This Ruff - a reservoirs' rarity - arrived in a downpour pic @samodonnell25.bsky.social
Ruff, Little Stint and Sandwich Tern - none of which are annual - were among the highlights of an excellent August. The month also saw Pintail, Whinchat and Spotted Flycatcher added to the year list along with second records of Garganey, Marsh Harrier and Caspian Gull.
Across the month, 100 species were recorded which compares with last August's poor 87. The six additions also means the year total has now reached 137, four ahead of last year and just one behind 2021's high total. The strong performance was despite major preparatory work for updating the pylon cables which has sadly seen trees and bushes cut down, considerable disturbance and the closing of paths.
The flock of 14 Barnacle Geese, including this year's youngster, continued to be seen but spent more time away from the Wetlands hunting for fresh grazing. The work around its No 3 home seems to have encouraged the young Shelduck to depart mid-month which was earlier than would be expected. A second Garganey of the year was found by CF on the 25th on No 4 which remained into September.. He also found the year's first two Pintail which sadly only put down for a brief stop on East Warwick on the 20th.
The disruption from the pylon work is also likely to be a factor in the sharp reduction in the post-breeding Tufted Duck flock which was down from 2467 last year to 1585. In contrast, breeding numbers continued to bounce back from last year's dismal figures with 40 Tufted broods compared to 23 last year although still behind the 50 counted in 2022.
DC picked up a Marsh Harrier drifting north over High Maynard early on the 16th, the second after a bird in March. Red Kites with sightings on at least three days seem to have replaced Buzzard. which wasn't recorded at all this month, as the most regular large raptor. Hobby was seen on at least seven dates, one more than last year, although the sightings were typically very brief. Little Owls continued to be seen occasionally with most sightings early in the month.
Thirteen species of wader appeared in August which is an impressive monthly total for an urban site well within Zone Three of the London underground map, The only Oystercatcher was seen on the 1st and the sole record of Lapwing were two on the 11th. Surprisingly, no Little Ringed Plovers were recorded but two Ringed Plover - usually the rarer of the two - were seen on the 16th with an incredibly tame bird on a busy East Warwick and a flightier individual on Lockwood.
Single Curlew, one much tattier than the other, flew over on the 19th and 20th. Two Black-tailed Godwits fed on the East Warwick island, unperturbed by the Saturday crowds, on the 2nd with three more over on the 10th and another fly-over on the 27th. Heavy rain with little wind during passage often means good waders as was the case when SD found a Ruff on the east side of East Warwick on the 29th. It rested just long enough to attract a small if very wet group of admirers before deciding to fly north. Before last July's remarkable flock of five - also co-found by SD - Ruff had only been recorded in just two of the last 15 years.
Little Stint and Greenshank pic @samodonnell25.bsky.social
The adult Yellow-legged Gull on its favourite roof pic @Callahanbirder
Whinchat (above) and Wheatear were both scarce pics @davidbradshaw1952.bsky.social
Ruff setting off after waiting for the downpour to ease pic @samodonnell25.bsky.social
Single Dunlin were seen on the 3rd, 4th and 25th with three in an unusual mixed flock with three Redshank resting on Lockwood on the 23rd. But the highlight on Lockwood was a tame Little Stint found by EDH which stayed for a couple of hours. There have only been two other records in the last 15 years with a single on East Warwick in 2019 and two again on Lockwood in 2021. The first - and only - Common Snipe flew around Lockwood on the early date of the 11th,
Little Stint and Greenshank pic @samodonnell25.bsky.social
Common Sandpiper passage did not reach the heights of July but birds were seen throughout the month with 11 on the 3rd and 25th the highest counts. A single Green Sandpiper was recorded on the 13th with two on the 26th. As well as the three Redshank on the 23rd, another was seen on the 21st. The lack of water in the flood relief channel proved attractive to Greenshank with up to two seen regularly from the 18th to the end of the month with occasional sightings also on Lockwood and No 4.
It was also a good month for gulls and terns. SD photographed the second Caspian Gull of the year on the 27th which was also seen on the 30th. DC found two Yellow-legged Gulls on the 16th with the adult staying faithful to the same warehouse roof overlooking High Maynard into September. It looked as if the year might slip by without a Sandwich Tern until FT saw one passing through on the 31st. Common Terns may have had a disastrous breeding season but at least three remained into September. They were often accompanied on Lockwood by a Black Tern until the end of the month which had first arrived with two others on the 29th.
Caspian Gull and one of three Black Terns seen this month pics @samodonnell25.bsky.social
Around 100 Swifts were seen on the 16th but numbers fell sharply, as expected, towards the end of the month. What was not expected was the almost complete lack of Swallows passing through with, for some reason, hardly a record although numbers were seen further up the valley. There was, in contrast, a solid passage of Willow Warblers throughout the month with ten seen or heard, for example on the 17th. Sedge Warblers also quietly passed through with the ringing team catching four on the 23rd, with another Garden Warbler also trapped on the 25th.
Spotted Flycatchers finally arrived pics @samodonnell25.bsky.social @ivorh.bsky.social
The first Spotted Flycatcher of the year was found by SD on the 27th - six days later than last year - with others on the 29th and 31st. After a blank Spring, Whinchat was finally added to the year list when CF pinned down an elusive bird on West Warwick on the 15th with the only other record a smart juvenile from the 29th to the 31st at the north end of Lockwood.
The first Wheatear of the Autumn turned up on East Warwick on the 8th, and while not as scarce as last August when there were just five records all month, they were only seen on 10 days with two on the 30th the maximum count. Yellow Wagtails were seen - or often just heard - passing south also in small numbers from the middle of the month onwards.
DB @davidbradshaw1952.bsky.social
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