Appendix - Wildlife 2006 - Birds

(Click for a review of the wildlife during, 2000 2001 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008)

Birds

Little Grebe: 3-4 pairs on Heronry Pond in May (TH)

Great Crested Grebe: 1 pair, Ornamental Waters in May (TH)

Gadwall: 60 in Wanstead Park, 4 February. (SS); one male on Ornamental Water, 28 March. (PF) 75
mostly on Heronry Pond, on 1 October (TH); about 40 on Ornamental Water, 8 November (PF)

Tufted Duck: peak count of 163, Leyton Flats, 15 January. (SS)

Teal: Two on Shoulder of Mutton, 25 February (PF); a pair (male and female) on Alexandra Lake on 19 April (PF); Three male on Alexandra Lake on 2 November (PF); 1m, 1f.o/w Fortification on 27 November (PS)

Mallard: 7 ducklings on Jubilee Pond on 3 May (first seen on 1st May) (PS)

Ruddy Duck: a pair on Heronry Pond 7 May (PF); Ruddy Duck (male), Heronry on 20 May (TH)

Pochard (male): Ornamental Waters on 6 May (TH): 2 in Wanstead Park on 1 October (TH); 3 male on Perch Pond on 4 November (PF and JC)

Shoveler: 9 on Heronry Pond on 3 September (TH); 33 in Wanstead Park on 1 October (TH); 5 male on Heronry Pond 5 November (PF)

Lesser Black-backed Gull: one on Heronry Pond for some days from 17 April (PF) (photo)

Water Rail: on Perch Pond 1 January; 10 February; 12 February (photo) (PF); Wanstead Park on 7 November (PF & JC) (photo taken 2005)

Moorhen: perched in tree in garden adjacent to Manor Park Cemetery on 5 January. (PF) photo

Red-legged Partridge. Two near Lake House Road. 16 March. (Fred Wanless)

Golden Plover. Two feeding on playing fields just west of Alexandra Lake on 4 March. (PF)

Common Snipe: one flushed from the Birches area of City of London Cemetery on 10 April. (PF)

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker: male in Gilbert's Slade, 27 January; a male in Wanstead Park in trees near Lincoln Island/golf course fence, 4 February. (SS)

Lesser Redpoll: 2 in mixed Redpoll flock by Hollow Pond, 16 January. (SS)

Mealy Redpoll: 8 in mixed Redpoll flock by Hollow Pond, 16 January. (SS)

Siskin: A few by Perch Pond on 24 March.(PF)

Redwing: Wanstead Park by Northumberland Avenue 22 March. (Jennifer Charter); 20 or so in the Sewage Works 24 March. (PF); 20 or so near Dell (PS); Approx 50 over Bush Wood on 2 November. (TH)

Goldcrest: Capel Road Garden, 29 March (PF).

Blackcap: 1 singing in Wanstead Park, 2 April; 1 singing by Eagle Pond, 3 April. (SS); 1 singing in Bush Wood, 7 April (PF); Manor Park Cemetery, 10/11th April.(PF)

Willow Warbler: 1 singing by Ornamental Water 28 March (PF); 1 singing near Shoulder of Mutton Pond,1st April (PF); 1 singing Perch Pond / the Dell area in Wanstead Park, 2 April. (SS); one on Wanstead Flats 22 April (PF)

Chiffchaff: A few singing in various parts of Wanstead Park on 28 March (PF); 1 singing by Hollow Pond, 29 March onwards; 11 singing in Wanstead Park, 2 April. (SS)

Willow Warbler: one on Wanstead Flats 3 May (PF)

Sedge Warbler: singing by Roding in Sewage Works 23 May (PF)

Common Whitethroat: one on Wanstead Flats 3 May (PF), and through to 14 May

House Martin: Flying NW over the Plain in Wanstead Park, 4 April (PS)

Stock Dove: Numbers in Bush Wood and Bush Wood Flats; 7 April (PF and PS)

Senegal Parrot Poicephalus senegalus: a bird spotted in Windsor Rd, E11, (Lake House Estate) on 9/10th April by Jonathan Lethbridge. (an escape)

Swallow: 1 over Heronry Pond 17 April (PF); one over Plain on 30 August (PF)

Sand Martin: 3 over Heronry Pond 17 April (PF); 2 over Heronry Pond 30 May (PF)

House Martin: a few with Swifts over Wanstead Flats 5 May (PF); a few Wanstead Park, Heronry Pond area on 30 May (PF)

Swift: one over Capel Road garden 2 May; one over Wanstead Flats on 3 May, (PS); 3 over Wanstead Flats 5 May (PF); 30+ over Heronry Pond on 20 May. (TH). 2 over Wanstead Park on 8 August (PF, JC); one over Plain on 29 August (TH)

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker: one in the Grove, Wanstead Park on 18 April (PF); Male in Warren Wood (6/5) (TH)

Skylark: At least 3 singing on Wanstead Flats 22 April (PF); at least 4 singing on Wanstead Flats 3 May (PF); one singing over the Plain inWanstead Park 30 May (PF)

Meadow Pipit: one on Wanstead Flats 22 April (PF); one on Wanstead Flats 3 May (PF) ; one over the Plain on 1 Oct (TH)

Whinchat: one on Wanstead Flats 3 May (PF)

Wheatear: one on Wanstead Flats 3 May (PF)

Reed Bunting: two on Wanstead Flats 3 May (PF); one on 4 May (PF)

Cuckoo: The Plain on 6 May (TH)

Kingfisher: Rook Island on 13 May (TH); at least one at Heronry Pond on 1 Oct (TH); one flew over Ornamental Waters on 27 October (PF and JC); one over Heronry Pond on 5 November (JC); seen on Perch Pond and Heronry Pond on 29 October (PF); on Ornamental Waters near Rook Island 28 Nov (PS)

Hobby: two in the Grove, Wanstead Park 30 May (PF)

Black Swan : one on Heronry Pond on 5, 6, 7 November. 15th Nov on Ornamental Waters (PF & JC) photo

Grey Wagtail : one in Sewage Works on 7 November (PF)

Smew : one female on Ornamental Waters at 1pm on 13th November (PS)

Approx 15 Chaffinches mixed sexes Northumberland gate. Approx 10 Greenfinches Sewage Works. 6 Goldfinches Sewage Works. 0n 27 Nov (PS)

Goldcrest by Perch Pond on 29 Nov (PF)

possibly Water Rail (glimpse and sound!) Perch Pond on 29 Nov (PF)

Meadow Pipit on the Plain on 6 Dec (PS)

Stock Dove - 2 on Lincoln Island on 6 Dec (PS)

Siskin : a few at west end of Perch Pond on 09/12/06 (PF)

Totals of singing males in Wanstead Park/Sewage Works (from 5 visits by Tim Harris between 6/5 and 20/5):

Stock Dove: 5 (+2)

Wren: 89

Dunnock: 8 (a very low figure, but I'm sure April would have given a better count)

Robin: 67

Song Thrush: 10 (+3)

Sedge Warbler: 1 (banks of Roding near old sewage works)

Blackcap: 41 (+1 female seen); I was amazed there were so many.

Common Whitethroat: 10 (+2 females); all were in the old sewage works area, which looked as if it should be good for Lesser Whitethroat on passage, but I couldn't find any!

Garden Warbler: 4 (+1 seen)

Willow Warbler: 3

Chiffchaff: 11

Great Tit: 51

Chaffinch: 4 (surprisingly low figure?)

Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Blue Tit, Long-tailed
Tit, Blackbird counts were mostly of non-singing birds and were 5, 11, 23, 6, and 33, respectively.

Songbird Census: 17 May 2006 by Steven Swaby

NB. Numbers relate to singing males only

1. LEYTON FLATS

Skylark 1
Pied Wagtail 1
Wren 38
Dunnock 11
Robin 52
Blackbird 16
Song Thrush 2
Mistle Thrush 2
Common Whitethroat 1
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Blackcap 10
Willow Warbler 2
Chiffchaff 5
Goldcrest 1
Long-tailed Tit 1
Blue Tit 17
Great Tit 29
Chaffinch 1
Greenfinch 3
House Sparrow 2

Other:

Green Woodpecker 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker 2
Cuckoo 1

2. GILBERT'S SLADE

Wren 58
Dunnock 6
Robin 55
Blackbird 29
Song Thrush 8
Mistle Thrush 1
Common Whitethroat 1
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Blackcap 16
Chiffchaff 3
Blue Tit 22
Great Tit 46
Coal Tit 1
Chaffinch 1
Greenfinch 3

Other:

Sparrowhawk 1
Tawny Owl 1
Green Woodpecker 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker 4
Stock Dove 1

Bird records for 2006 courtesy of Steve Swaby (SS), Paul Ferris (PF), Jennifer Charter (JC), Pete Saunders (PS) Tim Harris (TH) and Fred Wanless