December 2016

London's December highlights: a Great White Christmas

My nomination for Bird of the Month for December is the Great White Egret — even though this bird is no longer of interest to the British Birds Rarities Committee and is now reported almost every month in the London area, with nearly 100 records since it was first spotted in 1997 at Brent Reservoir.

So why is it my Bird of the Month? Well, until this year almost all London reports have been of one-day birds or fly-overs — mainly the latter. But a GWE that arrived at Tyttenhanger GPs in mid-November clearly found the place to its liking and decided to stay. After a few days it was joined by another, and they both stayed right through the Christmas period and into 2017.

Before 2016 the only occasion on which a Great White stayed in one place in the London area for more than two days was in October 2013, when one hung around for nine days. And where was it? Tyttenhanger!

Great White Egret are now resident and breeding in the Somerset Levels. Could Tyttenhanger become the first breeding site in south-east England?

Anatids

No wild swans were reported in the London area in December, but 44 White-fronted Goose were seen over Upminster on the 2nd and 17 Barnacle Goose flew over Walton-on-Thames on the 10th. A (feral?) Brent Goose popped into Woodberry Wetlands on the 14th and another was in Barking Bay on the 30th.

Winter diving ducks included Scaup (Walthamstow Reservoirs, 4th–30th), Common Scoter (William Girling Reservoir, 14th) and Red-breasted Merganser (Turnford Lakes, 1st), as well as Goldeneye, Smew and Goosander at various sites in increasing numbers.

Pelecaniforms

Tyttenhanger’s Great White Egret were not the only noteworthy pelecaniforms in December. A Cattle Egret passed over Ewell on the 2nd and another was at Rainham Marshes on the 16th, 19th and 20th. And a Glossy Ibis flew over Woodberry Wetlands on the 23rd.

Birds of prey

December’s best raptor was Hen Harrier. A juvenile was hunting at Rainham Marshes from 6th–8th Dec, and possibly the same bird was at Barking Bay/Gallions Reach on the 11th. There was a further sighting of a ringtail at Rainham on the 16th. Rainham also had up to three Short-eared Owl for most of the month, but there were reports from only two other sites.

Waders and seabirds

Waders of note in December were a Little Stint and a Grey Plover at Rainham Marshes, both seen on two dates in the middle of the month. After some amazing autumn seabird sightings, December’s best effort was probably the Great Skua seen drifting up the Thames at Rainham on the 3rd. An Iceland Gull was reported from Fulham Reach on the 2nd, and both Iceland Gull and Glaucous Gull were at Beddington Farmlands at the end of the month..

DEFRA’s £260,000 parakeet failure

Feral Monk Parakeet are considered a pest, particularly because of their habit of building huge communal nests on pylons and mobile phone masts, causing blackouts and even fires. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) began an eradication programme in 2011 and reported in 2014 that the campaign had brought UK numbers down to 50, at a cost of £260,000. But on 2nd Dec Lee Evans recorded a total of 62 birds in three separate colonies in Borehamwood. And earlier this year up to 25 were still being reported from the London area’s other Monk Parakeet stronghold at Mudchute in the Isle of Dogs.

In the meantime, Ring-necked Parakeet have become so common in the London area that few birders now bother to report sightings on the Latest News. The only sightings of interest this month were of a bird taken by a Peregrine from a treetop in Oxleas Wood on the 6th and some 2000 birds flying to roost at Danson Park on the 27th.

Passerines

Although the UK is experiencing a larger-than-usual irruption of Waxwing this winter — with flocks of up to 1,100 reported in Scotland — few have yet reached the south of England. The only December records from the London area are of 20+ birds in Enfield on the 2nd and a handful at a few other sites later in the month.

A Yellow-browed Warbler at Wanstead Flats from 7th to the end of the year was one of just a dozen or so lingering in Britain this month. The two Dartford Warbler in Richmond Park and one on Wimbledon Common throughout November were still present until mid-December, with a single bird reappearing at Richmond Park on the 28th.

Long-tailed Tit, Holland Park (© Bill Haines 2016)

And finally, a bird that gives me an excuse to include a photograph in this report. On 16th Dec, Bill Haines was trapping and ringing birds in Holland Park, where his catches included a male Firecrest and a male Blackcap. But he also netted a pale-headed Long-tailed Tit, thought to be the north European subspecies (caudatus), or possibly an aberrant/genetic morph.

(And on the subject of aberrant plumage, by the end of the month it was being suggested that a pale female Stonechat that has frequented Richmond Park since 23rd October might be a Stejneger’s Stonechat. However, analysis of its droppings showed that it was not an exotic Asian visitor but merely an aberrantly-plumaged European Stonechat.)

(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.)

Saturday 31st December 2016

• Beddington Farmlands: 1 juvenile Glaucous Gull, 1 juvenile Iceland Gull, 2 Caspian Gulls, 1 Yellow-legged Gull (Peter Alfrey, Kevin Guest and BFBG) pics here [1]
• Brent Reservoir: Cetti's Warbler by main hide, female Pintail in North Marsh (Andrew Self); Cetti's also by Heron Hide, 54 Pochard, 185 Tufted Duck, 3+ Water Rail, 21 Common Snipe, Reed Bunting (Roy Beddard)
• Bromley South (nr Junction of Murray Ave & Palace View): Tawny Owl(s) calling at 4.30am - a first in the 10 years I've been here - suspect in tree line along railway embankment. (Andrew Skinner)
• Broomfield Park: 2 Mandarin (James Palmer)
• Harold Hill, Romford: 8 Waxwing cnr of Sussex Ave along Avenue Rd perching in a silver birch tree and feeding in a rowan heavily laden with red berries and a small rowan with pink berries in a private garden. Please respect residents' privacy. Flew off at 3pm (Colin Jupp w/ Andrew & Bob Stroud via EBwS BN) TQ548911
• Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens: c66 Egyptian Geese (probably more), 104 Common Gull, 1 Yellow-legged Gull 2cy, 1 Little Owl, 2 Redwing, 3 Nuthatch, 5 Treecreeper (Nick Senior)
• Lamorbey Park: Firecrest in Hollies at east end of the dell 09.15 but elusive and still silent, Little Grebe, 2 Kingfisher, drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker, Redwing, 10+ Goldcrest, 2 Nuthatch (Ian Stewart)
• London Wetland Centre: 1 Bearded Tit, 2 Bittern, 1 Jack Snipe, 11 Redwing, 10 Fieldfare, 4 Siskin (WWT website); Male Sparrowhawk perched by Peacock, 2 Common Snipe (well hidden due to presence of Sparrowhawk), 4 Goldcfrest near log cabin (Martin Honey)
• Lyle Park: 2 first-winter Caspian Gull, 10+ Yellow-legged Gull, 1 Redshank, 2 Grey Wagtail, 1 Rock Pipit, 2 Redwing (Dante Shepherd)
• Moor Park nr Rickmansworth: Marsh Tit (Steve Carter via Herts BC)
• Muswell Hill: One male Blackcap. First December record for my back garden (Brian Milligan)
• Pinner (HA5): 32 Goldfinch (Jon Ridge)
• Rainham Marshes RSPB: 22 Avocet, Grey Plover, 21 Golden Plover, Water Rail, singing Mistle Thrush, 3 Snipe, Common Buzzard, two Stonechats (Sean Huggins); 3 Marsh Harrier 2m f, Barn Owl, 2 Short-eared Owl on Wennington at dusk, Water Pipit, 12 Fieldfare, 40 Redwing (Howard Vaughan via RSPB blog)
• Richmond Park: grey-phase European Stonechat still near Hawthorn valley 300 yards E of Cambrian Gate. Favouring long grass near lower fallen Willows between horse track and cycle track.(Franko J Maroevic). A few more pics here.
• Roding Valley Park at Redbridge: 2 Little Egret, 6 Teal (4m 2f), c15 Long-tailed Tit (Malcolm Hibberd)
• Ruislip Lido: Jack Snipe (SW corner viewed from Boathouse) (R.Middleton).
• Rye Meads RSPB: Bittern, Water Rail & Kingfisher fr Kingfisher_hide (RSPB Twitter); Water Pipit still fr Gadwall_hide (David McCarthy via Herts BC)
• Trent Park: 2 Shoveler male and female, 3 Pochard 1m 2f, Woodcock, male Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail, 10+ Redwing, 6+ Goldcrest but no sign of Firecrest, Nuthatch, 2 Treecreeper, 20+ Siskin, 15+ Goldfinch, 4 Bullfinch 2m 2f bushes near Water Grdn (Robert Callf)
• Tufnell Park: Huddleston Rd N7 - small flock (c15) of Redwing and Fieldfare passing through the trees, 1 m Blackcap in back garden with tit flock (Reuben Braddock)
• Tyttenhanger GP: Main Pit - 2 Great White Egret, 3+ Little Egret, Green Sandpiper, Fishing Lake -  fem Goosander, Kingfisher, 2 Little Egret, Peregrine Falcon. (Steve Blake); 2 Water Rail & Jack Snipe Main GP scrape (Steven Pearce via Herts BC)
• Wanstead Flats: Yellow-browed Warbler showed late afternoon between the islands on Alex, 7 Teal, 6 Shoveler (Nick Croft et al)
• Woodberry Wetlands: Snipe, Yellow-legged Gull, 7 Little Grebe, 6 Shoveler (Chris Farthing)
• Yeading Brook meadows: 4 Teal, f Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Little Owl, 2 Green Woodpecker, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Fieldfare, 2 Reed Bunting (Neil Anderson)

Friday 30th December 2016

• Aldenham CP: 6 Mandarin, Kingfisher, c25 Redwing, c20 Yellowhammer (Chris Ruis via Herts BC)
• Barking Bay: 1 Brent Goose bernicla, 73 Shelduck, 1 Wigeon, 116 Teal, 1 Peregrine, 1 Avocet, 1 Grey Plover W, 6 Golden Plover, 2 Turnstone, 740 Dunlin, 230 Redshank, 1 Common Sandpiper, 38 Black-tailed Godwit, 9 Curlew, 25 Snipe, 2 Yellow-legged Gull, 1 Short-eared Owl, 14 Skylark, 2 Rock Pipit, 23 Meadow Pipit, 8 Pied Wagtail, 4 Stonechat, 1 Bearded Reedling imm/fen The Gores, 2 Cetti's Warbler, 35 Linnet, 16 Reed Bunting, 1 Corn Bunting (Nick Senior)
• Beddington Farmlands: Glaucous Gull juv, Caspian Gull 1CY. No public access, limited views from public footpath east of Mile Road, Hackbridge (David Campbell, Peter Alfrey, Christian Cogley, Magnus Andersson)
• Cornmill Meadows to Horseshoe Hill (Upshire) via Breach Barns: 2 Wigeon, 31 Teal, 35+ Red-legged Partridge, Sparrowhawk, 3 Buzzard, Red Kite, Peregrine Falcon, 3 Kestrel, 2 Ring-necked Parakeet, 4 Great Spotted Woodpecker (incl 1 drumming), 2 Treecreeper, Stonechat, 50+ Blackbird, 150+ Fieldfare, 250+ Redwing, 20+ Song Thrush, 5+ Mistle Thrush, 40+ Meadow Pipit, 2 Bullfinch, 2 Siskin (Simon Papps)
• Greenford UB6: f Blackcap bathing in home pond; feeders very busy with 14 species feeding in garden including 4 tit species, 21+ Goldfinch & 20+ House Sparrow (Neil Anderson)
• Lamorbey Park: Kingfisher and Little Grebe on lake and 1 Goldcrest and a Great Spotted Woodpecker in surrounding trees (Patrick English)
• Leatherhead, Randalls Way: 1 Common Gull, 12 Redwing (Neil Batten)
• London Wetland Centre: thick fog made birding quite a challenge! 2 Bittern visible on main lake one by Headley hide and one on N shore at edge of reedbed, 5 Common Snipe grazing marsh, 3 Reed Bunting feeding in front of Observatory, 1 Water Pipit on grazing marsh in front of Wildside hide (Martin Honey & B. Page)
• Lyle Park: 1 first-winter Caspian Gull, 7 Yellow-legged Gull, 1 Lapwing, 1 Redshank (Dante Shepherd)
• Rainham Marshes RSPB: Yellowhammer, 2 Marsh Harriers, 2 Stonechats (Sean Huggins); 20 Avocet, 2 Barn Owl, 4 Short-eared Owl, Water Pipit in fog (Howard Vaughan via Twitter)
• Richmond Park: grey-phase European Stonechat still near Hawthorn valley late am.Thick fog hampering viewing. See y.day' news for directions (per Ephraim Perfect via Franko J Maroevic); Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (possibly the bird first reported in the Park this year), 6 Treecreeper, 6 Goldcrest, 8 Redwing and many Common Stonechat. Good birding despite the fog (FRP Friday Bird Walk group).
• River Thames, Vauxhall Bridge to Tower Bridge: Peregrine, 2 Egyptian Geese, 4 G B-B Gull (one tackling a large dead eel), 22 Mallard, c30 House Sparrow at Gabriel's Wharf (c25) and Tower of London, c50 Starling (Jubilee Gardens) (John Colmans)
• Sidcup (Manor House Gardens): 20 Redwings (Patrick English) TQ462715 thx for correction
• Walthamstow E17 (King Edward Rd): 1 Waxwing landed on neighbour's rowan tree before being chased off by a Mistle Thrush. Damn you Mistle Thrush! (Caroline Nash).
• Tyttenhanger GP: Bullfinch 4 (Bill Rutherford)
• Walthamstow Reservoirs: Lockwood - 3 Goosander (1m 2f), 5 Goldeneye (1m 4f/1w), Kingfisher; No4 - drake Scaup still, 3 Snipe, 3 Chiffchaffs, Common Sandpiper; East/West Warwick - 29 Little Egrets, male Stonechat (SE reed bed East Warwick), 2f Goldeneye, 70 Common Gulls, 3 Snipe (David Callahan)
• Wanstead Flats: Yellow-browed Warbler still sw corner of Alex in willows, Goldcrest, 7 Reed Bunting, 4 Meadow Pipit, Redwing, Fieldfare, Kestrel, 5 Gadwall, 17 Shoveler, 3 Teal, 2 Pochard, 6 Tufted Duck, 50+ House Sparrow (Nick Croft)
• Wanstead Park: 35 Gadwall, 7 Shoveler, 3 Teal, 12 Tufted Duck, 2 Pochard, 3 Goldcrest, Grey Wagtail, Great Crested Grebe, 6 Redwing (Nick Croft)

Thursday 29th December 2016

• Battersea Park: c50 Gadwall, 12 Shoveler, 6 Teal, 164 Cormorants at roost, 6 Redwing, 5 Goldcrest, 4 Coal Tit (Nick Senior)
• Coopers Green Lane nr St Albans: 51 Golden Plover fields opp Hatfield Business Pk (Steven Pearce via Herts BC)
• Cheshunt GPs: 10+ Goosander on Ashley Pit (Andy Bartlett via Herts BC)
• Crossness - Thames Foreshore/River: 52 Shelduck, 23 Wigeon, 31 Gadwall, 372 Teal, 108 Shoveler, 18 Cormorant, 21 Lapwing, Snipe, 5 Black-tailed Godwit, 16 Redshank, Common Sandpiper (Ralph and Brenda Todd)
• Crossness Nature Reserve: 16 Wigeon, 10 Gadwall, Little Grebe, Marsh Harrier (female), Common Buzzard, 20 Moorhen, 46 Lapwing, Green Woodpecker, 2 Stonechat, 3 Cetti's Warbler, 3 Bearded Tits, 6 Reed Bunting (Ralph and Brenda Todd)
• Drivers Hill Mill Hill: 9 Redwing, 25+ Goldfinch (Bill Rutherford)
• Fairlop Waters and surrounding fields: Treecreeper, Short-eared Owl, Little Owl, Common Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Reed Bunting, Meadow Pipit, Stonechat, Chiffchaff. (Alan Thomas/Neil Twyford)
• Gunpowder Park: 3 f Bullfinch (1 possible m), 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Kestrel, Water Rail (Chris Baldwin)
• Hackney Marshes: 28 Teal, 12 Gadwall, 6 Tufted Duck, 6 Little Grebe, 3 Goldcrest, 2 Chiffchaff - on and near Old River Lea (including Middlesex Filter Beds stretch) 11:30-12:30 (Alastair Dent)
• Hampstead Heath: f Goosander, Little Grebe, f Pochard still on Highgate ponds today partly iced in sunlight. (Single f Pochard here at same time last year - same bird?), also some f & m Gadwalls and Shovelers. (Ray) surname pls?
• Hemans Estate Community Garden/Stockwell: pr Mistle Thrush first time ever seen in this garden also singing at dusk, 2 House Sparrow left (Michael Mac)
• Lamorbey Park: Firecrest in Holm Oak in the dell c12.10 (Ian Stewart); 4 Little Grebes, 2 Egyptian Geese, Kingfisher, Mistle Thrush, 4+ Goldcrests, Coal Tit (F'crest showed very well for c20 minutes with Goldcrests with thanks Ian (Mike Amos); also Grey Wagtail, Little Egret and 2 Peregrine over, 2 Kingfisher pm (Frank Nugent).
• Leyton, Jubilee Park: putative adult Azorean Gull flew South at c.14:20. (heavily streaked head and dark mantle, between Yellow-legged Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull in tone, noted but not much else). Bird was head on for 5 seconds then over head and then into the sun. Flew South down Lea Valley, over Q.E.O.P. Worth keeping an eye out on the Thames. (Paul Whiteman)
• London Wetland Centre: 5 Pintail (4f 1m), Bittern showing well opposite WWF hide, Snipe, 2 Water Pipit (Wader Scrape), m Stonechat (WS) (Neil Anderson et al); 4+ Bittern today (the one mentioned by Neil plus two showing close to each other near Headley hide and another that flew from the SE corner of the main lake into the reedbed - a third bird was reported from near Headley so possibly 5 Bittern), 9 Common Snipe, 2 Jack Snipe and 2 Peregrine on Ch. X. Hospital (Martin Honey)
• M25 jct 21: 2 Buzzard, and also in general a large movement of Gull southeastwards today (Samuel Levy)
• Ranelagh Gardens: Tawny Owl, 2 Jay, 17 Redwing, 4 Song Thrush, Firecrest west perimeter in Holly - brief burst of song, 4 Goldcrest, 3 Coal Tit (Nick Senior)
• Richmond Park: grey-phase European Stonechat still present till late pm in Hawthorn Valley - 300 yards East of Cambrian Gate. From gate entrance walk uphill on main left gravel track and cross the cycle track to horse track 10 yards beyond. Turn left and descend down track for 200 yards and bird favours bracken areas either side of horse track and in large fallen willows. First found by Hugh Bradshaw on 23rd October. I last saw it on 28 November and assumed it had gone. (Franko J. Maroevic); Goldcrest, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, 2 Kestrel, 3 Long-tailed Tit, 2 Meadow Pipit, 3 Nuthatch, 5 Redwing, 20+ Shoveler (Ian R Watson)
• Rye Meads RSPB: Bittern fr Kingfisher_hide, 2 Peregrine pylon, 6 Snipe, Kingfisher (Vickey Buckel via RSPB blog)
• Seventy Acres Lake: red-head Smew, 2 Goosander, 2 Bittern fr watchpoint at dusk (Graham White via Twitter)
• Stocker's Lake: Barnacle Goose w/ Canadas, 17 Goldeneye, red-head Smew fr Shoveler_hide, Goosander (Herts BC)
• Ten Acre Wood area: Snipe, c45 Lapwing, 3 Teal, Meadow Pipit, 2 Reed Bunting, 2 Buzzard, 2 Grey Heron, Nuthatch, Rook, Pheasant (Nigel Dodd)
• Trent Park: 10 Mandarin Duck 5m 5f, female Teal, male Shoveler, 3 Pochard 2m 1f, Kingfisher carrying a fish, 3 Goldcrest, 2 Nuthatch, Treecreeper, 16+ Chaffinch, c15 Goldfinch (Robert Callf); as above plus c30 Goldfinch, 3 Fieldfare, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pete Lowman).
• Walthamstow Reservoirs: M Scaup on No. 4, 2 Chiffchaff feeding in Trees on bank between L. and U. Maynard, with flock of 8 Fieldfare in small area (7 flew off E), Pr Goosander flew from Upper Maynard to land on Lockwood (Relocated in NE corner), 4 Wigeon, Kingfisher and Cetti's Warbler (Seen well) on U. Maynard, Water Rail and Meadow Pipit flew low over L. Maynard, Fem. Goldeneye also on Lockwood (Davey Leach).
• Wanstead Flats: Yellow-browed Warbler still on Alex showing well when seen, 2 Goldcrest, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, 12 Linnet, Reed Bunting, c30 Fieldfare, Redwing, 3 Mistle Thrush, 2 Gadwall, 25 Shoveler, f Teal, 9 Tufted Duck, 8 Pochard, Stonechat (Nick Croft/Paul Davies/Marco Johnson/Tony Brown et al)
• Woodberry Wetlands: Snipe, 2 Reed Bunting, 2 Egyptian Geese, also well dispersed distant flock of 100+ birds to the W heading SW towards central London at 10am seemed very pale underneath - Golden Plover were discussed (Chris Farthing)

Wednesday 28th December

• Brookmill Park: Little Grebe, Kingfisher, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Goldcrest (Conrad Ellam)
• Bushy Park: Goldcrest, 2 Green Woodpecker, Kestrel, Little Owl, 4 Mistle Thrush, 2 Stonechat (Ian R Watson)
• Dagenham Chase: 2 Bullfinch m, Kestrel, 9 Redwing, 6 Fieldfare, 4 Goldcrest, Cetti's Warbler, Chiffchaff, Reed Bunting, 3 Linnets, Song Thrush, 2 Green Woodpecker, 36 Shoveler, 20 Teal, 14 Gadwall, 41 Lapwing, Kingfisher (Simon Worsfold)
• Drivers Hill Mil Hill: Tawny Owl single bird calling pre dawn, 20+ Goldfinch, 7 Ring-necked Parakeet (Bill Rutherford)
• Enfield Town (Gentleman's Row): 5 Redwing feeding on holly berries (Robert Callf)
• Hogsmill STW Nature Reserve: 4 Teal, Sparrowhawk, 15200 Black-headed Gull (14300 E most between 0730 and 0830), 4250 Herring Gull E, 24 Stock Dove, 5 Redwing over, 2 Fieldfare, 20 Linnet (Andrew Skotnicki)
• Isle of Dogs: Blackcap in garden (Sean Huggins)
• Kentish Town: 10 Fieldfares low W over Arctic Street this morning (Pete Mantle)
• Lamorbey Park: Little Grebe, 2 Mute Swan, 2 Egyptian Geese, 4+ Cormorant, 6 Tufted Duck, 4 Stock Dove, Kingfisher (showed well East end of lake this afternoon), Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Mistle Thrush (Mike Amos); 4 Little Grebe am, no definate sign of Firecrest but it seems to have widened it's foraging area somewhat (Ian Stewart)
• London Wetland Centre: 9 Pintail, 2 Bittern, 1 Water Pipit, 5 Snipe, 7 Water Rail (WWT Website)
• Lonsdale Road Reservoir: c15 Teal, 10 Shoveler; on St Paul's Playing Fields - 12 Fieldfare, 10 Redwing (David Jeffreys)
• Panshanger AL7: 4 Waxwing in tall poplar at end of Poppyfields toward Chilton Green c2pm (Colin Alderman via Twitter) TL261125
• Purley: Pair (m&f) Blackcap in my front garden, seemingly feeding on the flowers of a Mahonia. (Roger Kennedy)
• Rainham Marshes RSPB: 3 Short-eared Owl, Jack Snipe, 10 Avocet, 4 Water Pipit, 2 Turnstone, (probable) Merlin, 3 Stock Dove, 18 Snipe, 12 Ringed Plover, 230 Dunlin, 37 Redshank, 3 Curlew, 34 Gadwall, 72 Teal, 2 Marsh Harrier, 178 Wigeon, 34 Black-tailed Godwit, 230 Lapwing, 23 Meadow Pipit, 27 Shelduck, 3 Kestrel, 7 Stonechat, 25 Fieldfare, 19 Redwing, Barn Owl, 6 Little Egret, 14 Pochard, 30 Shoveler, 2 Pintail, 4 Skylark, 7 Pied Wagtail, 3 Reed Bunting, Buzzard (Dante Shepherd, Samuel Levy, Frank Osterberg)
• Richmond Park: 1 Brambling SW, 5 Stonechat, 1 Dartford Warbler (Oscar Dewhurst). (Nice one, Oscar. M.Thain)
• Sewardstone Marsh: 2 Bullfinch, 2 Goosander in the flood relief channel (Adam Winstanley).
• Sidcup DA15 (York Avenue): male Blackcap in my garden first this winter; Waxwing heard at Old Farm Road West 11.20 but not seen in residential area, partly leucistic Robin at King Georges Park looking like something more exotic with tiny bit of red on flanks only Got me excited very briefly but definately a Robin (Ian Stewart)
• Staines Res: 9 Goldeneye, 2 Black-necked Grebe (Thomas Gibson)
• Totteridge Valley central area: 4 Goldcrest, 7 Redwing, 128 Jackdaw (Bill Rutherford)
• Trent Park: 5 Pochard 2m 3f, 2 m Shoveler, 3 Tufted Duck m 2f, m Gadwall, Goldcrest, 2 Nuthatch (Pete Lowman).
• Tyttenhanger GP: 2 Great White Egret, 7 Little Egret, 3 Kingfisher, 10+ Tree Sparrow. (Steve Blake)
• Walthamstow Res: Drake Scaup still on No 4, 6 Goldeneye (1 drake) on Lockwood, 2 Snipe flushed from banks of No 4 and Lockwood, 4 Grey Wagtails, 16 Meadow Pipits, 2 Kingfishers, 2 Egyptian Geese (Sean Huggins)
• Wanstead Flats: Yellow-browed Warbler thanks Nick. (G. Gram); 8 Reed Bunting, 4 Linnet, 2 Mistle Thrush, 6 Redwing, 2 Goldcrest, 31 Shoveler, 2 Pochard, 13 Tufted Duck, Little Grebe, 2 Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, 1w Great Black-backed Gull (Tony Brown/Nick Croft)
• Wanstead Park: 90 Gadwall, Wigeon, 19 Shoveler, Teal, 13 Tufted Duck, 2 Pochard, 3 Little Grebe, Little Egret, Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail, 3 Goldcrest, Chiffchaff, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel (Nick Croft)

Tuesday 27th December 2016

• Aldenham CP: Barn Owl flew across M1 towards Aldenham just west of junction 4 at 18:50 (Ian Ellis)
• Brent Reservoir: Cetti's Warbler, female Pintail, 18 Snipe, Redwing (Andrew Self); same plus 3 Water Rail, 25 Snipe, 6 Redwing, 4 Fieldfare, Cetti's Warbler (Heron Hide), Chiffchaff (Roy Beddard)
• Brookmill Park: Little Grebe, Cormorant, Kingfisher, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Song Thrush (Conrad Ellam)
• Crossness: pm c40 Wigeon on the pastures Dykes and Thames at low tide, 60 Shoveler (never seen so many on the river), 200 Common Teal, 30 Gadwall, 50 Shelduck, 200 Dunlin, 20 Common Redshank, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 40 Lapwing, 40 Common Cormorants, a Little Egret and Grey Heron, 1 Water Rail, 1 Little Grebe, a Stonechat and Cetti's Warbler (Patrick English)
• Danson Park: c2000 Ring-necked Parakeets to roost, 3 Teal, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, 24 Common Gull, 240 Black-headed Gulls (Ralph Todd)
• Dollis Brook: (Near Fursbury Allotments) Kingfisher heading up stream (Samuel Levy)
• Fairlop Waters and surrounding fields: Treecreeper, 4 Red-legged Partridge, Grey Wagtail, 2 Stonechat, Reed Bunting, Common Buzzard, Meadow Pipit (Neil Twyford)
• Hall Place Gardens Bexley: Little Egret, 25 Greylag Geese, 51 Canada Geese, 12 Moorhen, Common Buzzard over, Green Woodpecker, Nuthatch, 2 Mistle Thrush (Ralph and Brenda Todd)
• Kentish Town: Chiffchaff at Arctic Street this morning (Pete Mantle)
• Kingston: 1 Black Swan near Kingston Bridge (Mat Hare)
• London Wetland Centre: 3 Bittern, 1 Bearded Tit, 3 Shelduck, 7 Pintail, 2 Water Pipit (WWT Website)
• Millfields E5: 10 Fieldfare over E at 1130 (Alastair Dent)
• Oxleas Wood: Common Buzzard, Nuthatch, Redwing, Fieldfare over, Coal Tit, Goldcrest, Jackdaw pair (Ron Turner)
• Panshanger AL7: 2 Waxwing in Waterford Green (road) at 1330 & 1450 (Keith Smith via Herts BC & Twitter)
• Pinner (HA5): Great Spotted Woodpecker, Coal Tit, Song Thrush, Redwing & 7 Goldfinch (Jon Ridge)
• Primrose Hill: Stock Dove S, 50 Woodpigeon high N (15 & 35 - prob not local), 49 Fieldfare SW, 29 Redwing SW/S - vismig 08:00-10:00 (Twitter)
• Rainham Marshes RSPB: red-head Goosander [site yr-1st per Howard Vaughan via Twitter] Aveley Bay flew downriver 10.20am, Short-eared Owl, 6 Marsh Harriers, 229 Stock Doves on Wennington Marshes (Sean Huggins)
• River Brent (Greenford- Hanwell Bridges): 20 Teal, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker (1 drumming), 2 Redwing (Neil Anderson)
• Rotherhithe: Stave Hill - 2 Firecrest, 2 Goldcrest, Kingfisher, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 4 Greenfinch, Mistle Thrush, 2 Chiffchaff, Redwing (on Pyracantha near Surrey Water) (Richard Page-Jones)
• Thames Ditton: thousands of gulls of varying sizes mixed flocks flying in staggered V formation groups of 5-100+ all heading West constant flow of several hundred per minute filling the sky for at least 30min from 16:00 to sunset - pretty amazing spectacle I've never seen before there were far too many to count and still going when I left as it got dark (P Redmond) I've seen these gull flocks presumably coming in to roost most days for the past week or so, perhaps longer, but today did seem to have more birds than usual on the move (Mat H)
• Totteridge Valley/Darlands Lake: Little Owl, 4 Fieldfare, 11 Redwing, Bullfinch, 8 Teal (John Colmans)
• Trent Park: Pair of Gadwall, pair of Pochard, Goldcrest, 50 Black-headed Gull, Ring-necked Parakeets (Pete Lowman).
• Tyttenhanger GP: 2 Great White Egret, 1 Waxwing over 1020 (BirdGuides)
• Walthamstow Marshes: 2 Stonechat on Bomb Crater Field just N of the pond at 1200 (Alastair Dent); also 2 Snipe, 2 Pheasant, Cetti's Warbler, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk 15:00-16:30 (Adam Winstanley).
• Wanstead Flats: Yellow-browed Warbler, 2 Goldcrest, Stonechat, 8 Meadow Pipit, 6 Skylark, Reed Bunting, Sparrowhawk (James Heal/Bob Vaughan)

Monday 26th December 2016

• Brent Reservoir: 3 Cetti's Warbler, female Pintail, pair Mute Swan nest-building, 36 Snipe & a Muntjac (Andrew Self); 3 Water Rail, Sparrowhawk, 2 Goldcrest, Reed Bunting (Roy Beddard); Nuthatch, Chiffchaff (Francis O'Sullivan)
• Eastcote (Abbotsbury Gardens): Red Kite over at 13:39 & 2 Redwing (Jon Ridge)
• Eastcote (North View): Red Kite mobbed by two Carrion Crows at 13:10 (Jon Ridge)
• Hogsmill STW Nature Reserve: 4 Shoveler, Gadwall, 3 Pochard, Red Kite S c09:00, 4 Sparrowhawk (3 S/SW), Kestrel, Kingfisher, 9 Redwing (6 W) (Andrew Skotnicki)
• Lamorbey Park: 2 Little Grebe, 6 Cormorant, Little Egret, Grey Heron, 2 Mute Swan, 2 Egyptian Goose, Lesser Black-backed Gull, 6 Tufted Duck, 2 Kingfisher, Pied Wagtail, 42 Fieldfare over, Mistle Thrush, 5 Goldcrest, Coal Tit, 3 Long-tailed Tits, 5 Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker - 9-11 am (Mike Amos & Ralph & Brenda Todd) (No sign of Firecrest but in brief search).
• London Wetland Centre: 1 Bittern, 1 Water Pipit, 103 Wigeon, 4 Redwing S, 2 Fieldfare W (WWT Website)
• North Finchley: 3 Fieldfare over NE (John Colmans)
• Pinner (HA5): Red Kite mobbed by Herring Gulls at 12:58 (Jon Ridge)
• Staines Moor: 1 Peregrine, 1 little Grebe, no sign of SEO 15.00-16.40 (Thomas Gibson)
• Ten Acre Wood area: Buzzard, Kestrel, 46+ Lapwing, 6 Skylark, 5+ Meadow Pipit, singing Mistle Thrush, 2 Reed Bunting, 10 Linnet, Bullfinch (Neil Anderson)
• Trent Park: Firecrest feeding in laurel SW edge of Rough Lot 13:34 (Robert Callf)
• Walthamstow Reservoirs: 2f Goldeneye, f Goosander, 4-5 Green Sandpiper (relief channel), 2 Meadow Pipit, 3 ad Great Black-backed Gulls - Lockwood 11.30-13.00 (Lol Bodini).
• Wanstead Flats: Yellow-browed Warbler still sw corner of Alex, 2 Goldcrest, Teal, 6 Gadwall, Shoveler, 8 Fieldfare, Kestrel (Nick Croft)
• Wanstead Park: 69 Gadwall, 11 Teal, 4 Shoveler, 3 Pochard, 13 Tufted Duck, 5 Little Egret, Great Crested Grebe, 2 Little Grebe, 5 Goldcrest, Chiffchaff, 4 Redwing, Kestrel (Nick Croft)
• Woodberry Wetlands: Water Rail, Yellow-legged Gull, Reed Bunting, Shoveler, 6 Little Grebe, 2 Egyptian Geese (Chris Farthing)
• Wraysbury GPs: 8 Goosander, 10 Goldeneye, 2 Little Grebe (Thomas Gibson)
• Yeading Brook meadows: Little Egret, 54 Common Gull, Little Owl, 6 Pied Wagtail (Neil Anderson)

Bromley Common/Bromley FC: Peregrine x 2 low over the ground just after kick off v Sutton UTD (Rob Tomalin)

Sunday 25th December 2016

• Have a super Xmas everyone - I'm out first thing as Uncle David's sermons are even worse than my dads (JR) That made me laugh. (RicF).
• Brent Reservoir: female Pintail, 43 Pochard, 26 Snipe (Andrew Self)
• Eastcote (Field End Road): 2 Pied Wagtail almost close enough to even pick up in my hand - the last time I managed that was in the freezing winter of 1981 (Jon Ridge) I had two very close to me on Warden Ave, Rayners Lane yesterday, one much lighter/greyer than the other (Tim Rymer) - Hi Tim, there are some very pale examples around & if we were seeing these birds at migration times, it would be very difficult to separate them from their continental cousins (JR)
• Golders Hill Park: pr Egyptian Geese on Lily Pond this evening (James Levy)
• Lamorbey Park: Firecrest showed very well in the dell in hedge by rugby field c13.20, f Teal (Ian Stewart)
• Northolt & Greenford CP: pr Egyptian Geese, 4 Snipe, 5 Redwing, 35+ Goldfinch feeding on alder cones. Merry Xmas all. (Neil Anderson)
• Oakwood Park: Common Buzzard harried by Carrion Crows 09:40 - during walk before Church (Robert Callf)
• Oxleas Wood: Siskin, Coal Tit, Goldcrest, Redwing, Sparrowhawk, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Goldfinch, 2 Mallard (on pond male) (Ron Turner)
• Pinner (HA5): female Sparrowhawk over & 2 Long-tailed Tit (Jon Ridge)
• Regent's Park: Water Rail in reeds at north east edge of boating lake (Dale Hammond)
• Rotherhithe: Stave Hill - 2 Firecrest still around the entrance to the ecology park, 2 Chiffchaff, 4 Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Grey Heron, 3 Common Gull, 8 Tufted Duck at Canada Water. 5 Shoveler, Little Grebe, 1 Grey Heron at Southwark Park (John Cadera)
• Woodberry Wetlands: Singing Mistle Thrush, 2 Reed Bunting, 2 Shoveler, 5 Teal, 2 Goldcrest, Chiffchaff (Chris Farthing)

Saturday 24th December 2016

• Battersea Park: 71 Gadwall, 5 Teal, 11 Shoveler, Peregrine over, Water Rail, Kingfisher, 4 Redwing, Chiffchaff, 5 Goldcrest, 8 Coal Tit (Nick Senior)
• Bow Creek: 18 Redshank in the high tide roost, 80 Teal (Frank Nugent).
• Brent Reservoir: female Pintail North Marsh, Cetti's Warbler North Marsh, 36 Snipe, 171 Common Gull (Andrew Self)
• Brookmill Park: Kingfisher (Frank Nugent); Little Grebe, 2 Mistle Thrush (Conrad Ellam)
• Chelsea Bridge: Caspian Gull 1cy on barges then flew West (Nick Senior)
• East India Dock: Water Rail and female Kingfisher showing very well, 2 Shelduck, 1 Grey Wagtail, 37 Teal and a Fox in the reedbed (Frank Nugent).
• Ewell, Banstead Road: 1 Male Stonechat on rough ground adjacent to DW Fitness 14:00 (Neil Batten)
• Hogsmill STW Nature Reserve: 4 Shoveler, 3 Pochard, Water Rail, Snipe, 1200 Herring Gull E, 6850 Black-headed Gull (6400 E), 40 Lesser Black-backed Gull mainly E, 132 Woodpigeon (74 NE), 28 Stock Dove (15 SW/SE), 16 Redwing (12 W/SW), Fieldfare SE, 11 Linnet (Andrew Skotnicki)
• Lamorbey Park : Firecrest briefly c11am in holly bush by telegraph pole by rugby field nr old toilet block, also Goldcrest after my initial sighting, 4 Little Grebe, Little Egret, Grey Heron, 2 Cormorant, 2 Egyptian Geese, Kingfisher, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Goldcrest including 1 singing (Mike Amos ).
• London Wetland Centre: 1 Bearded Tit (Main reedbed by middle channel), 1 Bittern, 1 Jack Snipe, 1 Water Pipit (Peter Gray)
• Teddington: 3 Redwing eating berries in my garden (Mike Foster).
• Thames Barrier Park: 1 first-winter Caspian Gull, 4+ Yellow-legged Gull, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Redshank, 9 Shelduck (Dante Shepherd, Jamie Partridge, Frank Nugent)
• Tyttenhanger GP: 2 Great White Egret, 15 Little Egret, drake Pintail, fem Goosander, Common Snipe, Water Rail, Green Sandpiper, Woodcock, Juv Peregrine, Red Kite, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, 2 Grey Wagtail, 2 Bullfinch, c25 Linnet, A happy Xmas to all, from us (in the sticks) up North. (Tyttenhanger birders)
• Walthamstow Reservoirs: 1W Caspian Gull on Lockwood, Scaup on No 4, 3 Stonechat on East Warwick, 4 Goldeneye (Jamie Partridge, Dante Shepherd, David Bradshaw).
• Walthamstow E17: 2 Blackcap m f in my garden. (Daniel Whitelegg)
• Wanstead Flats: Yellow-browed Warbler, 8 Meadow Pipit (Tony Brown et al)
• Woodberry Wetlands: Yellow-legged Gull, 2 Coal Tit, 2 Reed Bunting, Sparrowhawk chased off by goldfinches, 5 Teal (Chris Farthing)

Friday 23rd December 2016

• Bermondsey: Sparrowhawk over St James Rd at 10:15 mobbed by Carrion Crow and Herring Gull (John Cadera) 
• Brookmill Park: Little Grebe, Kingfisher, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest (Conrad Ellam)
• Bushy Park: 1 Little Egret, 1 Stonechat male (Mat Hare)
• Fairlop Waters: c100 Lapwing, 27 Fieldfare, 20 Redwing, Sparrowhawk, 2 Kestrel, 2 Meadow Pipit, 4 Linnet, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, 9 Gadwall, 3 Shoveler, 3 Teal, 3 Great Crested Grebe (Simon Worsfold)
• Hampstead Heath: Goosander and Pochard on Bird Pond, 2 Redwing, Little Grebe and 4 Shoveler on Highgate No. 1 (Dave Porritt & Greengrandad)
• Hertford: 5 Waxwing Mead Ln still 08:35-15:00 (Simon Knott & Trevor Brownsell via Herts BC)
• Iver Heath: 31 Red Kite at local roost (Chris Lamsdell)
• O2, Greenwich: 1 first-winter Caspian Gull (Dante Shepherd and Jamie Partridge)
• Parliament Square: 10 Herring Gull feeding on turf area (Neil Anderson)
• Pinner (HA5): Sparrowhawk, Coal Tit & 2 Green Woodpecker (Jon Ridge)
• Ranelagh Gardens: Peregine over - female, Tawny Owl, 9 Pied Wagtail, 18 Redwing, 1 Firecrest (favouring Holly trees near shelter though mobile), 4 Goldcrest, 9 Chaffinch, 1 Redpoll over; passage of 72 Common Gulls west along the Thames from late morning - not a roost movement (Nick Senior)
• Staines Moor: several Water Pipit along Colne. (Jim Fell)
• Totteridge Valley/Darlands Lake: 3 Reed Bunting, 11 Fieldfare, 8 Redwing, 3 Mistle Thrush, 2 Bullfinch, 11 Teal (John Colmans)
• Twickenham: 21 Mandarin Ducks on the River Crane by Meadway playing fields (Tony Leppard) 
• Tyttenhanger GP: 2 Great White Egret, 9 Little Egret, 3 Green Sandpiper, Kingfisher, fem Goosander, Water Rail, c100 Lapwing, Little Grebe, 24 Tree Sparrow, Woodcock (Steve Blake/Richard Coombe)
• Vincent Square SW1: pre roost gathering of 89 Herring Gull, 30 Lesser Black-backed Gull and 1 Yellow-legged Gull 3cy (Nick Senior)
• Walthamstow Filter Beds: 3 Grey Wagtails, Chiffchaff (Dan Barrett)
• Wanstead Flats: Yellow-browed Warbler still on SW corner of Alex, 8 Redwing, 100+ Jackdaw (Nick Croft); Stonechat, Reed Bunting, Fieldfare (Bob Vaughan)
• Whitton: I counted 23 House Sparrows in the colony behind the library. There were certainly more and there are possibly more than 30. (Tony Leppard)
• Woodberry Wetlands: Glossy Ibis over SW at 08:50, Great Black-backed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull (both same birds as yesterday), Coal Tit, Sparrowhawk (Chris Farthing & Tony Butler)

Thursday 22nd December 2016

• Algernon Road, Lewisham: Male Blackcap in private Garden (Conrad Ellam)
• Barnes Cray - Crayford: 8 Little Egrets to roost (4.4.15pm), 1 Peregrine on nearby pylon (Ralph Todd)
• Brookmill Park: Little Grebe, 2 Song Thrush (Conrad Ellam)
• Embankment Pier: Yellow-legged Gull ad, Great Black-backed Gull Norwegian colour ringed adult (Nick Senior)
• Enfield Town (Church Street): 6 Greenfinch pre-roost gathering in London Plane 15:55 (Robert Callf)
• Fairlop Waters and surrounding fields: Treecreeper, Grey Wagtail, 4 Red-legged Partridge, Sparrowhawk, 4 Reed Bunting, 2 Stonechat, Little Owl. (Alan Thomas/Neil Twyford) Treecreeper a mega at Fairlop, well done guys. Where? Associating with other species? (Dan Barrett) Thanks, It's the first time we've seen one there. It was on the SE side of the main lake with a mixed tit flock (NT) Thanks Neil.
• Hertford: 5 Waxwing commuting betw tall trees on Mead Ln Industrial Estate & berry bushes in The Spring cul-de-sac till 10am (Lee Evans via Twitter); again at Mead Ln public level crossing 1235 (BirdGuides) TL337132
• Hogsmill STW Nature Reserve: Teal, 4 Shoveler, Buzzard drifted N, adult Yellow-legged Gull over, Snipe, 8 Redwing, 6 Linnet (Andrew Skotnicki)
• Leatherhead, Randalls Way: 11 Redwing feeding on lawn in front of office am (Neil Batten)
• Pinner (HA5): Red Kite over the house at 12:35, 3 Redwing & a Pied Wagtail over (Jon Ridge)
• Tooting Common: 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Greenfinch, 4 Redwing [Does anybody know where the Little Owls are seen?] (Arjun Dutta)
• Walthamstow Reservoirs: Black-necked Grebe on E. Warwick, M Scaup on No. 4, Pr Goldeneye and Grey Wagtail on No. 5, Water Rail (Hd.), Kingfisher and M Sparrowhawk seen on No. 2/3 (Davey Leach); 2 Goosander, 4 Goldeneye, a Wigeon on Lockwood and four Green Sandpipers on overflow channel (David Bradshaw)
• Wanstead Flats: Yellow-browed Warbler at 11.30 on Alex, looking good in the sun. Thanks for the pointers (Jon Agar); 7 Redwing, Fieldfare, Reed Bunting, 8 Gadwall, Teal, 5 Shoveler, Goldcrest (Nick Croft)
• Wanstead Park: 105 Gadwall, 34 Shoveler, 7 Teal, 3 Pochard, 14 Tufted Duck, 3 Little Egret, 6 Little Grebe on Roding, Great Crested Grebe, Nuthatch, 8 Goldcrest, 2 Grey Wagtail (Nick Croft)
• Woodberry Wetlands: Great Black-backed Gull (ringed - am awaiting reply from Norway), Yellow-legged Gull, Chiffchaff, Shoveler (Chris Farthing)

Wednesday 21st December 2016

• Brent Reservoir: Jack Snipe, 34 Common Snipe, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Little Grebe. (Steve Blake)
• Broomfield Park, Palmers Green: 23 Greenfinch pre-roost gathering 15:20 (Robert Callf)
• Colliers Wood: 15 Redwing flying in the direction of Wimbledon Common at 1130 am (Keith Bates)
• Fairlop Waters: c150 Lapwing, c70 Fieldfare, 55 Redwing, 2 Kestrel, 5 Gadwall, 2 Teal, 2 Shoveler, 4 Goldcrest, 3 Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail (Simon Worsfold)
• Greenwich Ecology Park: Little Grebe, Kestrel, Kingfisher, Goldcrest, Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff (John Bushell & Conrad Ellam)
• Grovelands Park: 11 Egyptian Goose, 3 Mandarin, 2 Gadwall (the first I have ever seen here) (James Palmer)
• Hornsey: male Blackcap, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Magpie and House Sparrow on my garden feeder, plus a female type Blackcap also in the garden (James Palmer)
• Ranelagh Gardens: Tawny Owl, 7 Pied Wagtail, 30 Redwing, 3 Song Thrush, 6 Goldcrest, 1 Firecrest, 3 Coal Tit (Nick Senior)
• Ruislip Lido: 3 Jack Snipe from boathouse in SW corner (Alan Furnell); Tawny Owl called at dusk (Jon Reveley)
• Tottenham Marshes: f Stonechat in usual place N of Allotment, 2 Lesser Redpoll in Goldfinch flock by River, f Kestrel, 2 Goldcrest in allotment hedge - 12pm-13.00pm visit (Davey Leach).
• Wanstead Flats: Yellow-browed Warbler still on Alex but took 2 hours to track down, 2 Goldcrest, 8 Linnet, 3 Reed Bunting, 6 Skylark 5 east & 1 remaining resident bird, 4 Gadwall, 1 Teal, 18 Shoveler, 6 Pochard, 12 Tufted Duck, 2 Mistle Thrush, 12 Fieldfare, 6 Redwing, Great Black-backed Gull, 500+ Common Gull, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk (Nick Croft)

Tuesday 20th December 2016

• Chislehurst Common: 200+ Redwing seen while walking from Bromley to Sidcup (Conrad Ellam) 
• Fairlop Waters and surrounding fields: Short-eared Owl, Little Owl, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Grey Wagtail, 4 Red-legged Partridge, 2 Stonechat, Kingfisher, Reed Bunting (Alan Thomas/Neil Twyford) 
• Hertford: 5 Waxwing Mead Ln still 1515 (Simon Knott via Twitter)
• Hogsmill STW Nature Reserve: 4 Shoveler, 2 Snipe, 11300 Black-headed Gull E, c600 Herring Gull E, 433 Woodpigeon (219 NE), 17 Redwing over, 2 Fieldfare, 2 Mistle Thrush S, Linnet, 8 Greenfinch (Andrew Skotnicki)
• Kentish Town: Blackcap male at Arctic Street this morning (Pete Mantle)
• Leyton Flats (Hollow Ponds): 3 Red-crested Pochard, Little Egret (James Palmer)
• Little Monk Wood and Baldwins Hill: 10+ Brambling with unremarkable finches (Chaffinches?) (A.Middleton)
• London Wetland Centre: no sight nor sound of yesterday's Bearded Tit, 3 Bittern, 2 Water Pipit, 1 Jack Snipe (2 had been seen earlier), 1 Common Snipe, 7 Pintail, 1 Peregrine, 1 Sparrowhawk (Martin Honey)
• Lyle Park: 2 first-winter Caspian Gull (Dante Shepherd)
• Rainham RSPB: Cattle Egret, 2 Marsh Harrier, 2 Peregrine, 3 Short-eared Owl, 6 Water Pipit (Howard Vaughan via Twitter)
• Redbridge Lakes, Woodford Bridge: 8 Snipe, Sparrowhawk, 1-2 Green Woodpeckers, Common Gull, and (heard only) 2 Water Rails. Then on walk in wider surrounding area, saw total of 12 Goldfinches in 5 different locations! (Alan Hobson). Is the number of Goldfinches remarkable? (Anon) - I guess it must be there (JR) The point is not that 12 is out of the ordinary, but that they were in 5 different habitats, showing their versatility and adaptability - which should be of interest to some birders, anyway (AH). - Why the exclamation mark? Seeing 12 Goldfinches in a rural/sub-urban part of London is common place (Anon)
• Rotherhithe: Stave Hill - 2 Firecrest still around the entrance to the ecology park, 8 Chiffchaff, 8 Goldcrest, 3 Song Thrush, 15+ Long-tailed Tit, 1 Kingfisher, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker (one drumming), Surrey Water - 50 Tufted Duck, 2 Egyptian Goose, Canada Water - 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 3 Common Gull, 12 Tufted Duck, Grey Wagtail (John & Janet Cadera & Richard Page-Jones)
• Thames Barrier Park: 1 first-winter Caspian Gull (Dante Shepherd)
• Tooting Common: 2 Little Owls, 1 Sparrowhawk (Alan Wilkinson)
• Tyttenhanger GP: 2 Great White Egret, 12 Little Egret, Green Sandpiper, Kingfisher, 2 Peregrine Falcon, c20 Tree Sparrow, Little Owl (Steve Blake/Pete Elton)
• Walthamstow Reservoirs: 1 Black-necked Grebe, 14 Shoveler, 9 Pochard, 12 Little Egret, 1 Common Gull, 4 Shelduck, 2 Egyptian Goose, 4 Greylag Goose, 1 Grey Wagtail - East Warwick, 1m Scaup - No 4, 18 Pochard 11f 7m - No 1 (Daniel Whitelegg)
• Wanstead Flats: Yellow-browed Warbler still on sw corner of western island on Alex, 2 Goldcrest, 9 Gadwall, 7 Teal, 6 Shoveler, Pochard, Reed Bunting, 2 Kestrel, m Sparrowhawk (Nick Croft/James Palmer/Peter Brinton)
• Wanstead Park: 2 Kingfisher, 120 Gadwall, 2 Wigeon, 8 Teal, 32 Shoveler, Pochard, 18 Tufted Duck, 6 Little Egret, Coal Tit, 3 Goldcrest, Grey Wagtail, Kestrel, 2 Redwing (Nick Croft)
• Woodberry Wetlands: S

Monday 19th December 2016

• Brookmill Park: Little Grebe, Redwing (Conrad Ellam)
• Burgess Park: no sign of Mediterranean Gull noon today (Quentin Given).
• Hertford: 5 Waxwings on Mead Lane in trees by flats opposite entrance to Mead Lane Industrial Estate between 2.10-3.10 p.m. Then flew off heading NW (Simon West)
• Ladywell Fields: Kingfisher, Nuthatch, 2 singing Song Thrush, Goldcrest (Tom Moulton, Sue Gore, Judith Simmons)
• Leyton Flats /Hollow and Eagle Ponds: c15 Redwing, 12 Gadwall, 5 Pochard, 2 Shoveler, 2 Goldcrest, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Greenfinch (Simon Worsfold)
• London Wetland Centre: Bearded Tit (main lake N shore/reedbed edge), 1 Bittern (main lake N shore), 22 Redwing (E&NW), Water Pipit, 19 Meadow Pipit (marsh and over NW), 6 Mandarin (WWT website)
• Petts Wood: 4 Firecrests 2 heard & 2 seen together near Soldiers Field 15.55, 200+ Redwing (Ian Stewart)
• Rainham RSPB: Cattle Egret showing well from 1230 to 1300 on Wennington, 3 Little Egret, 1 Peregrine, 2 Kestrel, 1m Marsh Harrier, 5 Avocet, 2 Curlew, 6 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Water pipit, Barn Owl (John & Janet Cadera)
• Ruislip Lido: 3 Jack Snipe (R.Middleton). 
• Stockers Lake: drake Goosander (Jim Fell, C Youell)
• St James's Park: 40+ Redwing roaming about this morning (Frank Nugent)
• Tyttenhanger GP: 2 Great White Egret, Little Egret, c100 Lapwing, 2 Water Rail, Green Sandpiper, Peregrine Falcon, Grey Wagtail, 11+ Tree Sparrow. (Steve Blake)
• Walthamstow E17: 2m Blackcap in my garden. (Daniel Whitelegg)

Sunday 18th December 2016

• Bow: Abbey Creek to Cody Wharf (Channelsea path and footbridge from 3 Mills towards Cody wharf are both now open) Common Sandpiper, Redshank, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Chiffchaff, 4 Grey Heron, 3 Great Black-backed Gull, 150+ Teal, 16 Gadwall, 4 Egyptian Goose (JW Davies)
• Brent Reservoir: Jack Snipe from main hide, Cetti's Warbler, female Pintail (Andrew Self, Roy Beddard)
• Greenwich Ecology Park: Common Snipe, 2 Chiffchaff (John Bushell & Conrad Ellam)
• Greenwich Park: 2 Peregrines, Goldcrest, 7 Redwings, Grey Heron over, 2+ Mistle Thrush incl. singing (Joe Beale).
• Kensal Green Cemetery and St Mary’s Cemetery: 4 Mistle Thrush, 2 Redwing, 14 Fieldfare, 2 Green Woodpecker (Charlie Farrell)
• Lamorbey Park: Little Grebe, Little Egret, Grey Heron, 2 Mute Swan, 2 Egyptian Geese, 5 Tufted Duck, 2 Stock Dove, Kingfisher, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3+ Pied Wagtail, 4+ Goldcrest (Mike Amos)
• London Wetland Centre: 1 Jack Snipe (marsh field to the right of main channel), 1 Bittern (main lake south shore), 1 Water Pipit, 17 Fieldfare, 13 Redwing, 4 Siskin, 13 Cetti's Warbler, 70+ Wigeon (WWT website); 3 Bittern 2 together by the Headley Hide & 1 main lake north shore (Simon Fogg)
• Lyle Park: 3 first-winter Caspian Gull (Dante Shepherd, Jamie Partridge, Richard Bonser, et al.)
• Rainham RSPB: 3 Short-eared Owl (G. Gram, Peter Alfrey); Grey Plover, 3 Avocets, 2 Water Pipits, Barn Owl, Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, 3 Kestrels, 2 Curlews, 5-7 Skylarks, 15 Golden Plovers, 2 Stonechats, 3 Pintails, Redwing, Green Woodpecker, c20 Shovelers, c20 Shelduck, c320 Lapwings, 5-6 Pheasants, 9 Snipe, Rock Pipit, Little Egret, Grey Heron, 2 Pied Wagtails, Song Thrush, mixed flock of c120 Linnets and Goldfinches (Alan Hobson); 1 Yellowhammer (Peter Alfrey, David Lambert, Sue Healey pics [2]
• Richmond Park: 2 Little Egret on Beverley Brook (A Buxton)
• Ruislip Lido: 2 Jack Snipe (G Westley).
• Thames (Putney-Barnes Bridges): WeBS highlights - 268 Teal, 278 Mallard, 40 Tufted Duck, 82 Cormorant (group of 55 feeding into ebbing tide by Putney Bridge-largest feeding group I've seen here in 30 years of WeBS counts), 8 Heron, Great Crested Grebe, Grey Wagtail & c20 Redwing low over Bishop's Park (Neil Anderson) Neil - was just going to add exactly the same record - Putney Bridge TQ2475: 55 Cormorant seen feeding on the falling tide at 0830 (P.J. Belman).
• Totteridge Valley: 2 Collared Dove, 4 Dunnock, 150+ Jackdaw, 50+ Carrion Crow, 7 Robin, 28 Redwing, Chaffinch. (Samuel Levy)
• Wanstead Flats: Yellow-browed Warbler still s side Alex, 2 Goldcrest, Peregrine Falcon, 2 Kestrel, 50 Fieldfare, 23 Redwing, 2 singing Song Thrush, 3 Linnet, 2 Reed Bunting, 2 Meadow Pipit, Skylark, WeBS - 665 Common Gull, 144 Black-headed Gull, 103 Mallard, 22 Shoveler, 7 Teal, 9 Gadwall, 18 Tufted Duck, 7 Pochard, 46 Moorhen, 67 Coot (Nick Croft et al)
• Wanstead Park: Basin WeBS - 75 Black-headed Gull, 3 Wigeon, Gadwall, Little Grebe, 2 Little Egret, 18 Redwing (Bush Wood), 25 Fieldfare, 12 Gadwall, Pochard (James Heal/Bob Vaughan/Jono Lethbridge).
• Whitton: Blackcap (male) in my garden. (Tony Leppard) 

Saturday 17th December 2016

• Brent Reservoir: Linnet heard or seen murkily through the fog from the main hide this morning - fog count 38 species (Andrew Self, John Gravatt, Andrew Haynes) - Linnet are often recorded in dense fog (JR)
• Burgess Park: adult Mediterranean Gull this afternoon on lake (Richard Bonser)
• Chislehurst BR7 (Kemnal Wood): Grey Wagtail, 6+ Goldcrest, 1+ Bullfinch by Flamingo Park fields (Ian Stewart)
• Chislehurst Common: 1-2 Firecrest heard between Ashfield Lane and Centre Common Road c13.15 (Ian Stewart)
• Central Croydon: Peregrine flying south near Whitgift Almshouses around midday. I am told that it is roosting in the Centrale shopping centre. Chicks next year perhaps? (Gareth Simkins)
• Finchley (Garden): 18 Redwing into roost between 3:30 and 4:20. (Samuel Levy)
• Hutton Grove, North Finchley: 50+ Redwing, along with 20+ Blackbirds feeding on the berries (Samuel Levy)
• Lamorbey Park: Firecrest seen in Holm Oak on east side of the dell (about 50M from its 'usual' area), 2 Egyptian Geese, Little Grebe, 10+ Goldcrest (Ian Stewart)
• Lyle Park: 2+ Caspian Gulls during the day (Richard Bonser, Jamie Partridge and Dante Shepherd)
• Richmond Park: Yellow-legged Gull 2cy, 55 Herring Gull on Upper Pen Pond - very unusual to have so many large gulls on pond (J.Wilczur)
• Scadbury Park: Firecrest showing very well between picnic area and car park c12.30, 20+ Redwing, 10+ Goldcrest, Nuthatch (Ian Stewart)
• Sidcup DA15: 4 Fieldfare SW and 4 Redwing low over Harland Avenue c08.00 (Ian Stewart)
• Ten Acre Wood area: Fog limiting sightings - Vocal Buzzard unseen in trees, 2 Snipe, 3 Skylark, Grey Wagtail heard, 3 Meadow Pipit, 4 Goldcrest feeding together, pr Bullfinch (Neil Anderson/G. Westley)
• Thames Barrier Park: adult Mediterranean Gull (metal ringed) and Yellow-legged Gull 2nd-winter (Richard Bonser, Jamie Partridge and Dante Shepherd)
• Trent Park: 2 Mandarin Duck, 3 Shoveler 2m 1f, 3 Pochard 2m 1f, 8 Tufted Duck 4m 4f, Common Buzzard calling, male Kestrel, Stock Dove singing, 2 Green Woodpecker, 8 Goldcrest, Nuthatch, 2 Treecreeper, male Siskin, 6 Goldfinch, 5 Bullfinch 3m 2f feeding flock near Water Grdn (Robert Callf)
• Tyttenhanger GP: Great White Egret, 5 Little Egret, Green Sandpiper, c30 Linnet (Steve Blake)
• Victoria Park: 12 Red-crested Pochard 10m 2f (JW Davies)
• Wallington: (in my garden) 200+ Redwing feeding busily on remaining berries, 3 Coal Tit, 2 Goldcrest, 2 Blackcap (garden first), 3 Ring-necked Parakeet, Robin, and other usual small birds (Arjun Dutta) - 200+ Redwing! How big is your garden? (Anon) - This might sound slightly surprising, but it is physically possible to fit 150 Goldcrests into a shoebox without squashing them into something rather messy (JR) - I should have added this is 'in and around my garden' ; they were mostly in the next doors, who's garden is very big & they have been coming and going for several days now. (AD)
• Walthamstow Reservoirs: East Warwick - Black-necked Grebe at SE end very close in to bank (and on Friday too) (Stuart Fisher)
• Wanstead Flats: Yellow-browed Warbler showing well on south side of lake at 0830 (John and Janet Cadera)
• Wanstead Park: Water Rail, 8 Gadwall (Bob Vaughan); Treecreeper, 2 Nuthatch, Kingfisher, 6 Little Egret (Tony Brown)
• Woolwich Ferry: Black-tailed Godwit flew west in fog late morning (Richard Bonser, Jamie Partridge and Dante Shepherd)
• Yeading Brook Meadows: Kingfisher, Redwing, Reed Bunting (Neil Anderson)

Friday 16th December 2016

• Barbican: m Kestrel, Grey Wagtail (Neil Anderson)
• Brent Reservoir: 50+ Pochard, 50+ Teal, 15+ Common Snipe, 2 Water Rail, Goldcrest, Black Swan (Andrew Haynes)
• Broadwater: 3 Goosander 2m f on R Colne (Dan Pinkham via Twitter)
• Brookmill Park: Little Grebe, Goldcrest (Conrad Ellam)
• Broomfield Park, Palmers Green: 21 Greenfinch pre-roost gathering in trees 14:55 (Robert Callf)
• Ellenbrook Fields nr Hatfield: 3 Stonechat m 2f in old BT field (Rupert Evershed via Herts BC)
• Heathrow: Stonechat, Little Owl, 12 Skylark, c50 Linnet (Adam Cheeseman)
• Holland Park: male Firecrest and male Blackcap trapped and ringed this morning in area with no general access, also a pale-headed Long-tailed Tit captured - 3rd one caught at this site over the past few years. Thought to either be a European bird (Denmark or N Germany) or an aberrant/genetic morph (Bill Haines)
• Lamorbey Park: 2 Egyptian Geese, Little Grebe, Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail, 10+ Goldcrest, 2 Nuthatch (Ian Stewart)
• Leatherhead, Mill Lane & Fetcham Mill Pond: 1 Little Egret, 1 Water Rail, 1 Bullfinch, 1 Fieldfare, 13 Redwing, 3 Pochard 2m 1f, 2 Common Gull, 20 Tufted Duck (Neil Batten)
• London Wetlands Centre: Bittern showing well at Headley Discovery Hide, Pintail, Coal Tit (Simon Worsfold)
• Mitcham Common (Redhouse Road/Croydon Road): Ring-necked Parakeet roost (Andrew Kellett)
• Motspur Park: Firecrest in gas holder wood (Bob Smith)
• Pinner (HA5): 4 Fieldfare, 7 Redwing, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 10 Goldfinch, singing Goldcrest, Coal Tit, Pied Wagtail & 2 Jackdaw over (Jon Ridge)
• Rainham Marshes: Cattle Egret on Wennington Marsh 0930 (Birdguides); also 500 Starling, 18 Linnet, 4 Cetti's Warbler, 52 Goldfinch, 9 Chaffinch, 15 Robin, 15 Stonechat, 8 Fieldfare, 9 Meadow Pipit, 22 Blackbird, 25 Redwing, 49 Gadwall, 22 Coot, 18 Blue Tit, 26 Long-tailed Tit, 38+ Common Gull, 300+ Black-headed Gull, 25+ Great Black-backed Gull, 6 Cormorant, 4 Kestrel, 65 Redshank, 439 Lapwing, 166 Wigeon, 143 Teal, 35 Mallard, 1+ Lesser Black-backed Gull, 26 Shelduck, 2 Reed Bunting, 10 Avocet, 4 Pheasant, 3 Grey Heron, Cattle Egret was viewed from the sea wall at 10:40 and again from butts hide looking out onto Wennington at 13:20 it has since moved into the long grasses at the back and is only viewable from butts hide when it gets up onto the cattle's backs, also 15 Dunlin, Curlew, 3 Raven, 4 Greenfinch, Buzzard, Barn Owl, 8 Pintail, 37 Shoveler, 2 Snipe, 2 Pied Wagtail, 2 Marsh Harrier, 5 Tufted Duck, 20 Pochard, Little Egret, Green Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail, 20 Golden Plover, 3 Skylark, 2 Song Thrush, also ringtail Hen Harrier seen at 14:20 it came in from over the sea wall and then headed over the marsh and then along the pylons gliding across with a few 'lazy' wing beats (Samuel Levy); Short-eared Owl Aveley Bay late-pm (BirdGuides); Cattle Egret still 1620 (Howard Vaughan via Twitter)
• Regent's Park/Primrose Hill: Water Rail fr Hanover Br in rail ditch (area 2) winter-1st, 40 Redwing (Twitter)
• Richmond Park: 40 Shoveler, 3 Teal, 27 Pochard, 9 Great Crested Grebe, Snipe, 65 Common Gull, 9 Skylark, 12 Meadow Pipit, 15 Stonechat, 2 Dartford Warbler (J.Wilczur, Friday Bird Group)
• St James's Park: c40 Redwing and 2 Chiffchaff in the trees by West Island this morning (Frank Nugent). 
• Scadbury Park: Firecrest in holly between picnic area and car park off Old Perry Street showing quite well and calling occasionally, m Pheasant, Grey Wagtail, 2 singing Mistle Thrush, 50+ Redwing, Fieldfare, c20 Goldcrest, 4+ Nuthatch, 2 Bullfinch (Ian Stewart)
• Sevenoaks NR: Water Rail h fr Slingsby hide, 8 Lesser Redpoll (James King via Sevenoaks Birder blog)
• Sidcup DA15 (York Avenue): Tawny Owl calling 00.15, 2 Peregrines, c20 Redwing S (Ian Stewart)
• Stoneleigh Station KT17: 1 Grey Wagtail w, 110 Herring Gull e (Neil Batten)
• Wallington area: c50 Redwing, 3 Fieldfare, 4 Long-tailied Tit, 2 Wren, 1 Grey Heron - all seen while walking home from school (Arjun Dutta)
• Walthamstow Reservoirs: Black-necked Grebe & Stonechat on East Warwick; drake Scaup on No 4; pair of Goosander on High Maynard; 5 Green Sandpipers on overflow channel (David Bradshaw, Neil Botterill)
• Wanstead Flats: RBA report Yellow-browed Warbler still on south side of Alex

Thursday 15th December 2016

• Brent Reservoir: 3 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Snipe, 34 Pochard, 25 Teal, 12 Gadwall, 11 Shoveler, 3 Little Grebe, Kestrel, 14 Fieldfare, 8 Redwing, 2 Mistle Thrush, 3 Song Thrush, 11 Goldcrest, Coal Tit, Chiffchaff (Simon Worsfold)
• Bury Lake nr Rickmansworth: 25 Red-crested Pochard 18m 7f, pr Goldeneye (Geoff Lapworth & Tony Hulls via Herts BC)
• Danson Park: 2 Egyptian Geese, 2 Little Grebe, 17+ Cormorant, Grey Wagtail, 20+ Fieldfare over with a few Redwings, 1+ Chiffchaff, 4+ Goldcrest, 2 Jackdaw. I also think I may have heard Waxwing calls twice on the north side of the park about 1pm. I am reluctant to declare a proper sighting as I really needed to see the bird(s) or hear them more, but the 2 calls certainly sounded trilly. (Ian Stewart)
• Foots Cray Meadows: Cetti's Warbler River Cray at Upstream Ford, also Goldcrest, 2 Little Egrets and m Sparrowhawk (Patrick English)
• Greenwich Ecology Park: Little Grebe, Tufted Duck, Kingfisher, Chiffchaff (John Bushell) 
• London Wetland Centre: 3-4 Bittern incl 1 main lake north shore fr peacock_tower (WWT website & twitter)
• Muswell Hill, N10: Song Thrush singing all week (Brian Price)
• North Finchley: Blackbird in song this pm (John Colmans)
• Rainham Marshes RSPB: 4 Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, 4 Kestrel, m Merlin, 7 Avocet, Grey Plover, 400 Black-tailed Godwit, 500 Dunlin, Little Stint still, 28 Snipe, 200 Stock Dove, Barn Owl, Short-eared Owl, 40 Rook, 2 Raven, 10 Fieldfare, 20 Redwing, 6 Stonechat, 2 Water Pipit, 3 Rock Pipit (per Howard Vaughan via ELBF Facebook)
• Ruislip Lido: 2 Jack Snipe (R.Middleton).
• Sidcup DA15: Little Egret in Shuttle at Willersley Park, 3 Fieldfare and 10+ Redwing over York Avenue (Ian Stewart)
• St James's Park: 2 Chiffchaff feeding together in a Willow near West Island (Frank Nugent).
• Stocker's Lake: 9 Goldeneye 2m 7f, f Smew still, Great Black-backed Gull, pr Kingfisher (Geoff Lapworth & Tony Hulls via Herts BC)
• Stoneleigh Station KT17: 54 Redwing s, 117 Herring Gull e (Neil Batten)
• Totteridge Valley/Darlands Lake: c70 Redwing, 25 Fieldfare, Skylark over, Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail, Bullfinch, 4 Rook, 21 Canada Geese, c250 Common Gull, 9 Teal (John Colmans)
• Tyttenhanger GPs: fishing lake - 12 Little Egret, Stonechat in hedge near maize stubble; main GP - Great White Egret still (Mike Upstone via via Herts BC)
• Walthamstow Reservoirs: Scaup high maynard, 7 Goldeneye, 7 Goosander, Black-necked Grebe east warwick, 5 Green Sandpiper relief channel, 2 Stonechat (David Morrison via Twitter)
• Wanstead Flats: Yellow-browed Warbler, Goldcrest, 102 Fieldfare, 36 Redwing, Stonechat, 12 Linnet, 10 Meadow Pipit, 18 Tufted Duck, 4 Pochard, 5 Teal, 20 Shoveler, 18 Gadwall, Kestrel (Nick Croft)
• Wanstead Park: 7 Little Egret, 28 Gadwall, 2 Teal, 17 Tufted Duck, 4 Pochard, 11+ Song Thrush, 14 Redwing, Fieldfare, 2 Siskin, 30+ Goldfinch, Chiffchaff, 5 Goldcrest, Grey Wagtail, Sparrowhawk (Nick Croft)
• Westminster: 5 Redwing SW over Westminster Abbey (Andrew Self)
• Woodberry Wetlands: 2 Egyptian Goose, Green Woodpecker, Coal Tit (James Palmer)
• Woodford Green: Tawny Owl, 16 Ring-necked Parakeet, Mistle Thrush singing from roof top (TV aerial), Song Thrush, 3 Siskin,....flyovers to include many Redwing (groups of c20+), 5 Fieldfare, 6 Mistle Thrush, Little Egret, 2 Grey Wagtail, c40+ Starling (very uncommon here), also several groups of RNP's...c 40+ birds, 4 Goldfinch, 3 Chaffinch, 3 Nuthatch and 7 Long-tailed Tits (one bird with excessive black to head, cheeks and mantle, a not unattractive individual (Ken Murray)

Wednesday 14th December 2016

• Beckton: m Marsh Harrier W 1240 (David Morrison via Twitter)
• Brent Reservoir: 200+ Tufted Duck, 40+ Pochard, fem Pintail (North Marsh), Black Swan, 3 Water Rail, 31 Common Snipe, 2 Green Sandpiper (North Marsh), 2 Cetti's Warbler (East Marsh), plus male Brimstone, Red Admiral (Roy Beddard, Steve Leeke)
• Brentford Lock: Red Kite (seemed to be following the rail Line. (Keith Beddow)
• Chingford Plain/Connaught Waters: Smew f, Goosander m, 21 Shoveler, 19 Mandarin, 11 Teal, c60 Redwing, 7 Fieldfare, Buzzard, 4 Goldcrest, Reed Bunting, Nuthatch (Simon Worsfold)
• Ellenbrook Fields nr Hatfield: Barn Owl at dusk (Alan Gardiner via Herts BC)
• Finsbury Park: Skylark flew SE over Woodstock Rd 1100 (Pete Mantle)
• Foots Cray: Common Snipe flushed from Hales Field (Patrick English)
• Greenford (UB6): Red Admiral (Shailesh Patel)
• Greenwich Ecology Park: Kingfisher, Chiffchaff (John Bushell)
• Hogsmill STW Nature Reserve: 3 Shoveler, Sparrowhawk, 8150 Black-headed Gull (7650 E), 536 Woodpigeon (472 NE), 157 Redwing S/SE, 18 Fieldfare (17 S), 8 Song Thrush, 15 Linnet (Andrew Skotnicki)
• Kensington Gardens: 2 Kingfisher on Long Water for past few days (per Ralph Hancock via KGHP Birds blog)
• Lamorbey Park: No sign of Firecrest, Little Grebe, Little Egret, 2 Peregrines, Kingfisher, Redwing, 10+ Goldcrest, Nuthatch (Ian Stewart)
• London Wetland Centre: 3 Bittern (2 near Headley hide on N shore of main lake and one in the reed bed channel nearest to Wildside hide), Water Pipit on wader scrape, 3 Common Snipe on grazing marsh, Chiiffchaff sheltered lagoon, Peregrine on Ch X Hospital (Martin Honey)
• Northaw Great Wood: 2 Marsh Tit, 30 Siskin feeding in birch, Lesser Redpoll h over (Paul Driver via Herts BC)
• Primrose Hill: 4 Stock Dove, 29 Fieldfare & 175 Redwing S most betw 07:40-08:20 - vismig 07:30-09:00; Red Admiral (Twitter)
• Ranelagh Gardens: 2 Tawny Owl, 2 Mistle Thrush, 4 Redwing, 3 singing Song Thrush, 8 Goldcrest, 2 Coal Tit; also Red Admiral (Nick Senior)
• Rotherhithe: Stave Hill – 2 Firecrest showing very well around the chalk pond at 13:15, singing Song Thrush, 4 Mistle Thrush, 2 Kingfisher, 6 Chiffchaff, 25+ House Sparrow, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 4 Goldcrest, 1 Pied Wagtail (John Cadera & Richard Page-Jones)
• Sidcup DA15 (York Avenue): Redwing heard over c6pm, 2 Peregrines, Goldcrest (Ian Stewart)
• Staines Moor: Short-eared Owl 1555 (BirdGuides)
• Stoneleigh Station KT17: 43 Redwing s (Neil Batten)
• Trent Park: 12 Mandarin Duck 7m 5f, 2 Pochard, 4 Tufted Duck, Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Nuthatch, female Bullfinch - 14:00 - 15:00 hrs (Robert Callf) Someone likes messying about with the posts? R Callf If you mean 'assist[ing] automatic compilation of records into the database' then no
• Tyttenhanger GPs: fishing lake - f Goosander, 12 Little Egret, Peregrine, Kingfisher, 2 Yellowhammer; main GP - 2 Great White Egret, 2 Green Sandpiper (Steve Blake via Herts BC)
• Walthamstow Reservoirs: Black-necked Grebe showing very well on East Warwick, also Little Egret, Great Black-backed Gull, 8 Shovelers, 3 Grey Herons, 3 Great Crested Grebes (Alan Hobson).
• Wanstead Flats: Yellow-browed Warbler still favouring the SW corner of Alex, 6 Goldcrest, 15 Fieldfare, 2 Redwing (many more calling overhead as I returned home after dark), singing Song Thrush and 2 singing Mistle Thrush, 2 Reed Bunting, 12 Gadwall, 11 Teal, 10 Shoveler, 5 Tufted Duck, 3 Pochard, Meadow Pipit, Kestrel (Nick Croft et al)
• Wanstead Park: 2 Chiffchaff, 8 Goldcrest, Coal Tit, 2 Grey Wagtail, Kingfisher, 5 Little Egret, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, 108 Gadwall, 6 Wigeon, 24 Teal, 42 Shoveler, 15 Tufted Duck, 3 Pochard, 4 Mistle Thrush (one singing), singing Song Thrush, 6 Redwing, Fieldfare, 2 Sparrowhawk (Nick Croft)
• William Girling Reservoir: Common Scoter view fr Mansfield park (Harry Lacey).
• Woodberry Wetlands: Brent Goose (arrived 07:30 still present 09:30), Reed Bunting, 2 Chiffchaff, Shoveler (Chris Farthing & Tony Butler); Brent flew in fr west res 1410 (Twitter)

Tuesday 13th December 2016

• Barkingside (Clayhall): Peregrine circling low over Clayhall Avenue above the Unicorn pub spooking feral pigeons (Brandon Anderson).
• Brockley & Ladywell Cemeteries: Redwing (Conrad Ellam)
• Brookmill Park: Little Grebe, Kingfisher, Great Spotted Woodpecker (Conrad Ellam)
• East Dulwich (Dunstans Road): 19 Redwing over S 10:20 (Martin Stevens) why did someone delete my original record? MS - Thx for heads-up - looks like when SW posted seconds after you [at 13:42 Tue] he inadvertently deleted your supervening post by overriding the yellow warning message
• Eastcote (Field End Road): 2 Grey Wagtail over (Jon Ridge)
• Foots Cray: Tawny Owl heard calling at Tesco 02.25 sounded like it was in Ruxley Wood, Redwing over c4am (Ian Stewart)
• Golders Green NW11: 2 Tawny Owl one hooting just outside our window at 1.00am another at a distance (Rich Townsend)
• Ladywell Fields: Little Egret (Conrad Ellam)
• London Wetland Centre: 1 Jack Snipe, 4 Snipe, 1 Bittern, 1 Shelduck, 1 Peregrine, 3 Pintail, 2 Water Pipit (WWT Website)
• One Tree Hill: 2 Nuthatch (Conrad Ellam)
• Piccadilly Circus: 2 Peregrine circling at 12:55 (Alan Wilkinson)
• Rainham Marshes RSPB: Red Kite, 3 Marsh Harrier 2m f, Hen Harrier, 6 Avocet, Little Stint Aveley Bay then flew to south shore 0940, 2 Yellow-legged Gull ad 2w, Barn Owl, 4 Green Woodpecker, 4 Water Pipit (Niall Keogh via Twitter); also 12 Black-tailed Godwit, 13 Cetti's Warbler, Lesser Redpoll (ELBF Facebook)
• Richmond Park: 7 Woodcock (Friday Group and S. Read per Nigel Jackman)
• St James's Park: 17 Redwing briefly in trees on Duck Island (Frank Nugent).
• Sidcup, Lamorbey Park: Firecrest, Redwing, Nuthatch (all near old toilet block), 2 Mute Swan, 22 Canada Goose, 4 Egyptian Goose, Grey Heron, Coot, Moorhen, Mallard, Cormorant, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Jay, 5 Magpie, Carrion Crow, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Kingfisher, 9 Blackbird, 10 Robin, Chaffinch, House Sparrow, 4 Goldcrest, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Collared Dove, Peregrine - 30 species a good total for this park (Eric Brown) I make that 29!; no definate sign of Firecrest late pm but 12+ Goldcrests around the park, 5 Egyptian Geese, 3 Little Grebe, Little Egret (Ian Stewart)
• Tottenham Marshes: fem Stonechat in usual spot in mown area N of allotments, 1 Fieldfare around car park, 2 Goldcrests in hedge around allotment - 12.20-13.00 visit (Davey Leach).
• Totteridge Valley: 2 Egyptian Geese at 7:35 by the pond off Totteridge Lane - first time I have seen these on this patch, 2 Little Owls, 21 Redwing, 7 Fieldfare, 8 Goldcrest, 6 Teal, singing Bullfinch, Coal Tit, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail and calling Buzzard - 3:00-4:30pm (Simon Worsfold) - Hi Simon, they regularly winter at a pond on Belmont Children's Farm. I noticed that they weren't there on Sunday, so I assume that they must be mobile at the moment, due to the lack of water in some of the valley ponds (SL) - Cheers SL. Useful to know as I pass it every day on the way to work (SW)
• Turnford Lakes (Cheshunt GPs): 21 Goosander Ashley pit (Barry Reed via Herts BC)
• Tyttenhanger GPs: 2 Great White Egret on exposed sandy area (Jo Edwards)
• Wanstead Flats: Yellow-browed Warbler still sw corner of Alex, Goldcrest, 24+ Goldfinch, 8 Gadwall, 5 Teal, 7 Shoveler, 2 Pochard, 2 Tufted Duck, singing Song Thrush, 2 Mistle Thrush, Sparrowhawk (Nick Croft)
• Wimbledon Common: Dartford Warbler, Stonechat, 14 Reed Bunting, 6 Shoveler (David Wills).

Monday 12th December 2016

• Ewell, Hogsmill Open Space: 1 Little Egret perched in trees near railway line 08:26 (Neil Batten)
• Lamorbey Park: Firecrest in hedge near old toilet block but extremely elusive and still silent, 3 Egyptian Geese, 1+ Little Grebe, Little Egret lower lake, Peregrine, 10+ Goldcrest (Ian Stewart)
• Leatherhead, Randalls Way: 12 Redwing se, 1 Mistle Thrush (uncommon here), 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull (Neil Batten)
• London Wetland Centre: 2 Water Pipit, 3 Peregrine, 5 Pintail, 6 Water Rail, 1 Bittern, 35 Redwing (W) (WWT Website); probably 3 Water Pipit (wader scrape and grazing marsh), 4 Reed Bunting, 1m Stonechat, 4 Pintail 3m f, 3 Common Snipe, good close views of Cetti's Warbler by Peacock hide (Martin Honey/S. Fogg); 2 Jack Snipe & 4 Snipe pm (WWT Website)
• Rickmansworth: Swallow over R Chess (Graham Clark via Herts BC)
• Southgate (Dalrymple Close, N14): adult male Sparrowhawk perched on neighbour's roof 12:00 (Robert Callf)
• Thames Barrier Park: 2 Caspian Gull 1 & 2cy at 2:30-3 :30 (Geoff Hunt/Simon Worsfold)
• Trent Park: 3 Pochard 2m 1f, 3 Tufted Duck 1m 2f, male Kestrel, male Kingfisher perched lower lake near Water Grdn, 2 Bullfinch pair in blackthorn along bridle path near Shaws Wood (Robert Callf)
• Tyttenhanger GPs: 2 Great White Egret, 1st W Caspian Gull, fem Goosander, Little Egret, Kingfisher, 2 Green Sandpiper, Egyptian Goose, Chiffchaff, 11 Tree Sparrow, Bullfinch. (Steve Blake).
• Wanstead Flats: Yellow-browed Warbler still SW corner of Alex in willows but (understandably) elusive, 1w m Stonechat, 25 Fieldfare, 10 Redwing, singing Mistle Thrush, Stock Dove, Goldcrest, 3-5 Linnet, 20+ Goldfinch, Reed Bunting, 12 Gadwall, 21 Shoveler, 13 Teal, 10 Pochard, 17 Tufted Duck, 4 Meadow Pipit, 3 Kestrel (Nick Croft)
• Westminster: Peregrine perched on Westminster Abbey at 09:00 (Frank Nugent).
• Woodberry Wetlands: Water Rail, 2 Reed Bunting, 2 Teal, 6 Shoveler, 45 Gadwall (Chris Farthing)
• Woodford Green: Song Thrush, 8 Redwing West, 16 Fieldfare South, Little Egret, Grey Wagtail, 2 Siskin, 3 Chaffinch, 2 Nuthatch, 2 Coal Tit, 5 Ring-necked Parakeet, and a male Greenfinch, also a Woodcock flyover at 16.30 (Ken Murray)

Sunday 11th December 2016

• Alexandra Park: Kingfisher (1), Shoveler (m), Sparrowhawk (1m), Black-headed Gull c120, Common Gull 10+ -all Wood Green Res 1330 (Sam Jones)
• Barking Bay: Hen Harrier 1cy presumed male viewed from Barking Riverside offices public footpath hunting over the rough ground in the area pursued by Carrion Crows and may have flown West upriver at 1040, 2 Egyptian Geese, 90 Shelduck, 45 Teal, 26 Snipe (influx), 4 Curlew, 33 Black-tailed Godwit, 14 Stock Dove high WNW, 27 Skylark, 1 Rock Pipit, c30 Meadow Pipit, 5 Pied Wagtail, 4 Stonechat, 18 Linnet Nick Senior) - excellent work mate (JR)
• Barnet : Dollis Brook. Kingfisher, 8 Redwing, Fieldfare, Grey Wagtail, Coal Tit (Simon Worsfold)
• Brent Reservoir: 33 Snipe, Egyptian Goose, Black Swan, Cetti's Warbler (Andrew Self) 3 Water Rail (Magnus Andersson) Chiffchaff, Sparrowhawk (Brent Bird Walk)
• Clapton station: no sight or sound of Waxwings at 08:00 today (Quentin Given).
• Cowley, Uxbridge: 3 Blackcaps (2 males) in the garden this morning but soon got chased off by the local Red-breasted tyrant (Roger Morton)
• Cranford Park: 2 Kingfisher, Little Egret, Grey Wagtail, Little Grebe, Common Buzzard, 2 Red Kite (Wendy Marks, Frank Nugent).
• Gutteridge Wood: Firecrest 11.15 in holly tree in middle of wood by HT path, Treecreeper, Nuthatch. (Nigel Dodd)
• Gallions Reach: Hen Harrier Ringtail @ 09.40 and again @ 10.00 across river towards Tripcock Ness (Gary A James and Paul Davis).
• Hampstead Heath: No sign of the Goosander - perhaps the Brent bird yesterday? Kingfisher at Ham No.1 and 5 Gadwall ( Pete Mantle)
• Hogsmill STW Nature Reserve: 5 Shoveler, 3 Pochard, Sparrowhawk, 3 Fieldfare over, 23 Redwing, 35 Linnet (Andrew Skotnicki)
• London Wetland Centre: 3 Water Pipit (scrape), 2 Jack Snipe (marsh), 1 Bittern, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 14 Meadow Pipit (W), 4 Siskin (W), 29 Greylag Geese, 2 Kingfisher (WWT website)
• Margravine Cemetery: m House Sparrow (Nathalie Mahieu).
• Osterley Park: Black Redstart on SW cupola of House in company with white wagtail (Rob Wheeler)
• Pinner (HA5): 29 Redwing over (Jon Ridge)
• Rainham Marshes RSPB: 2 Short-eared Owl, 1 Barn Owl, 2 Marsh Harrier, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel from Serin Mound 3.30-4.15pm, 1 Water Pipit from Ken Barrett hide (Mike Wheeler)
• Rotherhithe: 1 Jay, 1 Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Grey Wagtail, 2 Kingfisher, Great Spotted Woodpecker at Stave Hill, 7 Greylag, 2 Egyptian Goose, 1 Grey Heron, 80+ Black-headed Gull, 1 Lesser Black Back Gull, 1 Little Grebe, 2 Mute Swan, Goldcrest, 10 Tufted Duck, 2m Shoveler at Southwark Park. 2 Collared Dove Southwark Park Road (John Cadera) for some odd reason my previous entry slipped into oblivion!
• Ruislip Woods/Lido: 2 Little Egret (1 golf course stream with stickleback), 3 Jack Snipe showing well 9.30-10ish. bathing Grey Wagtail, Siberian Chiffchaff near Jack Snipe,10 Fieldfare over (Neil Anderson/K. Bull)
• Ten Acre Wood area: Snipe, c40 Lapwing, Buzzard, Kestrel, 3 Pheasant, 2 Reed Bunting, 20 Linnet, Skylark, Meadow Pipit (Nigel Dodd / G. Westley)
• Thames Barrier Park: First-winter Caspian Gull (Dante Shepherd) Pictures here

• Totteridge Valley: 12 Fieldfare, Redwings, Nuthatch, Goldcrest, Mistle Thrush, Great Spotted Woodpecker (Simon Worsfold); also Sparrowhawk, Pheasant, 4 Pied Wagtail, 20+ Redwing, 20+ Robin, 100+ Jackdaw, 50+ Crow, 6 Chaffinch, 15 Goldfinch, 4 Dunnock, 18 Canada Geese, 6 Collared Dove, 20 Long-tailed Tit, 12 Ring-necked Parakeet (Samuel Levy)
• Walthamstow Reservoirs: Black-necked Grebe on E Warwick; Goldeneye (m,f), Scaup m, Peregrine. (Chris Baldwin). N side: Common & Green Sandpipers, 3 f Goldeneye, drake Goosander over (Lol Bodini).
• Wanstead Flats: Yellow-browed Warbler still on island at Alexandra Lake, c10.30. 3 Goldcrest, m Blackcap, 63 Fieldfare, singing Mistle Thrush, Reed Bunting, Sparrowhawk, 2 Kestrel, 12 Gadwall, 16 Teal, 12 Shoveler, 9 Tufted Duck, Great Black-backed Gull (Stuart Fisher/Nick Croft et al) recording here
• Wanstead Park: 150 Gadwall, 2 Wigeon, 23 Teal, 28 Shoveler, Pochard, 14 Tufted Duck, 3 Little Egret, Great Crested Grebe, 4 Little Grebe on Roding, 2 Coal Tit, 4 Goldcrest, Sparrowhawk, Redwing (Nick Croft)

Saturday 10th December 2016

• Alexandra Park: Chiffchaff, 5+ Goldcrest in mixed flock near Conservation Pond, 3 Redwing, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Mute Swan (Bob Watts)
• Brent Reservoir: female Goosander, 2 Cetti's Warbler, 20 Snipe, Chiffchaff, 46 Redwing & 2 Fieldfare (Andrew Self); 200+ Tufted Duck, 45 Pochard, 4 Water Rail, 2 Chiffchaff, 3 Goldcrest (Roy Beddard)
• Broadwater Lake / River Colne: 1 Firecrest, 1 Goosander (m), 4 Goldeneye (2m 2f), 1 Water Rail, 18 Siskin, 10+ Chiffchaff (Michael Hammond, Michael Robinson)
• Brookmill Park: Little Grebe, Little Egret, Sparrowhawk, Kingfisher, Goldcrest (Conrad Ellam)
• Broomfield Park, Palmers Green: Cormorant, 2 Mute Swan, 2 Egyptian Goose, 10 Shoveler 6m 4f, 8 Tufted Duck 4m 4f, Common Gull, Goldcrest singing male, 7 Long-tailed Tit, 12 Greenfinch pre-roost gathering 14:40 (Robert Callf)
• Chislehurst BR7 (Kemnal Road/Wood): Firecrest among Goldcrests calling occasionally near N end of Kemnal Road, 3 Fieldfare NW, 15+ Redwing, c20 Goldcrests mainly in pairs but prob roost gathering of 8+ very vocal birds along Kemnal Road (Ian Stewart)
• Clapton: There's an earful of Waxwings in the trees around Clapton rail station in east London today. (via RSPB Urban Living on Twitter)
• Eastcote (Abbotsbury Gardens): Redwing over (Jon Ridge)
• Eastcote (Field End Recreation Ground): 4 Fieldfare, c.20 Common Gull, 2 Green Woodpecker, singing Song Thrush (Tim Rymer)
• Eastcote (Field End Road): Grey Wagtail over (Jon Ridge)
• Finchley (Garden): 20 Chaffinch, 4 Greenfinch, 14 Goldfinch, 2 Nuthatch, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 20 Long-tailed Tit, 60 Blue Tit, 4 Coal Tit, 15 Great Tit, 10 Robin, 9 Ring-necked Parakeet, Redwing, 4 Dunnock, 10 Blackbird (& the usual wood and feral pigeons and magpies.) (Samuel Levy) - a very good session Sam : ) (JR)
• Golders Hill Park: Pair of Egyptian Geese on central slopes. Staff say they have appeared sporadically during the past two weeks and displayed (James Levy)
• Hogsmill STW Nature Reserve: 4 Shoveler, 3 Pochard, 20 Fieldfare SW, 66 Redwing (56 S/SW), 4 Linnet (Andrew Skotnicki)
• Lamorbey Park: Firecrest in same basic area as previously but more mobile (seen by the mud path in hedge) c12.20, 4 Egyptian Goose, 4-5 Little Grebe, Little Egret, Peregrine, Kingfisher, 4 Pied Wagtail, 2 Meadow Pipit S, Redwing, 10+ Goldcrest, Nuthatch (Ian Stewart, Mike Amos, Ralph Todd) Thanks for that Ian (RT)
• Muswell Hill: male Blackcap in my garden briefly mid-morning, plus record flock of 89 Starlings, Mistle Thrush and Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dominic Mitchell)
• Northolt + Greenford CP: f Egyptian Goose, 56 Mallard (high count), Kestrel, m Sparrowhawk, 5 Snipe, 9 Meadow Pipit, 5 Mistle Thrush (2pr + singing bird), 60 Goldfinch in alders (Neil Anderson)
• Pinner (HA5): Great Spotted Woodpecker, Coal Tit & a Redwing west (Jon Ridge)
• Rainham RSPB: am - 7 Avocet Aveley Bay, 9 Curlew, 3 Buzzard, 4 Marsh Harrier, Barn Owl, 2 Chiffchaff, 50 Fieldfare, 5 Stonechat, 5 Rock Pipit (David Morrison via Twitter); also 500 Lapwing, 2 Turnstone, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 80 Dunlin, 22 Redshank, 8 Ringed Plover, 2 Barn Owl, 240 Redwing, 6 Stonechat, 6 Water Pipit (per Howard Vaughan via ELBF Facebook)
• Ranelagh Gardens: 4 Egyptian Goose, 12 Pied Wagtail, 11 Redwing, 2 Mistle Thrush, 2 Jay, 1 Fieldfare, 3 Coal Tit, 7 Goldcrest (Nick Senior)
• Rye Meads RSPB: m Marsh Harrier (RSPB Twitter)
• Shooters Hill: Firecrest with tit flock in Sevendroogs Castle car park (Gus Wilson)
• Victoria Park: 2 Great Crested Grebes, 7 Red-crested Pochards, 20 Gadwalls, 3 Stock Doves, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Goldcrest, 27 Redwing over, 5 Mistle Thrush (Harry Harrison)
• Walton-on-Thames area: 17 Barnacle Goose (over) still (Dave Harris via Twitter)
• Wanstead Flats: Yellow-browed Wabler on south side of Alexandra Lake in overhanging Willows but mobile and only occasionally calling (Tony Brown)
• Wraysbury GPs: 1 Peregrine Falcon, 11 Goldeneye, 4 Fieldfare, 30 Redwing, 16 Shoveler, 12 Great Crested Grebe, 4 Little Egret, 6 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Kestrel, 2 Grey Wagtail (Thomas Gibson)

Friday 9th December 2016

• Brent Reservoir: 179 Redwing & 46 Fieldfare over, 2 singing Cetti's Warbler, 18 Snipe, 53 Pochard (Andrew Self, Andrew Verrall)
• Brookmill Park: Little Grebe, Song Thrush, 5 Mistle Thrush, 2 Goldcrest (Conrad Ellam)
• Connaught Water: Smew f, Pintail m, Goosander m. (Chris Baldwin)
• E3 Antill Road: 2 male Blackcaps in garden (Harry Harrison)
• Ewell: Water Rail & Common Snipe on R Hogsmill (Steve Gale via Twitter)
• Foots Cray Meadows: Cetti's Warbler still in grass at S edge of lake, 2 Egyptian Geese, 2+ Gadwall, 1+ Teal, 5+ Little Grebe, Kingfisher, 8+ Goldcrest (Ian Stewart)
• Greenwich Ecology Park: Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff (John Bushell)
• Hogsmill STW Nature Reserve: 5 Shoveler, 3 Pochard, Sparrowhawk, 7 Pied Wagtail (5 S), 264 Redwing S/W, Fieldfare S, Chiffchaff, 55 Linnet (Andrew Skotnicki)
• London Wetland Centre: 2 Bittern from Headley Hide (Birdguides)
• Margravine Cemetery: 8 Redwing (Nathalie Mahieu).
• Pinner (HA5): a glance out of the window at 09:25 produced 17 Redwing south-west & a Coal Tit (Jon Ridge).
• Richmond Park: 19 Collared Dove [Robin Hood Gate], 24+ Meadow Pipit, 15 Stonechat, 2 Dartford Warbler, 2 Buzzard, 1 Peregrine (Friday Bird Group per Nigel Jackman)
• Royal Victoria: 2 Peregrine (Brandon Anderson).
• Ruxley GPs:  (permit only) - 6 Mute Swan, 2 Canada Goose, 2 Egyptian Goose, 3+ Mallard, c40 Gadwall, 10+ Shoveler, f Wigeon, f Teal, 10+ Pochard, 100+ Tufted Duck, 8+ Little Grebe, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Cormorant, Grey Heron, 2 Water Rail, 10+ Moorhen, c250 Coot, Kingfisher, 20+ Redwing, 3 Cetti's Warbler, 2+ Chiffchaff, 10+ Goldcrest, 2 Rook SW, 3+ Lesser Redpoll, 1+ Bullfinch (Ian Stewart)
• St James's Park: 400+ Redwing SW 08:15-08:45 and a Red Admiral in the afternoon sunshine (Frank Nugent).
• Stratford, Olympic Park: 2 calling Water Rail, singing Cetti's Warbler, 21 Gadwall, 17 Teal, 6 Tufted Duck, 2 Egyptian Geese, 270 Redwing S, 31 Fieldfare S, singing Mistle Thrush, 2 Shelduck SW, 3 Song Thrush (Stuart Fisher)
• Thames Barrier: 13 Teal 11 on S side & 2 N side, latter also had ca 200 Black-headed Gulls but I couldn't find reported Med Gull amongst them (Quentin Given).
• Tyttenhanger GP: 2 Great White Egret, 10 Little Egret, Green Sandpiper, c300 Lapwing, Wigeon, Peregrine, 4 Tree Sparrow, Grey Wagtail, large movement of Redwing & Fieldfare all flying south. (Steve Blake/Richard Coombes)
• Walthamstow Reservoirs: drake Scaup still No4 (Stuart Fisher/David Bradshaw)

Thursday 8th December 2016

• Alexandra Park: Redwing passage of significance pre dawn (Bob Watts)
• Bermondsey: 22 Redwing over Spa Park at 09:10 (John Cadera)
• Brookmill Park: Little Grebe, Kingfisher, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Mistle Thrush (Conrad Ellam)
• Connaught Waters: Drake Goosander (Ken Murray)
• Hackney Marshes: ca20 Redwing over SE at 0830 (Alastair Dent)
• Heathrow: 2 Little Egrets. (Adam Cheeseman)
• Kentish Town: 20 Redwing and 9 Fieldfare W over Arctic Street at Midday (Pete Mantle)
• Lamorbey Park: Firecrest showed briefly c12.55 by old toilet block before diving into deep cover again - still lack of vocals, also 3 Egyptian Geese, 3 Teal, Little Grebe, Kestrel, Kingfisher, 10+ Goldcrest (Ian Stewart)
• Leatherhead Station: 29 Redwings over, 1 Common Gull (Neil Batten)
• London Wetland Centre: 1 Jack Snipe, 7 Pintail, 1 Water Pipit, 14 Meadow Pipit (SW), 1 Bittern, 81 Wigeon, 65 Redwing (SW&W), 2 Siskin, 1 Chiffchaff (WWT website); 2 Bittern (both near Headley hide); several calling Water Rail and Cetti's Warbler (Martin Honey)
• Margravine Cemetery: 3 Redwing, 3 Peregrine Falcon on hospital (Nathalie Mahieu).
• Northaw Great Wood: Marsh Tit, 17 Lesser Redpoll feeding in birches near car park (Robert Callf)
• Oxhey: 2 Waxwing over Lower Paddock Rd WD19 landed in trees on south side 0840 viewed thru gaps betw houses (Ian Bennell via Twitter) TQ 12181 95214
• Petts Wood: 1+ Firecrest at end of path from Manor Park 15.55, 50+ Redwing, 20+ Goldcrest, 4+ Rook (Ian Stewart)
• Pinner (HA5): Sparrowhawk, Coal Tit & 2 Goldfinch (Jon Ridge).
• Rainham RSPB: juv m Hen Harrier still, 3 Water Pipit (BirdGuides)
• Ridgeway, Mill Hill: 34 Redwing 13S & 10E & 11SE there seems to be a large movement today as before dawn they were calling which is unusual, also Herring Gull S, 20 Black-headed Gulls, 40 Common Gulls (Samuel Levy)
• St James's Park: c40 Redwing SW (Frank Nugent).
• Stoneleigh Broadway KT17: 73 Redwing s over, 396 Herring Gull e towards Beddington, 2 Pied Wagtail (Neil Batten)
• Thames Barrier Park: 42 Shelduck, 31 Teal, 1 Little Egret, 2 Caspian Gull 1cy 2cy, 3 Yellow-legged Gull 2 1cy 1 3cy, 65 Common Gull, 2 Grey Wagtail, c90 Redwing over mostly SW (Nick Senior); 1cy Caspian Gull (Dante Shepherd) Pictures here - Is this the same individual you had Nick? (DS) Yep that's the one Rgds Nick
• Totteridge Valley/Darlands Lake: m Stonechat in 'owl' field, c170 Redwing throughout area mostly flying over, 18 Fieldfare, Grey Wagtail, singing Mistle Thrush, Kestrel, 12 Teal (John Colmans)
• Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park: Male Firecrest still in holly at entrance to Horse Chestnut Glade opposite Soanes Centre 1445 showing extremely well, also 4 Goldcrest High Glade, 6+ Redwing (Bob Watts)
• Town Park, Enfield: 4 Shoveler 2m 2f Carr's Basin, Kingfisher (Robert Callf)
• Tyttenhanger GPs: Great White Egret still main GP nr causeway (Mike Upstone via Herts BC)
• Wanstead Flats: Yellow-browed Warbler again in willows on south side of Alex until about 8:30 when it joined a roving mixed tit flock (Jono Lethbridge/Peter Brinton/Nick Croft) - excellent find Nick (JR); 220+ Redwing, 70+ Fieldfare, 2 Goldcrest, 2 Kestrel, 8 Gadwall, 6 Teal, 9 Shoveler, 16 Tufted Duck, 2 Pochard, Meadow Pipit (Nick Croft)
• Wanstead Park: 3 Little Egret, 2 Little Grebe, 92 Gadwall, 39 Shoveler, 3 Wigeon, 13 Teal, 22 Tufted Duck, 2 Pochard, 16 Redwing, singing Mistle Thrush, 10+ Goldcrest (Nick Croft)
• Woodberry Wetlands: 36 Redwing (20 SW 16 down), 18 Fieldfare SW, Great Black-backed Gull, Reed Bunting, 3 Teal (Chris Farthing)
• Woodford Green: A visible increase in Redwing this am - numerous flocks of 30's 20's 10's and singles passing over, 10 Ring-necked Parakeets, fem Sparrowhawk, 4 Goldfinch, 2 Siskin, 2 Nuthatch, female Blackcap, Chaffinch and Common Buzzard (Ken Murray)

Wednesday 7th December 2016

• Bloomsbury: Gower Street - Peregrine circling over University College London (Jo Edwards)
• Chingford Plain/Connaught Waters: 1m Goosander, 1m Pintail, 16 Shovelers, c30 Mandarins, 25 Teals, 2 Gadwall, 27 Redwings, 7 Goldcrests, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail (Simon Worsfold)
• Dulwich Park: 16 Shoveler, 16 Redwing, 7 Fieldfare (Martin Stevens)
• Dulwich Woods: Nuthatch, 4 Redwing (Tony Stones)
• Foots Cray Meadows: Cetti's Warbler by SE side of lake calling and flushed twice giving excellent views the second time, 10+ Gadwall, 5+ Teal, 3 f Tufted Duck, 2 Little Grebe, Little Egret, 2 Water Rail, Kingfisher, 5 Redwing, 8+ Goldcrest, 100+ Jackdaw leaving for roost prob at Joydens Wood (Ian Stewart)
• Greenwich Ecology Park: Drake Little Grebe, Tufted Duck, Kingfisher, Chiffchaff (John Bushell)
• Hogsmill STW Nature Reserve: 6 Shoveler, 2 Pochard, 18 Stock Dove, Kingfisher, 3 Mistle Thrush W, 74 Redwing (72 over), 3 Fieldfare E, 40 Linnet, 33 Goldfinch (Andrew Skotnicki)
• Hornchurch: 7 Ring-necked Parakeets over Havering Sixth Form College at 8:05 a.m. (G Francis)
• Lamorbey Park: Firecrest showing to a couple of feet by old toilet block but generally in middle of bushes 13.30-14.00 then flew to large Holly opposite- possibly a second bird called a couple of times from that area, 1 Greylag, 1 Egyptian Goose, 2 f Teal, 3 f Tufted Duck, 2 Little Grebe, Kingfisher, 10+ Goldcrest (Ian Stewart et al)
• Leatherhead, Randalls Way: Possible female Black Redstart reported by competent third party present at The Square a.m. Apparently viewed down to ten feet and perched on window ledge of building (Neil Batten)
• London Wetland Centre: Chiffchaff, Peregrine on CH. X Hospital, 2 Bittern, 2 Goldcrest, 1m Stonechat (Martin Honey); no sign of any Common or Jack Snipe; 1 Jack Snipe (Bill Reding)
• Lyle Park: 2 first-winter Caspian Gull, adult Mediterranean Gull, 5 Yellow-legged Gull (Dante Shepherd) Pictures here
• Richmond Park: Goldcrest inc. male displaying; two bats feeding at Pen Ponds at dusk (not sure which species but thought it odd as I understood they hibernate?); several Tawny Owls (m&f) very active, calling, flying and perching (P. Redmond)
• Rainham RSPB: juv m Hen Harrier hunting marsh incl'g Wennington still (Howard Vaughan via RDPB blog)
• Rotherhithe: Stave Hill & Russia Dock Woodland - 2 Firecrest showing well this morning near Globe Pond, also 1m Teal on the pond, 2 Kingfisher, 2 Chiffchaff, 1m Blackcap, 3-4 Fieldfare over early, 1 Song Thrush, 3 Mistle Thrush, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Jay, 7 Long-tailed Tit (John Cadera & Richard Page-Jones)
• St James's Park: Chiffchaff (Frank Nugent).
• Staines Moor: pm - 200 Fieldfare & 200 Redwing everywhere, 130 Cormorant flying west in small groups, 4 Stonechat, 6 Meadow Pipits, 2 Skylark, 2 Snipe, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, 4 Kestrel; 2 Roe Deer, 1 Fox. (Nick Baker).
• Sutcliffe Park: Little Egret, 2 Common Snipe & Meadow Pipit in nearby Cator Park (Conrad Ellam)
• Tyttenhanger GPs: 2 Great White Egret still main pit 10am, 7 Little Egret, Green Sandpiper, 19+ Golden Plover, c200 Lapwing, Peregrine Falcon, Buzzard, 9+ Mistle Thrush. (Steve Blake/Terry Smith)
• Wanstead Flats: Yellow-browed Warbler [some suggestion this might be a Hume's] on south side of Alex in willows calling and showing well, 2 Goldcrest, 34 Fieldfare, 2 Redwing, 7 Linnet, 30+ Goldfinch, 2 Reed Bunting, Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, 3 Pied Wagtail, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, 2 Pochard, 3 Tufted Duck, 8 Gadwall, 8 Teal, 13 Shoveler (Nick Croft/Bob Vaugan)
• Wanstead Park: 20 Fieldfare, 4 Redwing, singing Song Thrush, singing Mistle Thrush, 12 Goldcrest, Little Egret, Sparrowhawk, 2 Little Grebe, 27 Shoveler, 58 Gadwall, 6 Teal, Pochard, 16 Tufted Duck, 300+ Black-headed Gull (Nick Croft)
• Woodoaks Farm nr Maple Cross: Red Kite, Stonechat, m Yellowhammer (Geoff Lapworth via Herts BC)

Tuesday 6th December 2016

• Brookmill Park: Little Grebe (Conrad Ellam)
• Dulwich Park: 2 Shoveler (pair), drake Teal, Grey Heron, 2 Cormorant, 8+ Coot, 8 Tufted Duck, 7 Mallard, 3 Moorhen, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Dunnock, pair Mistle Thrush (Tony Stones)
• Greenwich O2: a new 1w Caspian Gull, 3 Yellow-legged Gull (Jamie Partridge) pics here
• Lamorbey Park: Firecrest opposite old toilet block 12.30, Kingfisher, Coal Tit, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Goldcrest, Redwing, Nuthatch (Donna Zimmer); no sign of Firecrest late pm, f Teal lower lake, Kingfisher, 10+ Goldcrest (Ian Stewart)
• Oxleas Wood: male Peregrine took parakeet from treetop, female Kestrel, Nuthatch, Coal Tit, 30+ Goldcrest, 6 Redwing (Ron Turner)
• Rainham RSPB: ringtail Hen Harrier again hunting on marsh am (Angela Wood & Jamie Smith per Howard Vaughan via FB/Twitter)
• Ridgeway, Mill Hill: Black Redstart on winterstoke library 14:35. (Private Property of MHS) (Samuel Levy)
• Ruislip Lido: Jack Snipe in dense fog from 10:40, Teal, Shoveler & Wigeon all present, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Nuthatch & a Grey Wagtail over (Jon Ridge)
• Ruislip (St Martin's Approach): Little Egret along the River Pinn (Jon Ridge)
• Trent Park: Firecrest calling and feeding in laurel SW edge of Rough Lot 13:27-13:30 although generally elusive, 2 fem Bullfinch bushes near upper lake (Robert Callf)
• Tyttenhanger GP: Great White Egret, Little Egret on fishing lake, Grey Wagtail (Steve Blake)
• Walthamstow Reservoirs: drake Scaup on No 4, 2 Goosander m f on Lockwood, Goldeneye m f, Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Cetti's Warbler, Kestrel (Simon Worsfold, Magnus Andersson)
• Wanstead Flats: 8 Lapwing (Rob Sheldon), 12 Shoveler, 6 Gadwall, 7 Teal, 3 Pochard, 2 Kestrel, 2 Meadow Pipit, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Redwing, 8  Mistle Thrush, 550+ Common Gull, 150+ Black-headed Gull, 60+ House Sparrow (Nick Croft)
• Whitton: Little Owl on Nelson School playing field calling and in flight at 1620 (Tony Leppard)
• Woodberry Wetlands: Snipe, Teal, Jackdaw, ad. Yellow-legged Gull, 3 Egyptian Geese, 2 Reed Bunting, 3+ Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Cetti's Warbler - 3 Warbler spp. not bad for a December morning (Chris Farthing)

Monday 5th December 2016

• Alexandra Park: Kingfisher Wood Green Res 8.00 am (Tom Holleran)
• Brixton: Grey Wagtail over outside tube station (Tony Stones)
• Brookmill Park: Little Grebe, Great Spotted Woodpecker (Conrad Ellam)
• Chipstead Valley: Jack Snipe flying up valley nr Canons Farm 1045 (Geoff Barter via Twitter)
• Holmethorpe SPs: 7 Snipe, 2 Kingfisher, 26 Skylark, 4 Chiffchaff, 2 Stonechat in field margins behind Canal Cottage, 20 Redwing, 9 Bullfinch, 3 Reed Bunting, Yellowhammer (Ray Baker via HSP blog)
• Lamorbey Park: 5 Teal 3 drake and 2 female golf course lake, 2 Little Grebe, Grey Heron, 2 Mute Swan, Egyptian Goose, 5 Common Gull, Herring Gull, Kingfisher, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Goldcrest, Jay, (Mike Amos); Firecrest opposite old toilet block c15.40, Little Egret lower lake (Ian Stewart)
• Leatherhead, Common Meadow: 1 Little Egret, 1 Peregrine, 1 Mute Swan, 8 Redwing, 1 Fieldfare, 1 Little Grebe, 1 Nuthatch, 86 Black-headed Gull (Neil Batten)
• Lee Valley, Friday Lake: red-head Smew (Simon Papps)
• Lee Valley, Horsemill Stream (just E of Hall Marsh): male Goosander (Simon Papps)
• Oxleas Wood: Common Buzzard, Song Thrush, 3 Jackdaw, Redwing over, Goldfinch, 12+ Goldcrest, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Mistle Thrush, pr Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Kestrel (Ron Turner)
• Ruislip Lido: 3 Jack Snipe still present opposite the boathouse at 12.00 (Roger Morton)
• St James's Park: Kingfisher (Frank Nugent).
• Stave Hill: 2 Firecrest, 2 Mistle Thrush, 2 Chiffchaff, 8 Greenfinch, Song Thrush, Goldcrest, Jay (Richard Page-Jones)
• Trent Park: Firecrest feeding in laurel SW edge of Rough Lot at approx TQ284976 at 13:54 hrs (Robert Callf)
• Tyttenhanger GP: 2 Great White Egret alternating between Main Pit & Fishing Lake, Caspian Gull 1w, Water Rail, 3 Tree Sparrow Tyttenhanger Fm (Steve Blake)
• Walthamstow Reservoirs: 2 Goldeneye, Green Sandpiper, Kingfisher, Cetti's Warbler on reservoir no 4, Black-necked Grebe on East Warwick, plus Common Snipe, Green Sandpiper, 2 Shelduck, Peregrine on pylon also seen from East Warwick (Simon Worsfold et al); also m Scaup seen on reservoir 4 and Goosander on Lockwood. Seen by other birdwatchers.
• Wanstead Flats: Little Owl, 5 Shoveler, Gadwall, Kestrel (Nick Croft)
• Wanstead Park: 65 Gadwall, 3 Wigeon, 5 Teal, 6 Shoveler going east, Pochard, 2 Little Grebe, Kingfisher, Great Black-backed Gull, 12 Mistle Thrush, 30+ Goldfinch, 10+ Goldcrest (Nick Croft)
• Wimbledon Common: 1 Dartford Warbler, 1 Stonechat, 6 Reed Bunting (Penny Smallshire)
• Woodberry Wetlands: Shoveler, Teal, Chiffchaff, 5 Little Grebe, 3+ Goldcrest (Chris Farthing)

Sunday 4th December 2016

• Alexandra Park: Gadwall pair Wood Green Res (Bob Watts)
• Brent Reservoir: 170+ Tufted Duck, 40+ Pochard, 11 Common Snipe, 2 Water Rail, Chiffchaff (Roy Beddard, Steve Leeke)
• Broomfield Park, Palmers Green: Cormorant, 2 Mute Swan, 42 Canada Goose, 2 Egyptian Goose, 13 Shoveler 9m 4f, 3 Tufted Duck 1m 2f, 8 Greenfinch pre-roost gathering at 15:00 hrs (Robert Callf)
• Greenwich Ecology Park: Common Snipe, drake Tufted Duck & 4 Teal on Thames (John Bushell & Conrad Ellam)
• Cranford CP: Water Rail - patch tick, 2 Kingfishers, 2 Little Egret, Common Buzzard, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 5 Goldcrest (Wendy Marks)
• Gunpowder Park: 5 Goosander, 2 Buzzard, Kingfisher, Siskin (James Palmer)
• Hampstead Heath: fem/imm Goosander still on Highgate No.1 pond catching small fish and looking settled despite being harried by hungry Black-headed Gulls, Snipe flushed by walkers at Parliament Hill flew down to bottom of 1st Hedge, 2 Fieldfares W, 20+ Redwing, 12 Siskin feeding at the edge of the Wood Pond, Little Grebe here too (Pete Mantle)
• Harmondsworth: 65 Golden Plover in winter wheat field adjacent to A4 best viewed from Harmondsworth lane (Dave Morris, Franko J Maroevic)
• Hornchurch: 3 Kingfisher, 1 Little Egret and 1 Common Snipe together along the River Beam at Upper Rainham Road (Frank Nugent).
• Leatherhead: 5 Goosander on R Mole (Surrey BC)
• London Wetland Centre: 1 Bittern, 4 Pintail, 4 Snipe, 1 Peregrine, 1 Water Pipit, 1 Bullfinch NW, 25 Redwing (WWT Website)
• Pinner (HA5): 10 Fieldfare north, 3 Redwing south-east, Mistle Thrush, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Grey Heron over, probable pair of Jackdaw on rooftops opposite house, singing Goldcrest, Coal Tit, 8 Goldfinch & 6 Collared Dove (Jon Ridge).
• Rammey Marsh: 3 Kestrel, 2 Snipe, Stonechat (James Palmer)
• Ranelagh Gardens: Sparrowhawk, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Skylark S, 6 Pied Wagtail, 21 Redwing, 6 Song Thrush (all continental), 1 Fieldfare, 2 Mistle Thrush, 5 Goldcrest (2 singing), 2 Coal Tit, 4 Chaffinch; nearby on Thames - 1 red-head Goosander West, Caspian Gull 1cy on barges East of Chelsea Bridge, 3 Grey Wagtail (Nick Senior)
• Rotherhithe: 1 Firecrest at Stave Hill in SE corner of the park, also 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Kingfisher, 4 Shoveler, 8 Tufted Duck, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Jay, Goldcrest at Southwark Park, 86 Tufted Duck, Grey Wagtail, 2 Pied Wagtail, 3 Common Gull on Canada Water (John Cadera)
• RSPB Rainham Marshes: 11 Linnet, 15 Stonechat, 3 Pheasant, 39 Coot, 4 Little Grebe, 6 Wren, 19 Chaffinches, 13 Meadow Pipit, 6 Snipe, 7 Kestrel, 72 Gadwall, 22 Black-tailed Godwit, 30 Common Gull, 500+ Black-headed Gull, 36 Redshank, 215 Lapwing, 85 Teal, 177 Wigeon, 13 Goldfinch, 4 Cormorant, 6 Grey Heron, 8 Pied Wagtail, 171 Canada Geese, 60 Dunlin although 200+ were reported later, 10 Reed Bunting, 400+ Starling, 4 Buzzard, 34 Shelduck, 13 Redwing, 4 Greenfinch, 45 Shoveler, 10 Pintail, 2 Marsh Harrier, 4 Curlew, 2 Rock Pipit, 2 Raven (Samuel Levy); also a Little Owl was reported by others near Ken b hide (SL); 6 Avocets - Aveley bay, Water Pipit, 2 Barn Owls (Ian Bradshaw)
• Ruislip Lido: Jack Snipe showing well viewed from boathouse SW corner 12.15pm (Tim Rymer); Must have missed you as there were all 3 showing just minutes before. However, two moved into the thicket. Saw just the one when I was running earlier (Richard Francis); 3 showing well at 11am. (Jim Fell)
• Sewardstone Marsh: Kingfisher, 2 Rook (James Palmer); 3 Water Rail feeding in relief channel, 2 Stonechat, 7 Goldcrest, 4 Chiffchaff (Neville Smith).
• Staines Moor: pm - juvenile Marsh Harrier heading SW, Red Kite, Buzzard, Kestrel, 20+ Meadow Pipits, Water Pipit, 6 Stonechat, 3 Reed Bunting, Snipe, 100 Fieldfare, 50+ Redwing (Nick B) surname pls?
• Surbiton (Seething Wells) Filter Beds: 5 Little Grebe, 2 Pied Wagtail, 2 Lapwing (Nigel Jackman)
• Ten Acre Wood area: f Teal, Buzzard calling, Sparrowhawk, 30+ Lapwing, Snipe, 12 Skylark, 18 Meadow Pipit, 2 Stonechat, 20 Redwing (18 S), 2 Fieldfare, 3 Reed Bunting, Linnet (Neil Anderson/G. Westley)
• Thames Barrier Park: Caspian Gull 2cy, 2 Yellow-legged Gull, 3 Great Black-backed Gull, 14 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 165 Herring Gull, 11 Common Gull and 730 Black-headed Gull, 18 Common Shelduck, 43 Eurasian Teal, Common Sandpiper, Eurasian Curlew, Grey Wagtail (Dominic Mitchell); 1cy Caspian Gull (Dante Shepherd, Jamie Partridge and Richard Bonser) Pics here
• Tyttenhanger GPs and Willows Farm: Great White Egret still on Willows Farm Lake early-am (BirdGuides)
• Walthamstow Reservoirs: drake Scaup - No 4; Black-necked Grebe - East Warwick; 3 - Goosander, Green Sandpiper - Lockwood; 8 Goldeneye & 3 Snipe (David Bradshaw)
• Wanstead Flats: Golden Plover (Tony Brown); Little Owl, Common Buzzard, m Sparrowhawk, 2 Linnet, Meadow Pipit, 7 Shoveler, 5 Teal, 2 Pochard, 6 Tufted Duck, Goldcrest (Nick Croft)
• Wanstead Park: Common Snipe (Tony Brown); Firecrest, 12 Goldcrest, 2 Chiffchaff, Nuthatch, Coal Tit, Common Buzzard, Kestrel, f Sparrowhawk, 130+ Gadwall, 3 Wigeon, 9 Shoveler, 14 Tufted Duck, 2 Pochard, 7 Redwing (Nick Croft); Water Rail on Heronry Pond (Frank Nugent)
• Waterlow Park N6: 2 Nuthatch around Middle Pond, 2 Siskin and 1 Lesser Redpoll with Goldfinch flock in Wildlife Sanctuary trees at the top of the park, 3-4 Redwing there too, also a major influx of 20+ Song Thrush seen and heard (Francis Tusa)
• Yeading Brook Meadows: f Sparrowhawk, 73 Common Gull, pr Bullfinch (Neil Anderson)
• Wimbledon Common: Dartford Warbler, Stonechat (David Wills).
• Woodford Green: Tawny Owl, 3 Nuthatch, Collared Dove, Little Egret, 5 Siskin, 3 Buzzard, and 8 Redwing (Ken Murray)

Saturday 3rd December 2016

• Alexandra Park: Kingfisher south end Wood Green Res but no sign of Gadwall pair (Alan Gibson, Gareth Richards, Bob Watts)
• Bow Creek: 16 Redshank and 2 Common Sandpiper in the high tide roost (Frank Nugent)
• Brent Reservoir: 4 Common Snipe, Mediterranean Gull, Cetti's Warbler, 2 Green Sandpiper, 4 Goldcrest (Leo Batten, Pete Lowman)
• Cheshunt: c153 Golden Plover in field West of A10 viewed from A10 foot bridge just north of B198 (Neville Smith).
• Chingford: 1m Pintail, 16 Mandarin Duck, 50+ Teal, 28 Shoveler, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Lesser Redpoll, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Fieldfare, Redwing, flock of 15-20 Long-tailed Tit, with 3 Goldcrest (John & Janet Cadera)
• East Dulwich: Fieldfare W over Malfort Road late afternoon (Pete Mantle)
• Enfield: No sign of any Waxwings along The Ridgeway this morning (Simon West)
• Foots Cray Meadows: Little Egret, Kingfisher, Chiffchaff (Frank Nugent).
• Hall Marsh: m Stonechat (Neville Smith).
• Ickenham: Just seen a Jay perched on my fence 09.20, it sat for about 2 minutes then flew off (Lynn Charlton)
• Ingrebourne Valley: Marsh Harrier adult male, 2 Water Rail h, 9 Snipe, 15+ Ring-necked Parakeet, pr Stonechat, 5+ Reed Bunting (Andrew Cox via Essex BwS)
• Jersey Farm: 2 Raven S over gdn calling 1100 (Dan Fletcher via Twitter)
• Lamorbey Park: pair Mute Swan, 5 Egyptian Geese, Grey Heron (over), 7 Tufted Duck, 2 Little Grebe, Sparrowhawk, Kingfisher, Jay, Coal Tit, Goldcrest (Mikey Amos); pm visit- Water Rail my first here and potential first site record on S side of lower lake flushed by Moorhen, male Teal (rare here), Firecrest high in Oak in the dell, Greylag, Mistle Thrush and most of the above (Ian Stewart)
• London Wetland Centre: 2 Peregrine on Ch X Hospital, 8 Pintail 3m 5f, 1m Stonechat, 5 Common Snipe, 1f/imm Marsh Harrier in from SE dropped down over main lake but was picked up by Crows and chased off high SW (Martin Honey, E. Garcia & B. Page)
• Panshanger Park: Water Rail, Jack Snipe fr viewing screen (Barry Reed via Herts BC)
• Rainham RSPB: Great Skua drifting upriver 0930 (BirdGuides)
• Rammey Marsh: 2 Stonechat (Neville Smith).
• Richmond Park: 2 Dartford Warbler (J.Wilczur, H.Bradshaw, R. Ritchen et al); late afternoon 2 Buzzards circling low and calling, 9 Redwing, Tawny Owl, 5 Woodcock (P Davies & P Redmond)
• Ruislip Lido: 1 Jack Snipe (Dan Pinkham); 3 Jack Snipe 1400 (Phil Aylen via Twitter)
• Rye Meads RSPB: Shelduck, 32 Teal, 17 Shoveler, 87 Lapwing, 2 Green Sandpiper, 4 Snipe, Kingfisher, Water Pipit - Gadwall_hide 1115 (Murray Orchard via Twitter)
• Staines Res: Goldeneye, Little Egret, 2 Black-necked Grebe, 3 Red Kite (Dave Carlsson via Twitter)
• Stanstead Abbotts Lakes: North Lake - Goosander, 2 Bittern, Cetti's Warbler, c30 Siskin (Jane Free via Herts BC)
• Stocker's Lake: red-head Smew still (Geoff Lapworth et al via Herts BC)
• Thames Barrier Park: ad Mediterranean Gull (Jamie Partridge via Twitter)
• Trent Park: Gadwall male, Shoveler male, 4 Pochard 2m 2f lower lake, Common Buzzard, c20 Fieldfare, 20+ Redwing, Mistle Thrush singing male, 5+ Goldcrest, 2 Nuthatch, Treecreeper (Robert Callf)
• Turnford Lakes (Cheshunt GPs): 18 Goosander 10m 8f North Met Pit (Steve Hughes via Herts BC)
• Tyttenhanger GP: 2 Great White Egret, 7 Little Egret, 2 Kingfisher, 3 Wigeon, Green Sandpiper, Great Black-backed Gull, Peregrine Falcon, Yellowhammer, 3 Skylark, 3 Reed Bunting, c40 Linnet, Redwing & Fieldfare around site (Steve Blake et al). (Was the GBBG an immature Steve? - Jo E)
• Walthamstow Marshes: 2 Stonechat (Jon Agar)
• Walthamstow Reservoirs: (S side) 3 Goldeneye, 25 Shoveler, 33 Common Gull, Lapwing, m Stonechat, Chiffchaff - E/W Warwick; 7 Teal - No 3 (Lol Bodini).

Friday 2nd December 2016

• Borehamwood: 62 Monk Parakeet three colonies of 38 / 14 / 10 (Lee Evans via Herts BC)
• Brookmill Park: Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Goldcrest (Conrad Ellam)
• Enfield (The Ridgeway): nr St Johns elementary school The Ridgeway - flock of 20+ Waxwings (Brian Dawton)
• Fulham Reach: juv Iceland Gull at end of Lysia St 1155 then flew upriver over Hammersmith Br and off N 1225 (BirdGuides)
• Gallions Reach: 15 Redshanks, Green Sandpiper, Lapwing, 21 Teal, 3 Shelducks, 2 Linnets, Meadow Pipit (Simon Worsfold)
• Greenwich Ecology Park: drake Tufted Duck, Chiffchaff (John Bushell)
• Heathrow: fem Smew, fem Goldeneye, 3 Water Rail. (Adam Cheeseman)
• Leatherhead, Common Meadow: 3 Teal 2m 1f, 25 Redwing, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull (Neil Batten)
• Leatherhead Station: 28 Redwing W over (Neil Batten)
• London Wetland Centre: Caspian Gull 1cy - same as Nov 30th (J.Wilczur); Bittern main lake 10:00 showing clearly (S.Barry); Water Pipit still (BirdGuides)
• Mardyke, Stifford-Aveley: Water Rail, Cetti's Warbler, 2 Treecreeper, 2 Fieldfare, 28 Redwing, 13 House Sparrow, f Grey Wagtail (per Howard Vaughan via ELBF Facebook)
• Orsett Fen: 3 Buzzard, 6 Kestrel, 549 Lapwing, 23 Skylark, 206 Fieldfare, 147 Redwing, 2 Meadow Pipit, 32 Linnet, 10 Yellowhammer (per Howard Vaughan via ELBF Facebook)
• Paddington: Peregine on Hilton Metropole ledges early-pm (Des McKenzie via Twitter)
• Priest Hill, Ewell: CATTLE EGRET north at 10.45hrs (Steve Gale)
• Rainham RSPB: 14 Yellow-legged Gull, 2 Caspian Gull 1w 2w nr stone barges 1105 (BirdGuides); 13 Pintail, 3 Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, 3 Kestrel, Peregrine, 5 Avocet, 47 Golden Plover, 5 Curlew, 4 Black-tailed Godwit, Green Sandpiper, 35 Redshank, Barn Owl, 2 Short-eared Owl, 2 Raven, Cetti's Warbler, Stonechat, Fieldfare, 12 Redwing, 3 Water Pipit, 5 Rock Pipit (per Howard Vaughen via ELBF Facebook)
• Richmond Park: 4 Stonechat, 1 Meadow Pipit, 4 Reed Bunting all between Pembroke Lodge and the Pen Ponds (Keith Bates); Dartford Warbler still nr pen ponds 1300 (BirdGuides); pale Stonechat - pic (Brandon Anderson); presumably the same bird first seen Oct 23rd and on a couple of occasions since (JW); a similar bird seen at Dungeness in November (HTB per JW)
• Ruislip Lido: 3 Jack Snipe now present and all showing well in the SW corner - view from the causeway by the boat house (John Edwards et al)
• Russia Dock Woodland: Firecrest (Simon Worsfold)
• Ruxley GPs: (permit only) - 6 Mute Swan, 7 Canada Geese, 6+ Mallard, c30 Gadwall, 9+ Shoveler, f Wigeon, 3 Teal, 10 Pochard, c150 Tufted Duck, 13+ Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, 3 Cormorant, Little Egret, 3 Grey Heron, 3+ Water Rail, 6+ Moorhen, c250 Coot, 150+ Black-headed Gull, 20+ Common Gull, 6+ Herring Gull, Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail, Redwing, 3 Cetti's Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrest, 16+ Jackdaw over, 7 Lesser Redpoll, Bullfinch (Ian Stewart)
• Rye Meads RSPB: Water Pipit still fr Gadwall_hide early-pm (BirdGuides)
• Stave Hill: Firecrest still (Richard Page-Jones via Twitter)
• Stocker's Lake: red-head Smew still (Lee Evans via Herts BC)
• Tyttenhanger GPs: 2 Great White Egret fishing lake and silt dump lake, 4+ Little Egret, Kingfisher, 50 Fieldfare, Little Grebe, 7 Meadow Pipit, 4 Tree Sparrow, 6 Teal, c20 Shoveler, c20 Great Crested Grebe, Ring-necked Parakeet (Jo Edwards); Raven Tyttenhanger Farm (David Booth via Herts BC)
• Upminster: 44 White-fronted Goose W over St Marys Ln (BirdGuides)
• Walthamstow Reservoirs: (N side only) - 9+ Goldeneye 3m 6f on Lockwood and Upper Maynard, 2 Green Sandpipers on Flood Relief, also 1 Kestrel, 1 Peregrine, 1 Meadow Pipit, 1 Kingfisher, 30+ Teal and 1 Song Thrush singing. Spring is coming. (Quentin Given)
• Wanstead Flats: 6 Gadwall, 10 Shoveler, Teal, Tufted Duck, Sparrowhawk (Nick Croft/Peter Brinton)
• Wanstead Park: Water Rail, 86 Gadwall, 2 Teal, Wigeon, 13 Wigeon, 14 Tufted Duck, 18 Redwing (Nick Croft/Peter Brinton)
• Woodford Green: 2 Nuthatch, 5 Ring-necked Parakeet, 5 Siskin, 6 Redpoll, Song Thrush, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 4 Redwing, 2 Fieldfare, Little Egret, Tawny Owl, 2 Goldfinch, Goldcrest, 2 Chaffinch, and Stock Dove displaying (Ken Murray)

Thursday 1st December 2016

• Amwell NR: 2 Raven through Gt Hardmead L (William Last via Herts BC)
• Batchworth Lake: Kingfisher (Anna Marett via Herts BC)
• Bermondsey: 1 Collared Dove over St James Road (John Cadera)
• Collier Row, Romford: Ring-necked Parakeet E and calling 9:30 over Wainfleet Avenue (G Francis)
• Greenwich Ecology Park: drake Tufted Duck, male Sparrowhawk, Kingfisher, Chiffchaff (John Bushell)
• London Wetland Centre: 2 Bittern main lake north shore, Jack Snipe marsh, 8 Linnet marsh then W (WWT website)
• Millfields E5: 2 Mistle Thrush singing this morning at 0830 (Alastair Dent)
• Pinner (HA5): 12 Redwing north-west, female Great Spotted Woodpecker, Coal Tit, Pied Wagtail over & 2 Goldfinch (Jon Ridge)
• Southall: Buzzard low over open industrial area near railway 9am followed by several Crows & many gulls going up (Neil Anderson)
• Stave Hill: Firecrest (calling and showing well in usual place), Kingfisher, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Song Thrush, 2 Mistle Thrush, 2 Jay (Richard Page-Jones)
• Totteridge Valley/Darlands Lake: 2 Reed Bunting, c25 Redwing NW, Bullfinch, Grey Wagtail, singing Mistle Thrush, 10 Teal (John Colmans)
• Turnford Lakes (Cheshunt GPs): 15 Merganser, 2 Raven (Barry Reed via Herts BC)
• Walthamstow Reservoirs: 3f Goldeneye on Lockwood, 3 Goldeneye 2f m on West Warwick, 2 Common Snipe between East and West Warwick, Wigeon calling from West Warwick, 2 Cetti's Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Kingfishers, 4 Shelduck, 5 Grey Wagtail, 8 Meadow Pipit, 4 Stonechat, Reed Bunting (Simon Worsfold, Magnus Andersson)
• Woodberry Wetlands: Snipe, Chiffchaff (Chris Farthing); Grey Wagtail (John Colmans)

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