Reservoir Logs - February 2024 round-up

                                      A winter Bar-tailed Godwit is a genuine rarity in London pic @Chris_Farthing

       A resting Bar-tailed Godwit and a Firecrest were the surprise additions to the Walthamstow year list in an otherwise pretty predictable February. The month saw the first Yellow-legged Gull, Blackcap and Common Buzzard of the year along with the early signs of passage as Lapwings and Stonechats moved through. The four additions took the year list so far to 88 which is seven more than last year and also well ahead of 2021 (78) and 2020 (83).   

      The Barnacle Goose flock occasionally used the reservoirs to roost before flying north to feed but often left one bird behind. January's Scaup was seen on the 1st before sadly disappearing after a two-day stay. Five Goldeneye including two pairs were counted on the 15th but most days the numbers were lower. 

      Goosander which have again have been scarce this winter became slightly more regular with singles on the 11th and 23rd and two on the 24th. An escaped female Maccoa Duck discovered by CF on the 25th clearly found West Warwick so similar to its native southern Africa home that it remained into March. 

                       An escaped Maccoa Duck took up residence on West Warwick pic @ Elliott1758817

         The unseasonably warm conditions on the 16th saw 20 Lapwing pass through on a day which also saw raptors moving overhead and an increase in both Stonechat and Chaffinch numbers. There were also single Lapwings on the 1st and 19th. 

      Bar-tailed Godwit is, by far, the rarest of the two godwits at the reservoirs with most records of birds flying overhead in Spring. So the bird found resting on Lockwood on the 7th by CF was a remarkable record given that it is a genuine scarcity even on the shoreline at Rainham in the winter. 

                          High Maynard's tree-loving Common Sandpiper pic @Elliott1758817

       It takes to nine the shorebird species already seen at the reservoirs so far which compares to just four at the end of February last year.  They include the wintering Common Sandpiper which remained - largely on its favourite perch on High Maynard - all month. 

                                      One of two Yellow-legged Gulls recorded this month pic @Callahanbirder

      Closer attention to gulls is confirming that Yellow-legged and Caspian are more regular than had been thought. Following last month's Caspian Gull, 1W birds were also recorded on the 24th & 28th. Yellow-legged Gull was also added to the list with an adult on the 2nd and 1Ws on the 3rd and 27th. 

                                  The Wetlands is becoming a good site for Caspian Gulls pic @Elliott1758817                                    

 

       The first Buzzard of the year was seen in the Spring-like conditions of the 16th. The same day also saw a Red Kite over with a second on the 19th. Single Skylarks were recorded on the 6th, 18th and 25th.  Small numbers of Redwing and Fieldfare continued while it looked for a time that Mistle Thrush might return as a breeding bird after an absence of several years with regular sightings of birds around No 5. 

         The first Blackcap of the year was a bird in sub-song on the 21st, three days earlier than last year. While Goldcrest are annual breeders, Firecrest remains a very scarce visitor with rarely more than one record a year which may be the displaying bird seen by RB on the 28th on the 1/2/3 path. 

                                        Stonechat passage was slightly earlier this year pic @Elliott1758817                                              

             Stonechats are among the earliest migrants through the Wetlands with spikes in numbers in both late Winter and Autumn. The six seen on the 16th and 18th - with good numbers recorded across London - was the same as the highest count last February but a week earlier.  

DB @porthkillier