Our best month of the year, usually, and the epitome of how dire 2017 has been! Usually we have daily reports–this year I've had to pad things out with Twitter news. Doesn't help that several records were deleted from the London Wiki.
Even with a lack of reports/reporting it doesn't take a genius to realise that this autumn has followed on from an awful spring to be, well, awful.
3 Common Redstart, 15 days of Whinchat–with a high of 3 (ha!) on two days, 2 Wheatear, the first autumn Stonechat on the 23rd and the only Stonechat so far. 5 Spotted Flycatcher, which is 5 better than Pied Flycatcher. Utterly disappointing.
4 Tree Pipit, 9 Yellow Wagtail (that previously would have been one good day!).
The first Ring Ouzel arrived on the 26th and a day later Stu had the first Redwing over Leyton Flats. Other autumnal arrivals in the form of 3 Lesser Redpoll signed in on the 29th. Out went the majority of the warblers leaving just Chiffchaff and Blackcap by the end of the month. Going, but not quite gone were Martins and Swallow (150+ on the 24th).
A second adult Yellow-legged Gull was reported at the end of the month (I only do adults now, they're easier) in a growing gull mass.
The Little Owl(s) were noted throughout the month as was a Tawny in Long Wood (Sean Kerrigan), which was actually on the 30th of August.
2 Snipe was the sum total of things wadery.
On the plus side Tufted Duck managed to have a brood of 2 (all that was left when I caught up with them) on Heronry, which was about the only contribution made by the park for the month, aside from a calling Treecreeper.
As for the month ahead: we must get a Short-eared Owl surely, shortly, thrushes and finches, buntings and plovers–ah yes it's Viz Mig time. Meanwhile I am going to wake up soon and realise this has all been a bad dream!
2nd
Wanstead Flats: 2 Willow Warbler in with good numbers of Chiffchaff in School Scrub (James Heal) Tree Pipit (Bob Vaughan) Spotted Flycatcher reported
3rd
Wanstead Flats: Tree Pipit, Whinchat, 2 Spotted Flycatchers, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 3 Willow Warblers, 40 House Martin, Little Owl, Skylark, 30 Gadwall, 4 Little Grebe, 2 Sparrowhawk, 2 Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Reed Bunting (Wanstead Birders)
Wanstead Park: 7 Teal, 8 Shoveler, 27 Gadwall, 5 Pochard, 10 Tufted Duck (including 2 young non flying birds, so a success there), Little Grebe, Goldcrest, Grey Wagtail, 2 Whitethroat, 6 Chiffchaff (Nick Croft)
6th
Wanstead Flats: Spotted Flycatcher, Sedge Warbler (Marco Johnson)
9th
Wanstead Flats: 2 Tree Pipit, 20 + Meadow Pipt, 4 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Whinchat, Garden Warbler, Reed Warbler, Willow Warber, 10+ Chiffchaff, 4 Whitethroat, Hobby, 1-2 Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, 2 Sparrowhawk, 6 Sand Martin, 2 House Martin, Swallow, 10 Gadwall, 2 Teal, f Shoveler, Common Gull, Little Grebe (Wanstead Birders)
11th
Wanstead Flats: 2 Whinchat (Tony Brown)
Wanstead Park: 11 Teal on Ornamentals, 62 Gadwall, 12 House Martin, (Tim Harris)
12th
Wanstead Flats: 2 Whinchat, 3 Common Whitethroat, fm Kestrel, 3 juv Green Woodpecker, 6 Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail (John & Janet Cadera)
16th
Wanstead Flats: 2 Common Redstart. Whinchat, 2 Little Owl, 12 Meadow Pipit, Yellow Wagtail, 3 Skylark, 30+ Swallow, 3 Sand Martin, Common Snipe, 3 Goldcrest, 3 Teal, 13 Shoveler, 3 Little Grebe, Little Egret (Wanstead Birders)
18th
Wanstead Flats: Wheatear (Simon Raper)
Pic: James Heal
23rd
Wanstead Flats: Spotted Flycatcher (James Heal), Hobby (Bob Vaughan), m Stonechat, Little Owl (Nick Croft)
24th
Wanstead Flats: Whinchat, 150+ Swallow S, 14 Chiffchaff, 5 Blackcap, 2 Goldcrest, 3 Skylark, 20+ Meadow Pipit, 2 Common Buzzard, 3 Kestrel, 2 Sparrowhawk, 3 Teal, 3 Gadwall, Shoveler, Little Grebe, 2 Common Gull (Wanstead Birders)
Wanstead Park: 44 Gadwall, 6 Wigeon, 21 Shoveler, 13 Teal, 15 Tufted Duck, f Pochard, 2 Common Buzzard, 3 Sparrowhawk, 5 Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Whitethroat, 5 Goldcrest, Treecreeper, 2 Little Grebe (Nick Croft).
25th
Wanstead Flats: 1w m Redstart, 3 Whinchat, 20 + Chiffchaff, 10 Blackcap, Whitethroat, 3 Goldcrest, 2 Skylark, 2 Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, 10 + Song Thrush, 10 + Blackbird (mostly migrant birds), 10 Teal, 4 Shoveler, 4 Gadwall, 2 Kestrel, 600 + Starling, 4 Common Gull, rise in the number of Wood Pigeon with a lot of 1w birds in their midst (Nick Croft)
26th
Wanstead Flats: f Ring Ouzel briefly, 2 Whinchat, Yellow Wagtail, 13 Teal, 88 Greylag Goose - a new record for the site (J Lethbridge)
27th
Wanstead Flats: 50–60 Swallow, 5 House Martin, 60+ Meadow Pipit (James Heal)
Leyton Flats: Vis Mig: Redwing, 48 Meadow Pipit, 5 Pied Wagtail, 2 Linnet, 6 Swallow. Plus Coal tit, Nuthatch, 40+ Ring-necked Parakeet (now becoming attached to the area), 3 Shoveler, 8 Pochard (Stuart Fisher)
29th
Wanstead Flats: Yellow-legged Gull, 100+ Black-headed Gull, 5 Common Gull, 15 Meadow Pipit, 5 Pied Wagtail, 2 Skylark, 15 Chiffchaff, 8 Blackcap, 2 Goldcrest, 13 Teal, 12 Shoveler, Little Grebe, 2 Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, 3 Lesser Redpoll, 2 Linnet, 5 Chaffinch (Nick Croft/John Whele)
Wanstead Park: 10 Wigeon, 22 Shoveler, 55 Gadwall, 20 Teal, 8 Tufted Duck, f Pochard, 8 Little Grebe, Kingfisher, 5 Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrest, 35+ House Martin (possibly still our local birds), 6 Swallow north up the Roding, Coal Tit (Nick Croft)
30th
Wanstead Flats: Wheatear, 45 Meadow Pipit, 10 Swallow, 5 House Martin, 14 Chiffchaff, 5 Blackcap, 2 Goldcrest, 15 Shoveler, 5 Teal, 53 Egyptian Goose (new site record), 4 Common Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, 9 Linnet, 2 Skylark (Jono Lethbridge/Nick Croft)
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