Reservoir Logs - Summer 21 round-up

   

         Three Cuckoos including this juvenile is the best showing for years pic @sjnewton

    A mass arrival of Common Scoter was the highlight of June and July which also saw fly-overs by Spoonbill and Sandwich Tern along with the just about annual occurrence of Coal Tit. More predictable were the July first appearances for the year of Black-tailed Godwit, Yellow-legged Gull and Skylark.  The seven additions take the year list to 132 which is an impressive nine above last year's figure.  

June saw the biggest flock of Scoter at the Wetlands in recent times pic @Chris_Farthing

    The Godwits were one of a healthy eleven wader species recorded over the two months including the second Common Ringed Plover and Avocets of the year. The summer also saw several sightings  of Mediterranean Gull and Cuckoo as well as ringing records which showed birds travelling to the Wetlands from the Netherlands and Namibia.    

         One of the pair of Barnacle Geese which seemed to have tried to breed pic @AMP

    Barnacle Geese continued to be seen throughout June with a pair displaying breeding behaviour on the big No 5 island. But within a couple of days of the birds watched apparently swapping nest shifts on the 27th, both fed on the reservoir banks which suggests any breeding attempt failed. The pair just as quickly then left the Wetlands to end an unusual summer influx.    

    It was an even sadder story for Shelduck. None of the young from the three pairs which bred survived very long and all adults, unusually, departed by early July. This compares to five pairs successfully raising 21 young last year when some enjoying the Wetlands so much they stayed well into the autumn. 

  For the second summer in the last three, the Wetlands hosted a Scaup pic@Chris_Farthing

    A drake Scaup, the third record of the year, was found by CF on June 25th. Photographs led to debate over whether it might be a hybrid but those who saw it largely felt it was most likely a Scaup going into eclipse. It is the second year in the last three that a drake has turned up at the Wetlands in June.  It wandered the site until at least July 3rd and, given the huge number of moulting Tufted Duck in which to hide, might have stayed longer.  

This female-type Common Scoter spent five days at the Wetlands pic @rom_london 

    

    But it was a remarkable movement of Common Scoter which was the duck highlight of the summer. CF - again - earned his reward for visiting in a downpour on June 18th when he found a female on West Warwick. By the time, the rest of us had donned waterproofs to see the first Scoter of the year, he had found a flock of ten males on Lockwood. This is the biggest Scoter flock - part of a widespread movement across the south east - anyone can remember at the Wetlands. The drakes all departed that night but the female stayed until the 23rd. Other duck records included a drake Teal on June 7th and a Shoveler on the 15th  with eight on the 29th.    

        Two stunning summer plumaged Black-necked Grebes were seen pic @rom_london

    Black-necked Grebes gave the Wetlands a miss this Spring. So there was plenty of interest in the first discovered by CF on June 16th and the second - also a superb summer plumaged adult - found by RR on Lockwood on July 17th. Both were just one-day appearances. After a near-miss in the Spring, Spoonbill was also finally added to the Wetland's year list on June 4th when MK saw one fly from West Warwick over Walthamstow Marsh and back before presumably continuing north.   

    Two young were raised by the local Peregrines just off site and could be seen and heard on the Wetlands' pylons throughout July. Four Red Kites were seen together on June 3rd and there were singles on five other days. Hobby records were scarce compared to last year with birds seen only on three days in June and two in July. Two young Kestrels took up residence around the north side in July.    

       A  colour-ringed Oystercatcher turned out to be a visitor from Holland @AMP

    Eleven species of waders - one less than last year - were recorded in June and July. But they seemed to turn up earlier than usual perhaps because the bad weather in the Spring led to failed breeding. That was certainly the case with the Oystercatcher found on June 20th which photographs showed was colour-ringed. It was soon discovered that it had been rung as as an adult near Den Haag in 2018 and had still been in the Netherlands in April. Two very unseasonal Avocets - the second record of the year - were found on Lockwood by CF on June 10th. 

         Two Avocets rested all too briefly on the banks of Lockwood pic @Chris_Farthing 

    Lapwing are more expected summer visitors but there were more regular sightings this year. The first summer record was on June 14th & 15th, with two on the 23rd, 29th and July 19th with singles - perhaps the same young bird - on six other days in July. PR had the second Ringed Plover of the year fly over on an early morning ringing session on July 9th. Little Ringed Plover were scarcer than is often the case but there was one on June 16th & 18th and two on the 17th with the only July record three juveniles on July 8th. 

                            

Five Black-tailed Godwits turned up on Lockwood pic (above) @sjnewton and @porthkillier      

     

    A Whimbrel flew over calling on July 27th while the biggest gap in the wader list was filled when five Black-tailed Godwits were found on Lockwood on July 10th - six days later than the first record last year. They included a flock of four which soon continued south but the fifth lone bird settled down to feed for much of the morning.A returning  Dunlin was also on Lockwood on July 11th with other equally tame summer-plumaged birds on the 25th & 31st.  

            The three Dunlin seen were all on Lockwood and all very tame pic @sjnewton

   The first Common Sandpiper returned on June 30th - seven days later than last year but exactly the same date as in 2019. They were then seen pretty much every day throughout July with a conservative peak count of 10 on the 23rd. Green Sandpipers were seen on July 18th & 27th with two on the 24th. Redshank, like Lapwing, were surprisingly common with two on June 15th & 17th and July 16th and singles on six other days. This compares to records on just five days last summer.   

                            Redshank were regular visitors in June and July pic @OwlTurbot    

    RE picked out a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull among the local Lesser black-backed and Herring young on Lockwood among on July 25th - 12 days later than the first last year. A near-adult Mediterranean Gull dropped into the thriving Black-headed Gull colony on June 25th and at least two more were seen on July 18th when there was a movement inland.  

         One of at least three Mediterranean Gulls seen in June and July pic @Chris_Farthing

    The first two Sandwich Terns of the year were seen by LB from his loft window flying north on July 24th. At least 17 Common Tern chicks hatched on Lockwood with fledged birds being fed by the parents on the reservoir banks into August. The astonishing migrations these birds will undertake was brought to life when a CF photograph of an adult allowed the partial reading of a ring. The numbers narrowed it down to one of three birds trapped in Namibia between 2004 and 2006. As it is over 5,000 miles from Walthamstow, it is likely to have flown 150,000 miles in migration since it was rung. 

  Adult Cuckoo (above) pic @IvorHewstone and juvenile (below) pic @sjnewton & @OwlTurbot

    

    This year has seen the best showing by Cuckoos for a long time with at least three more in June and July. An adult was seen on June 1st and June 5th before a tame juvenile put on a show on July 12th & 13th around the High Maynard entrance. A late adult gave more typically brief views on the south side on the 25th. For the first time in a couple of years, it looks as if Kingfishers have actually bred at the Wetlands with a pair flying into a nest hole on the small No 5 island in July. 

   Swifts continued to use the Wetlands as a feeding station with around 300 birds - almost certainly a mixture of migrants and late local birds - on the last day of July. The same is true of Sand Martins with lingering breeding birds - most of which seem to have left by mid-July - joined by visitors in a flock of around 100 feeding low over No 4 on the 30th. Coal Tit remains a very rare bird at the Wetlands and the two CF found on June 23rd may be the only record of the year. Skylarks regularly turn up in July with singles from the 9th to the 12th and another on the 27th.  

       This June Wheatear was either late going north or early coming south pic @Alex_Aspden

    Migration of smaller birds - probably because the bad weather in May delayed breeding - was later than last year when Spotted Flycatcher, Whinchat and multiple returning Willow Warblers were all recorded in July. The first bright juvenile Willow Warbler was only seen on the 31st although there was an earlier adult on July 21st. A female Wheatear got the seasons all wrong when it turned up on Lockwood on June 17th and stayed around to the 21st. It presumably just got fed up waiting for the weather to improve on the breeding grounds and decided to head south., 

    The ringing sessions around the No 1 reed bed continue to astound with a staggering total by the end of July of 120 adult Reed Warblers now rung - many times the number of pairs that were thought to be summer residents. Juvenile Garden Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat were also caught on July 18th which suggests they may have bred at the Wetlands. Both species were increasingly seen from mid July while there were also plenty of young Common Whitethroat, Chiffchaff and Blackcaps around. 

    Family parties of Common Whitethroats could be seen across the Wetlands pic @rudraksh9

    The welcome decision by Thames Water to let the grass grow in June and July around the reservoir banks led to a riot of wild flowers. As well as many butterflies, Goldfinches and Linnets - with over 20 including family parties around Lockwood - enjoyed the unexpected feast.  

       Linnets brought their young to Lockwood to enjoy the seed feast pic @rudraksh9

    August should see the first Spotted Flycatcher of the year as well, if we are lucky, a passing Osprey while the regular visit by Red-crested Pochard is now overdue. 

DB @porthkillier

Reservoir Logs - May 21 round-up

A tame Turnstone on Lockwood performed for all who braved the weather pic @Chris_Farthing

    May was remarkably cold but the unpleasant conditions may have helped extend migration further into the month than usual and force birds flying over to drop down. Stormy weather saw both Turnstone and Ringed Plover - both uncommon visitors - shelter on Lockwood. Cuckoo and Whinchat were also added to the year list while the northerly airflow helps explain a better than average passage of Yellow Wagtails and Wheatears. 

                  One of at least two superb Whinchats seen this month pic @OwlTurbot

    The newly started regular ringing sessions have already added to knowledge of the site's birdlife by revealing the incredible number of Reed Warblers passing through the small No 1 reed-bed. The four new additions take the year list to 124 which is 11 more than 2020's lockdown-affected total but also eight more than in 2019 although still behind the previous two years.  Red-crested Pochard - which can turn up any time - along with Black-tailed Godwit and Skylark which often are seen in July are the most obvious gaps in the year list

                Barnacle Goose looking uncharacteristically wary pic @Chris_Farthing

    2021 goose-fest continued with an unexpected influx of Barnacle Geese, which in recent years have usually been fly-overs or one-day birds at the reservoirs. The first was rather oddly on the big wooded island on No 5 on the 13th but, even more strangely, it was joined by four more on the 15th. There were then regular sightings until the end of the month. One very tame individual befriended family parties of Egyptian Geese around the north reservoirs. Another was seemingly keeping guard on No 5 which has led to speculation that it might have a partner on eggs nearby. It will have to go some to beat the Canada Goose pair who produced and raised 18 young - apparently the second year they have successfully look after  huge broods. 

     Ringed Plover (pic @Chris_Farthing) and Turnstone (pic AMP) sheltered on Lockwood

     

    Wader highlights of the month were a superb summer-plumaged Turnstone which sheltered on Lockwood in high winds on the 21st and a Ringed Plover - both found by CF - which turned up in almost the exact same spot and conditions on the 4th. Ringed Plover is annual but Turnstone was absent in two of the last four years. The Ringed Plover was accompanied by two Dunlin to form a rare mixed flock. A single Dunlin was also seen on the 8th. 

     Dunlin (pic @Chris_Farthing) and two with a Ringed Plover pic @porthkiller

    Unlike last year, Little Ringed Plover continued to be seen regularly around Lockwood with records from at least eight days. Oystercatcher, perhaps the birds whose usual breeding spot at Ponders End was flooded, were also frequent visitors - seen on seven days with a pair on the 11th and 17th. There was a good passage of Common Sandpipers with records almost daily until the 17th. There was a maximum count of 10 on the 5th with two late birds on the 23rd. The last record, just as in 2020, was on the 25th.   

   Little Ringed Plover (pic AMP) and Oystercatchers (pic Chris_Farthing) were seen regularly

    After the disaster of 2019 when no Common Terns bred at the reservoirs, it is great to report a strong recovery is underway. This year they abandoned the vegetated raft on East Warwick to the fast-expanding Black-headed Gull colony (which has risen from around a dozen pairs to about 60) and set up home instead on the similar raft on Lockwood. It looks as if 17 pairs - double last year's total - might be breeding on Lockwood with another optimistic pair on the tern rafts on West Warwick. Let's hope the recovery continues and the numbers once again reach the 40 pairs breeding as recently as 2010. The Commons attracted another Artic Tern found by RE on the 9th.  

                Just a section of the Common Tern colony on Lockwood pic AMP

  

    After a few years when Cuckoo was rare at the Wetlands, it seems happily to be becoming more regular with, as in 2020, birds recorded on four days. QC had the first sighting on the 13th flying north towards the Engine House. Another was seen around No 3 by LMSB on the 18th. The male seen on Tottenham Marsh was heard from Lockwood on the 24th and then presumably the same calling bird was around No 1 two days later. 

    The cold, windy weather was not good for raptor passage but a Buzzard was seen on the 18th. Peregrines nested just off site and are raising two young. If past experience is any guide, they will be a noisy presence around the Wetlands when fledged. Single Hobby were recorded on at least seven days while a pair of Sparrowhawks were often seen with prey going south towards Walthamstow Marsh.  

    A Swallow ended its migration as a meal for  the local Sparrowhawks pic@sjnewton

    Bad weather conditions both held back migration and kept flying insects low so the reservoirs were used as a major feeding station throughout the month. Swifts provided a fantastic spectacle with large numbers feeding low over the Wetlands. Small numbers of Swallows joined the local House and Sand Martins with two still being seen on the last two days of the month. Despite the poor weather, there seem to be more Sand Martins than in recent years feeding over the reservoirs which suggests breeding numbers are up. 

    Higher numbers of Sedge Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat were singing pics @rudraksh9   

    The same seems true of breeding warblers with more Sedge Warblers and Common and Lesser Whitethroats singing around the site than in recent years. But regular ringing has shown how badly bird numbers can be underestimated. Educated guesses put the number of singing Reed Warblers in the small reed bed at the north end of No 1 at around six or seven. But so far this Spring an extraordinary 78 Reed Warblers have been rung. Some would clearly be late migrants just passing through but it seems certain there must be at least three or four times the breeding pairs than thought. Two Garden Warblers were singing on the 9th and a late Willow Warbler sang on 22nd. 

            The Whinchat on Lockwood teamed up with a late Wheatear pics AMP

     At least two lovely Whinchats graced the Wetlands with the first found by CF on Lockwood on the 1st and a second around East Warwick on the 5th & 6th. Wheatear passage continued strongly with birds regularly until the 13th with a peak count of five on the 9th. There was also a very late record on the 27th - 22 days later than the final record last year (when many of the reservoirs were out-of-bounds) but also 16 days later than in 2019. There was an even stronger showing from Yellow Wagtails with birds seen almost daily until the 13th with a maximum of seven on the 6th. The last record was on the 17th, two days earlier than in 2019.  

It has been an exceptional Spring for Yellow Wagtails pic @OwlTurbot

DB @porthkillier

Reservoir Logs - April 21 round-up

   In a good month for Yellow Wagtail, this fine male was particularly showy pic @sjnewton

   April more than lived up to its reputation as the best birding month of the year at the Wetlands. There may have been no out-and-out rarity but four Little Terns - the first for four years - along with three Kittiwakes were good records for London let alone Walthamstow. The largely clear skies and north-east airflow also meant birds dropped in throughout the day so there was a chance of finding something no matter what time a visit. 

   With no access restrictions - unlike last April - coverage was excellent which helped produce a total of 105 species seen across the month. They included 25 new for the year - nine more than were added last year and one more than in 2019.  The additions take the year list to 120 which compares to 109 last year, 113 in 2019 and not far too behind the 126 of 2018. 

   Among other highlights in April were the first Garganey for 18 months, good numbers of Little Gulls, both Redstarts,  two Short-eared Owls and yet another Great Egret as well as high numbers of both Yellow Wagtails and Wheatears. In general, summer visitors seemed to arrive early and, even better, the numbers looking as if they will stay to breed seemed to be up on recent years.  

 

        The third White-front of the winter stayed for one day pic @IvorHewstone

   This winter had one last goose surprise when another White-front was discovered on No 5 on the 6th. The extent of the barring shows it was not the fugitive from Wanstead which spent January and February at the Wetlands. CF closed the biggest gap in the year list when he found a drake Wigeon on East Warwick on the 21st. Two Teal hung on to the last day of the month and a drake Shoveler was still around on the 29th.  

  

        The first Garganey since Sept 2019 pic @Chris_Farthing finally settled down....... 

 ...but this was a more typical view as it moved between reservoirs pic @Callahanbirding

   Garganey was not seen at all last year, perhaps partly because of Covid access restrictions last April. So the lovely drake found by DC on the 17th was much appreciated although its flighty behaviour tested fitness levels. Five Goldeneye stayed until the 13th with a single female remaining until the 19th - three days later than in 2019 and two weeks later than last year.  

       The Red-legged Partridge, a scarce bird here, gave many the run-around pic @OwlTurbot- 

   March's Red-legged Partridge continued to show intermittently until at least the 13th by which time it had mastered the knack of running through the rail tunnel to move between the Warwicks. CF picked up the fourth Great Egret of 2021 - unimaginable just a few years ago - flying north east on the 24th.

        The fourth Great Egret of the year was identifiable even at range pic@Chris_Farthing

   Single Red Kites were seen on 10th, 13th 15th & 19th with Buzzards on nine days and a maximum count of five on the 19th. PA had the first Hobby on the 27th - two days earlier than last year.    

      Little Ringed Plover were seen more regularly towards the month-end pic @OwlTurbot

     It wasn't a great month for waders with the clear skies giving little reason for birds to pause their migration north but, by the end, most of the expected species - except for Godwits - had been recorded. The first and only Oystercatcher of the year so far was seen on the 1st and the sole Lapwing of the month on the 12th. Little Ringed Plovers were late with the first on the 2nd - around two weeks behind the previous two years - with others seen on the 3rd, 13th with two on the 14th. A pair were seen intermittently at the end of the month on the north side, suggesting they may be trying to breed somewhere close to the Wetlands. 

      This Whimbrel stayed for two days on Walthamstow Marsh pic @samuel_ei_jones 

          but regularly flew to the Wetlands when the dogs got too close pic @OwlTurbot

   The first Whimbrel was found by QG from his flat balcony overlooking East Warwick on the 24th before going north. Another surprisingly tame bird settled on Walthamstow Marsh on the 28th and 29th but flew over the fence to the Wetlands occasionally when flushed. 

         A Common Snipe played hide and seek in the No 1 reed bed pic @OwlTurbot

    A single Snipe was seen occasionally in the No 1 reed-bed until mid-month with late migrants on the 28th and 30th.  Passage Green Sandpipers were seen almost daily from the 23rd with three on the 24th. Common Sandpiper numbers were low but built to five on the 26th and nine on the 30th. The first Common Redshank of the year was on the 12th while LB found a Greenshank on Lockwood on the 26th and the same - or perhaps a second - was on the south side in the evening. 

         One or perhaps two Greenshank graced the Wetlands on the 26th pic @sjnewton

   If waders were so-so, gulls and terns were remarkable. Kittiwake - at least until the last six months - is a real rarity at the Wetlands. But after two in the autumn, three were seen this month with an adult and 2cy bird being found by RE on the 7th. Both stayed until next day with the immature hanging around until the 13th. A second adult dropped onto Lockwood for a sleep briefly on the 8th (when the other adult was still being watched) before flying north.   

        These two Kittiwakes gave exceptional views during their stay pic @OwlTurbot....

The 2cy bird stayed for a week pic @Chris_Farthing

          while this lovely adult stayed for two days pic @sjnewton and below @OwlTurbot

        ....while the third record for the month spent just 10 minutes sleeping pic @porthkillier   

   For the third year running, the Wetlands hosted good numbers of Little Gull in the Spring. The first three were found on the 16th with another on the 22nd. They were followed by a remarkable 32 on the  24th. A 2cy bird on West Warwick was briefly joined by a flock of 26 - largely adults - before all departed high north. Another five were seen later high heading west. The last record was an adult with a pink flush which dropped in briefly on the 29th. 

         Immature Little Gull above @Chris_Farthing and adult below pic @OwlTurbot

                  

      This flock of Little Gulls dropped in for five minutes before continuing pic @ AMP.......

             

                        The final lone adult even had a pink flush pic @IvorHewstone  

    

   The first Common Tern passed through on the 4th - two weeks ahead of the first last year but what hopefully are our breeding pairs arrived on the 19th. They were joined on the 23rd by four Arctic and two Little Terns found by AD mid-morning. They are the first Little Terns since 2017 and only the third record in the last decade. Amazingly, two more were found by PA on the 27th which stayed for about 20 minutes. For context, up to this month I had seen only one Little Tern at Walthamstow in 40 years of visiting only to see four in a week....  

 

   Common Terns arrived back mid-month and look as if they will stay to breed pic @OwlTurbot

                  Arctic Tern in the front with two Common Terns pic @OwlTurbot

         One of four Little Terns which visited the Wetlands this month pic @OwlTurbot

   A Short-eared Owl flew close-by SN on the 1st going north over Lockwood and a second gained height before drifting east on the 9th. The first Swift of the year was on the 23rd, ten days behind the earliest bird last year but two days ahead of 2019. Numbers built up quickly with 80 by the 26th and hundreds by the 28th. In a good year for Rooks, CF had four fly north on the 15th. 

       April is a good month for Short-eared Owls but they rarely come this close pic @sjnewton  

   Swallows passed north in small numbers throughout the month but around 50 were seen on the 28th and 30 next day as they fed low over the reservoirs in the gloom and strong northerly wind. The first House Martin was watched in a snow shower on the 5th with only one or two seen daily until the 29th when local birds seemed to arrive.  

 Sedge & Reed Warblers along with Common Whitethroats returned in good numbers pics AMP

    In general, arrival dates for warblers were early this year. After the first Willow Warbler in March,  small numbers continued to be seen - or more often heard - until the last few days of the month with eight on the 15th the highest daily total. An early Sedge Warbler was on the 2nd, well ahead of arrivals over the last three years. By the end of the month, singing birds were close to double figures, certainly more than the last two years. The first Reed Warbler was on the 7th on the No 1 reed bed which again was five days before 2020 and seven days before both 2019 & 2018. 

     There seemed to be more Whitethroats on territory than in recent years pic @rudraksh9        

 

   Common Whitethroat was first heard on the 5th, eight days ahead of last year with good numbers singing by the end of the month,. A Garden Warbler arrived on the 18th six days before the first record last year and over two weeks before the first in 2019.  The exception to early arrivals were Lesser Whitethroats with the first record on the 24th, ten days later than in 2020. By the end of the month, however, there seemed to be three to four birds in song across the reservoirs. 

     A Garden Warbler arrived mid-month but then promptly disappeared pic @sjnewton      

      

    A flighty male Ring Ousel was found by CF on the 27th but only allowed itself to be glimpsed twice. Fieldfare did linger with up to four around the reservoirs until the 16th with the final Redwing on the 2nd.  

    Common Redstart is just about annual in April but rarely as co-operative pic @sjnewton   

   A cracking male Common Redstart was found by CN on the 10th only, as often is the case at the Wetlands, to disappear. Fortunately, it or a second male was a lot more accommodating in the same general area two days later. The Black Redstart seen by RE on the 14th, however, didn't give anyone a second chance to get it on the annual list. It was a good month for Wheatear after the usual lull from the early birds in March. Three were seen on the 9th with records on 13 following days. There was a clear peak mid-month with seven on the 20th and eight next day.  

        Wheatears passed through in little groups throughout the month pic @porthkillier

   Yellow Wagtail numbers were also high after the first two were seen by GW on the 1st - a week earlier than the last three years. The next records did not come until the 9th and 13th but they were seen pretty well every day from the 21st and often showed well. There were seven on the 27th, eight next day but the peak count was a flock of 15 together on the ground on the 26th.   

          A flock of 15 Yellow Wagtails brightened up Lockwood pics (above and below) AMP

       

       

   Greenfinches seem to have made a real recovery with plenty of pairs around the Wetlands. Linnets, too, were more obvious than in recent years with pairs widely scattered around the reservoirs. 

              Linnets could often been seen feeding along the main path  pic @rudraksh9     

   Red-crested Pochard and Black-tailed Godwits are now the most obvious omissions from the annual list while it looks like we will have to wait until the autumn for our hoped-for Osprey and Black-necked Grebe. 

DB @porthkillier