6 January 2014

December recalled (not too fondly)

The year ground to a halt in December, which was kinda disappointing considering what had gone before. What was needed was some kick-ass freezing weather, instead we got rain and wind and wet. It was bad all over London, so we can have no complaints really. So stuck on 135 species for the year. In the end we were just checking on what we might be able to blitz on New Year's Day.

The highlights

  • Records for Linnet and Gadwall
  • Tony bags a Mealy in the SSSI
  • Bush Wood becomes hard work, but Firecrest and Treecreepers still present throughout the month
  • Late warbler action with 2 Chiffchaff on Christmas Day and a garden visiting Blackcap
  • Valentino pays just the one visit this month
  • Little Owl back where it should be
  • A couple of Woodcock
  • Golden Plover on Christmas Day


1st

Wanstead Flats: Reed Bunting, 8 Meadow Pipit, 6 Song Thrush, 18 Gadwall, 4 Shoveler, 7 Tufted Duck (Nick Croft/Dan Hennessy)

Wanstead Park: Treecreeper (Bush Wood), 2 Goldcrest, 7 Siskin, Grey Wagtail, Little Egret, 2 Little Grebe, 4 Egyptian Goose, 9 Teal, 225+ Gadwall, 40+ Pochard, 75+ Tufted Duck, 14 Shoveler, Water Rail, Sparrowhawk (Nick Croft/Dan Hennessy/Jonathan Lethbridge)

4th

Wanstead Flats: 20+ Linnet, 11 Skylark, 5 Meadow Pipit, 2 Pied Wagtail, 5 Fieldfare, 8 Song Thrush, Redwing, 2 Egyptian Goose, 19 Tufted Duck, 10 Shoveler, 24 Gadwall, m Pochard (Nick Croft).

5th

Wanstead Flats: 35 Gadwall, 11 Shoveler, 10 Tufted Duck, 3 Pochard, 2 Lesser Redpoll, 3 Fieldfare, 3 singing Song Thrush (Nick Croft)

Wanstead Park: 3 Pied Wagtail, 5 Goldcrest, Kingfisher, Little Egret, Water Rail, 251 Gadwall, 11 Shoveler, 7 Teal, 33 Pochard, 90 Tufted Duck, 3 Egyptian Goose, Siskin, Lesser Redpoll (Nick Croft)

7th

Wanstead Flats & Park: 23 Linnet, 12 Skylark Police scrape, 307 Gadwall (previous record smashed), Wigeon (Tim Harris/Dan Hennessy).

8th

Wanstead Park: Bush Wood - 2 Firecrest (Tony Brown)


11th

Wanstead Flats: 3 Fieldfare, 5 Redwing, 20+ Blackbird, 4 Mistle Thrush, 10+ Linnet, 6+ Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Kestrel, 11 Long-tailed Tit, 27 Gadwall, 14 Tufted Duck, 3 Shoveler, 2 Pochard, Stock Dove (Nick Croft); f Blackcap in gdn (J Lethbridge)

14th

Wanstead Flats: 36 Linnet, 6 Skylark, Snipe on Police Scrape (Bob Vaughan), 24 Lesser Redpoll SSSI (Steve Thorpe)

Wanstead Park: Treecreeper and Nuthatch Bush Wood (Bob Vaughan); Wigeon (Dan Hennessy)




15th

Wanstead Flats: ad Mediterranean Gull, 34 Linnet, 2 Lesser Redpoll, 2 Reed Bunting, 11 Skylark, 4-7 Meadow Pipit, 20 Gadwall, 21 Shoveler, 22 Tufted Duck, 4 Pochard, 6 Fieldfare, 2 Redwing (Wanstead Birders)

Wanstead Park: 363 Gadwall (a new record), 41 Pochard, 20 Shoveler, 14 Teal, 90+ Tufted Duck, 130+ Mallard, 16 Mute Swan, 150+ Jackdaw going to roost, Kingfisher, Treecreeper, 4 Goldcrest, 2 Lesser Redpoll, 6 Siskin, 30+ Redwing, 2 Fieldfare, 10 Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Skylark, Chiffchaff, 2 Reed Bunting (Wanstead Birders)

17th

Wanstead Flats: 37+ Linnet, 13 Skylark on police scrape (Steve Thorpe)





18th

Wanstead Flats: Woodcock, 4 Snipe, 41 Linnet (new site record), 2 Lesser Redpoll, Reed Bunting, 3 Meadow Pipit, Kestrel, 14 Shoveler, 16 Tufted Duck, 6 Pochard, 26 Gadwall, Teal, Goldcrest, 7 Song Thrush (5 singing), singing Mistle Thrush, Redwing, singing Stock Dove (Nick Croft/Steve Thorpe)

Wanstead Park: Reed Bunting (Steve Thorpe)

19th

Wanstead Flats: 32 Linnet (Jubilee Pond/SSSI), Reed Bunting, 2 Egyptian Goose, 39 Gadwall, 16 Shoveler, 2 Teal, 4 Common Pochard, 25 Tufted Duck, 2-3 Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, 2 Stock Dove, 2 Pied Wagtail, 3 Meadow Pipit - no Skylark for second day, 2 Fieldfare, 9 Redwing (Nick Croft)

Wanstead Park: 2 Treecreeper, 2 Nuthatch, Coal Tit, 10+ Stock Dove, Goldcrest, Sparrowhawk, 30+ Redwing, 20+ Blackbird (all Bush Wood), Water Rail, 22 Gadwall (Shoulder of Mutton) (Nick Croft)

23rd

Wanstead Flats: 52 Gadwall, 23 Shoveler, 20 Tufted Duck, 4 Pochard, 33 Linnet, 12 Skylark, 4 Fieldfare, Redwing, 20+ Blackbird, 2 Meadow Pipit, 3 Stock Dove, Snipe (Nick Croft/Steve Thorpe).

Wanstead Park: c250+ Gadwall, 10 Shoveler, 40+ Tufted Duck, 10+ Pochard, Little Grebe, 2 Goldcrest, Redwing, Fieldfare (Nick Croft).



24th

Wanstead Flats: 36 Linnet, 13 Skylark, 2 Meadow Pipit, 3 Pied Wagtail, Kestrel, Coal Tit, 3 Shoveler, 5 Tufted Duck, 6 Redwing, Reed Bunting, Snipe (Nick Croft/Steve Thorpe).

Wanstead Park: c200 Gadwall, 5 Shoveler, 40+ Pochard, 100+ Tufted Duck, Great Crested Grebe, 3 Goldcrest, Coal Tit, 20+ Redwing, Stock Dove (Nick Croft/Steve Thorpe).

25th

Wanstead Flats: Golden Plover circled flats silently before returning W, 19 Skylark, 4 Meadow Pipit, 32 Linnet, 6+ Redwing, Snipe, 13 Shoveler, 20 Gadwall, 10+ Tufted Duck, 4 Pochard, Kestrel (Nick Croft/TimHarris/Steve Thorpe).

Wanstead Park: 2 Chiffchaff (old sewage works), 200+ Gadwall, 20 Shoveler, 50+ Tufted Duck, 10 Pochard, 20+ Redwing, 3 Goldcrest (Nick Croft/Steve Thorpe/Paul Ferris).





26th

Wanstead Flats: 42 Linnet, 2 Reed Bunting, 9 Skylark, 5 Meadow Pipit, 2 Egyptian Goose, 4 Shoveler, 2 Fieldfare, 4 Redwing, singing Song Thrush, singing Mistle Thrush, Great Black-backed Gull, Kestrel (Steve Thorpe/Nick Croft)

Wanstead Park: 18 Redwing, 20 Gadwall (Nick Croft/Bob Vaughan)





28th

Wanstead Flats: Little Owl, 38 Linnet, Lesser Redpoll, 10 Skylark, 2 Meadow Pipit, 2 Pied Wagtail, 30 Gadwall, 10 Shoveler, 2 Teal pr, 3 Pochard, 10+ Tufted Duck, 2 Fieldfare, 4 Redwing, 6 Mistle Thrush, Kestrel (Nick Croft/Bob Vaughan)

Wanstead Park: Kingfisher, 7+ Siskin, 2 Lesser Redpoll, Grey Wagtail, 140 Gadwall, 12+ Pochard, 10 Shoveler, 60+ Tufted Duck, Little Grebe (Nick Croft)

29th

Wanstead Flats: Mealy Redpoll, 12 Lesser Redpoll, 6 Linnet, 60+ Fieldfare, Little Owl, 2 Great Black-backed Gull (Tony Brown)



30th

Wanstead Flats: 28 Linnet, 2 Lesser Redpoll, 30+ Redwing, 8 Skylark (J Lethbridge); Little Owl, Kestrel, 15 Lesser Redpoll, 2 Fieldfare, 5 Redwing, Gadwall, Shoveler, 2 Teal, 3 Stock Dove (Nick Croft/Bob Vaughan/Marco Johnson)

Wanstead Park: 10 Siskin, Lesser Redpoll, Bullfinch, 3 Goldcrest, 5 Heron, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, 20 Redwing (Nick Croft)

31st

Wanstead Flats: 37 Linnet, 5 Lesser Redpoll, 3 Reed Bunting, 40+ Redwing, 5 Fieldfare, 5 Shoveler, 5 Tufted Duck, 5 Skylark, 3 Great Black-backed Gull (Tim Harris/Jono Lethbridge/Nick Croft)

Wanstead Park: 2 Nuthatch, 2 Kingfisher, 3 Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, 100-200 Redwing, 4 Fieldfare, Lesser Redpoll, 2 Teal pr, 100+ Gadwall (Basin & Ornamental Waters only), 30 Pochard, 2 Shoveler, Grey Wagtail, 2 Sparrowhawk (Nick Croft)

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