Adieu to our summer favourites:
The last 2 Hobby scything south on the 1st over the Alex Scrub
A lone House Martin on the 14th and the last Swallow struggling against the prevailing winds 7 days later. It'll be approximately 130 days till the next time a Wheatear lifts our hearts, following the female on the 3rd, it will be longer before the next Whinchat and judging by this year that could be more of a case of if rather than when!
The last warbler that wasn't a Chiffchaff or Blackcap, but a Whitethroat was noted on Leyton roundabout on the 6th.
Lets face it this October will not be remembered for any of the above! I am guessing that for most people it will be the addition of a large, chunky, funky finch to their patch lists that will be the reason for recalling October 2017. Mind you all you need to do was stroll up to the viz mig site early doors, such is the nature of this unprecedented invasion. OK it was slightly harder than that, a few possibles along the line, before Stu scored the first over Leyton Flats on the 9th, which may or may not have been a migrant or the regular bird(s) seen in the Woodford area. It took Bob and I till the 23rd to score (2 birds), while the others duly got theirs on the 28th (9 birds). Looks like there will be more to come.
The origin of this influx is difficult to pinpoint, but observers in several other European countries have noted higher than average counts of Hawfinches.
Records logged in BirdTrack included peak counts of over 100 birds, with the reporting rate exceeding 3% of complete lists by the end of October, more than 12 times higher than the historical average.
Source: BTO
If a beech mast failure is the cause of the Hawfinch hoardes, we might expect a few more Brambling to be reported. Not many so far and no large flocks. Bullfinch too may also be getting caught up in the finch flight. A pair are on the flats at the moment, after an absence of 2 years, hopefully though these are local birds.
Chaffinch were again the major finch on the move (one day of 263 and another over the 200 mark), the vast majority heading W/NW–though not in the numbers of 2016 but still fairly consistent towards the end of the month–while other species were heading generally south: small numbers of Siskin, Redpoll and the occasional small flock of Linnet. The first Yellowhammer, a female type, of the year appeared from the viz mig area, hid in a bush then flew south.
Woodlark time, and although a spring bird meant it was not even a year tick for Bob and I–but 2 birds on one day, and one of those feeding not 20 yards away on the path, was something special. A further record came from the end of the month and a possible sandwiched in between. It's also the best month to get jammy on Rock Pipit (I am not going to check but I reckon virtually all our records are from this month and mainly from around the Alex), while the only other Water Pipit was feeding on the shore of the Alex on the 18th March 2011.
October is Stonechat month, this year the high was of 8 birds on the 6th, 21 for the month with the last 2 being seen on the 23rd (down on the 43 records from 2016). The last Whinchat appeared with the first Stonechat of the month on the 3rd (as did the last Wheatear of the year)
Bickering Skylarks, by way of nothing
The two Red Kite for the month (or the same bird), became the first for October and although numbers are going be down on previous year's, due to lack of our coverage rather than their presence, the upward trend continues.
Historical records for Red Kite by month and year
2009
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014
|
2015
|
2016
|
2017
|
1
|
3
|
4
|
7
|
2
|
7
|
14
|
15
|
13
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sept
|
Oct
|
1
|
16
|
16
|
23
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
* 3 missing birds somewhere in the monthly figures!!
A horrible year for Short-eared Owl so far and judging by historical records (rarer than I thought at just 23 seen since 2010) it ain't going to get any better, but there could have been 2 birds seen on the 15th or just the one doing big loops to confuse poor Jono and Bob!
|
2009
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014
|
2015
|
2016
|
2017
|
|
-
|
2
|
-
|
1
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
5
|
1-2
|
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
3
|
7-8
|
2
|
-
|
Duck delight with a Mandarin for Stu on Hollow Ponds and our first Goosanders since the big February freeze of 2012 (though a single bird was seen the following year). Wigeon numbers ebbed and flowed in the park while the other wintering duck species gradually crawled uptward what we would expect for round here.
The first Water Rail of the autumn returned to the Shoulder of Mutton and later one was seen on the Roding just south of the Gates of Mordor, while our wader count doubled from September with not only Snipe and a few Lapwing, but jack Jacks. Meanwhile on the flats a pair of Yellow-legged Gull took up residence in the roost by the Alex for most of the month.
What would have been bird of the year, if anyone else had been lucky enough to have seen, was flushed from a small patch of grass around a small oak, favoured in the past by Pied Flycatcher. Looking bang on for a Corncrake, I got enough on the small grey head and short bill to rule out Water Rail, it glided under the low canopy never to be seen again. Never will I have cursed the CoLC for not trashing more of the brooms/brambles. Thanks to the Prof. for the sending the below snippet just to show how rare these birds are now in London, but hopefully with wild birds now joining the release scheme on the Nene washes this may improve.
Our own site list refers to them as being reported as a common visitor in the area in 1909–I would guess that would be in the area of the Roding. Also noted there is the crake/rail that Bob and I flushed from the enclosure towards the end of August 2013–a real grubby day, but with the few sightings I've had of Corncrake since then it is increasingly likely that the bird was a juvenile, and lost, Moorhen.
If only someone else had been with me that would have been great, now another one of my single observer sightings goes forward to the None Proven bin of dreams with the LBRC.
Corncrake sightings in London, from the 2010 London Bird Report, thanks to Birding Prof for the heads up
Lastly we now might have found out why the Alex is fast disappearing, which may be down to the traffic scheme running to the north of the ponds towards Manor Park and between the forbidden triangle and the good bit of the flats. It appears the engineers and surveyors didn't take in to account the fact that Alex gets a lot of its water from run-off from the road, this is now going into the drains–so thanks Newham BC and TfL–quite what the CoLC can do about it remains to be seen. Ain't it a bugger when work is done without including you in the consultation? better news is that said CoLC may allow reed planting at the west end of Herony and indeed members of the WREN Group have been on fact finding visits to the new Woodberry Wetlands for advice.
1st
Wanstead Flats: 2 Hobby, Sparrowhawk, 2 Kestrel, 40+ House Martin, 15 Swallow, 16 Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap, 4 Goldcrest, Mistle Thrush, 7 Common Gull, f Teal, 3 Gadwall, 7 Linnet (Nick Croft)
2nd
Wanstead Flats: 9 Chiffchaff, 4 Goldcrest, 3 Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Coal Tit, 9 Teal, 5 Shoveler, 3 Gadwall, Little Grebe, Kestrel, 35+ Lesser Black-backed Gull, 7 Common Gull (Nick Croft)
Wanstead Park: 24 Wigeon, 46 Gadwall, 18 Teal, 7 Shoveler, f Pochard, 10 Tufted Duck, 4 Little Grebe, 2 Swallow, 10 Chiffchaff, Blackcap, 5 Goldcrest, Meadow Pipit (Nick Croft)
3rd
Wanstead Flats: m Whinchat, f Wheatear, 2 Stonechat, 6 Siskin, 5 Linnet, 10 Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Red Kite, Common Buzzard, 2 Sparrowhawk, 3 Kestrel, 3 Swallow, 14 Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrest, 10 Teal, 3 Gadwall, 7 Shoveler, Little Grebe, 2 Yellow-legged Gull (Nick Croft)
4th
Wanstead Flats: 3 Stonechat, 36 Chaffinch west, 7 Lesser Redpoll, 2 Linnet, Reed Bunting, ad Yellow-legged Gull low west over brooms, 10+ Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, 3 Skylark, Nuthatch, 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrest, 10 Teal, 5 Shoveler, Gadwall, Little Grebe, 2 Kestrel, 2 Sparrowhawk (Nick Croft)
Leyton Flats: drake Mandarin, 22 Pochard, Little Egret, 26 Linnet in 2 flocks S, 2 Reed Bunting N, 11 Meadow Pipit over, 4 Siskin NW, Lesser Redpoll S (Stuart Fisher)
5th
Wanstead Flats: Stonechat, 8+ Meadow Pipit, White Wagtail, Skylark, 8 Chiffchaff, 4 Goldcrest, 2 Kestrel, 3 Sparrowhawk including a really small male, 5 Shoveler, 7 Teal, Gadwall, Little Grebe, 10 Common Gull, Linnet (Nick Croft/Marco Johnson)
6th
Wanstead Flats: 8 Stonechat, c 20 Lesser Redpoll, 8 Siskin, 20 + Linnet, 2 Reed Bunting, 20 + Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, 4 Skylark, 3 Mistle Thrush, 15+ Chiffchaff, Blackcap, 7 Goldcrest, 8 Teal, 5 Shoveler, 50 Egyptian Goose, Coal Tit, 3 Kestrel, 2 Sparrowhawk (Nick Croft/James Heal)
Wanstead Park: Lesser Redpoll, Siskin, Linnet, 10 Goldcrest, 8 Chiffchaff, Nuthatch, Meadow Pipit. Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Little Egret, 10 Teal, Wigeon, 21 Shoveler, 42 Gadwall, 11 Tufted Duck, f Pochard, 2 Little Grebe (Nick Croft/James Heal)
Leyton Roundabout: Grey Wagtail, Greenfinch, c12 House Sparrows, Chaffinch, Wren, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, and flyover Buzzard (Ken Murray)
7th
Wanstead Flats: 14 Redwing, Stonechat, 10+ Meadow Pipit, 4 Goldcrest, 6 Chiffchaff, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Great Crested Grebe, 8 Teal (Wanstead Birders)
8th
Wanstead Flats: 2 Yellow-legged Gull (same as for the 3rd), 16 Common Gull, Stonechat (new bird), 20 Meadow Pipit, 3 Grey Wagtail, 3 Skylark, 16+ Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, 3 Siskin, 10+ Linnet, Reed Bunting, 2 Kestrel. 2 Sparrowhawk, 8 Teal, 8 Shoveler (James Heal/Nick Croft) 2 Song Thrush, 2 House Martin (Reuben Braddock)
Wanstead Park: Water Rail, Kingfisher, 2 Nuthatch, 19 Siskin (James Heal/Tim Harris)
9th
Wanstead Flats: 60+ Chaffinch through, 2 Siskin, 3 Linnet, 25+ Meadow Pipit, 4 Skylark, 2 Yellow-legged Gull (same birds as yesterday) in small gull roost by the Alex, 5 Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrest, 25 Redwing, 4 Mistle Thrush, 6 Song Thrush, m Stonechat, 40+ Long-tailed Tit, 2 Sparrowhawk, 2 Kestrel, 2 Teal (Nick Croft)
Leyton Flats/Snaresbrook: 2 Hawfinch N at c10.15, 6 Pied/White Wagtails over, 28 Redwing, 5 Song Thrush, 5 Chaffinch, Reed Bunting S, 18 Gadwall, 9 Shoveler, 17 Pochard (Stuart Fisher)
10th
Leyton Flats/Snaresbrook: Hawfinch NW over Court 07:45, 13 Song Thrush, 10 Chaffinch (Stuart Fisher)
14th
Wanstead Flats: House Martin, f Yellowhammer (first this year), 6 Reed Bunting, 263 Chaffinch, 10 Redpoll, 20 + Linnet, 2 Siskin, 50 + Goldfnch, 2 Yellow-legged Gull still by Alex, 20 + Common Gull, Stonechat, Redwing, 8 Song Thrush, 20 Skylark (some movement south), 20 + Meadow Pipit, 3 Grey Wagtail, Red Kite, 3 Sparrowhawk, 3 Kestrel, 10 Teal, 10 Shoveler, 3 Chiffchaff, f Blackcap, 4 Goldcrest (Wanstead Birders)
15th
Wanstead Flats: 2 Woodlark, 2 Short-eared Owl at last, Rock Pipit (first for 2 year's),10+ Brambling, 20+ Redpoll, 30 + Linnet, 25 + Siskin, c. 200 Chaffinch, 3 Reed Bunting, 20 + Meadow Pipit, 2 Grey Wagtail, 15 Skylark, 2 Common Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, 3 Kestrel, 3 Chiffchaff, 3 Goldcrest, 10 + Redwing, 2w Yellow-legged Gull, 3 Shoveler, 6 Teal (J Lethbridge/B Vaughan/Nick Croft)
16th
Wanstead Flats: 4 Swallow, 80 Redwing, 2 Redpoll (Jono Lethbridge)
18th
Wanstead Flats: probable Hawfinch nr Long Wood then SSSI, c. 150 Chaffinch, 7 Redpoll, 3 Linnet, Siskin, 7 Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Skylark, Stonechat (young male), 5 Redwing, 2 Chiffchaff, 4 Goldcrest, 600+ Woodpigeon, Peregrine Falcon, 2 Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Common Snipe, 16 Shoveler, 6 Teal, 2w Yellow-legged Gull still by Alex (Wanstead Birders)
20th
Wanstead Flats: 2w Yellow-legged Gull, 250 + Redwing, 6 + Song Thrush, 3 Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel (Wanstead Birders)
Wanstead Park: Water Rail, Kingfisher, 6 Little Grebe, 11 Wigeon, 27 Shoveler, 20 Teal, 68 Gadwall, f Pochard, Nuthatch, 2 Siskin, 2 Linnet, 2 Meadow Pipit, 3 Goldcrest, 2 Chiffchaff, c 50 Redwing, Sparrowhawk (Nick Croft)
21st
Wanstead Flats: Ring Ouzel (Richard Rae), Swallow first struggling south then blown back north 30 minutes later, 2 Yellow-legged Gull (2w and 3w), 6 Redpoll, 10+ Linnet, Siskin, Reed Bunting, 10+ Meadow Pipit, 3 Skylark, 2 Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, 8 Teal, 4 Gadwall, 2 Shoveler, 40 + Redwing, 3 Mistle Thrush (Wanstead Birders)
Wanstead Park: Kingfisher, 2 Teal, 9 Wigeon, 73 Gadwall, 13 Shoveler, 5 Little Grebe, Chiffchaff, 4 Goldcrest, Nuthatch, Redpoll, 2 Linnet (Nick Croft)
22nd
Wanstead Flats: Corncrake flushed from patch of long grass on north side of Long Wood, a brief view as it glided under the canopy, unfortunately (and not surprisingly given the extent of cover here) 3 of us could not refind it – prominent black markings on back, trailing legs under tapering tail, red-browny rounded wings, short neck and small head; Rock Pipit nw over Alex, 6 Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, 15 + Linnet, 12 Chaffinch, Siskin, Redpoll, 4 Skylark, Blackcap, 3 Goldcrest, Common Buzzard, 2 Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, 2 Yellow-legged Gull still in roost and on Alex, 30 + Common Gull, 7 Teal, 8 Shoveler, 10 Redwing, possible Ring Ouzel alarm calling in brooms next to vizmig point (Nick Croft)
23rd
Wanstead Flats: 2 Hawfinch (possibly 4 more going in same direction), f Bullfinch, 6 Siskin, 8 Redpoll, 20 + Chaffinch, 20 + Linnet, 2 Reed Bunting, 2-3 Ring Ouzel, 250 + Redwing, 64 + Fieldfare, 20 + Song Thrush, 2 Stonechat, Water Pipit (only 2nd record) going west over Alex, 30 + Meadow Pipit, 4 Skylark, 2 Goosander going west, 3 Teal, 1000+ Wood Pigeon south (excludes local foraging birds), 3 Coal Tit, 3 Goldcrest, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, 2w Yellow-legged Gull still (Bob Vaughan/Nick Croft)
Leyton Flats/Snaresbrook: Little Owl, Tawny Owl, 35+ Redwing over, 2 Skylark SW, 10 Fieldfare over, 8 Lesser Redpoll on Flats, 1 Siskin over, 4 Linnet S, 3 Meadow Pipit, 2 Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Kingfisher, Coal Tit, and small phyllosc briefly near Eagle Pond that was a probable Yellow-browed Warbler (Stuart Fisher)
24th
Leyton Flats/Snaresbrook: Hawfinch on poplar nr Eagle Pond around 7,30 then flew South, 36 Lesser Redpoll, Skylark SW, Sparrowhawk, Siskin over, 2 Grey Wagtail, Kingfisher (Stuart Fisher)
27th
Wanstead Flats: 6000 Woodpigeon, 8 Lesser Redpoll, 180 Starlings 40 Redwing, 20 Chaffinch, 8 Song Thrush (JLe)
28th
Wanstead Flats: 9 Hawfinch, 2700 Woodpigeon, 230 Fieldfare, 300 Redwing, 200 Chaffinch, 4 Siskin, Brambling, 2 Reed Bunting, 20 Meadow Pipit, 5 Skylark (Wanstead Birders)
29th
Wanstead Flats: 7 Lapwing, 2 Bullfinch, Brambling, 30+ Chaffnch, 10 Linnet, 8 Redpoll, Siskin, 30+ Redwing, 10+ Fieldfare, 400+ Woodpigeon, Chiffchaff, 3 Goldcrest, 3 Teal, 8 Shoveler, 2 Pochard, 7 Tufted Duck, 4 Skylark, 10+ Meadow Pipit, Sparrowhawk, 2 Kestrel (Wanstead Birders)
30th
Wanstead Flats: Hawfinch over E (Twitter); 3 Brambling, Siskin, Redpoll, Linnet, c100 Chaffinch, 7 Skylark, 10+ Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, 100+ Common Gull, Rook, Common Snipe, 40 Fieldfare, 40+ Redwing, 3 Sparrowhawk, 2 Kestrel, 5 Teal, Pochard, 1500 Woodpigeon (Wanstead Birders)
Snaresbrook Crown Court: Firecrest (Stuart Fisher)
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