October fest

Following closely on the heels of September, it's October.  A time of thrushes and finches: summer meets winter the days disappearing, fungi and fruit, and wind and of rain.

The highlights of which were:

heading for the out door:

• 2 Spotted Flycatcher (different birds on the 5th and 6th and the latest on record)
• 7 Yellow Wagtail (last being on the 13th)
• Wheatear until the 15th
• Whinchat late record on the 12th
• Tree Pipit late record from 16th-19th in the SSSI
• Late Swallow (2) on the 23rd

In transit

• Ring Ouzel: 3 or more birds from the 10th-13th (with a possible record from the 22nd), short but sweet and some showy individuals and not the usual runaround
• Big movements of Redwing on the 10th and 11th (1650 + and 400 + respectively) and an arse to count
• Stonechat(s) on the 6th, 12th, 17th, 26th and 30th 

... and in the arrivals lounge

• Brambling  (five on the 10th, and singles on a couple of occasions later in the month)

and finally...

• Yellow-legged Gull (adults only please) on the 12th and 13th
• Mediterranean Gull: Valentino pays a visit
• Oystercatcher: Tim working late gets the bird while walking home

A young Common Whitethroat on the 4th was the last of the other warblers, while Chiffchaff and Blackcap managed to make it to the end of the month, but now we are just talking singles. Very few Goldcrest have arrived yet and no sign of the Firecrest either: a Nuthatch the best that Bush Wood had to offer.

The martins soon departed and no interesting Swift came our way. Coming in were Blackbird and Song Thrush and probably a lot of Robin. No big influx of Fieldfare as yet (just the one large flock of 30 on the big Redwing day of the 10th).

Apart from the Oystercatcher, waders were represented by Snipe (5 on the 12th the high)and some Lapwing on the 2nd. Ducks though were on the up: Wigeon returned to the park and the Alex, Teal were to be found and Gadwall are edging towards their peak numbers.

Raptors were in the form of one Peregrine, a Common Buzzard, no Hobby and on a few days Sparrowhawks, including one that probably deserves a bit more time (if it had allowed): a really small bird which shot through Shoulder of Mutton on the 27th - Sharp-shinned anyone?

1^st October

Wanstead Flats: Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, 10+ Pied Wagtail, 20+ Meadow Pipit, 3 Skylark, Reed Bunting, 10+ Song Thrush, 6 Mistle Thrush, 10+ Chiffchaff, 5 Blackcap, 3 Swallow, 2 House Martin, 2 Kestrel, 2 Sparrowhawk, 3 Common Gull, 10 Little Grebe, 10+ Shoveler, Common Pochard, 8 Gadwall (Bob Vaughan/Nick Croft)
 

2^nd

Wanstead Flats: 21 Swallow E, House Martin, 15 calling Chiffchaff, 15+ Meadow Pipit, 10+ Pied Wagtail, 6 Mistle Thrush, 20+ Goldfinch, Linnet, 10 Shoveler, 3 Teal, 2 Pochard, 10+ Gadwall, 13 Common Gull, 15+ Herring Gull, 7 Skylark (Alex), Lapwing E (Bob Vaughan/Nick Croft).

3^rd

Wanstead Flats: 8 Swallow E, 20+ Meadow Pipit, 10+ Pied Wagtail, 2 Grey Wagtail, 13 calling Chiffchaff, Skylark, Sparrowhawk, 2 Kestrel, 7 Shoveler, 4 Gadwall, 2 Linnet, 20+ Goldfinch, 10+ Common Gull (Nick Croft/Richard Rae/Tim Harris).

4^th

Wanstead Flats: 35+ House Martin SE, 7 Swallow, 6 Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, 5 Grey Wagtail, 10+ Pied Wagtail, 10+ Meadow Pipit, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, m eclipse Teal, 6 Gadwall, 10 Shoveler, f Pochard, 20 Common Gull, 30+ Lesser Black-backed Gull, 20+ Herring Gull (Nick Croft/Tony Brown)

5^th

Wanstead Flats: Spotted Flycatcher (latest bird for site), Wheatear, 6+ Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap, 7 Song Thrush, 10+ Meadow Pipit, Yellow Wagtail, 6 Pied Wagtail, Swallow (Wanstead Birding)

6^th

Wanstead Flats: Spotted Flycatcher (different bird to yesterday), Stonechat, Yellow Wagtail, 20+ Meadow Pipit, 2 Grey Wagtail, 5+ Pied Wagtail, 8 calling Chiffchaff, 6 Blackcap, 6 Linnet, Siskin, 8 Gadwall, 8 Shoveler, f Pochard, Kestrel, 8 Skylark (Nick Croft/Dan Hennessy/Bob Vaughan)

Wanstead Park: 4 calling Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, 4 Meadow Pipit, 14 Gadwall, Sparrowhawk (Nick Croft)

7^th

Wanstead Flats: 140+ Redwing S/W, 6 Song Thrush, 20+ Blackbird, 5 Mistle Thrush, 30+ Meadow Pipit, 10+ Pied Wagtail, 6 calling Chiffchaff, Blackcap, 5 Skylark, Kestrel, 2 Sparrowhawk, 2 Teal, 3 Gadwall, 10 Shoveler, f Pochard, 8 Linnet, 15+ Common Gull (Nick Croft)

8^th

Wanstead Flats: 2 Yellow Wagtail, 15+ Pied Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, 30+ Meadow Pipit, 5 Skylark, Reed Bunting, 6 Linnet, 7 Redwing, 8 Song Thrush, 4 Mistle Thrush, 8 calling Chiffchaff, 5 Blackcap, 10 Gadwall, Teal, 10 Shoveler (Nick Croft/Bob Vaughan/John Whele)

9^th

Wanstead Flats: 1-2 Lesser Redpoll, 9 Linnet, 25+ Goldfinch, 2 Reed Bunting, Redwing, 6 Song Thrush, 20+ Blackbird, 30+ Meadow Pipit, 10+ Pied Wagtail, 21 Gadwall, 14 Shoveler, 2m Teal, 2 Skylark (Nick Croft)

10^th

Wanstead Flats: Ring Ouzel pitched down south of Long Wood 07:50, 1650+ Redwing, 30+ Fieldfare, 10+ Song Thrush, 4 Mistle Thrush, 5 Brambling (Long Wood/Esso Copse), 4 Siskin, 10+ Chaffinch, 3 Linnet, 2 Reed Bunting, 15+ Meadow Pipit, 10+ Pied Wagtail, 4 Skylark, 8 Chiffchaff, Blackcap, 10 Gadwall, 4 Shoveler, m Pochard, 2 Common Buzzard, Peregrine Falcon, 2-3 Kestrel, 2 Sparrowhawk, Common Snipe (Nick Croft/Barry Bishop/Harry Lacey)

11^th

Wanstead Flats: m Ring Ouzel still broom fields early morning showing well, 400+ Redwing, Fieldfare, 20+ Song Thrush, 6 Skylark, 10+ Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, 10+ Pied Wagtail, 3 Linnet, Lesser Redpoll, Reed Bunting, 2 Wigeon pr, 10+ Gadwall, 10+ Shoveler, 4 calling Chiffchaff, 2 Kestrel (Nick Croft/Bob Vaughan/Sally Hammond)

12^th

Wanstead Flats: ad Yellow-legged Gull (Bob Vaughan), 3 Ring Ouzel incl flyover (Dan Hennessey), m Stonechat, 5 Snipe (Dan Hennessey), Yellow Wagtail, c100 Redwing, 5 Skylark, 10 Meadow Pipit, Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff (Wanstead birders); 15 Jay, 6 Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Sparrowhawk soaring over Aldersbrook, f Kestrel mobbed for a prolonged spell by Crows (Matthew Cunningham); f Whinchat Broom fields (Matt Reed).

13^th

Wanstead Flats: Yellow-legged Gull (Josh Selfe); Ring Ouzel, Yellow Wagtail (Dan Hennessey); 2 Swallow, 50+ Redwing, distant chat sp in flight (Bob Vaughan)

15^th

Wanstead Flats: Northern Wheatear and 2 Wigeon Alex, 2 Fieldfare and 50 Redwing over, 5 Chiffchaff, Grey Wagtail (Bob Vaughan)

16^th

Wanstead Flats: Tree Pipit (late record ), 2 Wigeon, Siskin, 10+ Redwing (Tony Brown) pics here http://www.thecowboybirder.com/2013/10/late-late-tree-pipit.html

17^th

Wanstead Flats: Stonechat, 2 Wigeon, 2 Reed Bunting, 45 Redwing over (Dan Hennessy).

18^th

Wanstead Flats: 3 Lesser Redpoll, Siskin, 2 Reed Bunting, 4 Fieldfare, 20 Redwing, 2 Chiffchaff (Bob Vaughan)

19^th

Wanstead Flats: Tony's Tree Pipit still present SSSI, 3 Reed Bunting, 200 Redwing and 60 Fieldfare through, Siskin, 2 Linnet, Snipe, Chiffchaff, Wigeon and 3 Teal Alex (Dan Hennessy, Bob Vaughan)

22^nd

Wanstead Park: poss Ring Ouzel west end of Long Wood, 24+ Siskin W, Lesser Redpoll, Linnet, 14+ Chaffinch, Reed Bunting, 15+ Meadow Pipit, 3 Grey Wagtail, 6 Pied Wagtail, 7 Skylark, Chiffchaff h, 5 Fieldfare, 2 Redwing, 11 Shoveler, 18 Gadwall, 3 Teal (Nick Croft)

23^rd

Wanstead Flats: Oystercatcher (Tim Harris), Mediterranean Gull (TB), 2 Swallow, 15+ Lesser Redpoll, 5 Linnet, 7 Chaffinch, 11 Skylark, 15+ Meadow Pipit, 8 Pied Wagtail, 11 Shoveler, 2 Teal, 2 Gadwall, 7 Tufted Duck, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel (Tony Brown/Nick Croft)

24^th

Wanstead Flats: Brambling h, 2 Siskin, 3 Linnet, 10+ Chaffinch, 7 Goldfinch, 3 Reed Bunting, 250+ thrush W (mainly Redwing also Song Thrush heard with them), Fieldfare, Chiffchaff, 1+ Meadow Pipit, 4 Pied Wagtail, 6 Skylark, 3 Teal, 7 Gadwall, 10+ Shoveler, flock of 50+ Jackdaw, movement of 400+ Woodpigeon S (Nick Croft/Bob Vaughan)

Wanstead Park: Coal Tit (Bob Vaughan)

26^th

Wanstead Flats: Stonechat (Louis and Gosia), 7 Lesser Redpoll, 6 Chaffinch, Reed Bunting, Goldcrest (Nick Croft)

27^th

Wanstead Flats: 3 Skylark, 3 Meadow Pipit, 10+ Fieldfare W (Nick Croft)

Wanstead Park: Nuthatch, Goldcrest (Bush Wood), small Sparrowhawk (Shoulder of Mutton), 3 Egyptian Goose (The Basin), 113 Gadwall, 3 Wigeon, 2 Pochard, 9 Shoveler, 4 Teal, 50 Tufted Duck, 5 Little Grebe, 7 Heron, Fieldfare (Old Sewage Works), Kingfisher on Roding (Nick Croft)

28^th

Wanstead Flats: c400 Gull - majority Black-headed Gull and Common Gull but 50+ Herring Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull in mix, 11 Teal, 17 Gadwall, 10 Shoveler, 4 Little Grebe, 3 Meadow Pipit, Skylark (Nick Croft)

Wanstead Park: 110 Gadwall, 30+ Tufted Duck, Wigeon, 3 Shoveler, 5 Little Grebe incl yg chick, Goldcrest (Nick Croft)

29^th

Wanstead Flats: Brambling S, 8 Lesser Redpoll, 10+ Linnet, 7 Siskin, 10+ Chaffinch, Reed Bunting, Blackcap, 15 Fieldfare, 3 Redwing, 6 Song Thrush, 2m Teal, 7 Gadwall, 4 Shoveler, 4 Tufted Duck, 5 Skylark, 8 Meadow Pipit, 5 Pied Wagtail (Nick Croft/Dan Hennessy/John Whele)

30^th

Wanstead Flats: Stonechat, Linnet, Siskin, Reed Bunting, 5 Redwing, 6 Skylark (Dan Hennessy), Stonechat, Chiffchaff (Tony Brown)