28th - 30th November 2007

selected highlights from the last three days:

28th Nov:

Abney Park Cemetery: 4 Redwings, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Stock Doves
Middlesex Filter Beds NR: 2 Chiffchaffs, 5 Goldcrests & c30 Long-tailed Tits, also 5 Siskins
Hackney Marshes (River Lea): f Peregrine & c85 Fieldfare over, 25 Teal, 8 Gadwall & 2 Little Grebes on the river, 2 Grey Wagtails, 4 Siskins

29th Nov:

Middlesex Filter Beds: 16 Siskins, 1 Chiffchaff
Hackney Marshes (River Lea): pair Bullfinch, 3 Siskins, 3 Redwings, 26 Teal, 7 Gadwall, 1 Kingfisher
Stoke Newington Reservoirs: Chiffchaff, Water Rail, 12 Common Gulls, 9 Herring Gulls, c150 BH Gulls, c25 Gadwall, 37 Pochard, 7 Shoveler

30th Nov:

Abney Park Cemetery: 3 Redwings, 2 Goldcrests, c20 long-tailed Tits, f Sparrowhawk

And so November grinds to an overcast, dull halt. For the last couple of weeks I've been visiting several other local sites just for the sake of variety, and it's been well worth it. Middlesex Filter Beds NR, and the River Lea at Hackney Marshes, are two attractive sites just south of the Lea Bridge Road, and just east of the Lea navigation canal. Both are well hidden, are unfortunately rarely covered by local birders, and along with Waterworks NR (which lies just beyond the river to the east) and Walthamstow Marshes NR (just to the north) represent an patchwork oasis amidst the industrial and urban sprawl of the east end.

Back in Stoke Newington, the last couple of weeks have been fairly quiet, with little of note to report since the Cetti's on the 11th (perhaps the bird of the year for the reservoirs); there are, however, traditional late autumn migrants / winter visitors around, with finches and thrushes from the continent being well represented lately. Siskins are a pleasantly regular presence, Lesser Redpolls and Bramblings are regular at this time of year (albeit in small numbers), and a pair of Bullfinches at the reservoirs on the 26th were a just reward for dedicated, early morning visible migration watches. Redwings and Fieldfares continue to move through the area (with small numbers using the Cemetery, the park and the reservoirs for feeding).

Wildfowl numbers have risen at the reservoirs, with Pochard and Gadwall numbers embellished by recent arrivals. Chiffchaffs are also dotted around suitable habitats, always a pleasure to see in the dark days of winter. Wader records, however, remain almost non-existent; the high water levels at both reservoirs, and the lack of any interesting flyovers this autumn, leaves the present tally for the season at one Common Snipe and a couple of Lapwings.

(Once again, apologies for the lack of photographs on the site lately. technical problems have meant that all my shots from October and November remain un-uploaded still.... when the problem is resolved, I'll post a series of entries containing the highlights.)

15th - 27th November 2007

A summary of records of the last ten days or so:

15th Nov

Middlesex Filter Beds: Chiffchaff, 1 Brambling, 4 Siskins (MJP)
Hackney Marshes (river Lea side): 16 Teal, 3 Grey Wagtail (MJP)
Clissold Park: 3 Goldcrests, 5 Pochard, 3 Little Grebes (MJP)

16th Nov

Clissold Park: 2 RR Parakeets, 2 Grey Wagtails, 6 Pochards, 3 Little Grebes (MJP)

26th Nov

Abney Park Cemetery: 5 Siskins, 3 Goldcrests, 1 Coal Tit, 2 Stock Doves (MJP)

Stoke Newington Reservoirs: East Res - 34 Redwing (WNW), 44 Fieldfare (WNW), 9 Siskin, 2 Reed Bunting, 2 Bullfinch (SE) 109 Tufted Duck, 3 Shoveler, 21 Gadwall, 4 Pochard, 129 BH Gull, 9 LBB Gull, 2 Herring Gull. west Res - 32 Pochard, 15 Gadwall, 19 Tufted Duck (LP)

27th Nov

Abney Park Cemetery: 4 Redwings, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Stock Doves (MJP)
Middlesex Filter Beds NR: mixed passerine flock included 2 Chiffchaffs, 5 Goldcrests & c30 Long-tailed Tits, also 5 Siskins (MJP)
Hackney Marshes (River Lea): f Peregrine & c85 Fieldfare over, 25 Teal, 8 Gadwall & 2 Little Grebes on the river, 2 Grey Wagtails, 4 Siskins (MJP)

12th & 13th November 2007

A walk in Clissold Park on each day:

12th:
5 RR Parakeets, 4 Pochard, 3 Little Grebes, c10 Mistle Thrushes, c 20 Goldfinches

13th:
3 RR Parakeets, 2 Redwings, 8 Pochards, 4 Shoveler, c15 Greenfinches, c20 Goldfinches, 4 Little grebes, c15 Mistle Thrushes

11th November 2007

Stoke Newington Reservoirs 1320-1540 MJP
o/c, mild. light to mod NW.

Cetti's Warbler - 1
Siskin - 7
Chiffchaff - 2
Water Rail - 1
Common Gull - c25
LBB Gull - c30
BH Gull - c250
Herring Gull - 12
Gadwall - 29
Little Grebe - 5

An afternoon session on patch, and well worth it. After Laurence (Pitcher) heard and briefly saw what he strongly suspected to be a Cetti's Warbler on the north bank of the ER four days ago, Paul (Robinson) and I spent the afternoon (til dusk) staking out the spot in the hope of a vocal burst or glimpse, but with no luck; likewise the following morning, when Laurence and I tried brief luring with phrases of call and song via an MP3 player and speakers.

So it was a pleasant surprise (having temporarily forgotten about it) when the bird rattled out an unmistakable call, the first of three phrases within half an hour (between 1415 & 1445). A brief view was a bonus, albeit in flight and for no more than a couple of seconds, thanks to one of the resident foxes darting into the reeds where the bird was hidden. Evidently pretty mobile (the bird was present on the other side of the ER, 180 degrees from Laurence's initial suspected record), hopefully it'll stick around for a while.

A new species for the site and the area, and a nice bonus in these dark and tempestuous days.

8th November 2007

three sites today:

Stoke Newington Reservoirs 0655-0900 MJP, LP, TB
o/c. mod NW.

Water Rail - 2
Fieldfare - 14
Redwing - 18
Meadow Pipit - 2
Sparrowhawk - 2
Reed Bunting - 2

Walthamstow Marshes 1050-1215 MJP
bright, some sun; mod NW.

Skylark - 2
Meadow Pipit - 8
Fieldfare - 9
Mistle Thrush - 22
Linnet - 4
Pied Wagtail - c30
Grey Wagtail - 3

Clissold Park 1300-1450
o/c, showers. mod, gusty NW.

Shoveler - 2
Pochard - 6
Little Grebe - 3

Another quiet day in the area, with visible migration very limited this week, and little else grounded to report.

7th November 2007

four sites covered today:

Walthamstow Marshes 1000-1120 MJP

Fieldfare - 12
Redwing - 1
Mistle Thrush - c25
Meadow Pipit - 6
Brambling - 1
Linnet - 5


Abney Park Cemetery 1145-1215 MJP

Redwing - 2
Goldcrest - c7
Long-tailed Tit - c15


Clissold Park 1220-1310 MJP

Redwing - 3
Shoveler - 1
Pochard - 5
Goldcrest - c3
Little Grebe - 2

Stoke Newington reservoirs 1330-1540 MJP, PR

Kingfisher - 1
Gadwall - c30
Redwing - 2
Common Gull - 18+
BH Gull - c400

Laurence also had 8 Redwings, 4 Chaffinches, 1 Brambling, 2 Greenfinches, 11 Goldfinches, 10 Starlings, 1 Siskin (all WNW), 1 Chiffchaff, and 1 Water Rail at SNR this morning.

1st - 6th November 2007 (update)

still ill, so I haven't been out anywhere near as much as I hoped at this time of year - unfortunately, standing in the wind at 6.30 in the morning isn't part of the medical advice insisted upon..... but, I've made it out every couple of days in some capacity, and there's been little of much note to report locally.

working backwards from the start of the week:

Walthamstow Marshes, 1st November:
12 Meadow Pipits, 1 Skylark, 4 Linnets, 1 Jackdaw

Clissold Park, 2nd November:
14 Mistle Thrushes, 4 Little Grebes, 3 Shoveler, 5 Pochard, Red Admiral

Clissold Park, 6th November: m Blackcap, 2 Goldcrests, 5 Pochards

There were 5 Wigeon & 3 Teal reported from SNR on the 6th.

31st October 2007

Stoke Newington Reservoirs 0700-0850 MJP
o/c. light W.

visible migration

Woodpigeon - 533
Starling - 295
Goldfinch - 65+
Chaffinch - 38
Siskin - 12
redpoll - 1
Brambling - 1
Redwing - 49
Fieldfare - 18
Jackdaw - 3
Skylark - 3
Meadow Pipit - 2

also:

Water Rail - 1
Sparrowhawk - 2
Goldcrest - c12
Common Gull - 4


Walthamstow Marshes 0930-1100 MJP
sunny, mild. light W.

Skylark - 14
Meadow Pipit - 10
Linnet - 4
Fieldfare - 3
Redwing - c20
Woodpigeon - c80

An entertaining morning's skywatching at the Reservoirs, with good numbers of late autumn migrants moving; Woodpigeons, Starlings, Chaffinches and Goldfinches were especially numerous, with a noticeably strong movement of the latter species. Siskins made it into double figures, a rare event on patch, and three Skylarks were, at last, the first of the autumn.

Goldcrests were liberally scattered, and the Water Rail remains faithful to the southern fringe of the East Res.

26th October 2007

SN Reservoirs 0730-0930 MJP
Dull, mild, o/c. light NE.

Water Rail - 1
Kingfisher - 1 (new river west)
Redwing - 22 (mainly NW)
Fieldfare - 5 (E)
redpoll - 2 (E)
Chaffinch - 7 (NW)
Song Thrush - 8
Long-tailed Tit - 20
Common Gull - 5

Clissold Park

RR Parakeet - 7 (highest count yet... )
Coal Tit - 1
Goldcrest - 3
Redwing - 31
Mistle Thrush - 9
Jackdaw - 1
Common Gull - 3
Goldfinch - 10

Waterworks NR

Water Rail - 1
Fieldfare - c10
Redwing - c25
Teal - 1 female
Chiffchaff - 3

24th October 2007

SN Reservoirs 0730-0930 MJP, PR
o/c, dull, mild, light NE.

Siskin - 2
Common Snipe - 1
Redwing - 33
Woodpigeon - 64
Meadow Pipit - 1
Jackdaw - 1
Common Gull - 2
Chaffinch - 11
Goldfinch - 7
Song Thrush - 8
Fieldfare - 2
Gadwall - 51

A quiet morning's skywatching, despite conditions being pretty much perfect. Today's highlight was a Common Snipe, flushed from the New River path, which is the first of the autumn.

22nd October 2007

Clissold Park 1200-1300 MJP

Siskin - 2 (with Goldfinches, deer enclosure)
RR Parakeet - 1
Shoveler - 10

haven't been out very often this week due to lingering illness, but according to the other dedicated locals, there hasn't been much to miss..... although Tony and Laurence had a productive morning's visible migration on the 19th, with:

5 Siskin (NW), 40 Jackdaw (W), c60 Chaffinch (NW), c60 Redwing (NW), 44 Fieldfare (NW), c200 Woodpigeon (W), 7 RN Parakeet, 3 Reed Bunting.

18th October 2007

Walthamstow Marshes 1100-1245 MJP
sunny, little cloud. light NW.

Bullfinch - 1 male (brit-type, northern scrub)
Skylark - 9 (5 down, 4 N)
Rook - 1W, with
Jackdaw - 3
Stonechat - 2
Fieldfare - 52
Redwing - 4
Meadow Pipit - 16
Brambling - 1 (with finch flock n horse field)
Alba Wagtails - 46 (horse field)
Linnet - 17
Goldfinch - 12
Chaffinch - 15

A good day on the marshes, although due to illness, I probably missed most of the birds present..... the male Bullfinch was particularly good, as was the first Rook in the area this autumn, and good numbers of Fieldfares, finches, pipits and wagtails.

17th October 2007

two sites today:

SN Reservoirs 0730-0930 MJP, LP, PR
cold, cloud clearing (then clear and sunny) after heavy rain previously. mod N.

visible mgration:

House Martin - 1 (W)
Siskin - 2+ (W)
Lesser Redpoll - 1 (E)
(probable Mealy) Redpoll - 1 (E)
Chaffinch - 13 (mainly W)
Redwing - 2
Mistle Thrush - 10
Reed Bunting - 2 (in from E)
Greenfinch - 7
Common Gull - 1

also 1 Chiffchaff

Harder work and noticeably colder than of late, but still a respectable array of species moving (if in very small numbers).

Walthamstow Marshes 1100-1250 MJP

Meadow Pipit - 7
Linnet - 3

16th October 2007

Walthamstow Marshes 1050-1250
dull, mild, o/c. light/mod NW.

Fieldfare - 3 (first of year)
Swallow - 2 (south)
Meadow Pipit - 5
Redwing - 10
Jackdaw - 2

Clissold Park 1315-1450 MJP

Shoveler - 7
Pochard - 5
Little Grebe - 4

first day out in the field after a few days illness, and all the better for it; a mild, pungent autumnal day at both localities.

12th October 2007

Clissold Park

Rose-ringed Parakeet - 1
Pochard - 5

11th October 2007

SN Reservoirs 0710-0950 MJP, TB
mild, bright (after cloudy night).

visible migration:

Lapwing - 1
Redwing - 69
Chaffinch - 59
Meadow Pipit - 17
Lesser Redpoll - 5
Siskin - 4
Linnet - 2
Brambling - 1 (S)
Jackdaw - 2 (E)
Reed Bunting - 4 (2E, 2 down)
Alba Wag - 15
Grey Wag - 3
Goldfinch - 8
Song Thrush - 16

also 3 Chiffchaffs (two singing), & 3 Goldcrests

a relatively entertaining morning of overhead passage, and despite no particularly large numbers, a varied selection of species involved. The Lapwing, which hung around for 15 mins or so, was the first for a while, and the variety (and nice views) of finches dropping in and going over was again pleasing.

Walthamstow Marshes: 1100-1250

Stonechat - 5
Skylark - 2
Meadow Pipit - 17
Reed Bunting - 5
Linnet - 7

10th October 2007

Walthamstow Marshes 1100-1300 MJP
misty, o/c, sunny breaks. light/mod NE.

Little Owl - 1
White Wagtail - 1
Stonechat - 2(m & f)
Skylark - 2
Meadow Pipit - 21
Grey Wagtail - 3
Linnet - 7


Clissold Park 1350-1500 MJP

Jackdaw - 3 east
Little Grebe - 5
Goldcrest - 5
Pochard - 7


Abney Park Cemetery

Chiffchaff - 1
Coal Tit - 2

Back out after a long weekend with my band up north, which included a stopover (and a 'homecoming' show!) at my old manor, Flamborough; sadly not timed to coincide with the recent Brown Flycatcher (found by an still justifiably ecstatic friend of mine, who celebrated in style at the show - stand up RB), but managed to steal a couple of hours in the field and relocate a Blyth's Reed Warbler in the bay, and a cracking male Red Backed Shrike at Thornwick.

Still minus internet after moving house this week, but recent photos will appear on this page within the next few days.

4th October 2007

two sites:

SN Reservoirs 0645-0915 MJP, LP
mild, mainly bright; patchy cloud early, then sunny. light W.

visible migration:

Rock Pipit - 1
Meadow Pipit - 35
Brambling - 8
Siskin - 13
Redpoll - 2
Chaffinch - 92
Greenfinch - 20
Goldfinch - 22
Grey Wagtail - 13
Yellow Wagtail - 1
alba Wagtail - 39
Song Thrush - 17
Mistle Thrush - 24
Redwing - 12
House Martin - 2
Swallow - 1
Reed Bunting - 5 (3 over, two down)

also:
Peregrine - 1 female
Reed Warbler - 1
Wigeon - 1
Kingfisher - 1
Chiffchaff - c6 (inc. a dull, greyish bird with wing bars).


Walthamstow Marshes 1000-1200 MJP
sunny, warm. light W.

Skylark - 2
Meadow Pipit - 16
Willow Warbler - 1 singing
House Martin - 2
Siskin - 3
Linnet - 5

An enjoyable and varied morning at the Reservoirs, where arriving in time for dawn (as is often the case at this particular time of year) brought rewarding results overhead. After a dull and cloudy start, the sun gradually broke through, and by 0730 the skies were mainly sunny; much of the flyover activity, again as is usually the case, was early on, the majority of birds moving between 0700 and 0800.

Particularly impressive were finches and wagtails, with record site counts this morning for Chaffinch, Siskin, alba and Grey Wagtail - the latter including two small groups, a surprising occurence. Flyover Bramblings, Siskins and redpolls were also all the first of the autumn. Pipits were also on the move, with the autumn's first Rockit and Mipits moving in small numbers. Thrushes were out in force, with many Blackbirds down in the scrub, and Redwings, Song & (especially) Mistle Thrushes moving and often dropping into cover.

Otherwise, late migrants included another Yellow Wagtail and a Reed Warbler, and single Peregrine, Kingfisher and Wigeon were all present.

3rd October 2007

Walthamstow Marshes 1100-1230 MJP
mild, humid, o/c, bright. no wind.

Stonechat - 4
Siskin - 2
Linnet - 1
Swallow - 12
Meadow Pipit - 31
Grey Wagtail - 6
Chiffchaff - 6

also, 7 Red Admirals, 3 Meadow Browns, 1 Green-veined White

A surprisingly warm, bright and pleasant session on the marshes, with reasonable signs of migration and a nice array of butterflies so late in the season.

2nd October 2007

Clissold Park 1300-1450 MJP
dull, drizzly.

Chiffchaff - 2
RR Parakeet - 1
Meadow Pipit - 3
Swallow - 2