Reservoir Logs - September 2026 round-up

 

                         The Spotted Redshank spent the day in the flood relief channel pic @FelixSJ

       An obliging Spotted Redshank - the first since 2017 - was the big draw in September which also saw Pintail, fly-over Tree Pipit and Short-eared Owl added to the year list. The month, traditionally one of the best, also saw two groups of Cattle Egrets and the second and third Garganey recorded. Across September, 96 species were seen compared to 98 last year and just 91 in 2024. The four additions take the year list to 143, two more than last year.      

                                  Pintail was an overdue addition to the year list pic @chris-farthing.bsky.social
                                          

              After over a month away looking for fresh grass, the regular flock of 11 Barnacle Geese returned on the 4th and stayed, with the occasional jaunt up the valley, throughout September. It may have doubtful provenance but the Black Swan on the 2nd was perhaps the handsomest visitor of the month. A young Shelduck, which do not usually return from the coast until later in the year, flew over Lockwood on the 16th, 

                                         A Black Swan made a brief appearance pic @chris-farthing.bsky.social 

           Pintail, although never common, are usually seen during Spring migration but this year the only record so far was found by CF on No 5 on the 25th. No 5 reservoir was also the favoured haunt this Autumn of Shoveler whose numbers reached over 80.  The flock attracted the second Garganey of the year which was found by SD on the 6th. It stayed for much of the month although it was often very hard to pick out as it slept on the big island. Views were usually so poor that it is hard to know how long a second bird, photographed on the 14th, was around. A flock of nine Wigeon put down on Lockwood on the 23rd before continuing their migration.  

                              Garganey (above) @samodonnell25.bsky.social and @chris-farthing,bsky.socia

                 

         What may have been August's juvenile Black-necked Grebe re-appeared on Lockwood on the 3rd and stayed until the 27th with a second bird seen with it on the 13th. Two Great White Egrets, whose sightings have not increased as expected, flew south late on the 22nd. But the lack of Great Egrets has been compensated by the trajectory of Cattle Egrets with SD finding a flock of four adults resting on No 5 on the 2nd and three more including a young bird three days later.  There were no records at all between 2009 and 2018 but nine birds have now been seen this year. 

                                    Cattle Egrets are becoming more frequent pic @samodonnell25.bsky.social

          The good autumn for birds of prey continued due probably to a mix of a genuine increase in numbers and more focused sky-watching. Marsh Harriers were seen on the 6th and 24th, Buzzards were recorded on at least six days (four last year) with a count of four on the 5th.  

                                       Buzzards and Red Kites were regular sights pics @samodonnell25.bsky.social

        Red Kites were even more frequent with records from at least eight days compared again to four in 2025 while Hobby were seen on seven days with the last sighting on the 29th. Peregrines are again familiar sights on the pylons and nearby block of flats while Kestrels and Sparrowhawks were also resident throughout the month.  The first Short-eared Owl of the year was picked up by DW and the ringing team on the 5th low over No 1 before gaining height and heading north.

     

             The Spotted Redshank was brought down by heavy rain pic @chris-farthing.bsky.social

      Overall, it was a poor month for waders with only six species recorded compared to nine last year, But compensation came in the form of the first Spotted Redshank since September 2017. It spent the whole day in the flood relief channel alongside High Maynard and Lockwood and attracted enough birders that even the anglers noted the interest. 

                                        The young Dunlin enjoyed Lockwood's rocky edges pic @KadeA                                                       

       But otherwise there was little to get excited about. Single Ringed Plover were seen on the 2nd and 7th with the only Dunlin two approachable juveniles on Lockwood on the 23rd. Single Snipe were recorded on the 2nd, 22nd, 27th & 28th. There was a solid Common Sandpiper passage with birds throughout the month with still four on the 29th. The highest count was 15 on the 20th just one down on last year. Green Sandpipers were noted on five days including two on both the 1st and 10th. 

        There were unusually no out-of-the-ordinary gulls or terns this month. Just like last year, an adult and young Common Tern lingered around the reservoirs but left a week earlier on the 9th. But it was much better for corvids. SD picked up the first Raven since the winter going south on the 7th - exactly the same date the first was seen last year in what became a regular occurence for a species which had been up to then a genuine rarity at the Wetlands. History seems to be repeating itself with a pair also going south on the 27th. Two Rooks, an infrequent visitor, were seen on the 5th and 15th with another while the colonisation by Jackdaws seems to be continuing with almost daily sightings.

                                 The first Raven since Spring was bang on schedule @samodonnell25.bsky.social 

          There were still a dozen Swifts on the 3rd with the last two seen on the 12th, five days later than last year. Swallow passage was light with a flock of 50 feeding by the East Warwick hide in rain on the 8th an unusually high count. Small numbers of Sand Martins were seen until the 20th while there were still three House Martins feeding over the filter beds on the 28th.   

         There was a good Autumn passage of Willow Warblers this year with birds regularly heard singing until mid-month and the last caught by the ringing team on the 22nd, three days later than last year. The final Sedge Warbler was seen on the 21st (14th) with Common Whitethroat on the 14th, the same day as in 2025.  Lesser Whitethroats continued to be seen until the 10th  and the final Reed Warbler on the 22nd although some years a late bird appears in October. The only Garden Warbler was seen on the 5th.

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                                 Spotted Flycatcher (above) and Whinchat @samodonnell.bsky.social 

                                  

       There was a flurry of Spotted Flycatchers early in the month with records - again likely different individuals - on the 1st, 3rd and 5th before a late bird on the 25th. Last September there were no records of Whinchat - and only four all autumn - but August's good passage continued with sightings on seven days with two on both the 7th & 8th and a final individual on the 28th. This was six days after the first two Stonechats arrived, two days earlier than last year, with up to three daily until the end of the month. There was also a good passage of Wheatears with records on 19 days compared to just nine last September with a peak count of six on the 1st.

                                             Wheatears were a familiar sight this month pic @FelixSJ 

             Yellow Wagtail passage continued with records from at least ten days with ten seen, or usually heard, on both the 1st and 6th. The first Meadow Pipit of the autumn appeared on the 5th with small numbers most days after while SD's sharp ears picked up a fly-over Tree Pipit on the 5th, the first since 2024, 

@davidbradshaw1952.bsky.social

Reservoir Logs - August 2026 round-up

 

                                            Nightingale was a fantastic surprise for the ringing team pic @PS

       The first Nightingale for over 20 years was the star bird of an excellent August which also saw Ruff, several Sandwich Terns, long-staying Turnstones and both Pied and Spotted Flycatchers added to the year list. Black-necked Grebes and a Little Gull, both often seen in the Spring, were two other late additions to take the annual total to 139, two more than last year. Across the month 99 species were seen despite continuing access problems due to power line work.

      The overhead work didn't seem to have a negative impact on breeding ducks. Across the summer and site, 46 broods of Tufted Duck - six more than last year - and 25 broods of Pochard (13 last year and just five in 2024)) were counted. When you consider the latest Rare Breeding Birds Panel report records just 10 confirmed pairs in London in 2024 and only 374 across the UK, it shows how important the Wetlands is for Pochard. It is just a shame so few of the young survive to fledge.  The first Wigeon of the Autumn turned up on East Warwick in a movement of Shoveler and Teal on the 25th. 

                       The young Black-necked Grebes stayed for over a week  pic @Ivorh.bsky.social

                                ................and could be very approachable pic @samodonnell25.bsky.social 

       
       Most years, Black-necked Grebes in full breeding plumage grace the Wetlands in the Spring. This year, the first record was two juveniles on Lockwood on the 19th but they made up for their late arrival and drabber plumage by staying until the end of the month. A Great White Egret flew in on the 12th and remained long enough on High Maynard to be an evening bonus for the eclipse watchers.   

                                                   Great White Egret in the eerie light of the eclipse pic @AW

       It was an excellent month for birds of prey. The Turnstones feeding on Lockwood get an assist for the Marsh Harrier which flew over high on the 25th.  It was their odd behaviour in looking up which alerted SD to do the same. He also - without the help of worried waders - found the second Osprey of the year going north on the 23rd with LB finding the third late on the 28th. 

                                       The first of two Ospreys this month pic @samodonnell25.bsky.social 

         Red Kites are clearly moving further and further into central London with records on at least 12 days while there was a better showing from Buzzards as well with singles on the 10th and 25th and two on the 15th. Hobby is another raptor which put in more frequent appearances with sightings on eight days - one more than last year - including an adult and juvenile hunting Sand Martins going into the roost in the No 1 reed bed on the 6th.              

       Eleven species of waders were seen - two fewer than last August probably again because of the lack of rain to stop them on their migration. But to make up for numbers, they included long-staying and remarkably tame Turnstones and Black-tailed Godwits. Oystercatchers were seen on the 10th and 24th with single Lapwing on the 1st and 11th. A Ringed Plover was on Lockwood on the 27th with a Curlew going north the day before. 

                                This Black-tailed Godwit was remarkably tame pic @chris_farthing.bsky.social                        

       A juvenile Black-tailed Godwit first seen on the 13th stayed largely on East Warwick until the 17th where it fed and slept despite people walking past only metres away. A second was seen briefly on the north side on the 16th. The pair of young Turnstones found on the 23rd were equally tame and enjoyed the wide gravel beach on Lockwood so much that they stayed until the 30th. 

        The young Turnstones stayed for a week on Lockwood pics@samodonnell25.bsky.social 

             

      Until very recently, Ruff was a very rare visitor to the Wetlands with only two records between 2009 and 2023. But the bird seen by CF over West Warwick on a rare damp morning on the 21st means it has now occurred three years on the run. There was a good passage of Common Sandpipers with peak counts of 18 mid-month while Green Sandpipers were commoner than usual - perhaps because the drought conditions had dried out their normal haunts - with records on eight days and a peak count of four on the 13th. Two Redshank were seen on the 1st & 15th with three on the 2nd  and a single on the 22nd. Two Greenshank were seen on both the 19th and 21st. 

                             This adult Little Gull has been the sole 2026 record pic @samodonnell25.bsky.social   

       Little Gull is another species expected in Spring but the first this year was an adult seen going west by SD  on the 4th. A young Yellow-Legged Gull was picked out by RE on the 15th with the first Caspian Gull of the Autumn found and photographed by a visiting American birder. Sandwich Terns are irregular - there were no sightings in 2022 or 2023 -  to the Wetlands but this month four were seen with a single on the 4th and flock of three on the 25th.  A handful of Common Terns -  a mixture of adults and young - stayed until the end of the month and included a bird ringed as a nestling.       

                                 Four Sandwich Terns were seen this month pic @samodonnell25.bsky.social                     

       For the second year on the run, the Kingfisher pair on the south side raised three young in August but closed paths meant they could not be enjoyed by visitors.  A late juvenile Cuckoo flew over East Warwick on the 19th. Jackdaws are infrequent at the Wetlands and usually just passing through but a pair were seen regularly across the site from mid-August.  As in the last two months, there was only one Skylark record with a single on the 21st.  

                                 A trio of young Kingfishers enjoying life out of the burrow pic @MLP

        Passage Swallows were seen in small numbers across the month with four sharing the Sand Martin roost on the 4th. The Wetlands often hosts the last gatherings of Swifts in London with 25 still feeding over the reservoirs on the 31st. Willow Warblers could often be seen and heard singing throughout August with numbers reaching just into double figures  

                                  Spotted Flycatchers were elusive this month pic @samodonnell25.bsky.social

        While singing Nightingales have been heard on both Tottenham and Walthamstow Marsh, the last record for the Wetlands seems to be as long ago as May 2004. So the bird pulled out the mist net by the ringing team at dawn on the 16th may well be the rarest bird of the year. It was the start of a good month for chats and flycatchers. The first Spotted Flycatcher was found by SD on the 23rd - four days earlier than last year - with additional records of what were all likely to be new individuals on four other days. 

                                   ....but with  patience this Pied Flycatcher showed well pic @sjn

      It looked that the Wetlands was going to miss out on the unusually strong passage of Pied Flycatchers through London until LB found the first in an isolated bush on High Maynard on 18th with a second more showy bird on No 5 from the 21st for three days. It was an excellent month for Whinchats with the first on the 15th, three on the 26th & 30th and four next day.  Only two were seen last August. Wheatears were also regularly seen. The first was on the 11th, three days later than last year, but the highest day total of five on the 25th was three more than in 2025. Yellow Wagtails were seen or often just heard from the 6th with a peak count of 10 on the 15th. 

                                        It was a good month for Whinchats pic @samodonnell25.bsky.social

DB @davidbradshaw1952.bskyb.social

  

Reservoir Logs - Summer 2026 round up

                                                                                  The odd couple  of Sanderling and Ringed Plover  @chris-farthing.bsky.social 

       The first Sanderling for two years and successful breeding again by Little Owls were the highlights of June and July. June also saw Coal Tit added to the year list while July brought the first Black-tailed Godwits among a nice range of waders passing through. In all, 80 species were recorded across June - six less than last year - with 90 in July, three more than in 2025. Amazingly, the year list at the end of July stands at 131 as it had the two previous years. 

                                                   The Little Owls again nested successfully @DD

        The totals came despite the on-off work on the pylons - more off than on so far this summer again - closing paths across much of the southern part of the Wetlands. The restricted access has at least hidden from visitors the impact of the record high temperatures and lack of rainfall which has seen larger numbers of birds than usual succumbing to avian botulism.  Among the victims, sadly, have been Little Grebes and Common Sandpiper.

        The hot and dry summer did, however, appear to benefit breeding with high numbers of wildfowl nesting. The exception was Barnacle Geese with no young seen for the first time in several years. In fact, the parched conditions meant the resident flock left at the end of July presumably looking for something to eat further up the Lea Valley. 

                                     Pochard with young and stray Tufted duckling pic @samodonnell.bsky.social

         But five pairs of Shelduck had broods with perhaps four young surviving the many predators until they disappeared - hopefully to the coast - towards the end of July. This summer also saw record numbers of Pochard with 25 broods counted compared to 13 last year and just five in 2024. Survival rates were, as usual, dire with those lasting to near-maturity scarcely reaching double figures. Tufted Duck broods at 43 have also easily surpassed last year's 30 figure at the end of July with new families still appearing. One pair of Gadwall also bred. 

        Both Teal and Shoveler - probably failed breeders elsewhere - began arriving back in small numbers from mid-June. Much less expected was the appearance of two Goosander, scarce enough in the winter nowadays, on No 5 on July 27th before relocating to KGV Reservoir. No one can remember a July record before but it seems as if the hot, dry summer has encouraged an early nationwide movement from their breeding quarters. 

                          Two Great White Egrets were seen over the summer @samodonnell25.bsky.social

           A count found 31 Little Egrets and 19 Grey Herons nests on the islands of No 1, 2 and 3. It may not be too many years before Great White Egrets join the heronry but, in the meantime, the only records were single birds on June 2nd and July 14th. 

                                       Marsh Harrier remain scarce visitors pic @samodonnell25.bsky.social

        The stand-out raptor of the summer was a female-type Marsh Harrier picked up by SD circling over the south side on July 16th. Red Kites continue to be seen more frequently with records on at least six days in June, including two on the 12th and 21st, and on three days in July. As recently as 2024, there was only a single record from each month. Hunting Hobby were also more regular than last year with records on six days in June and again three in July.  

                                        Early July was good for Black-tailed Godwits pic @ivorh.bsky.social 

        

        Twelve species of wader - the same as last summer - were seen across the two months although as the drought left plenty of shorebird-friendly edges around the reservoirs perhaps more might have been expected. The highlight was the first Sanderling since 2024 which arrived on Lockwood in the company of a Ringed Plover - which stayed for two days - on July 19th.  July also saw a nice run of Black-tailed Godwits with the first flock of seven seen flying south by DB and IH on July 1st before single birds feeding on the south side on the 3rd and 12th.  Pic (below) @samodonnell.bsky.social  

                         
       Oystercatchers were regular and noisy visitors with records on four days in June and two in July. The first Lapwings of the 'autumn' were two on June 14th with singles on July 11th and 22nd, three on the 14th and four on the 12th. It seems as if Little Ringed Plover may have attempted to breed somewhere close to the Wetlands as birds were seen on five days in early June but not again until July 22nd.  

                                                     Redshank were frequent visitors pic @MLP                          

        Among the less routine waders were Curlew on June 17th and Greenshank on July 14th and 30th while the only Dunlin was a very tame juvenile on July 27th & 28th. There was, however, a good showing from Redshank with two on June 21st, singles regularly from July on 8th to the 23rd, two on the 17th and three on the 13th. The first returning Common Sandpiper was seen on June 19th with numbers building to a peak  of ten on July 21st. Green Sandpipers were seen on July 2nd and 13th with two on the 13th. 

                                        Green Sandpiper on the Coppermill weir pic @samodonnell25.bsky.social 

       Common Terns continued to grace the Wetlands but unfortunately, after all the young were lost to gulls last year, it looked as if none even attempted to breed this summer. Only two years ago, 23 young were raised so let's hope something can be done to encourage a recovery. A juvenile Mediterranean Gull was picked out from the many young Black-heads by SD on Lockwood on July 13th and a young Yellow-legged Gull by RE the next day. 

                            Mediterranean Gull enjoying the Lockwood beach pic @samodonnell.bsky.social

          For the third consecutive year, Little Owls bred successfully at the Wetlands, raising three young. Just like last year, there was no sign of any for ten months until occasional brief glimpses were had from late May. The first confirmation of breeding came when three fledged young with their parents were seen on June 15th, almost the same date as last year. They continued to show from time to time until late July and, if past experience is any guide, will now vanish until next summer. 

                                                        Adult Little Owl hunting for prey pic @sjn  

          Several pairs of Sand Martins nested in the pipes near the Coppermill tower and south end of East Warwick while up to 300 made use of the No 1 reed bed to roost. Swifts, despite the purpose built tower and playing of their calls, still showed no interest in nesting although the reservoirs remain a major feeding area for birds from across London. On the rare overcast days this summer, hundreds fed low over the reservoirs although numbers dropped drastically by the end of July as local birds began their migration.

   

                                   Garden Warblers appear to have bred pic @samodonnell25. bsky.social 

      Good numbers of Reed Warblers, Blackcaps, Common Whitethroats and Chiffchaffs and a couple of pairs of Sedge Warblers again bred across the site.  It also looks as if both Lesser Whitethroats and Garden Warblers successfully raised young either within or on the boundaries of the Wetlands.     

                   This Coal Tit was among the summer's scarcest records pic @samodonnell.bsky.social 

        A juvenile Coal Tit, a scarce bird at the reservoirs, made an unusually extended stay from June 21st to the 27th. Single Skylarks were seen on June 19th and a very young juvenile on July 17th. July also saw the earliest migrants beginning to passing through with first Willow Warbler on July 28th - 12 days later than last year - and the first Yellow Wagtail next day.  

DB @davidbradshaw1952.bsky.social

Reservoir Logs - May 2026 round-up

 

                     The first Cattle Egrets since 2024 rested briefly on No 2 

             A pair of breeding plumage Cattle Egrets and a fly-over Ring Ouzel - both species not seen last year - were the highlights of what was, in truth, a disappointing month. May did see Arctic Tern, Little Owl and Hobby also added to the year list as well as a second Osprey. But the long spell of dry and sunny weather gave little reason for passage birds to pause their migration at the Wetlands while the major pylon work by National Grid reduced access and coverage. 

       So it is not surprising that the 84 species recorded across May were five less than last year and three behind 2024. But the overall total remains impressive with the five additions taking it to 128 for the year, two ahead of 2025 and four ahead of 2024. And while the weather conditions may have been poor for dropping migrants at the reservoirs, they look very good for breeding birds with young geese and ducks everywhere. 

          These included three broods of Shelduck by the end of May although how many will survive the gulls, herons and cormorants only time will tell. The weather probably also explains the early breeding of Pochard with first brood on the 14th and Tufted Duck on the 24th, both a week before last year. The exception sadly to this breeding success seem to be Barnacle Geese with no young seen, despite apparent incubating birds, by the beginning of June by which time last year three broods had already appeared around No 5. 

                                     An unseasonal Goldeneye appeared on Lockwood

      Given the last wintering Goldeneye departed in mid-March, the appearance of a 1W drake on Lockwood on the 15th and again on the 20th was very unexpected. By the 24th, the first drake Shoveler had re-appeared on East Warwick.  Cattle Egrets are no longer the outright rarities at the Wetlands they were a decade ago but none had been seen since 2024 before SD picked up a pair over No 5. They rested around ther herony on No 2 island before continuing north. 

                                              Cattle Egrets heading off high 

       A second Osprey of the Spring was seen by PL flying NW over the Maynards on the 21st. Red Kites are definitely becoming commoner with sightings on at least nine days while Buzzards were only recorded on three days. The first Hobby was found by LB on the 14th with sightings on five subsequent days.

                                       Oystercatcher inspecting the power line modernisation 

       May brought only five species of wader compared to eight last year as migrating birds just kept going north. The good run of Oystercatcher sightings in April continued into May - perhaps suggesting a local breeding attempt - but there were no records after the 21st. Little Ringed Plover is another possible breeder in the wider area with two seen on the 19th and singles on the 23rd and next day. A Curlew, the third of the year, rested on Lockwood on the 14th and a Greenshank on the 8th. Common Sandpiper passage was light with a peak count of six on the 13th compared to nine last year and none after the 28th. 

                                           Three Mediterranean Gulls visited this month 

      Passage of gulls and terns was also very poor. Neither Little Gull nor Kittiwake - which have become pretty much annual recently in Spring - have been seen so far this year and the sole record of Arctic Tern was a brief appearance of a single bird on No 5 on the 10th. An adult Mediterranean Gull made a flying visit on the 25th with a pair briefly over East Warwick three days later. But there was plenty of breeding activity with Black-headed, Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls all producing young by the end of the month as did what may be again be London's only pair of Greater Black-backed Gulls with at least two chicks on the big No 5 island. 

                               Great Black-backed Gulls and chicks on No 5 

       There is no sign yet of Little Owls breeding but a single bird was heard by QG from his home overlooking East Warwick in the early hours of the 27th before being glimpsed later that morning.  There could also be young Cuckoos emerging later in the Summer with adult birds seen on the 3rd, 30th and 31st. Sand Martins are definitely nesting in drainage pipes near the Coppermill Tower while the No 1 reed bed hosted a gathering of 250 roosting birds on the last day of the month. The 31st also saw two very late Swallows while 25 were counted on the 19th. 

                                 A  noisy male Cuckoo was seen around Lockwood

      Garden Warblers were more regular than usual with singing birds on six days from around the Wetlands. Ring Ouzels were very scarce across London this Spring. They were also not seen at all last year at the Wetlands so the bird seen by ICE flying north over the No 1 reed bed on the 23rd was a welcome addition to the year list. Only two Wheatears on the 2nd and 8th were seen but Yellow Wagtail passage was better with records on at least six days until the 17th with a peak count of six on the 4th. 

                                  Garden Warbler singing in the open for once  

 DB @davidbradshaw1952.bsky.social   Photographs @samodonnell25.bsky.social 

Reservoir Logs - April 2026 round-up

 

             The first Slavonian Grebe since 2018 was April's rarest sighting @samodonnell25.bsky.social

          Slavonian Grebe, Spoonbill and Little Terns were among the highlights of an excellent April. The month also saw Osprey, Garganey and Common Redstart, which hasn't been recorded for two years, added to the year list as well as most of the expected waders and summer visitors. 

                                 The Osprey, unusually, circled slowly over the Wetlands @PaulG

          In all,  97 species were seen across the month which was the same as last year. But with 24 additions to the year list, the running total of 123 is only bettered by 2018's remarkable and rarity-rich 126. Common Scoter, Black-necked Grebe, Little Gull and Black Redstart are three of the likely birds still missing along with Hobby which should be seen in May. 

                        London's first Whinchat of the year graced the Wetlands @chris-farthing.bsky.social

                  

            After a near three month stay on its favoured bank at the north end of High Maynard, the White-fronted Geese finally discovered its migratory urges with the last sighting on April 24th. The first - and perhaps only - Garganey of the year was a female found by DaD on No 1 late on the 26th. More obliging and definitely more colourful was a stunning Slavonian Grebe in near full breeding plumage which spent all of the 13th on Lockwood.  It's the first at the Wetlands since another one-day bird in November 2018 which itself was the first for five years. 

                     The Slavonian Grebe hung around all day for its admirers @samodonnell25.bsky.social 

 

        Osprey is just about annual at the Wetlands but birds in Spring usually power their way north to get to their breeding grounds. This was not the case with the female found and photographed by PG on the 27th which circled leisurely over the reservoirs before moving south. 

                               Osprey getting the usual friendly Walthamstow welcome @PaulG

       Red Kites were seen on at least six days, just like last year, but the six across the 26th was a high count. A Buzzard was also seen on the same day in good passage conditions with sightings on two more dates. A second Great White Egret of the year was seen on the 10th. Spoonbill remain scarce visitors at the Wetlands with the bird seen briefly by TR, PR and TG on the 28th around No 1 island the first since the astonishing flock of 11 in September 2023.  

                                      Oystercatchers were regular in April @samodonnell25.bsky.social

      Ten species of waders were seen across the month - the same as in both 2024 and 2025 - with Whimbrel, Little Ringed Plover, Greenshank, Dunlin and Ringed Plover all new for the year. Oystercatchers were seen on the 8th and then regularly from the 20th with two on several days, suggesting they may be trying to breed nearby. The only Lapwing was seen on the 19th. 

                   Ringed (above) and Little Ringed Plovers were on Lockwood @samodonnell25.bsky.social

       In recent years Little Ringed Plover seem to be getting scarcer and it has been the same again this Spring with just one brief sighting on Lockwood on the 11th. Lockwood also held a tamer Ringed Plover which stayed around for several hours on the 26th and the first of two Whimbrel on the 11th with a second flying over on the 22nd. 

                                 Three Dunlin braved the weeekend crowds @davidbradshaw1952.bsky.social 

       Dunlin, usually one of commoner passage waders, were late this year but a flock of three turned up on the 26th to make up for the delay. Common Sandpiper passage continued throughout April, building to a peak count of 17 on the last day of the month.  The 30th also saw a Green Sandpiper on High Maynard with two more on Lockwood on the 22nd and one on the 27th. The only Redshank was one on the 7th which was one less sighting than Greenshank with records on both the 22nd and 30th. The surprise was that neither species of godwit has yet been seen with Bar-tails in particular turning up reliably in early Spring in recent years. 

    

                       This breeding plumage Redshank was the only record @samodonnell25. bsky.social 

     

       An immature Yellow-legged Gull was seen on both the 10th and 11th The first Common Tern of the year was on the 12th - a day earlier than last year - with around a dozen back by the 21st.  Let's hope they have more success than last year's disastrous breeding season. Three Little Terns - the first  since 2021 - flew south through the reservoirs on the 25th while SD photographed two Black Terns flying high in the opposite direction next day. 

  

                                            Two Black Terns passed over high @samodonnell25.bsky.social

          A Cuckoo was heard by MLP and DiD on the early date of the 19th around the 123 reservoirs but seemed to pass through quickly, Swifts were also early with the first on the 11th - nine days before last year's first bird- with local birds screaming around the reservoirs from the 19th,  Just like last year, the first Swallow was seen on the 2nd with 20 feeding over the reservoirs on the 11th before continuing north. House Martins, which breed on the neighbouring filter beds, were two days later than last year with the first sighting on the 11th, 

                                          Swifts arrived back in numbers by the end of the month @MLP

       Willow Warbler passage continued in the first half of the month but, with largely fine conditions, numbers were not high. Our breeding warblers were remarkably consistent in their arrival dates withe the first Sedge Warbler on the 2nd (1st last year), Reed Warbler on the 7th (8th) and Common Whitethroat on the 8th, the same date as both 2025 & 2024. Only Lesser Whitethroat, four days earlier on the 18th, bucked the trend although GI picked up a very early for the reservoirs Garden Warbler which can take until the late summer to see some years. 

                      A sublime Whinchat posed for two days on West Warwick @samodonnell25.bsky.social

       Common Redstart has become so scarce at the reservoirs - except for the unwary trusting Merlin to identify its call from Chaffinch - that the female found around No 5 by ML on the 23rd was the first since 2023.  There is no more beautiful British bird than a Spring male Whinchat so it was a delight that the bird found by CF on West Warwick, the first in London this year, on the 12th stayed for two days. A second made a much briefer stay on the same reservoir on the 27th. 

                                                  Wheatear passage was light @samodonnell25.bsky.social

       

          The dry, bright conditions were ideal for Wheatears to continue migrating without stopping which helps explain why four on the 18th was the highest daily count. But there was a better showing from Yellow Wagtails which perhaps may be more affected by the northerly winds. After the first on the 6th, ten days later than last year, birds were seen or heard on at least six days with eight on the 25th the highest total.

 

 DB @davidbradshaw1952.bsky.social