Walthamstow Birders
Notes from the birders of Walthamstow Marshes SSSI, Walthamstow Reservoirs and WaterWorks Nature Reserve.
Wednesday, 4 May 2022
Reservoir Logs - April 2022
Wednesday, 6 April 2022
Reservoir Logs - March 2022 round-up
A soaring White-tailed Eagle thrilled all who saw it pic @Chris_Farthing
The Wetlands' first ever White-tailed Eagle was the stand-out bird of an excellent month which swept aside the doldrums of January and February. The eagle will long live in the memory of those lucky enough to see it but there was also plenty of interest - from first to last - for those not at the reservoirs that day. Among the highlights were multiple Garganey, Black Redstart, Curlew and Scaup - each more notable than anything which had turned up in the first two months of 2022.
Wheatear posing in front of the Engine House pic @HarringayBirderMarch also saw a nice selection of waders including the first Avocet, Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Little Ringed Plover and Black-tailed Godwits of the year. Summer migrants were a little later and slower to arrive than usual but the first Wheatear, Sand Martin and Swallow just about made it through the rain and cold. The month also saw the first Rook and Skylark along with a pair of Mandarin, the first for 18 months. The 16 additions take the year list so far to 93 - two behind last year but the same as 2020 and four more than 2019.
Garganey graced the Wetlands this month pic (above) @OwlTurbot and @giles_greenwood
Mandarin, like Red-crested Pochard, are surprisingly rare at the Wetlands despite being widespread in London. The pair which made a typically brief visit to the north side on the 29th were the first since August 2020. Garganey may be more frequent but they are also much more prized - and wilder. CF found the first three of the year on No 1 on the 22nd with what seems likely to be one of the two drakes staying until the 31st. What was presumably another pair was found on Low Maynard on the 30th.
It has been a good winter for Scaup in London but it looked as if the Wetlands, a traditional site, might miss out until a one-day drake was found on the 15th. A second bird - a female - found on the 25th was more obliging and remained into April. Five of the wintering six Goldeneye - just like last year - also stayed to the end of the month while the last Goosander of the winter were a pair on Lockwood on the 12th.
Three Curlews in one month is a good showing pics (above) @sjnewton & @Chris_Farthing
Oystercatchers are among the Wetland's noisiest visitors and the first pair of the year on the 12th were hard to ignore with another on the 23rd. Avocet has become more regular at the reservoirs in recent years so the single seen flying south on the 14th was not as unexpected as it once was. It is the third year on the run this elegant wader has turned up in March and the third consecutive year it has been been found by LB from his loft overlooking Lockwood.
The first Little Ringed Plover was found by DC on the 18th, around the average arrival time but well ahead of last year when it did not turn up until early April. There were regular records until the end of the month, usually on Lockwood. Two Black-tailed Godwit high towards the Thames on the 29th was the first time since 2019 the species has made it onto the year list before July. Add in the wintering Common Sandpiper throughout the month with what was perhaps the first migrant on Lockwood on the 26th and Green Sandpiper again on the flood relief channel on the 7th and eight species of waders were seen.
Little Ringed Plover were regular after mid-month pic @AMPMarch is also usually one of the better months for birds of prey and that was certainly the case this year. Red Kites were recorded on the 18th, 20th and 21st and Buzzard on the 12th, 22nd, 24th and 29th while Sparrowhawk and Peregrine could be seen regularly displaying over the Wetlands. But what those searching the skies did not expect to see on the 30th was a White-tailed Eagle drifting high south.
The White-tailed Eagle steadily gained height over the Wetlands pic @Chris_FarthingSo large that it is known affectionately as the flying barndoor. it was first spotted by TR who immediately put the news of a large raptor out. The alert enabled LB to run up to the Engine House balcony and positively identify it as a White-tailed Eagle and CF to take the all-important photographs as it soared higher for its crossing of London.
Thanks to its tracking device, it could be identified as a second-year male from the re-introduction scheme on the Isle of Wight which was enjoying a tour of the country. It had travelled 667 km in five days on its way back to the south-coast. While strictly not countable on the year list as the Isle of Wight population is not yet self-sustaining, it seems churlish to ignore such a big event and bird.
White-tailed Eagle flying from Norfolk to Newhaven via the Wetlands maps @RoyDennisWF This female Black Redstart was one of two seen this month pic @Chris_Farthing
Winter thrushes continued to be in small numbers with 10 Fieldfare on the 5th and 22 Redwing on the 29th among the highest count. One species which got away was a probable Water Pipit on the 11th so the species may now have to wait until the autumn to make it on the year list.
Good news is two species which have suffered serious declines in recent decades continue to make a strong recovery. House Sparrows, once restricted to colonies at the extreme north and south of the Wetlands, have now spread so widely they are now making use of the Engine House 'Swift' tower as a new nesting site. Greenfinches, too, have bounced back and are singing and displaying across the Wetlands.
Fieldfare were seen in small numbers this month pic @rudraksh9
DB @porthkillier
Sunday, 6 March 2022
Reservoir Logs - February 22 round-up
February continued the rather lacklustre start to 2022. It's not a encouraging sign when Jackdaw - even if they are inexplicably uncommon at the Wetlands - is the only photograph of a scarcity for the month. For while February also saw the first Lapwing, Brambling and Barnacle Goose of the year, none stayed long enough to be captured on camera.
There were, however, by mid-month plenty of signs of Spring and better days to come with a Mallard nest with eggs, Chiffchaff in song and Lesser black-backed Gulls back at their colony on East Warwick. Black-headed Gulls also seemed to be returning en masses to their favourite raft until Storm Eunice broke the anchor chain and left it beached on the side.
The four additions take the year list to 77, five behind last year when most of the reservoirs could not be watched because of lockdown restrictions. It is also fewer than in 2020 (81) and a long way short of 2018 (90) but just ahead of the similarly mild 2019 (75) although that month did see Scaup, Avocet and Black-tailed Godwit all recorded.
Shelduck added a splash of colour in a drab month pic @AMPPerhaps the rarest bird of the month - even if almost certainly not heading to Greenland - was the Barnacle Goose seen flying north over Lockwood early on the 24th by LB. Shelduck were slow returning but perhaps five or six could be seen by the end of the month.
Goldeneye could be seen in full display on Lockwood pic @alex_aspdenThe two drake Wigeon just stayed into February with two on the 1st and one still on the 8th. The wintering six Goldeneye remained with a seventh been seen on the 20th. Goosander were seen less regularly than in January with records on at least five dates with a maximum of three on the 8th.
Exceptionally strong winds in the second half of the month probably put paid to hopes of any early wader passage. A Lapwing on Lockwood on the 10th which soon continued north was the only sign of returning birds. The wintering Common Sandpiper could still be found on the largely out-of-bounds No 5 until at least the 20th and Green Sandpiper was on the flood relief on the 1st until water levels became too high. Three Snipe were put off East Warwick on the 11th when the Wetlands team landed on the island to do maintenance, suggesting they are regular on the largely hidden scrape.
The wintering Common Sandpiper stayed on No 5 despite the engineering work pic @AMP
Given that Jackdaws are common to north, west and east, it is a puzzle why they are so scarce at the reservoirs. And while February and March are prime months for passage birds, they usually just pass over so the bird feeding around West Warwick on the 20th was a surprising sight. Kingfishers continued to delight visitors, putting on a regular show on the Coppermill stream around the tower at the south end and from the bridge near the Engine House.
Blackcap was recorded on the first and last days of the month when it was heard in sub-song while Chiffchaff, whose numbers increased as the month went on, could also be heard on occasions practicing for Spring. Small numbers of Meadow Pipits and the odd Fieldfare and Redwing were recorded while a pair of Stonechat were also regular.
Fieldfare numbers will likely increase as they gather to migrate pic @AMP
It has been an exceptional winter for wintering Brambling in the south-east but it looked as if the Wetlands was going to miss out until a male was seen - again briefly - on the 10th. The flock of Linnets feeding in the wild flower meadow dropped from a peak of 35 to around 20 by the end of the month.
Roll on Spring.....
DB @porthkillier
Wednesday, 9 February 2022
Reservoir Logs - January 2022 round-up
The Lockwood Goldeneye going through their morning work-out pic @rudraksh9
The New Year arrived, bird-wise, with something of a whimper not a bang at the Wetlands. After a solid 65 species seen on the 1st (one more than last year), only eight more were added throughout the rest of January. While the 73 species total is just one behind last year's monthly figure and two behind 2020, it was the lack of scarcities - probably a result of the settled mild conditions - which was most noticeable.
With the Dusky Warbler on Walthamstow Marsh never making the short hop to the Wetlands before it seemingly departed on the 9th, January produced nothing to compare with the Bearded Tits, Firecrest, Black Redstart and White-fronted Geese of the last two years. Resident Wigeon, early Buzzards and a Red Kite along with a Blackcap were perhaps the most unusual sightings although the Kingfishers, now of national fame, compensated throughout the month.
Wigeon were both unusually tame and site-faithful pic AMP
Wigeon don't usually linger for more than a few days so the two tame drakes which spent most of the month at the reservoirs - usually on High Maynard or asleep in the middle of the East Warwick island - were notable.They were joined by a third bird on the 23rd.
It looks as if six Goldeneye are wintering, one down on last year's total and two below 2020's total so the trend is in keeping with the decrease across London. They have visited almost every reservoir but can most easily be seen on Lockwood where they can be surprisingly approachable. Up to three Goosander have also been seen daily but visited more regularly in the first half of the month.
Goldeneye - like the Wigeon - could give excellent views this month pic MLPThe only waders were the expected trio. The wintering Common Sandpiper continued until at least mid-month when the engineering work put its favoured No 5 reservoir out of bounds. A second was seen on the 10th. Single Green Sandpipers were also recorded on at least five days with its appearance depending upon low water levels in the flood relief channel. Frosty weather helped push single Common Snipe from the marsh onto the reservoirs banks or into the East Warwick 'doughnut' where at least two could be seen on the 13th.
Early Buzzards were seen on the 24th and 31st with the last day of the month also delivering the first Red Kite of the year. Most of the month's excitement came from the Wetlands' Kingfishers which put on a fantastic show along the Coppermill stream. They embraced their celebrity status after AR's film of them was featured on the BBC's Winterwatch and performed for photographers and patient visitors throughout the month.
The male of at least one pair of Stonechats wintering at the Wetlands pic AMPDB @porthkillier
Monday, 3 January 2022
December 2021 - reservoir logs
This smart first winter Caspian Gull made its home on High Maynard pic @Chris_Farthing
December, perhaps not surprisingly, was the first month in 2021 which saw no new birds added to the year list. But despite the often gloomy weather, it did produce the year's second Caspian Gull and two Scaup, all of which hung around for a few days. The blank December means the year list was stuck on 143 - exactly the same as 2019, three behind last year's record but ten ahead of both 2018 &2017.
And 2021 could have ended on a much higher note if the Dusky Warbler on Walthamstow Marsh, which at times came within 40 metres of the Wetlands, had flown over the West Warwick fence. The only saving grace was that it would not even have been a new bird for the reservoirs.
Shelduck were slow to arrive back this winter with a maximum count of five and just three by the end of the month. Shoveler numbers crept back up with 13 on the 28th. Three Wigeon were seen on the 17th and 28th with lone birds on three other days. They included a tame drake on the last three days of the month.
This tame drake Wigeon took a liking to the grass banks at the Wetlands pic @IvorHewstoneSJ, fresh from his triumph in finding the Dusky Warbler on the marsh on the 14th, found two tricky immature Scaup on West Warwick four days later, the first multiple occurrence for some years. They were eventually identified as an immature female and male and were last seen on the 28th before apparently turning up on the Banbury Reservoir just to the north.
The second Scaup with male plumage just beginning to show through pic @samuel_ei_jonesGoosander continued to be seen regularly with up to three on the north side although the peak total was a flock of five flying over. The highest count of Goldeneye was six - the same as last December - on the 21st and 31st with Lockwood their favourite reservoir this winter.
Four species of waders were seen but nothing unexpected. There were 10 Lapwing on the 21st and four next day and single Snipe on the 17th and 21st. The Common Sandpiper remained throughout December and single Green Sandpipers were seen on five days early in the month before the water levels in the flood relief channel became too high.
The long-staying Caspian Gull was often more obvious in flight pic @rudraksh9
Buzzard with its accompanying fan club pic @rudraksh9
While 2021 did not add a single species to the Wetland's all-time list, unlike last year's Yellow-browed Warbler, it did deliver some excellent birds. They included the first catch-able Little Stints and first sight record of Grasshopper Warbler as well as numbers of such scarce visitors as Kittiwake, Little Tern and, in recent years, Cuckoo. It also saw an extraordinary run of Great Egrets with perhaps twenty separate birds, a dramatic increase on the previous record count of four last year, an unprecedented flock of ten Scoter as well as what seems likely to be the first Sand Martin and last House Martin of the year in London.
A Cormorant, which are already nest-building, against the dawn sky pic @rudraksh9
Main misses were Mandarin - recorded annually since 2015 - and Osprey which had been seen for five consecutive years. Among other species which are overdue at the reservoirs are Red-breasted Merganser, Grey Plover and Knot which have all not been seen since 2018. Happy New Year to everyone and let's hope for good birding and, in time, a more normal 2022.
DB @porthkillier