedfont Lakes CP (Ken Purdey) Red-necked Grebe at King George VI Res (Ken Purdey) Long-tailed Duck at Island Barn Res (Dave Harris)

Dec 11 Ring-billed Gull at Woolwich, by Royal Military Academy (Birdguides) Smew at Bedfont Lakes CP, also Bittern (Ken Purdey) Red-necked Grebe at Thorpe Park, possibly viewable from A320 (Birdguides) Goosander at Barnes WWT, also Bittern (Birdguides) Little Egret, 17 at Broadwater Lake roost (Birdguides)

Dec 10 Smew, 7 at Bedfont Lakes CP (Ken Purdey) Black Redstart at Beckton SF (Dave Morrison) Caspian Gull at Beddington SF, also Smew, Med Gull & Goldeneye (Johnny Allan) Goosander at Barnes WWT, also Brambling & 5 Siskin (Martin Honey)

Dec 9 Long-tailed Duck at Island Barn Res (Dave Harris) Black-necked Grebe at QE2 Res (Dave Harris) Caspian Gull at Twickenham on Thames, also Yellow-legged Gull (Andrew Pearson)

Dec 8 White-fronted Geese, 12 over South Ockenden, flew NE at 07:45 (Birdguides) Red-necked Grebe at King George VI Res, also 22 Goldeneye (Ken Purdey) Woodcock past Tate Modern, also Dunlin (David Darrell-Lambert) Smew at Stocker's Lake, also 3 Goosander (Birdguides)

Dec 7 Penduline Tit reported at Lee Valley, Seventy Acres Lake at 15:45 (Birdguides) Great Northern Diver at Essex Arena Pits, viewable at east end of car park at Thurrock Services (Birdguides) Smew, 2 at Grange Waters, also Goldeneye (Dave Morrison) Greenshank at Tyttenhanger GP (Birdguides) Mediterranean Gull, 2 at Beddington SF, also Smew, Pintail & 4 Water Pipits (Johnny Allan) Brambling at Sudbury GC (Andrew Taylor) Long-tailed Duck at Island Barn Res (Dave Harris)

Dec 6 Great Northern Diver at Essex Arena Pits, viewable at east end of car park at Thurrock Services (Birdguides) Kittiwake, 4 at Grays, on Thames (David Darrell-Lambert) Smew at Beddington SF, also Med Gull, Pintail & Goldeneye (Johnny Allan) Goosander, 6 at Stockers Lake, also 4 Goldeneye (Roger & Liz Ackroyd) Smew, 2 at Grange Waters Lake, South Ockenden (Birdguides)

Dec 5 Great Northern Diver at Essex Arena Pits, viewable from Thurrock Services (Garry James) Bittern at Bedfont CP, also 3 Smew (Birdguides) Water Rail at St James's Park, on island at west end (Steve Arthur) Goosander, 22 at Walton Res (Dave Harris)

Dec 4 Great Northern Diver at Essex Arena Pits, viewable from Thurrock Services (Birdguides) Slavonian Grebe at Staines Res, on south basin (Ken Purdey) Caspian Gull, adult at Queen Mother Res (Birdguides) Water Pipit at Beckton Sewage Works, also 2 Green Sands (Dave Morrison)

Dec 3 Great Northern Diver at Essex Arena Pits, viewable from Thurrock Services (Birdguides) Long-tailed Duck at Island Barn Res (Steve Spooner) Slavonian Grebe at King George VI Res (Ken Purdey) Smew, 4 at Stocker's Lake (Birdguides) Bittern at Amwell GP (Debbie Clark) Smew, 4 at Lee Valley, 70 Acres GP (Debbie Clark)

Dec 2 Hawfinch, 2 over Regent's Park at 07:40, also Lesser Redpoll (Tony Duckett) Storm Petrel at Queen Mother Res was eaten by a Peregrine, also Snow Bunting present (Birdguides) Waxwing over Stanwell Moor at 10:30 (Birdguides) Mediterranean Gull at Belvedere on Thames (Birdguides) Kittiwake at Beddington SF, also 2 Little Gulls (Johnny Allan)

Dec 1 Golden Plover, 254 at Dagenham Chase, also 2 Stonechat (Birdguides) Red-necked Grebe at King George VI Res (Ken Purdey) Brent Goose at Queen Mary Res (Birdguides)