Welcome Water

The lack of precipitation over Walthamstow Marshes over the last two months has left the ditches around the marshes very dry. This has been very challenging on the Water Vole population. After regularly checking the usual hot spots over the last two months, to my knowledge, sightings and track recordings of Water Vole have been practically zero. Thankfully though, in the last few weeks there have been significant bursts of heavy rain over the marshes. Thus the ditches have begun to fill up again. 

And today a new latrine was found. 

It's poo, I know, but it's quality poo.

Phew! They're still here.

Water Vole poo

 Elsewhere:

Adder's Tongue

Blood-vein

Common Tern

Bee Orchid

The Bee Orchids are where Paul found them last year. On the small patch of lawn on the right as you enter the Waterworks Nature Reserve (with the three picnic benches). They're just beginning to flower. So far, there are at least 7 spikes. 

Sweating the Small Stuff

 As spring takes a bow, summer limbers up off stage.

Banded demoisellle (male)

Banded demoisellle (female)

Blue tailed damselfly

Large Red Damselfly

Silver Y

Burnet companion

Straw dot

Common marble

Latticed heath

Common blue

Harlequin ladybird f. succinea

Thick-legged flower beetle

Tadpole

Photographs from Walthamstow Marshes

Reservoir Logs - April update

Whitethroats were back in numbers by the end of the month @jarpartridge

After the excitement of March, April got off to a very slow start and never really started motoring. The cause, ironically, was too good weather with winds generally from the north and west slowing down migration and clear skies allowing those that were travelling to continue on their way. Our mud-flats disappeared as well with No 4 re-filled from the beginning of the month and No 5 from the 14th so fast that it looked as if the tide was coming in. By the end of the month, they were back to normal.

But the last day of mud on No 5 did attract five species of wader while among the other good birds for the month were two very early Little Terns, a Great White Egret, Ruff, and a Pied Flycatcher which added some glitter to a rather drab annual patch day. The count across the whole patch on the 29th was 79 species – well down on last year’s record 88 but a reasonable total compared to most other sites in the capital.

Pochard and Shelduck numbers appeared to remain high throughout the month. A drake Wigeon on East Warwick on the 26th was a surprise while there was still a lingering pair of Shoveler on the 29th. Red-Crested Pochard were recorded throughout the month with seven on the 17th the highest total. The last Goldeneye were on the 5th.

The 13th was lucky for RT when he had a Great White Egret – with an accompanying Little Egret for comparison - on No 4. While getting commoner, it remains missing from most of the regular patch watchers’ lists. A count of Grey Herons at the beginning of the month found just 24 nests, a worrying decline for what was once England’s second largest colony with 100 pairs as recently as the end of the nineties.

Single Red Kites were recorded on at least four dates in the month but the general feeling is numbers were down on the last couple of years. Buzzards were also seen throughout the month with a peak count of eight on the 8th with five in the air together. The Peregrine pair continued to be seen regularly on the pylon closest to the new visitor centre, with a second male seen soaring overhead on one occasion. The first Hobby of the year and the only one so far was on the 26th – exactly the same date as in 2016.

It was another good month for waders despite No 4 & 5 being filled a few weeks too early to catch the peak migration. Oystercatchers were more regular than usual with two on the 11th and perhaps on the 29th, with singles on the 14th & 15th, 17th and 24th. Numbers of Little Ringed Plover, attracted by the drained No 5, were also high. The peak count was 11 in the late afternoon of the 4th with five still around on the 26th. With numbers regularly higher in the evening, it was thought they might be arriving from the surrounding area to feed or roost.

Second Grey Plover of the year enjoying the mud @birdingprof

The second Grey Plover of the year spent the day on No 5 on the 16th to allow those who missed last month’s bird to catch up with it. The same was true of two Black-tailed Godwits on No 5 on the 19th and the Ruff brought down by the rain on East Warwick on the 24th. Lapwings continue to be scarce with the only record again on the 3rd. Other expected waders were Dunlin on the 18th and 30th, Redshank on the 2nd while a Snipe lingered in the new reed bed of No 1 until the end of the month.

Two Islandica Black-tailed Godwits in all their finery @jarpartridge

                                               Whimbrel heading East over No 5 @jarparrtridge

The 16th wader species of the year –and the fifth of the day on No 5 - was a Greenshank on the 18th followed by a Whimbrel next day which flew over east. A second Greenshank stayed for three days on No 5 from the 21st. Common Sandpiper numbers built up during the month with six on 23rd and 28th the highest count while Green Sandpipers continued to be seen until at least the 23rd.

                 By the time the second Greenshank has arrived, the mud flats had disappeared

A first summer Caspian Gull was found roosting on No 5 on the 26th It can’t be good news for goslings or ducklings but young Greater Black-backed Gulls seemed to have taken a liking to the reservoirs in recent years with up to 22 being counted on East Warwick alone during the month, no doubt helped by a good diet of dead trout. Common Gulls usually depart by April not to return until September at the earliest but one tantalised by staying right up until but not on patch day.

Caspian Gull enjoying the fast disappearing island on No 5 found and photographed by @birdingprof

 You could have got good money for a bet that the first tern would be Little Terns but PL and GJ found two on No 4 on the 9th. They only stayed a few minutes just like last year’s bird on May 8th. The first Common Terns were more than a week behind with two on 17th with just a handful until the end of the month while two Arctic Terns passed through on the 29th.

The cold and generally northerly winds of the first half of the month meant passerine passage was very slow. The first Swifts were two on 16th – a day later than last year. A single House Martin was seen on 13th with six on the 16th. Just the odd Swallow was seen in the first half of the month with a more noticeable movement from the 15th. A Skylark found feeding on the banks of Lockwood on the 11th on Lockwood stayed unusually until the 13th.

Meadow Pipits were surprisingly scarce but passage of c50 in small parties on 21st was mirrored at Hampstead Heath. The first Yellow Wagtail was on 13th with another on the 16th and then very small numbers until the end of the month. White Wagtails were also seen in small numbers from the 8th with six on the 13th. After early birds in March, we had to wait until the 9th for the first Wheatear of the month, with another on East Warwick on the 10th & 11th and a Greenland type on the 13th. The maximum count was a paltry five on the 21st including three on the filter beds. Two late Redwing were seen on the 10th.

A Reed Warbler on the 5th was – given where it was found - was likely a passage bird with two singing in the West Warwick reed-bed on the 11th the first returners. The good news is that the freshly planted reed beds are already seeing this species spread out. After the early record in March, a Sedge Warbler was back on territory at the top of East Warwick on the 9th which was the same day the first Whitethroat was seen – four days earlier than last year. Most of the breeding birds, however, did not arrive until the last days of the month. A Lesser Whitethroat was found on the central path on the 15th. Small numbers of Willow Warblers were seen with three singing on the 29th while the Siberian Chiffchaff stayed and occasionally sang as well until at least the 9th.

A Spring Pied Flycatcher is an unusual record on the reservoirs so the female found by SH on the 29th would have been the icing on the cake for those taking part in the patch day if it had not disappeared after five minutes. Corvid passage continued with three Rooks on the 3rd and another on the 19th. With 14 new additions in April, it took the reservoir year list to 121.

DB @porthkillier

Adder's Tongue Fern

After a frustrating few years of looking for it, the enigmatic Adder's Tongue Fern (Ophioglossum vulgatum) has finally revealed itself! Having always looked for it on the less populated parts of the Marshes over the years, it's dumbfounding how it has recently been found so close to where many people drop their trash, scar the earth it grows on with bbqs, 'professionally' walk their army of dogs and almost definitely and routinely trample over it. Uncommon and an indicator of ancient meadows; its discovery on Walthamstow Marshes contributed to helping save the Marshes from redevelopment in the 70s and also forms part of the basis for the Marshes' SSSI status. It’s tiny and delicate - the size of your thumbnail. Currently, there are quite a number of them.

http://wildflowerfinder.org.uk/Flowers/A/Adderstongue/Adderstongue.htm

It's coming - Annual Walthamstow Patch Watch 5 (AWPW5)

AWPW5

This year we will be holding the 5th annual patch watch on the fairly traditional date of April 29th, it seems this is about the right time of year to coincide with maximum migration, though of course it all comes down to the weather leading up to, and on, the day.

In 2012 I helped a team of London Bird Racers to a glorious victory by finding a handful of species at Walthamstow that they had so far missed by the end of their very long day chasing around the capital. In scouting for them I personally saw 75 species on the patch that day. This got me thinking what we might be able to acheive if there were a team of us on the patch all day. Thus was born AWPW1 the following year.

In the last four years we have seen 98 species all told, with annual totals varying between 74 and 88. Below is a handy free souvenir for you to cut out and keep, the green highlighted species are pretty much a given if you put the leg work in, the amber highlighted species are ones that you need to be aware of looking for, those highlighted in red are the cream on the cake and cannot be relied upon every year.

Feel free to join in, you can find the extent of the patch on the Patch tab Please share your sightings, especially of the red highlighted species or anything even better. Send tweets to @birdingprof and I will relay the news, alternatively post sightings (as they happen please, so we can chase them) on the London Birders Wiki Site

Good birding

April So far...

Its been fairly slow going, with my pre-work walks turning up the odd migrant or two. Handfuls of Willow Warbler, a few each of White Throat, Sedge and Reed Warbler and in the last couple of days the rattle of Lesser White throat has been noted. Sand Martins are on breeding grounds at the bottom of Lockwood and though I’m yet to see a House Martin I’ve probably seen close to 50 swallows go North over the week.

My first Yellow Wagtail of the year was on the East Warwick also a few White Wagtails have been noted including a small flock of 6 on the Lockwood on the 14th these are a particular favourite of mine and come through in small numbers most noticeably in spring.

The grassy banks of the aforementioned Reservoir held this Skylark for a few days, only the second I’ve ever seen grounded at this site. It was nice to take it in,

A Wheatear on East Warwick on the 13th came close enough to reveal several features of Leucorhoa or Greenland Wheatear, a likely much under counted sub species in Britain.

Leucorhoa  Wheatears migrate alot further and are longer winged showing 7/8 primary tips in the closed wing (Our native birds showing 5/6). 7 were counted on the East Warwick bird as well as warm buff tones reaching right down to the vent, brown marks in the Ear coverts and mask as well as a ‘dun brown’ in the mid mantle apparently fitting of a Greenland Male in spring.  Traditionally Greenland Wheatears were thought to come through later in the season but ringing records have proved this not always to be the case.  I tried to note size, structure and stance and although it was alone it did seem quite a thick set bird and when first picked up seemed very upright in posture, I think my presence was noted and whilst photographing it stayed in a fairly similar ground hugging pose.

Our Local Peregrines have been active and are seen most visits as well as flyover Red Kites and Common Buzzards. 

Rain over night on the 14th meant I was down on the Waterworks first thing this morning and brief but close views of a Male Redstart were the reward. no pics unfortunately but Its a good feeling to get the Redstart find out of the way and set hopes a little higher before the end of spring. 

This Weasel was compensation for missing out on Redstart shots.

Jamie Partridge @jarpartridge

Reservoir Logs - March update.

         Obliging Black-tailed Godwit found and photographed @paulwatts

March more than lived up to its billing as one of the best months on the reservoirs. Many summer migrants were earlier than usual and the mud-flats on the drained No 4 & 5 helped attract no less than 13 species of wader as well as plenty of visits from birders.  Among the waders recorded were all-too brief Ruff – the first since 2013 - and Avocets, as well as (slightly) more accommodating Grey Plover and Black-tailed Godwit.

The month also saw the first Kittiwakes since 2012, drake Garganey, Little Gulls and Rock Pipit. The result of almost daily coverage was 21 species added to the reservoirs’ year list during the month. It took the total up to 107 with Lesser Redpoll the only species seen on the overall patch in 2017 but not on the reservoirs so far.  

A drake Mandarin was first spotted on the filter beds on March 22^nd before moving onto the reservoirs to kick off what was to be a red-letter day. Two Wigeon were on Lockwood next day while a stunning drake Garganey spent the 29^th on the Warwicks before disappearing overnight. Up to four Red-Crested Pochard made irregular appearances from March 13 – guided largely it seems by whether or not the Prof was on site.

                                                 Smart as always drake Garganey @lolbodini

The Scaup, having seen all the water drained out of its winter home, moved to Low Maynard before finally departing on the 11^th.  If past experience is any guide, it should be back on its favourite corner of No 4 in early December for at least its fourth winter.  The maximum count of Goldeneye was ten on 12^th with four remaining on East Warwick till the month’s end. A pair of Goosander, which visited Lockwood regularly, were last seen on the late date of the 25^th. Shelduck numbers, helped by the drained reservoirs, built up throughout the month with a peak count of 50 on the 26^th.

A Red-legged Partridge which crept out of the warbler bushes on March 24^th was the first for two years. March is a good month for raptors with single Red Kites recorded on March 13^th, 15^th, 17^th and 18^th – perhaps the same bird – and two on the 29^th while two Buzzards were seen on March 16^th with singles on the 18th, 24^th and 26^th. Peregrines looked as if they might be attempting to breed on one of the pylons within the reservoirs while a pair of Kestrel also seem to be pretty well resident.  The only disappointment was that there have been no records of Ospreys so far compared to two this time last year.   

               Red Kite over Lockwood @lolbodini

With the drained No 4 and 5 looking like the Wash at low tide, we were hoping for waders but 13 species surpassed expectations even if number of birds rather than species was not so high.  Not all, however, preferred the extensive mud to the concrete edges.  The first passage bird was an Oystercatcher on No 5 on the 3^rd with two on East Warwick on the 23^rd and another flying over on the 30^th. 

                

Oystercatcher proving for the first time that there was food in the mud @birdingprof

Five Avocet were discovered by SF at the top end of Lockwood on the 11^th and landed briefly on the water before departing.  The first Little Ringed Plover on Lockwood on the 22^nd was one of the few migrants to arrive later - two days - than last year. It was followed by four on No 5 on the 27^th with at least three remaining and seeming settled until the end of the month. A Ringed Plover flew round calling but did not land on the 12^th. A Grey Plover was discovered by chief-wader finder AW on No 4 late on 28^th and departed soon after dawn next day.  It would have caused more excitement but for the long-staying bird last autumn.

              Grey Plover just about to fly off north

Only one Lapwing, surprisingly, was seen – on the 3^rd - but Dunlin were more regular with records on the 8^th,, 11^th and 23^rd.  A heavy shower brought down a Ruff briefly (as well as two Kittiwakes) onto No 4 on the 22^nd for one lucky observer. The Black-tailed Godwit found on No 5 on the 27^th by PW was much more obliging and remained largely faithful to a tiny patch of gravel and mud until it departed two days later.  They are annual but usually fly straight through.  This was thought – because of the long bill and paucity of chestnut – to be one of the continental race which is less common than the Icelandic form in the UK.

The first Redshank of the year were two on 16^th with another on the 26^th.  Wintering waders included up to three Green Sandpipers and at least one Common Sandpiper throughout the month. Snipe seem to like the new reed bed at the top of No 1 with as many as seven seen with three still on the 31^st. The record number of wader species in recent years is 22 in 2013. With February’s Curlew and Jack Snipe, we are already at 15 though the last few – like the final pounds of a diet – will the hardest.

                                Third calendar year Caspian Gull @jarpartridge

Our (near) resident gull expert JP spotted a fly-over 3cy Caspian Gull on the 2^nd while Yellow-legged Gulls were seen on the 3^rd, 8^th with two on the 14^th.  Rather easier to identify for the rest of us but not hanging around to be seen by anyone but a wet DL were two first winter Kittiwakes on the 22^nd on No 4.  The same was true of a party of three adult Little Gulls which dropped down briefly - so briefly that I missed them despite being at the top of the reservoir - onto Lockwood on the 11^th gave SF his second good find in a hour.

In general, passerine migrants arrived earlier than usual. Blackcaps were in song from the 11^th which is  a couple of weeks ahead of last year.  The first Sand Martins were seen on the 6^th – a full fortnight before last year’s earliest record and eight days before 2015’s - with the second on the 12^th. Presumed breeding birds were back in the usual haunt at the SW edge of Lockwood by the 17^th while the first Swallow – at least since January – was on the 29^th. The earliest Wheatear was also on the 12^th – again 16 days earlier than last year and 10 days ahead of 2015. It was on Lockwood, as usual, with another on No 4 on the 14^th and then a fortnight gap until three were seen on the 29^th.  

                  Spring has really arrived when the first Wheatear touches down @jarpartridge

The Cetti’s Warblers which had been silent suddenly exploded into song with at least eight birds on territory. They were joined by an early Sedge Warbler, a species which has become a very scarce breeder on the reservoirs in the last couple of years, on West Warwick on the 30^th.. The Siberian Chiffchaff - which was seen intermittently throughout the month at the NE end of Lockwood - was heard in song as were plenty of its ordinary cousins by the end of the month. The first Willow Warblers were heard on the 29^th – again earlier than last year if only by a day.  

Stonechats continued their poor showing with just one on the 2^nd although their favourite haunt of West Warwick is not always visited. There was a Skylark overhead on the 8^th and a Rock Pipit found by LB on the 12^th on Lockwood again brought down by a heavy afternoon shower. 

March is a good month for corvids with small numbers of Jackdaws from the 7^th usually going over high east with the same first day also producing the real prize – a Rook – of which there are only a handful of records a year. Winter thrushes continued to be seen with 100 Redwing north on the 13^th – a day of significant passage in London - while two lingering Fieldfare were still at the filter beds on the 28^th.

As No 5 is still drained even if No 4 is filling up as I write, hopes are very high for April which is both traditionally the best month at the reservoirs and also when the annual Walthamstow Patch Watch Day – this year on Saturday 29^th – sees a determined and collective effort. Last year an extraordinary 88 species were recorded which is going to take some beating. All are welcome.

DB @porthkillier