NewsMar2003

March 31 Lesser Scaup, 1st winter drake at Regent's Park, on Queen Mary Rose Garden Lake, also Wheatear (Birdguides) Black-necked Grebe, 4 at Staines Res, also Red-breasted Merganser & 4 LRPs (Rob Innes, Mike Sheehan) Sand Martin, 56 at Staines Moor, also House Martin, Green Sand & LRP (Rob Innes, Mike Sheehan) White-fronted Geese, 3 at Stanwell Moor Rob Innes) Sandwich Tern at Barnes WWT, also Common Buzzard, Sedge Warbler & Jack Snipe (Birdguides) Redstart at Fishers Green (Martin Shepherd) Oystercatcher at Walthamstow Res (Gary Gardiner) Firecrest, 2 at Trent Park, also Crossbill (Pete Lowman) Oystercatcher at King George V Res, also Wheatear (Martin Shepherd)

March 30 Lesser Scaup, 1st winter drake at Regent's Park, on Queen Mary Rose Garden Lake (Andrew Moon) Black-necked Grebe, 4 at Staines Res, also 108 Goldeneye & 4 LRPs (Rob Innes) Water Pipit at Dagenham Chase NR (Birdguides) Garganey, pair at Lee Valley, Hall Marsh scrape, also LRP at Cornmill Meadows (Stephen Harris) Water Pipit, 3 at Beddington SF (Johnny Allan) Common Scoter, 4 at King George V Res (Phil Vines) Firecrest at East India Dock Garganey, 2 at Sevenoaks NR (Birdguides) Red Kite at Trent Park CP Cetti's Warbler at Walthamstow Marsh White-fronted Geese, 3 at Staines Moor, also 2 Green Sands, 5 LRPs, 4 Redshank & 20 Sand Martins (Tony & Jim Sweetland) Bearded Tit at Springwell Lake before flying off (Tony Stride)

March 29 Lesser Scaup, 1st winter drake at Regent's Park, on Queen Mary Rose Garden Lake (Birdguides) Slavonian Grebe, 2 at King George VI Res, also in area: Swallow, 2 LRPs, 6 Sand Martins & Wheatear (Birdguides) Black-necked Grebe, 2 at Staines Res, also RB Merganser, 2 Green Sands, 2 LRPs & Ringed Plover (Birdguides) Ring Ouzel at Leyton, at golf course by waterworks NR, also 8+ Sand Martins (Birdguides) Sand Martin, 2 at Brent Res, also 15 Chiffchaffs, 6 Blackcaps & a Pheasant (Andrew Self) Water Pipit at Dagenham Chase NR, also 2 Willow Warblers (Birdguides) Garganey, 2 at Berwick Ponds, later flew towards Hornchurch CP (Birdguides) Wheatear at Barnes WWT, also Caspian Gull & 2 Jack Snipe (Birdguides) Black-necked Grebe at Beddington SF (Johnny Allan) Common Scoter at King George V Res, also Waxwing, House Martin, 5 LRPs, 5 Goosander & White Wagtail (Birdguides)

March 28 Lesser Scaup, 1st winter drake at Regent's Park (Birdguides) White-fronted Geese, 3 at Staines Moor, also 2 Water Pipit, Swallow & 5 Sand Martins (Birdguides) Black-necked Grebe, 4 at Staines Res, also RB Merganser, 70+ Goldeneye & LRP (Birdguides) Ring Ouzel at Hackney Marsh in NE corner by River Lee (Birdguides) Willow Warbler at Paddington Green (Des McKenzie)

March 27 Lesser Scaup, 1st winter drake at Regent's Park (Birdguides) Black-necked Grebe, 4 at Staines Res, also RB Merganser, 3 Sand Martins, Green Sand & 2 LRPs (Ken Purdey, Jim & Tony Sweetland, Rob Innes) White-fronted Geese, 3 at Stanwell Moor (Rob Innes) Garganey at Rainham, on Thames Foreshore at Aveley Bay (Birdguides)

March 26 Hen Harrier at Copped Hall, also Short-eared Owl, Barn Owl & Little Egret Lesser Scaup, 1st winter drake at Regent's Park (Birdguides) Black-necked Grebe, 4 at Staines Res, also RB Merganser, 2 Slavonian Grebes & 4 LRPs (Rob Innes, Ken Purdey) Little Ringed Plover at Kempton NR (Rob Innes) Firecrest at Trent Park (Robert Callf, Pete Lowman) Willow Warbler at Horsenden Hill (Andy Culshaw)

March 25 Lesser Scaup, adult drake at Lee Valley, on Friday Lake, also 2 Garganey (Birdguides) Lesser Scaup, 1st winter drake at Regent's Park (Birdguides) Green-winged Teal at Thamesmead (Birdguides) Ringed Plover at Barnes WWT, also 3 LRPs, Curlew & Redshank (Sacha Barbato) White-fronted Geese, 3 at Staines Moor, also 2 Green Sands, Water Pipit & 8 Sand Martins (Jim Sweetland, Rob Innes) Black-necked Grebe, 4 at Staines Res, also RB Merganser, 3 LRPs & 3 Green Sands (Rob Innes) Black-necked Grebe, 12 at William Girling Res, also 2 Sand Martins (John Murray) Common Scoter at King George V Res (John Murray) Red-crested Pochard at Beddington SF (Johnny Allan) Crossbill, 11 over Epping Forest at Fairmead (Birdguides) Red-breasted Merganser at Greenwich, flew up Thames (Birdguides)

March 24 Willow Warbler at Brent Res (Andrew Self) Garganey, 2 at Lee Valley, on Police Pit, south of 70 Acres (Birdguides) Green-winged Teal at Thamesmead, 600 metres east of golf club on foreshore (Birdguides) Black-necked Grebe, 5 at Staines Res, also 2 LRPs, 2 Sand Martins & Rock Pipit (Birdguides, Jim Sweetland) Common Tern at Walthamstow Res, also 4 Sand Martins (Birdguides) Black-tailed Godwit at Barnes WWT, also Yellow-legged Gull & Wheatear (Birdguides) Ruff at Beddington SF (Johnny Allan)

March 23 Lesser Scaup at Lee Valley, on Police Pit, south of 70 Acres, also Sand Martin at Bowyers Water (Birdguides, Stephen Harris) Green-winged Teal at Thamesmead, 200 metres east of Crossness Lighthouse (Birdguides) Swallow at Brent Res (Gavin O'se) Garganey, 2 at Sevenoaks NR (Birdguides) Black-necked Grebe, 5 at Staines Res, also 4 Green Sands, 2 Dunlin, 10 Redshank, Rock Pipit & Wheatear (Rob Innes, Andrew Moon, Birdguides) Slavonian Grebe, 2 at King George VI Res (Rob Innes) White-fronted Geese, 3 at Stanwell Moor, also 2 LRP, 3 Ringed Plovers & 4 Green Sands (Rob Innes) Water Pipit, 11+ at Staines Moor, also Jack Snipe (Andrew Moon) Common Scoter at King George V Res (Jeremy Gaskell) Common Buzzard over Beddington SF, also LRP, Ruff, Dunlin, 3 Jack Snipe & Sand Martin (Johnny Allan)

March 22 Black-necked Grebe, 4 at Staines Res, also 2 Goosander & 2 Rock Pipits (Rob Innes) Garganey, 2 at Sevenoaks NR, also 3 Green Sands & 2 LRP (Birdguides) Garganey, 2 at Lee Valley, on Cornmill Meadows (Birdguides) Lesser Scaup, 1st winter drake at Regent's Park (Birdguides) Firecrest, 2 at Coppetts Wood (Tony Clancy) Greenshank at Tyttenhanger GP, also LRP, 8 Ringed Plover & Green Sand (Gary Gardiner) Little Egret, 2 at Amwell Quarry NR, also Willow Warbler, Jack Snipe, 4 Redshank & Green Sand (Neville Smith) Common Scoter at King George V Res, also 40 Goldeneye, 2 Redshank & 2 Green Sands (Andrew Middleton) Crossbill, 3 over Harold Wood (Colin Jupp) Firecrest at Trent Park (Robert Callf) Willow Warbler at Brent Res (Pete Lowman) Golden Plover, 22 over Beddington SF, also Ruff (Johnny Allan)

March 21 Wheatear at Vincent Square, SW1 (Stephen Harris) Sand Martin, 15 at King George V Res, also 2 Green Sands (Ian Edwards)

March 20 Black-necked Grebe, 4 at Staines Res (Ken Purdey) Rock Pipit at Walthamstow Res (Toby Robertson) LRP at Amwell GP, also Ringed Plover & 4 Redshank (Mark Hows) Chiffchaff, 30+ singing in Lee Valley, Fishers Green Area, also LRP & Garganey at Cornmill Meadows & Sand Martin at King George V Relief Channel (Martin Shepherd)

March 19 Black-necked Grebe, 4 at Staines Res, also LRP, 2 Ringed Plovers & Green Sand (Rob Innes) Water Pipit at Staines Moor, also 4 Goosander over (Rob Innes) White-fronted Geese, 3 at Stanwell Moor, also LRP & Green Sand (Rob Innes) Common Buzzard at Trent Park, also Firecrest (Pete Lowman) Short-eared Owl, 2+ at Hatfield Aerodrome (T & S Endean) LRP at Amwell GP, also Ringed Plover, Green Sand & 3 Redshank (Dave Messenger) Garganey, 2 at Cornmill Meadows (Phil Vines) Crossbill, 5 over Copped Hall (Andrew Middleton)

March 18 Black-necked Grebe, 4 at Staines Res, also Green Sand (Ken Purdey, Rob Innes) Jack Snipe at Horton GP & 6 singing Chiffchaffs (Rob Innes) Goosander at Wraysbury GP, also 9 singing Chiffchaffs (Rob Innes) White-fronted Geese, 3 at Stanwell Moor (Rob Innes) Little Ringed Plover at Stocker's Farm - See Photo (Andrew Moon) Little Egret at Broadwater Lake, also 29 Goldeneye (Andrew Moon) Garganey, 2 at Hornchurch CP (Colin Pumfrett) Crossbill, 7 at Trent Park, also 2 Firecrest (Robert Callf) Scaup at Walthamstow Res (Alex McKechnie)

March 17 Avocet, 7 at Staines Moor also Black-necked Grebe, 4 Dunlin & c15 Redshank (Rob Innes, Tony Sweetland) Firecrest at Mudchute Farm, Isle of Dogs (Sean Huggins) Green-winged Teal at Cornmill Meadows (Jeff Butcher) Little Ringed Plover at Beddington SF, also 3 Ringed Plovers & 3 Water Pipits (Johnny Allan)

March 16 Slavonian Grebe, 2 at King George VI Res, also Wheatear (Pete Naylor) Water Pipit, 4 at Staines Moor, also 3 White-fronted Geese at Stanwell Moor (Pete Naylor) Dunlin at SITA Quarry, also 5 Redshank & 2 Ringed Plover (Pete Naylor) Little Egret, 2 at Amwell Quarry NR (Barbara Miller) Firecrest, 3 at Weald Park, also 5 Crossbills (Colin Jupp) Firecrest, 2 at Coppetts Wood (Tony Clancy) Common Scoter at King George V Res (Phil Vines) Black-tailed Godwit at Cornmill Meadows (Harry Lacey)

March 15 Slavonian Grebe, 2 at King George VI Res, also 10 Redshank (Pete Naylor) Water Pipit, 3 at Staines Moor (Pete Naylor) Avocet at Stanwell Moor, also 3 White-fronted Geese, Green Sand & 3 Redshank (Pete Naylor, Franko Maroevic) Black-tailed Godwit at Cornmill Meadows (Dave Messenger) Common Scoter at King George V Res, also 2+ Sand Martins, Common Sand & Green Sand (Andrew Middleton)

March 14 Ringed Plover, 10 flew NE at Staines Res, also Green Sand (Rob Innes) Slavonian Grebe, 2 at King George VI Res (Ken Purdey) Wheatear at Walthamstow Res, Dunlin & White Wagtail (Toby Robertson) Common Scoter at King George V Res, also Red-breasted Merganser & Wheatear (John Murray)

March 13 Red-throated Diver at Staines Res, also Black-necked Grebe (Rob Innes) Sand Martin at Dagenham Chase NR (Alan Bell) Sand Martin, 2 at Amwell Quarry NR, also 2 Little Egret (Dave Messenger)

March 12 Water Pipit, 7 at Staines Moor, also Green Sand at Stanwell Moor (Ken Purdey) Common Scoter at King George V Res, also Wheatear (Phil Vines, Martin Shepherd) Common Buzzard, 2 at Epping Forest, Amesbury Area (Andrew Middleton) Sand Martin, 3 at Lee Valley, Bowyers Lake, also Smew on Friday Lake (John Fitzpatrick) Wheatear, 2 at Harold Wood (Colin Jupp) Med Gull, 2 adults at Beddington SF (Johnny Allan)

March 11 Black-necked Grebe at Staines Res, also Green Sand (Ken Purdey) Scaup at Walthamstow Res (David Darrell-Lambert) Cetti's Warbler at Berwick Ponds (Les Harrison) Crossbill, 30 at Thorndon CP (Colin Jupp) Ringed Plover at Alexandra Palace (Tom Clarke) Wheatear at Hainault Forest (Steve Stuart) Wheatear at King George V Res (Martin Shepherd)

March 10 Caspian Gull at Barnes WWT, also Curlew & White Wagtail (Sacha Barbato) White-fronted Geese, 3 at Stanwell Moor (John Murray) Slavonian Grebe at King George VI Res (John Murray) Wheatear at Beddington SF, also Caspian Gull(Johnny Allan)

March 9 Green-winged Teal at Walthamstow Res, also 4 Green Sands, 3 Common Sands, Redshank & Goosander (David Darrell-Lambert) Wheatear at Queen Mother Res (Pete Naylor) Goosander, 5 at Wraysbury Res, also 4 Goldeneye (Pete Naylor) Black-necked Grebe at Staines Res, also 7 Redshank (Pete Naylor) White-fronted Geese, 3 at Stanwell Moor (Pete Naylor) Ring-billed Gull at Greenwich by Cutty Sark (John Murray) Little Ringed Plover at Fairlop CP (Alan Bell)

March 8 Green-winged Teal at Walthamstow Res, also Smew (Stephen Harris) Red-necked Grebe at QE2 Res (Steve Spooner) Little Egret at Ingrebourne Valley, on Albion Pools (Howard Vaughan)

March 7 Lesser Scaup, 1st winter drake at Regent's Park (Rod Standing)

March 6 Lesser Scaup, 1st winter drake at Regent's Park (Birdguides) Black-necked Grebe at Staines Res (Birdguides) Firecrest, 2 at Trent Park, in Rough Lot Wood (Pete Lowman) Ruff at Rye Meads RSPB, also 2 Green Sands (Rich Cope)

March 5 Lesser Scaup, 1st winter drake at Regent's Park (Birdguides) White-fronted Geese, 3 at Staines Moor, also 93 Fieldfare & 58 Redwing (J. Sweetland) Brent Geese, 2 on Thames at Belvedere then flew east (Birdguides) Brent Geese, 2 at Queen Mother Res flew off NE (Rob Innes) Smew, at Wraysbury GP, also 3 Goosander (Rob Innes) Black-necked Grebe at Staines Res, also Water Pipit & Green Sand (Rob Innes) Mediterranean Gull, 1st summer at Richmond Park at Pen Ponds, also Common Buzzard over (Birdguides) Ring-necked Parakeet, 2 at Kensington Gardens, also Siskin (Sacha Barbato) Sand Martin at Beddington SF (Johnny Allan)

March 4 Lesser Scaup, 1st winter drake at Regent's Park (Birdguides) Green-winged Teal at Walthamstow Res, also Goosander (Birdguides) Woodlark at Trent CP, flew off north at 09.30, also Common Buzzard (Beryl Roberts, Birdguides) Firecrest at Victoria Park, in 'The Glade' (Birdguides) Dunlin at Beddington SF (Johnny Allan) White-fronted Goose flew south over East Ham with two Greylags (Birdguides)

March 3 Lesser Scaup, 1st winter drake at Regent's Park, this is the bird previously at Brent Res (Tony Duckett & Dave Johnson) Ring-billed Gull, adult at Greenwich by National Maritime Museum (Birdguides) Green-winged Teal at Walthamstow Res (Birdguides) Black-necked Grebe at Staines Res - See Photo, also 50+ Goldeneye & 500+ Ruddy Ducks (J. Sweetland, Birdguides) Smew at Epping Forest, on Hollow Pond (Birdguides) Dartford Warbler at Rainham Marshes RSPB, with 2 Stonechats, access via seawall from Purfleet, also Shag & Curlew (John Murray) White-fronted Geese, 3 at Staines Moor, nearby a Pintail flew onto KGVI Res from Stanwell Moor (Rob Innes)

March 2 Tundra Bean Goose at Island Barn Res, but flew off early morning (Birdguides) Green-winged Teal at Walthamstow Res, also 14 Goosander & 2 Common Sands on Banbury Res (David Darrell-Lambert) Scaup, 1st winter drake at Brent Res (Andrew Self) Black-necked Grebe at Staines Res, also 8 Redshank (Pete Naylor) Firecrest at Coppett's Wood in SW corner (Birdguides) White-fronted Geese, 3 at King George VI Res (Ken Purdey) Pintail at Beddington SF, also Water Pipit (Johnny Allan)

March 1 Tundra Bean Goose at Island Barn Res, (flew off at 13:00) also female Ring-necked Duck (Steve Spooner) 16 White-fronted Geese at Holyfield on Goose Fields - See Photo & 2 Smew at 70 Acres Lake & Bittern at the Bittern Watchpoint (Stephen Harris, Birdguides) Little Gull, adult at Staines Res, also Black-necked Grebe, 2 Ringed Plover flew south & 697 Ruddy Ducks (Rob Innes, Ken Purdey & Pete Naylor) Ringed Plover, 2 at Kempton NR (Rob Innes) Smew, 3 at Wraysbury GP (Pete Naylor) White-fronted Geese, 3 at Staines Moor (Pete Naylor) Golden Plover, 266 at SITA quarry, just north of airport along Harmondsworth Lane, also 2 Ringed Plover (Pete Naylor) Scaup, 1st winter drake at Brent Res (Roy Beddard) Stork sp, flew NW over Wimbledon (Birdguides) Bearded Tit at Barnes WWT (Birdguides) Firecrest at Trent Park, Rough Lot Wood (Birdguides) Marsh Tit, 3 at Northaw Great Wood (Martin Shepherd)