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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
DB @davidbradshaw1952.bskyb.social
