Summer is also, of course, about breeding with better news on wildfowl than last year but a disastrous season for Common Terns. Both Barnacle Geese and Shelduck managed to raise one young to fledging after none escaped the big gulls, herons and foxes last year. The young Barnacle Goose could fly by July 23 which was around the same time that the Shelduck parents clearly thought their youngster, which they had wisely kept hidden on No 3, was independent enough to be abandoned.
The number of Tufted Duck broods had already reached around 30 by the end of July, nearly twice as many as last year's very low number, with more appearing every day. Pochard, too, bounced back with 13 broods compared to just five in 2024. While the survival rate remains dismal - particularly when the breeding gulls have their own families to feed - it doesn't seem as bad as last year.
But that is sadly not the case with the Common Terns on West Warwick which had a truly disastrous season. The dozen or so pairs failed to raise a single young compared to 23 fledging last year. The culprits were a pair of Lesser Black-backed Gulls nesting on a neighbouring raft who used the colony as a running buffet.
Two species of duck were also added to the year list. Red-crested Pochard, as has been said before, are inexplicably infrequent visitors to the Wetlands given that they are regular on nearby park lakes. The drake picked out by CF on June 3rd in a typically brief stay may be 2025's only record. Garganey was not seen at all last year but the eclipse drake found by SD on July 16th at least remained until the 21st on No 5 and No 4 reservoirs.
Red Kites were regularly seen with records on at least four dates in June and seven in July compared to just one sighting each month last year but there was again just one record of Buzzard on June 24th. Hobbies were also pretty scarce with sightings on June 14th and July 2nd and 29th.
Little Owls showed occasionally during the day pics (above) @sjnewton & MLP
The good news story of the summer has been confirmation that Little Owls are breeding. Until very recently, they were a very rare bird at the Wetlands but sightings have become more frequent particularly in the summer. Last year when a well-grown youngster was seen with an adult on a couple of occasions. it was clear breeding was taking place somewhere close by. But confirmation that they were nesting on site came in mid-June when ADH saw a pair with youngsters clearly just out of the nest hole. News was kept quiet to allow the youngsters the chance to learn to fly and feed in peace which worked well as there have been regular sightings of both adults and youngsters into August.
The Wetlands missed out on Black-necked Grebes in the Spring so the presumed family party of three - an adult in full breeding plumage and two juveniles - on Lockwood on July 29th were the first of the year. .A Water Rail was heard calling in the No 1 reed bed on July 26th.
A Black-necked Grebe family made a one-day visit pic@davidbradshaw52.bsky.social Twelve species of waders were seen across the two months as failed or early breeders made their way south. Two Oystercatchers were seen on July 4th with singles on the 17th and June 29th. June also saw the only Lapwings with one on the 1st, 11th and four on the 30th. Little Ringed Plover, for the second year running, were very scarce with the only records on July 4 and 7th.
Whimbrel put in a better showing in the middle of July with one on the 17th and two on the 18th and 20th. The first Curlew of the year flew north over Lockwood on July 13th while two Black-tailed Godwits also went north on July 16th with another on the 30th. GJ found the only Turnstone of the year so far on July 24th at the north end of Lockwood in the company of two Redshank. Single Redshank were also seen on June 5th, July 1st and 24th while the only Greenshank went over on July 9th.
It is hard to know whether the Common Sandpiper seen on June 8th was the last Spring migrant or first Autumn bird but once return passage got going on the 19th - two days earlier than the last two years - it was very strong. By July 14th numbers had built to 19 before a peak count across the reservoirs of 29, compared to 19 last year, on July 20th. This was the same day as the only Green Sandpiper of the Autumn so far on West Warwick. Single Dunlin were seen on July 16th and 28th.
For the third consecutive year, Great Black-backed Gulls bred successfully with two young raised on the No 5 'Cormorant island'. Yet again, they may be be the only breeding pair in London. An adult Mediterranean Gull flew around the successful Black-headed Gull colony on Lockwood on June 22nd. A returning adult Common Gull, which largely disappear over the summer, was seen from July 13th with an early juvenile on the 27th.
The good year for Cuckoos continued with birds seen on June 14th and 23rd and a late adult on July 27th. Young Skylarks, as is often the case, were seen on Lockwood on June 23rd and July 2nd while a juvenile Nuthatch, a rare bird here, stayed around in the sensory garden on June 17th long enough to fill a gap in several regulars Wetlands life lists. Sand Martins nested successfully on the reserve in the drainage pipes by the Coppermill Tower.
Garden Warblers enjoyed the Wetlands berry harvest pic @SRGarden Warblers are more regular in the autumn than Spring as they stop on their migration south to feed on the rich harvest of blackberries and elderberries. The bird photographed by SR, visiting from Australia, on the north side on July 23rd was only the second of the year but was quickly followed by another caught by the ringing team on the 26th with a third un-rung bird next day. The first juvenile Willow Warbler was seen on the 16th although passage remained light while an early Yellow Wagtail flew over on July 20th.
DB @davidbradshaw52.bsky.social
