2011 Kick Off - Barnes

There is something special about January the first. No matter how much it's an arbitrary date in an arbitrary calendar. The first day's birding of the new year is always fun. Part of the reason for this is the additional excitement you get from really common birds. I tried to explain this to my partner when I said I was going out birding on the first of Jan which she thought was ridiculous, but I bet at least 99% of birders are out there on New Years Day. Not that I do anything that looks remotely like yearlisting. I do keep a list of birds I've seen during the year but (in my head at least) that's quite different. Since my return to UK birding I've spent most of my time on my two local patches with occasional day trips (even, whisper it, twitches) further afield. This means I've frequently seen fewer than 200 species in a year, although a few more day trips mean I've edged over that in the last couple of years.

Barnes is a great place to start the year. Not only is it my most productive local patch but it has a mix of common species with things that are generally hard to get in London (eg Bittern, Jack Snipe, Water Pipit) plus the chance of adding something unusual.

This year Barnes scored well on with pretty much all of the expected common birds, a couple of species that can be tricky (Skylark, Linnet, Siskin and Lesser Redpoll)

Had great views of a Water Rail legging it between the Wader Scrape and the first channel on the Grazing Marsh. On the way out a Cetti's was calling and showed really well in the big entrance lake near the bird feeder. The number of these at Barnes has just exploded over the last year going from one (perhaps two) wintering birds before 2010 to around 4-6 singing males in 2010 and a number of wintering birds in 2010/2011.

The visit ended with 53 spp, but no sign of a number of Barnes regulars I'd expect to pick up in the next month or so (Bittern, Jack Snipe, Water Pipit, Stonechat, Chiffchaff, Peregrine) and also missed some basics like Kestrel, Sprawk, Stock Dove, Redwing, Fieldfare and Greylag. Where have all the Stonechats gone at Barnes? It used to regularly host wintering Stonechats. I didn't pick up a single one last year and no sign so far - the birds are usually in place by late autumn so it looks like this winter period isn't going to see any either.

Also chose to wander around Teddington stalking one of the London Waxwing flocks. Saw bugger all. I must be about the only birder in Britain who hasn't seen a Waxwing this winter. Did pick up Collared Dove and House Sparrow, though. Jan 1st total 55spp.

Wandsworth Common Siskins

Short trip out with the family. Siskins calling from the railway line just north of the North Pond, 6 Shoveler, 2 Egyptian Goose plus Canucks, Tufties, Mallard, Coot Moorhen.

Wandsworth Common Siskins

I’m a few days into my two weeks paternity leave and most days I take my eldest boy, (aged 14 months) out for a walk (well, mainly a push) while my partner looks after the new one . The walks tend to be to one of my two very local patches: Wandsworth Common or the mouth of the River Wandle. Both have a playground en route and between Billy’s sleeping and feeding times, and time spent at the playgrounds, I usually get about 10 minutes birding to either scan the ponds on Wandsworth Common or the mouth of the River Wandle and the Thames foreshore. Both also have good numbers of pigeons which the boy finds hilariously funny. Today it’s Wandsworth Common.

Much warmer than the last week, but the ponds on the Common are still partially iced over. These hold the highest count of Shoveler I've had this winter (19) along with 8 Tufties, c40 Mallard and 3 Mute Swans (adult pair with just one of last years chicks, I guess the rest have been taken out by dogs a and/or foxes).

Also around the ponds is a mixed flock of Goldfinch and Siskin with at least 3 Siskin including a nice bright male. Siskins have been present every winter since I started watching the site and the trees around the northernmost pond are one of their favourite places. The Siskins are a year tick (somehow its always nicer to get year ticks on the local patch).