June/July 2017: Dead and buried

 

I refer to the birding Hades that is summer, but equally I could be talking about the blog, which just about remains on life support waiting for someone to pull the plug.

Not brilliant for birds, but pretty good on the butterfly side of things with a record number of Brown Argus found in the old sewage works, a couple of Clouded Yellow sightings, the first White-letter Hairstreak (a lifer for me at least) for many a year, and a Marbled White sighting in the park (becoming annual) in addition to Purple Hairstreaks that appear in the oaks at this time of year.

• Cetti's still present till 6th  June at least
• Singing Cuckoo on the 10th June in the park
• Little Ringed Plover on Alex on the 25th June
• Common Redstart on the 2nd July
• Common Sandpiper on the 8th July on Perch
• First returning Northern Wheatear on the 20th July 
• A couple of tern sightings during the month
• First returning Swallow on the 30th July

Perch's Great Crested Grebe failed as the small young was quickly gobbled by a marauding Lesser Black-backed Gull, but 2 young Little Grebe were seen on the pond at the same time, but probably from elsewhere.  Little Grebe were back on Heronry by the end of the period, but it's probably a bit late for a nesting attempt there.  Meanwhile on Shoulder of Mutton and Alex breeding looks poor compared with previous years.  It is also not clear if the Reed Warbler were successful on the former lake, though 2 birds singing were reported on 2 occasions in July.

It has been a good year for the swans with broods on Alex, Perch and Heronry though the Jubilee young disappeared.  Mallard have seemingly done well but there is no sign of any other duck species having attempted breeding, while numbers of Egyptian Goose were up to 30 birds on the flats by the end of the period with a few 1w birds in their numbers—again it is not clear where these birds have come from. 

We should have had a pick up in the numbers of Kestrel about the place, but again it looks like failure has hit these birds, Hobby sightings are down again and it looks like they have not attempted to breed on site.  On the other hand Sparrowhawk young have been heard from Manor Park Cemetery and adults with food have been seen flying in that direction. A few Kite sightings have increased the months in which they have been seen, and while Bob has yet to record a Buzzard a number were seen during the period.

The large gull creche continued through June and July with the first returning Black-headed Gull boosting their numbers (very few young birds with them) and including a couple of adult Common Gull.  A few brave souls tried to extract young Yellow-leggeds in the melee with varying amounts of success, I am not even going there!

The end of July usually sees the first returning warblers from the north, however with so little coverage this year it wasn't until the first weekend in August that any numbers of Willow Warbler (and a couple of Garden Warbler) were noted.  A lone Reed Warbler in the brooms was the most exciting warbler action in the period apart from the Cetti's still being present on the Roding at the beginning of June.

Hooray! It's now August and we can expect the return of the weekend birders (with me added to that number if and when I can get cover to look after me mum), so anything can happen:  Pied and Spotted Flycatcher, Redstart, Whinchat, Wheatear, Tree Pipit, Yellow Wagtail, Wryneck and the special one yet to be found....

June

1st

Wanstead Flats: 2 Common Buzzard, pr Sparrowhawk, 2 Kestrel, 5 House Martin, 10+ Swift, 5+ Little Grebe, Lesser Whitethroat, 2 singing Skylark, singing Meadow Pipit, Coal Tit, medium sized bat having a drink before going back to roost (I suspect Daubenton's), Painted Lady (Nick Croft)

Wanstead Park: Reed Warbler, 2 House Martin, 20+ Swift, 5 Whitethroat, 3 Painted Lady (Nick Croft)

6th

Wanstead Flats: 3 Gadwall, Pochard, 5 Little Grebe, 100+ Herring Gull, Skylark, Linnet, House Martin, Swift (Nick Croft)

Wanstead Park: Peregrine Falcon tiercel, 20+ Swift, 2 House Martin, Cetti's Warbler, 5 Whitethroat, newly fledged Chiffchaff family, Little Egret, 2 Little Grebe (Nick Croft)

8th

Wanstead Flats: Family of  Lesser Whitethroat


10th

Wanstead Park: singing Cuckoo early morning (Sally Hammond); 2 Grey Wagtail (Bob Vaughan)

18th

Wanstead Flats: Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Meadow Pipit, 3 Skylark, 5 House Martin, 10+ Swift (Nick Croft)

Wanstead Park: Reed Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, 8+ Whitethroat (including fledged young), 3 Nuthatch, Little Egret, flyover Great Crested Grebe, 4 Little Grebe, Black-headed Gull, Little Egret, Kingfisher, Reed Bunting, 3 House Martin, 20 + Swift, Grey Wagtail - dawn chorus walk for WREN Group bio-blitz weekend 05:00 (Nick Croft/Tim Harris)

25th

Wanstead Flats: 1 Little Ringed Plover (Tony Brown)

July

2nd

Wanstead Flats: f/juv Common Redstart (Tony Brown, Bob Vaughan); juv Yellow-legged Gull (Tony Brown, James Heal); 4 Skylark, 2 Meadow Pipit, Reed Bunting, Sand Martin, Red Kite (Bob Vaughan)

8th

Wanstead Flats: 3 Skylark, m Reed Bunting, 50+ Black-headed Gull, 100 + Herring Gull, 20 + Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1st summer Yellow-legged Gull, Sparrowhawk, 20 Swift, 10+ House Martin (up to 5 nest sites), Clouded Yellow (Nick Croft/James Heal)

Wanstead Park: Common Sandpiper (first returning bird of the autumn on Perch) 2 singing Reed Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat (alarm calling to family group), Great Crested Grebe on nest, 2 pairs of Little Grebe, Little Egret, Kingfisher, Nuthatch (Nick Croft/James Heal)

17th

Wanstead Flats: Red Kite, 1-2 Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, singing Meadow Pipit, Skylark, 2 juv Willow Warbler, 10 + Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, 20 + Swift, 10 House Martin, Little Grebe on nest, 50+ Black-headed Gull (4 youngsters), 2 Common Gull (Nick Croft)

Wanstead Park: Common Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Great Crested Grebe with 1 chick, 4 Little Grebe (2 young), Little Egret, Kingfisher, 50 + Swift, 3 House Martin, White-letter Hairstreak (Nick Croft/KathyHartnett)

18th

Wanstead Flats: 3 Skylark, m Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, 10 House Martin, 20 + Swift (Nick Croft)

Wanstead Park: 2 singing Reed Warbler, 7 Whitethroat, Little Egret, 4 ad Little Grebe, 3 Great Crested Grebe (1 chick), Sparrowhawk, 30 + Swift, 5 House Martin, Migrant Hawker, 6+ Brown Argus in Old Sewage Works (both first for the year) (Nick Croft/TimHarris)

20th

Wanstead Flats: Early returning N Wheatear dropped in 09-15 before rain shower! 4 Skylark, 2 Meadow Pipit, 4 Green Woodpecker (Bob Vaughan)

21st

Wanstead Park: Hobby, 3 Sand Martin, several immature House Martin, Common Tern (Tim Harris)

29th

Wanstead Flats: Common Tern on Jubilee Pond (Tony Brown)

30th

Wanstead Flats: first returning Swallow of the autumn, Sand Martin, 10 + House Martin, 8 Swift, Reed Warbler, 1-2 Lesser Whitethroat, 20 + Whitethroat (Brooms/Alex area), 6 Skylark, 1 juv + 1 ad Little Grebe, 100+ Black-headed Gull, Hobby, 2 Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Sparrowhawk (Nick Croft/Bob Vaughan)