Sunday 25 April 2010

Barnes WWT migrant main course

After last weeks migrant taster menu, the meat has arrived. 20+ Swifts over the Main Lake, White Wag on the island near the Obs, 8-10 Swallows and then 2 House Martins over the lake and north, 2 Whitethroat (the first looking all migranty and skulky, the second singing), 3+ Common Tern, 2 LRP, Green Sand on the Wader Scrape, 3 Common Sand, 4-5 Reed Warbler, Willow Warbler, m Wheatear on the Wader Scrape islands. Also 2 Cetti's, House Sparrows carrying nesting material, maybe 3 lapwing clutches. Also a few of the more wintery birds around still: Shoveler, Teal but no sign of the Wigeon here last week.

One of the Reed Warblers from the little loop round the back of the feeding station.



























Saturday 24 April 2010

Battersea Park / Gadwall envy

Walk out with the family. I have Gadwall envy. There are at least 5 Gadwall on the ponds at Battersea but Wandsworth Common doesn't have any. Can that be fair? Some urgent Gadwall redistribution policies are needed - bread and a brown paper bag at midnight maybe..........

Sunday 18 April 2010

Barnes Firecracker

A wander round the reserve boundary before it opened didn't produce that much (mainly Mistle Thrushes).




When it eventually opened picked up a couple of Willow Warblers (one in the trees around WWT Hide, another singing from around the Sheltered Lagoon), a Greenshank flew over WWT calling while a Sedge Warbler sang from over to the right of the hide, walking over to Peacock Hide a Lesser Whitethroat was singing. Was only singing the first scratchy bit of the song without the final repeated notes. Chatting to one of the LWC guys there when they got a call to say that a Firecrest was showing over in Wildside so wandered round to the dragonfly pool and after a few minutes a female Firecrest was showing in the scrubby trees through the birches. Crown bright yellow with no sign of orange so seems fairly safe to sex. Also around a 3rd Willow Warbler, 2 Wigeon on the grazing marsh, 3 Wheatear (2 on the grazing marsh and one on the east bank) and Yellow Wag acting just like a Yellow Wag should - feeding round the feet of one of the Barnes Highlands.











Also dropped into Staines where 18+ Little Gull, a single Goldeneye and the Great Northern Diver still present.

Friday 16 April 2010

Chewy Fudge Dip

Quick stop at Chew Valley Res on the way back from a work meeting. No sign of the Fudge Duck on Herriots Pool - just about 30 white arsed Tufties. Also a few Shelduck, some Wigeon still left, on the main reservoice also a single male and a couple of female Goldeneye. On the west shore of the reservoir also a bunch of small birds singing in the woods (Coal Tit, Goldcrest, Chaffinch, Wren, Song and Mistle Thrushes, Greenfinch, Goldfinch) and also a Green Sand that flew over calling.

Sunday 11 April 2010

Rich Wet Staines

Or in other words a trip to Richmond Park, London Wetland Centre and Staines Res. Nice range of woodland birds at Richmond including Nuthatch, loads of Mandarins, all 3 woodpecker spp, Treecreeper, Coal Tit, 10+ singing Blackcaps and about the same number of non-singing males plus a few females. Barnes still had 2 (m&f) Wigeon, 2 LRPs, Green Sand (on Wader Scrape), c25 Sand Martins, White Wag on the main lake, 1 or (probably) 2 Cetti's. Staines had a few Common Tern, 3 Oystercatcher, m&f Garganey, GN Diver (spending most of its time underwater), 2-3 Black necked Grebe and still 8 Goldeneye.

Saturday 10 April 2010

Wandsworth Common

Two trips today, both with the kids. Total of 5-6 Chiffchaff across the site, 3, maybe 4, Blackcap, 1 Willow Warbler (in a different place from last week so maybe a different bird), 14 Tufties, mostly paired up, 2 Egyptian Geese.

Monday 5 April 2010

Springtime for Sheppey

Still 6 Brents hanging on in the fields towards Sheerness, 3 Pintail flying over, f Common Scoter offshore, a couple of Avocet, Yellow Wag and Swallows comin in off the sea.

Sunday 4 April 2010

Wandsworth Common

2 Willow Warbler singing by the top pond plus all the usuals singing.

Saturday 3 April 2010

Wandsworth Common

2 Pied Wag on N Common, 2 Egy Geese on N pond (no chicks), c12 Tufties, 2 Canucks, Mallard, Blackcap singing from near railway bridge but just a brief snatch and v noisy, Dunnock, Robin.

Friday 2 April 2010

Wandle sings

Another trip out with the kids. Around are 4 Gadwall (hanging on well into Spring this year); 17-20 Tufted; 4 Teal (2m, 2f, 2!! female); Chiffchaff calling again (still not singing maybe it is a female); 1 GC Grebe on the river, no Common Gulls, lots of locals singing (2 Wrens, Robin, Dunnock, 2 Blackbird, Chaffinch, 2 Greenfinch, 2-3 Goldfinch) plus Pied Wag, 3 tit spp.