Reservoir Logs - September 2024 round-up

 

                           A Cattle Egret made another brief appearance on No 3 island pic @MK 

           The second ever Yellow-browed Warbler -  four years after the first - was the highlight of September which also saw the long overdue appearance of Great Egrets this year. Cattle Egret, Tree Pipit and Black-necked Grebe were recorded as well for the second time in 2024 while a remarkable flock of 12 Sandwich Terns flew through the reservoirs. In all, 91 species were seen across the month with the year list now standing at 138,  the same as last year and nine ahead of 2022.

                                           Good numbers of Wigeon dropped in this month pic @MLP

        Mid-month saw a flock of 13 Barnacle Geese arrive back after their late summer break to join the single bird that never left. The first Wigeon of the Autumn was found on the 7th - four days later than in 2023 - with singles also on the 14th and 19th, three on the 20th and a dozen including a flock of seven on the 23rd. Good numbers of Shoveler continued to use the Wetlands for their post-breeding moult with 96 counted on the 27th. A very tame Black-necked Grebe, the second record after the pair in April, was found on No 4 on the 22nd. It stayed into October and kindly moved to Lockwood for the last days of September to allow non-permit holders the chance to enjoy it. 

                                   The Black-necked Grebe allowed a close approach pic @Chris_Farthing

        While Great Egret had been seen  at plenty of nearby sites already this year, for some reason the reservoirs had been a no-fly zone until SD picked up the first of the year heading west on the 22nd.  As so often happens after such an inexplicable absence, a second bird flew through two days later. Following last month’s record and an influx into London, another Cattle Egret was photographed on the 3rd.  

       A Red Kite was seen on the 10th and two Buzzards on the 15th with another on the 21st. Hobby made regular, if again usually brief, appearances with records on seven days - one less than last year - with the last sighting on the 21st while Peregrines were semi-resident on the pylons on the south side. An evening visit on the 28th revealed that at least one,and probably two, Little Owls had re-appeared - just as they did last year - which raises questions again of where they spend the rest of their time.

                                                Snipe arrived back on schedule pic @Elliott81758817 

                  Eight species of wader - the same as last year - were seen in September although unlike last year, there was nothing out-of-the-ordinary. An Oystercatcher spent two days at the Wetlands on the 3rd &4th with two Lapwing on Lockwood on the 6th and another on the 20th.  The first Common Snipe of the autumn was seen on the 1st - seven days earlier than last year - with others on the 2nd, 4th, 21st, 26th and 28th.

         Common Sandpiper passage was strong with a peak count for the Autumn of 19 on the 2nd and still six scattered around the site on the 26th, dwindling to two by the 30th., Green Sandpiper were seen on the 9th & 10th with two on the 17th while Greenshank were recorded on the 1st and 6th. The only Redshank of the month was seen on the 21st.

          The first Common Gull since the Spring was an early bird on the 1st. We count ourselves lucky if we see a couple of Sandwich Terns a year with 2024 already boasting two records. So the flock of 12 first seen going over High Maynard early on the 4th before gaining height over West Warwick was unprecedented. 

          Their appearance came the day after the last family of three Common Terns - whose colour rings showed the two juveniles had been raised on West Warwick - finally left, five days earlier than the the last young birds and accompanying adult departed last year. A flock of around 20 terns briefly over Lockwood on the 2nd where either Common or Arctic as was a single distant tern over West Warwick on the 6th.

         Swifts seem to be leaving earlier with the last definite record on the last day of August, one day earlier than last year. Swallow passage was light with the peak count of 20 on both the 5th & 6th until heavy rain on the 25th saw 65 passing through.The same day saw the final Sand Martins but House Martins remained into October with over 500 still around the Wetlands and filter beds on the 26th. 

       A Yellow-browed Warbler was recorded at the bottom of No 3 reservoir on the 22nd by an experienced observer taking part in the BTO bird race. It is only the second record for the Wetlands following the first in the Autumn of 2020 which stayed for several weeks after going missing after it was first found. It is possible the pattern is repeating itself as there was a second sighting of a Yellow-browed Warbler on the 29th near the Engine House by the Bird Enthusiasts of Colour walk. 

        Reed Warblers, as they did last year, lingered until the end of the month. A ringing session on the 21st showed Sedge Warblers were still moving through with two caught (18th last date last year) while the final record for Willow Warbler were the 16th (18th)  Common Whitethroat 14th (18th) and Lesser Whitethroat on the 22nd (19th). Spotted Flycatchers were only seen on the 1st and 2nd with a late record on the 22nd. 

                                                 Spotted flycatchers were scarce pic @Elliott81758817

                 It was a much better month for Whinchats compared both to August and last September when there was only one record. Birds were seen on 10 days with two on the 2nd and 13th. The first Stonechat of the Autumn arrived on the 18th - two days later than last year - with three together on West Warwick by the 25th.

                                   It was a good month for passage Whinchat pic @Elliott81758817

      Wheatear passage was also much better than in August with birds seen on at least 16 days with a strong bias towards the beginning and end of the month. Six on the 4th was the highest count and there were still two on the 30th.

                                 Wheatear passage continued across the month pic @sjnewton

          The exceptional passage of Yellow Wagtail this year continued with records on at least eight days and peak counts of four on both the 7th and 25th compared to just two last year.  Meadow Pipits began flying over in small numbers from mid-month with 25 seen and heard on the 21st, They included an accompanying Tree Pipit on the 14th picked up by SD.

                                           Yellow Wagtails have been much more common pic @ADH                                                         

DB @porthkillier 

   

Reservoir Logs - August 2024 round-up

 

                          This smart Ruddy Shelduck made only a brief appearance pic @Chris_Farthing

         All-too-brief visits by Ruddy Shelduck - perhaps the first record for 20 years - and Cattle Egrets were the highlights of an otherwise disappointing month. While a good range of waders moved through, passerine migration, with the exception of fly-over Yellow Wagtails, was very slow. Spotted Flycatcher was added to year list but Wheatears, in particular, were very low in number with just five seen in total all month - half the peak day count last August. 

         In all, 87 species were seen in August with the three additions taking the annual total to 133 - three behind last year but five ahead of 2022. There is plenty of scope to catch up with a whole raft of expected birds not seen yet including, unbelievably, Pheasant as well as Mediterranean Gull and Rock Pipit (all recorded every year for the last 15). Common and Black Redstart, Brambling, Rook, Pied Flycatcher. Garganey and Great Egret are also obvious gaps in the list.  

       Up to three Barnacle Geese could be seen throughout the month. Shoveler numbers were higher than last year with 66 - largely on No 5 - on the 21st. CF found a Ruddy Shelduck on No 5 on the 25th which unfortunately was almost immediately flushed along with all the ducks by a hunting Peregrine and was not re-found. Although records for feral species may be incomplete, it seems as if it is the first sighting for over 20 years and was part of a small summer influx into London. 

             The post-breeding flock of Tufted Duck continued to build with 2,467 on the 4th, 300 more than in both the previous two years. Breeding numbers however remained well down with 23 broods  compared to 31 last year and 50 in 2022. The only good news was that survival rates were better for later families once the gull colonies had dispersed. Two Cattle Egrets were seen by CF flying south out of the No 1 roost on the 28th. They have now turned up in five of the last six years after no records in the previous nine. At least one has since been seen on Walthamstow Marsh just to the south of the reservoirs so there is a chance they could still be using the roost.

     An extraordinary capture of a ringed Peregrine with a Kingfisher pic @MLP

       The only large raptors were single Buzzards on the 17th and 30th. But Sparrowhawks clearly have bred successfully nearby with plenty of sightings of young birds learning to hunt. Peregrines have also been much more regular with signs that a new pair may be taking up residence. The astonishing photo by MLP above showed not just a surprise catch of Kingfisher but also allowed the Peregrine to be identified as a bird rung in the nest in Kent last year. Hobby dashed through on six days.  

                                   The family party of Avocets remained all day pic @ Elliott81758817

       Ten species of waders - the same as last year - were recorded. They included a family party of an adult and two young Avocets found by SD on East Warwick on the 29th which spent the day at the Wetlands. Little Ringed Plover were scarce with only a single juvenile on Lockwood on the 15th & 16th.  Four Lapwing were seen on the last day of the month.

                                  This young Little Ringed Plover was the only record pic@IvorHewstone

         A single Curlew flew over on the 23rd with just one Dunlin on the 7th but there was no shortage of Black-tailed Godwits passing through. A flock of twelve passed over on the 8th, nine more on 18th followed by seven on the 19th with a single on the 12th. It is remarkable that, for some reason, only one was seen all last year. 

                                      Black-tailed Godwits and mowers, sadly, were both common pic @LolBodini

       Common Sandpipers were seen throughout the month but numbers seemed lower with a peak day count of around 11 on the 3rd, 15th and 23rd compared to over 20 in the last two years. Green Sandpipers were seen on the 12th and 22nd with the sole Redshank on the 2nd. But there was a good passage of Greenshank with birds on the 16th, 19th, 24th, two on the 29th and another on the 31st.  

                                One of only two Greenshank seen on the ground pic @porthkillier

       Common Tern numbers dwindled from mid-month as they started their long migration but one parent and two young from the West Warwick colony remained into September. Swifts also left with a count of 70 on the 22nd falling to just one on the 31st. Swallow migration was almost non-existent with just a handful of birds passing through late in the month.

  

          A juvenile Cuckoo was photographed by the Coppermill Tower on the 16th. A Skylark was found on Lockwood on the 4th while the good year for Coal Tits - usually barely annual - continued with a third record on the 19th. Firecrest is as uncommon but AS got good views of a juvenile in a mixed flock on the 123 path on the 31st for the second sighting of the year. 

                  Willow Warbler passage is a feature of August each year pic @Elliott81758817

       Willow Warbler passage was not as obvious as in some years but the fact that five were caught in the ringing session on the 11th showed birds were moving through in reasonable numbers. Peak count was on the 29th when at least 15 were recorded. They were joined by small numbers of Common and Lesser Whitethroats which remained into September but the only Garden Warbler, which were unusually common last year with up to five seen in a day, was on the 4th.                  

                              Small numbers of Lesser Whitethroat passed through pic @ Elliott81758817 

                                      

     Wheatear passage, usually a feature of the Wetlands, was sharply down. After the first autumn bird on the 7th - eight days earlier than last year -which stayed on Lockwood for two more days the only other records were singles on the 16th and 31st with a peak count of just two on the 30th. This compares with a  count of five on the 16th and 10 on the 31st last August. It was the same story with Whinchat with SD finding the first of the Autumn - and only the second of the year - on the 31st while last year saw records on six days. 

                            

                                          Whinchats were scarce this month pic @Elliott81758817

        The first  Spotted Flycatcher of the year was found by CF on the 21st - the same date as the first Autumn migrant last year - with records also from the 25th & 26th and 29th. Yellow Wagtails were the exception to the poor passage with birds on at least six dates compared to just two days last year although all just flew over without landing.  . 

                             Spotted Flycatchers turned up right on schedule pic  @Chris_Farthing  

DB @davidbradshaw52.bsky.social   @porthkillier

Reservoir Logs - July 2024 round-up

 

                                                    This young Little Owl was one of two this month pic @MLP

     The return appearance of Little Owls, the first Ruff for seven years and a one night visit by a probable Night Heron were the highlights of another good month. July also saw Garden Warbler belatedly added to the annual list along with a second Nuthatch of the year. In all, 82 species were seen with the three additions taking the year list to 131 - just one behind both last year and 2021 and eight ahead of 2022. 

                               A remarkable flock of male Ruff circled East Warwick pic @Elliott81758817

        With the exception of good numbers of Common Terns, it has not been a great breeding season. Last year's successful pair of Barnacle Geese, after losing their entire brood earlier in the summer, had a second attempt but their five young again soon disappeared. Shelduck fared no better with the last remaining young bird, despite being well grown, also vanishing early in the month. The parents departed for the coast  as usual, almost immediately. 

                           Despite this gathering, it is a disappointing breeding season pic @IvorHewstone

       Tufted Duck and Pochard breeding numbers continue to be disappointing. By the end of July, only five Pochard broods had been seen compared with 15 last year. While the Pochard breeding season will be pretty much at an end, August will likely see more Tufted Duck broods appear. But here too - despite the picture above showing a female marshalling two broods - the story is worrying. By the end of the month, just 15 broods had been recorded compared to 46 at the same time in 2022 with only a handful of individuals surviving to maturity.    

        Whether it is the result of a poor breeding season nationally, the impression that more Tufted Ducks had already arrived to carry out their moult was confirmed when 2320 were counted across the reservoirs on the 31st. It is the highest total for years and very likely to be the largest gathering in London. A few Shoveler and a couple of Teal had also arrived back by the end of the month. 

       The Wetlands appears ideal habitat for Night Heron but the species remains a mega rarity here with the only recent record a one-day bird six years ago. But hard on the heels of an individual at the Waterworks earlier in the summer, PW had a probable fishing from the south island on No 3  late on the 6th. It was looked for over subsequent days with no luck but there are plenty of places for a Night Heron to remain out of sight. 

                                                              Just as last year, only one Lapwing was seen pic @Elliott81758817 

              The five male Ruff - seen by HW and SD - as they circled East Warwick before continuing south were the star waders of the month. They are the first record since a single in April 2017. July also saw, as expected, a selection of other shorebirds moving through. Single Oystercatchers were recorded on the 3rd, 8th, 9th, 22nd and 23rd with the only Lapwing on the 13th.

                               One of just three Little Ringed Plover seen this month pic @IvorHewstone       

           Little Ringed Plover were scarcer than usual, with records on the 3rd, 9th and 11th compared to six days last year, but they were the exception. There was a strong passage of Common Sandpipers across the month with a peak count of 19 - one more than last year - on the 20th. Five Curlew flew over on the 20th with two more, or perhaps Whimbrel, distantly two days later.

           Multiple Redshank (pic @Chris_Farthing) and Godwits were seen pic @Elliot81758817 

   

                      

           Three Redshank were seen on the 7th, increasing to four next day with singles on the 12th, 17th and 18th.  Black-tailed Godwits, which were remarkably rare in 2023 with only a single bird, seem to be be back to normal in their frequency. After the first of the year at the end of June, there were six over on the 21st and another on the 30th.          

       It wasn't a great month for large raptors with only one record of a Red Kite on the 2nd and no sightings of Buzzard. But Hobby was seen more regularly than some years with birds on six dates while Peregrine, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel also hunted over the reservoirs. 

                                         The adult Little Owl staring out its admirers pic @MLP

      It was Little Owls, however,  which caused the most excitement this month. MLP photographed one, almost a year after the last appearance by the species, hunting near the anglers' hut on the 19th. With luck and patience it could be seen over the next couple of days when close scrutiny of the photographs taken showed there were actually two birds present with an adult and very young juvenile. 

       It seems unlikely, although not impossible, that birds had been present unrecorded for a year so perhaps a pair had bred nearby and an adult brought the youngster to the reservoirs soon after fledging. The same may have happened last year when two birds were also seen and heard for a few days in August. This year there were occasional sightings, usually of the youngster, until the 25th when two were heard calling but there was no reports for the rest of the month.  

                                Great Black-backeds raised two young on No 5 pic @Chris_Farthing

       For the second year on the run - and perhaps the only pair in London - Great Black-backed Gulls successfully bred on No 5 with two young seen. Black-headed Gulls had a good year with 75 youngsters counted around the rafts on Lockwood on the 11th . More emerged from the vegetation in the following days so numbers could have reached over 100 across the season. 

      Common Terns also had a successful season with perhaps 11 pairs raising 23 young on the rafts on West Warwick. Their success is all the more heartening given that numbers seem to have collapsed this year elsewhere in the Lea Valley. RE's annual hunt for young Yellow-legged Gulls on Lockwood produced a good candidate on the 28th. The Kingfisher pair on No 5 raised their second brood successfully with four young fledging on the 31st. 

            Swift numbers feeding over the reservoirs began to fall sharply from the middle of the month suggesting local birds were already moving south. The appearance of two Swallows on the 7th for a few days also indicated that the seasons were changing as did the passage of small numbers of Sand Martins south. 

                          A Garden Warbler took up residence by the picnic tables pic @Elliot81758817  

          Another early migrant was an adult Willow Warbler caught on the 7th with, as expected, small numbers including bright juveniles appearing over the last days  of the month. RE found the first Garden Warbler of the year on the 18th which kindly fed around the picnic tables for a few days. The second Nuthatch of the year - and only the fifth record across the entire wider patch over the last 15 years - was recorded by SD along the side of Lockwood on the 20th. Yellow Wagtails continued their good year with early migrants over on the 22nd and 28th.  

DB @porthkillier @davidbradshaw52.bsky.social

Reservoir Logs - June 2024 round-up

 

                                  The first Knot since 2018 spent the day on Lockwood  pic @Chris_Farthing 

                        

         The first Knot for six years - and perhaps the first ever in summer - was the highlight of a month which is good enough to merit its own round-up rather than merging it as usual with July. Kittiwake, now becoming a regular visitor, and Coal Tit were also added to the year list along with Black-tailed Godwit.  The four additions take the annual total to 127, four less than last year but four ahead of the figure at the end of July in 2022.

                                      A Greenshank enjoyed an unseasonal two-day stay pic @LolBodini 

       June also saw out-of-season Sandwich Tern, Greenshank and Siskin recorded. But while there was a nice run of oddities, plenty of young warblers and, happily, an increase in Common Terns nesting, it looks like a poor breeding season for wildfowl so far outside the ubiquitous Greylag, Canada and Egyptian Geese. It was another sad story with our Barnacle Geese flock after a second pair hatched at least five young early in the month. Four disappeared quickly but one survived until the 24th before it, too, became food for the many predators around. 

      Shelduck hardly fared any better with just one of the four or five pairs apparently breeding and only one duckling surviving on No 3 until the end of the month. This compares with six flying young from three broods last year. In a national context, it is the lack of Pochard broods which is more worrying. The Wetlands has become a prime site for a duck whose nesting numbers are low enough to be covered by the Rare Breeding Birds Panel. Whether it was the cold Spring or some other reason, only four broods had been recorded by the end of June at the Wetlands compared to 14 last year. 

       Tufted Duck breeding - which is usually later than Pochard - is well down, too, with again only four broods so far while last year the figure was already in double figures. Let's hope for a late burst of breeding activity. The first two post-breeding Shoveler arrived on the 19th with small numbers seen on several dates until the end of the month. 

                                    This Knot was a patch tick for quite a few regulars pic @HarringayBirder                                                

          While there was not much to cheer over our breeding wildfowl, it continues to be an exceptional year for waders with nine species recorded in what should be a very quiet month. The stand-out bird was a tame Knot found by TR on the 19th which which spent the day on the public side of Lockwood. Its rare appearances are normally associated with ice and snow not the height of summer with the last record during the freezing weather in March 2018.  

                                              A Redshank stayed for three days on Lockwood pic @Elliott81758817 

        A Greenshank also put in an unexpected appearance for two days from the 11th on Lockwood. The first Black-tailed Godwit of the year - a species which has oddly become much scarcer over the last couple of years - flew round Lockwood on the 30th before returning north. More expected were the Oystercatcher on the 12th, single Lapwings on the 18th and 21st, the adult Little Ringed Plover on the 22nd and the Redshank which enjoyed a three-day stay from the 7th.

         Common Sandpipers showed remarkable consistency with the last Spring record on the 2nd and the first returner on the 21st - exactly the same dates as in 2023.  Green Sandpiper was hardly less predictable with the first on the 19th, just a day earlier than the year before.  

                                                        An adult Kittiwake passed over the Wetlands pic @AC

         June also the continuation of the good year for gulls and terns. The first Kittiwake of the year  was photographed by a visiting American birder AC on the 9th. It is the fifth consecutive year this marine gull has been recorded compared to just twice in the previous decade.Two Sandwich Terns - the third and fourth birds of the year after not being recorded at all in 2023 - were found by CF on the 19th. Given that Knot and Green Sandpiper were also recorded, the 19th was a good day for any time of the year let alone mid-June. 

       The hard work in building and putting out the rafts and decoys on West Warwick has paid off handsomely with an estimated ten pairs of Common Terns breeding. This is double last year's total and is especially important given it seems to have been a poor year for the species elsewhere in the Lea Valley. This month also saw news that a young tern ringed on the West Warwick rafts two years ago was seen this month in a mixed tern colony at De Zandmotor, the Netherlands, 300 kilometres away. 

                             Kingfishers were hard at work breeding pic @giles_greenwood                                                      

       For the second year running, Peregrine records were notably scarce this summer although a pair are nesting not far away. A Red Kite was seen on the 15th and Hobby on the 10th and 24th. Within hours of young Kingfishers fledging from their nest on the small island on No 5, the parents could be seen excavating a new tunnel for a second attempt in the same area. 

                                        A Siskin put in a surprise appearance pic @IvorHewstone

        CF added the elusive Coal Tit to the annual list on the 7th when he recorded an unseen singing bird on West Warwick and went one better when he saw perhaps the same individual on the 26th. An unseasonal Siskin was photographed by the No 1 reed bed on the 12th with presumably the same bird again seen nearby on the 24th. 

DB @porthkillier

Reservoir Logs - May 2024 round-up

               Sanderling have become more regular pic @ Elliott1758817 

       A strong passage of Black Terns and tame Sanderling and Turnstones were the May highlights at the Wetlands. The month also saw Cuckoo, Hobby and Ringed Plover added to the year list while the good year for Yellow Wagtails continued.                    

                                        May saw a good passage of Black Terns pic  @EugeneDH_Bass

              May saw 87 species recorded wirh the six additions taking the annual total to 124 which compares to 127 last year, 117 in 2022 and 124 again the year before. It could have been better if the three Cattle Egrets on the 9th and Hawfinch on the 19th which were both watched heading north from Walthamstow Marsh had been seen from the reservoirs. 

                                       Turnstone arrived on almost the same date as last year pic @LolBodini

         May is also, of course, the height of the breeding season at the Wetlands with Greylag, Canada and Egyptian goslings everywhere. The first Pochard and Gadwall broods were seen and young Grey Herons from the 28 nesting pairs - the same as last year - were busy learning to fly or fish. Both Kingfisher, which successfully bred on No 5 island again, and Great Spotted Woodpecker were also busy feeding young. And the cold April does not seem to discouraged Reed Warblers from getting down to breeding with the first young bird caught in the No 1 reed bed on the 25th - a fortnight earlier than expected - which the team suspect may be among the first in the entire country.  

      But it was not such a happy story with Barnacle Geese. Last year's successful pair did produce one young on the 8th but the gosling sadly disappeared after just two days. Hopes are high that another pair are attempting to breed with up to 11 birds seen around No 5 and the neighbouring playing fields. Shelduck, too, are showing signs of breeding with four or five pairs chasing each other. For the second year running a party of Shoveler turned up on the 20th  - this time five compared to last year's four - with a pair on the 30th.

                             Hobby made regular appearances over the reservoirs pic @Elliott1758817 

      Red Kites were recorded on five days - compared to just two last year - with two on both the 10th and 20th and three on the 4th. Buzzards were also slightly commoner with sightings on the 4th, 8th, 11th and 16th. So, too, were Hobby with birds on six more days - four in total last year - after the first on the 4th. 

                                This Lapwing was one of four wader species on the 21st pic @LolBodini

       The good year for waders continued with nine species during the month. Oystercatcher were seen regularly with records on six dates including three together on the 6th. A Lapwing spent the morning on Lockwood on the 21st, two days later than the sole record last year. Little Ringed Plover,  which can be regular if they are trying to nest nearby, were only seen on the 3rd and 4th. 

                         Turnstone (above) pic @Elliott1758817 and Sanderling pic @HarringayBirder
            

                         

      The month saw three Arctic-bound wader species - all on Lockwood - added to the year list. First was a single Common Ringed Plover on the 18th. This was followed by four tame Turnstone which arrived mid-morning on the 21st - a day later and a bird less in the flock than last year - which fed on the east bank for the rest of the day. This was the same for a summer plumaged Sanderling which flew in early morning on the 23rd, a day later than the first record last year. It is the third year in succession that Sanderling has been seen after records in only four years in the previous decade. 

                                Summer-plumage Dunlin were recorded on four days pic @Elliott1758817 

        Single Dunlin were recorded on the 3rd and 22nd and two on the 4th and 19th. Common Sandpipers were seen until the end of the month but passage remained weak with five on the 1st the highest count compared to a peak of nine on the 27th last year. Following the first in April, additional Greenshank were recorded on the 9th and 21st.

                                            Neighbours squabbling pic @giles_greenwood

            The first Lesser Black-backed chicks were seen on the East Warwick island on the 25th and the first young Black-headed Gulls on the Lockwood rafts eight days earlier. It is not clear whether Common Terns are again nesting on Lockwood with most birds in the northern half of the site seeming to opt to move to nearby Banbury. But it looks as if the replica terns on the rafts on West Warwick having encouraged several pairs to attempt to breed. 

                                   Black Terns stayed faithful to Lockwood pic @Elliott1758817 

      

     After such a good passage of Arctic Terns in April, a final bird was seen on the 6th but the excitement continued with a strong showing by Black Terns. The first spent the day on Lockwood on the 4th before nine were found by EDH on the afternoon of the 10th which departed just before dusk with another single on the 12th. Last year, the only Spring record were three on the 27th. 

                                                 The Black Tern flock departing at dusk pic @HarringayBirder                                                 

       The wonderful call of the Cuckoo has thankfully become slightly more frequent after a period a decade ago when the species was a genuine rarity. The first was seen and heard on the 4th with further records on the 6th, 21st and 25th when a male spent the morning on the south side. It would be fascinating to know how far Swifts travel to feed over the Wetlands. Given that it was estimated that a thousand could be seen on overcast days this month over the reservoirs and filter beds, it must be a long way. Swallows continued moving through late into the month, as they did elsewhere this year, with 20 brought down by the rain on the 22nd, ten next day and still two on the 24th, 

                         This male Cuckoo spent the morning calling pic @MLP

       Wheatear passage continued to be light with records on just six days with an peak count of two on the 15th and the last on the 22nd - eight days earlier than last year. But it was the opposite for Yellow Wagtails which, after a strong showing in April, were recorded on the 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th, 8th, 13th with the last on the 18th. They included a smart Blue-headed form  found in the mist on the 3rd by visiting birder MR who was working up to his discovery of the UK's first ever Indian Golden Oriole a few days later in Northumberland. The last record of the Blue-headed form, also on East Warwick, was in 2018. 

                                                                                  A smart Blue-headed Wagtail in the mist pic @readbirdphotos

DB @porthkillier

 

                                   

Reservoir Logs - April 2024 round-up

                                                           A pair of Black-necked Grebes showed wonderfully well pic @Elliott81758817                                      

      April again lived up to its reputation as the best birding month of the year, Although there was no outright rarity, Black-necked Grebes, Osprey, Tree Pipit, Ring Ouzel and Avocets were among the highlights of a month which saw almost all the expected summer visitors make an appearance despite the persistent cold northerlies. In fact, the unfavourable weather conditions encouraged species which usually only make brief appearances at the Wetlands to make prolonged stays. These included a remarkable mixed flock of 19 waders including an unprecedented 16 Redshank.  

                                                    An Avocet unusually spent three days at the Wetlands pic @Chris_Farthing

     In all 98 species were seen across the month including 19 new for the year. The additions take the year list to 118 which is just one behind last year and six ahead of 2022. Among the missing species so far are Pheasant and Rook as well as Garganey, Mediterranean Gull and Black-tailed Godwit along with both Black and Common Redstart. 

       Barnacle Geese may again be breeding with at least one pair regularly on the large island on No 5 and up to nine more counted feeding around the reservoir. Shelduck, too, look as if they are attempting to nest with birds seen around the islands on High Maynard, No 1 and No 3. A pair of Shoveler remained until at least the 24th, a day later than last year, while a couple of pairs of Teal also stayed into May,  

      Black-necked Grebes passing through in Spring are expected but their arrival in full-breeding finery is still one of the joys of the birding year at the Wetlands. The stunning pair found by CF on Lockwood on the 26th were even tamer and long-staying than usual, giving wonderful views until the end of the month. 

                                                                      Osprey trying to head north unseen pic @LolBodini

      Osprey is just about annual at the Wetlands although dedicated sky-watching would likely turn up more. In fact, the bird brought low by one of the many heavy showers on the 19th almost slipped past unseen over No 4 before being photographed by LB from his loft as it headed north across Lockwood. Red Kites were seen regularly with two on 16th and singles on at least five other days while Common Buzzards were recorded on three days. The second Short-eared Owl of the year flew around High Maynard and then north on the 19th. 

 

                                                                A pair of Avocets resting on Lockwood pic @sjnewton
                        

       April continued the good year for waders with 10 species seen which included the biggest flock - other than Lapwing -  since 21 Knot back in 1992. Single Oystercatchers, which can nest nearby, were seen on the 7th, 10th, 13th and 22nd. Avocet is normally a 'catch it if you can' visitor to the Wetlands with stays of a few hours, if not minutes, the norm. So the two that spent the whole of the 23rd on Lockwood were unusual enough but for one to remain, despite continual disturbance from mowers, for the next two days was really surprising.   

                                    Little Ringed Plover were more regular than last year pic @HarringayBirder                                        

      After the March bird, Little Ringed Plover were seen much more frequently than last year's three sightings with records on the 6th and 19th followed by perhaps the same bird  on Lockwood for five days from the 23rd and again on the 29th. Late April is the best month for Whimbrel but they are often only seen flying north as was the case with four on the 28th. But this year three separate birds also dropped in to rest and feed on Lockwood with records on the 19th, 22nd and a tame individual all day on the 26th. It is a good month for Curlew as well with two on the 5th which landed for a time on the playing fields by No 4 with another next day, 

                                 Whimbrel (above) and Curlew both passed through  pics @Elliott81758817

                                                        

      The second Bar-tailed Godwit of the year was part of an extraordinary flock of waders which sat out the rain and wind of the 28th on the relatively sheltered west side of Lockwood. The flock also included two summer-plumaged Dunlin with others being seen on the 4th and 27th. But the bulk of the wader flock were 16 Redshank first found - with the Dunlin - together on East Warwick before relocating to Lockwood. Redshank records are usually of singles like the bird on the 23rd and 16 is far more than is seen in an entire year. The first Greenshank of the year was also found on the 28th on West Warwick before going north.  

                                   Bar-tailed Godwit, Redshank and Dunlin on Lockwood pic @ Elliott81758817

      Our wintering Common Sandpiper hung around High Maynard until mid-month by which time the first passage birds were moving through. A second bird was seen on the 4th with numbers building towards the month's end with a maximum count of eight on the 29th. 

                                            Common Sandpipers were seen throughout the month pic @ Chris_Farthing

         If it was good for waders, it was a little disappointing for gulls. No Mediterranean Gulls or Kittiwakes were seen and the only Little Gulls, despite the good conditions, were five adults briefly on Lockwood on the 27th. But it was a much better story with terns. Sandwich Tern, unusually, was not recorded at all last year but to make up for the omission, singles were seen on both the 6th and 7th. 

                                                              Sandwich Tern over No 5  pic @Elliott81758817

          Nationally one of the features of April was a remarkable inland passage of Arctic Terns towards the end of the month in which the Wetlands shared. The first two were found on the 16th - nine days earlier than last year - with two more on the 19th and a single on the 20th. Passage then picked up with at least 15 on the 21st followed by a very conservative count of 25 on the 23rd when a staggering 200 were on Staines Reservoir. Ten more were seen on the 27th and 12 on the 28th with the odd bird until the end of the month. 

                               It was an excellent month for Arctic Tern passage  pic @Elliott81758817

      After the early Common Tern in March,  two more were seen on the 7th and another on the 12th before, from their excitable behaviour, breeding birds arrived back on both Lockwood and East Warwick on the 16th - four days earlier than last year. The end of the month also saw groups of Common Terns drop in with the passing Arctics. 

       The first Swift of the year was seen on the 16th, four days ahead of last year and nine days ahead of 2022. Both Swallow and House Martin  last year appeared before the end of March but this year Swallow was not seen until the 5th with the first House Martin two days later. Skylarks were recorded on the 8th and 26th.

                   A Skylark dropped onto Lockwood pic @HarringayBirder

      Despite the unfavourable weather, our breeding warblers arrived earlier than last year. The first Reed Warbler was on the 7th (11th last year), Sedge Warbler on the 5th (8th), Common Whitethroat on the 8th (11th) and Lesser Whitethroat on the 13th (25th). Numbers were slow to build up although there was a big influx of Reed Warblers by the end of the month which also saw four Lesser Whitethroats on territory across the site. The northerly airstream held Willow Warblers, which don't nest at.the Wetlands, longer here with records until at least the 24th and 10+ singing birds  on several days mid-month. . 

                                          The only Ring Ouzel made a very brief appearance pic @Elliott81758817

      The only Ring Ouzel of the Spring so far was the flighty male found on the south side by SD on the 6th. This was better than Common Redstart which, after five individuals were seen last April, was not recorded at all.  Whinchat fared little better with just a single bird on the 28th,- four days later than the two males which arrived last year and almost two weeks later than in 2022. Nor the did the weather  patterns seem good for Wheatear with the peak count just four - far below the highest total of 10+ last April - with several periods of days were none were seen. 

                                                     April's sole Whinchat appeared in the rain pic @porthkillier

      In contrast, it was a good month for Yellow Wagtails with close to 40 birds over on nine days. The first was seen on the 7th - two days earlier than last year and two weeks ahead of 2022 - with ones or two seen regularly until the end of the month although most were just flying over. This changed in the murky conditions of the 27th when around 25 were seen including flocks of nine and 12 on the ground.

                Yellow Wagtails brightened the month pics (above) @Elliott81758817 and @IvorHewstone

                                

      Meadow Pipits passed over in small numbers throughout the month with eight on the 7th. DDL had a Tree Pipit - a genuinely scarce visitor - over Lockwood on the 23rd. There were no April Bramblings this year but a late Siskin went west on the 7th. 

DB @porthkillier