Bar-tailed Godwit and Whimbrel heading north pic @samodonell25.bsky.social
An unprecedented passage of Bar-tailed Godwits, a fly-by Hoopoe - the first for seven years - and a pair of far more obliging Black Terns were April's birding highlights. A strong showing from waders, terns and gulls compensated for a lack of smaller migrants as the largely fine weather enabled birds to carry on northwards rather than put down at the Wetlands.
A rare morning of heavy rain saw HW pick up four late Brent Geese going north on the 23rd once it stopped. Barnacle Geese continue to suggest they may breed again on No 5 with fingers crossed that any young survive the gulls and foxes this year. Shelduck, with perhaps four pairs now resident, are also preparing to nest. Small numbers of Shoveler remained until mid-month with the last record on the 24th, the same as the final record last year. The only Wigeon was a drake on the 8th.
Disappointing breeding news is the big decrease in nesting Grey Herons and Little Egrets. Grey Heron nests are down from 28 pairs last year to just 13 active nests. The fall has largely been caused by the birds deserting entirely the colony on No 1 island where 13 pairs bred last year. One possible explanation is disturbance from the Common Buzzard which wintered on No 1 for the first time. The number of Little Egrets has also halved from a record high of 30 to just 14 pairs although late breeding is still possible. To the delight no doubt of Walthamstow's anglers, there has, however, been a reversal in the long decline in Cormorant nests which have jumped from 105 last year to around 130.
Large raptors were remarkably consistent. Across the month, Red Kites were seen on six days and Buzzards on three days - exactly the same number as last year. Peregrines and Sparrowhawks continued to be seen regularly. An early Hobby was seen by LB on the 23rd, a fortnight before the first sighting in 2024.
Ten species of wader - the same as last April - were recorded but what was exceptional is the number of bird involved. Bar-tailed Godwit remains far from annual at the Wetlands with no records, for example, in 2021, 2022 and 2023. When it does turn up, it tends to be just one or two birds a year. So the 55 - including a single flock of 35 going east - on the 21st in gloomy, damp conditions was unprecedented and is probably as many as have been seen at the Wetlands in the last 25 years. The number was so striking that it was singled out in a round-up of the national bird news of the week.
The same day - and in fact the same big flock - also saw 12 Whimbrel go east. Even leaving aside this exceptional flock, it was a good month for the species with records on the 15th, 22nd, 23rd (3), 26th (3) and two more next day. An unusually large gathering of Green Sandpipers were also seen with rain on the 15th bringing down seven on Lockwood where they spent the day. There was also a single bird on the 9th. Oystercatcher, too, had a good showing with up to three being seen and heard regularly around the reservoirs from the 13th.
In contrast, the only records of Little Ringed Plover were a single on the 8th and two on the 19th and 23rd. The sole sighting of Black-tailed Godwits were four resting briefly on Lockwood on the 5th. Two Dunlin were seen on the 15th following one on the 5th.
Dunlin @ivorh.bsky.social & Redshank @samodonnell25. bsky.social
Mediterranean Gulls (front two) with Black-heads pic @samodonnell25.bsky.social
Adult Little Gull pic @birdbrainuk.bsky.social
It was an excellent month for gulls and terns. Five more Little Gulls were found on the 6th with three adults briefly on West Warwick on the 15th. The strong showing by Mediterranean Gull - not recorded at all last year - continued with a pair of adults on the first two days of the month, on the 14th and 21st around the Black-headed colonies, with singles on the 6th and 30th. Great Black-backed Gulls again look as if they are breeding which may be the only pair in London.
The first Common Terns were seen on the 13th with our breeding birds beginning to return on the 15th - a day later than last year - when they immediately started noisily pair-bonding. April and early May are the most likely period for passing Arctic Terns and RE picked up the first two at lunchtime on West Warwick on the 23rd with the numbers growing to 35 by the afternoon. Another prized Spring find are Black Terns in their breeding finery with PJ finding two on Lockwood on the last day of the month which obligingly stayed around until dusk.
In recent years, Cuckoo has become slightly more regular at the Wetlands with the first, we hope of more, heard on the 27th, the same date as last year. Another Rook was seen on the 6th with a few Jackdaws also passing over. It has been a good year for Hoopoe in the UK and in London and it was always a possibility that the Wetlands would see its first record since 2018. Unfortunately, its appearance on the 28th was all too brief as it was at the very north of the site flying towards the out-of-bounds Banbury Reservoir. Despite searching, there was no further sign.
April saw the first Sedge Warbler arrive back early on the opening day of the month - four days ahead of last year - with Reed Warblers returning on the 6th (5th). Common Whitethroats were heard singing from the 8th (again the same day as in 2024). Lesser Whitethroats were late with no records until the 22nd (13th) but with four or five males on territory by the end of the month. There was no shortage of singing Blackcaps while Willow Warblers continued passing through in small numbers but without any large fall.
Redwing, like Fieldfare, have been extraordinarily scarce this winter so the bird found on the 29th, which stayed into May, at the bottom of No 1 was a real surprise. More expected were passage Wheatears but the largely cloudless skies meant birds had no reason to put down, or if they did, stay long before moving on. Four on the 15th was the highest count with at least half the days of the month seeing none recorded at all.
DB @davidbradshaw1952@bsky.social
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