June: Not entirely rubbish shock!

Really?

Yup, Autumn is here!

As June's go and considering it was June it really wasn't that tediously painful, really. OK I spent a week with eyes to the ground doing the bio-blitz thing, but I have to say I enjoyed that immensely. I've already forgotten virtually everything  that some exceedingly patient people told me but it's a start. Birding wise: not as bad as was feared which serendipitously leads us into the highlights.

• A late, late Wheatear show (the latest ever or, conversely, the earliest ever returning bird) on the 4th
• Stu's still getting Firecrest noises in his ears, which could be a specific case of tinnitus
• Siskin on the 8th and 23rd
• Shoveler, four of them, the first returning birds of Autumn on the 19th.  A pair of Teal followed in the same week
• A young Shelduck flew west over Heronry on the 19th 
• The month's only Red Kite on the 23rd
• The first breeding report of a Common Pochard on Alex on the 27th, 3 young are still avoiding gulls, swans or other mishap
• John W snaps a Cuckoo by Long Wood on the 29th
• The same day a visiting birder ruffles a few feathers by reporting a duo of juvenile Little Ringed Plover on Alex that same morning
• ... and a Black Kite in the Old Sewage Works on the 28th

Thought I might slip that one at the end so no-one would notice.  I originally twittered that to the London Bird Club account as a "possible" only due to the fact I hadn't a clue as to what a juvenile Red Kite should look like, not sure I've ever seen one–and this wasn't one either.  So just to be on the safe side, I erred with caution, while completely erring on not having my camera out (not that my camera has a helped with my IDs in the past, so maybe a good thing).  Anyway a description is soon to be winging it's way to the rarities committee to add to my growing collection of records that have bin (sic) filed.

But, wow! Pochard breeding, that's great news. Great news for Reed Buntings too as signs that they are/were rearing young in the SSSI accumulated during the month. Sticking with the SSSI, not sure what's happening with the Garden Warbler–it's all gone quiet down at Motorcycle Wood. Not so quiet have been the offspring of Common and Lesser Whitethroat.  Two or three Lesser Ws have started singing again: failed or on seconds? Meanwhile the Willow Warbler sings on. As for the other warblers, both Chiffchaff and Blackcap are doing well, and in the reeds on The Shoulder of Mutton we now have another male singing, though probably too late to attract the ladies, while Reed No. 1 is hard as rearing a family.

Back on the flats and the struggle to see any increase in the populations of either Skylark or Meadow Pipit goes on; birds are still singing but where's the result?

No Swallows after the beginning of this month and no reports of Sand Martin either, but House Martin activity over SoM has been frenetic with a few dozens of Swift thrown in for good measure. As for their nemesis, there have been very few records of Hobby and then only singles.

In other news Ringlets appear to be on the increase and the Purple Hairstreak have started appearing as too have Gatekeeper.  Yup it's another long month before the real birding can begin again...

1st

Wanstead Flats: Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler, 3 Swallow, 7 House Martin, 20 + Swift, 2 Kestrel, m Reed Bunting (Nick Croft)

Snaresbrook Crown Court: Firecrest singing briefly early am (Stuart Fisher)

3rd

Wanstead Flats: 3 Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler, 3 Skylark, Meadow Pipit, 2 Pied Wagtail, 60 + Swift (including one showing extensive white on throat to breast and on underwing), Sand Martin, 3 House Martin, 3 Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Reed Bunting (Nick Croft)

Wanstead Park: Reed Warbler, Great Crested Grebe (still with 2 young), 2 Little Grebe, Little Egret, Kestrel, 30 + Swift, House Martin (Nick Croft)

4th

Wanstead Flats: f Northern Wheatear (latest ever spring bird), 4 Lesser Whitethroat (inc. fledged young), 2 Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Swallow, 4 occupied House Martin nests + 1 being built, 10 Swift, 2 singing Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, 3 singing Skylark (Nick Croft/Tim Harris/Neil Preston)

Snaresbrook: 2+ Treecreeper (Gilbert's Slade) presumably a family group (Stuart Fisher)


5th

Wanstead Flats: Buzzard sp north over Bush Wood and distant, Kestrel, 4-5 Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, 3 singing Skylark, 2 singing Meadow Pipit, 5 Little Grebe, m Pochard, Reed Bunting, Swallow, 5 House Martin, 20 + Swift (Nick Croft)

Wanstead Park: Reed Warbler, pr Great Crested Grebe with 2 young, 3 Little Grebe, Little Egret, Grey Wagtail, 50 + Swift, House Martin, m Pochard (Nick Croft)

6th

Wanstead Flats: Hobby, Kestrel, 50 + Swift, Sand Martin, 5 House Martin, Pochard, Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Painted Lady, Small Heath (Nick Croft/Tim Harris)

7th

Wanstead Flats: 3 singing Lesser Whitethroat, calling Garden Warbler, singing Willow Warbler, 4 House Martin, Swallow, 40 + Swift, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, 2 singing Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, 3 singing Skylark, f Reed Bunting carrying food, m Reed Bunting, Pochard (Nick Croft/Dan Hennessy)

Wanstead Park: 2 Lesser Whitethroat, Reed Warbler, Kingfisher, Little Egret, 4 Great Crested Grebe (pr with 2 young), 2 Little Grebe, Hobby, Sparrowhawk carrying food, Kestrel, 30 + Swift, House Martin, Grass Snake on Herony showing extremely well, up to 3 Painted Lady (Nick Croft)

8th

Leyton Flats/Snaresbrook: male Siskin in birches on Leyton Flats, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, 14 Swift (Stuart Fisher)

10th

Wanstead Flats: 2 Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, 3 singing Skylark, 2 singing Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, 20 + Swift, House Martin, 3 Pochard, 4 Little Grebe (2 young), Kestrel (Nick Croft)

Wanstead Park: 2 singing Reed Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, 5 Great Crested Grebe, 4 Little Grebe, Little Egret, up to 5 Grey Wagtail, 10 Swift, 3 House Martin (Nick Croft)

13th

Wanstead Flats: 5 Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler, pr of Reed Bunting, Linnet, 35 + Black-headed Gull south west (failed breeders presumably), Kestrel, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, 6 House Martin, 30 + Swift, Little Egret (Nick Croft)

Wanstead Park: Tawny Owl calling 10pm, Little Egret, Kingfisher, 6 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Little Grebe, Pochard, Common Tern, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Reed Warbler, Kestrel, 6 + House Martin, 40 + Swift (Nick Croft/Tim Harris)

15th

Wanstead Flats (evening): 100 + Swift, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, 3 Pochard, 3 Noctule, Pipistrelle (Nick Croft)

16th

Wanstead Flats: 2 singing Lesser Whitethroat (+ 1 collecting food), singing Willow Warbler, calling Garden Warbler, 40 + Swift, 6 + House Martin, 4 + Meadow Pipit (2 singing), 4 Pied Wagtail,  3 singing Skylark, Kestrel, m Sparrowhawk, 2 Grey Heron, Painted Lady (Nick Croft) 3 fledged Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Stock Dove (Tony Brown)

17th

Wanstead Flats: m Peregrine Falcon, 2 m Kestrel, 6 + House Martin, 30 + Swift, Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Pied Wagtail, 3 singing Meadow Pipit, 2 singing Skylark (Nick Croft/Bob Vaughan/Neil Preston)

Wanstead Park: 3 Grey Wagtail, singing Reed Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitehroat, Little Egret, 5 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Little Grebe, 9 + House Martin, 50 + Swift, singing Coal Tit, Lesser Black-backed Gull diving and catching Signal Crayfish (Nick Croft/Bob Vaughan)

18th

Wanstead Flats: singing Reed Warbler (Cat & Dog), singing Willow Warbler, 3 Lesser Whitethroat (2 singing), singing Reed Bunting, 2 singing Skylark, 2 singing Meadow Pipit, 4 young Pied Wagtail, 3 House Martin, 50 + Swift, Kestrel, Painted Lady (Nick Croft)

19th

Wanstead Flats: 3 Lesser Whitethroat, singing Meadow Pipit, Skylark, 6 House Martin, 30 + Swift, Sparrowhawk (Nick Croft)

Wanstead Park: 4 Shoveler first returning birds, 4 Gadwall, young Shelduck, 6 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Reed Warbler, 7 Grey Heron, Little Egret, House Martin, 40 Swift, remains of 50 + Crayfish left by Lesser Black-backed Gull's fishing efforts, Hedgehog  (Nick Croft)

23rd

Wanstead Flats: 2 Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Reed Bunting, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Skylark, 50 + Swift, 3 House Martin, Kestrel, 3 Pochard, 2 Gadwall (Nick Croft)

Wanstead Park: Red Kite NW over Bush Wood, Siskin (Dan Hennessy), Reed Warbler, 6 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Little Grebe, Little Egret, Goldcrest, 9 House Martin, 30 + Swift (Nick Croft)

24th

Wanstead Flats: 9 Pochard, flyover Shoveler Alex (Bob Vaughan), 2 singing Lesser Whitethroat, 3 singing Meadow Pipit, 2 singing Skylark, Reed Bunting, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, 20+ Swift, House Martin (Nick Croft)

Wanstead Park: 3 Grey Wagtail, Pochard (Bob Vaughan)

25th

Wanstead Flats: Hobby, Kestrel, 5 Pochard, 3 singing Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, singing Skylark, Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Little Grebe, 40 + Swift, House Martin (Nick Croft)

Wanstead Park: 3 Little Egret, 6 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Little Grebe, Shoveler, 3 Grey Wagtail, singing Goldcrest, singing Reed Warbler, 8 House Martin, 40+ Swift, Kestrel (Nick Croft/Tim Harris)

Leyton Flats/Snaresbrook: 5 Nuthatch (family group at Gilberts Slade plus another individual further down), Little Egret East, Grey Wagtail, 6 Mistle Thrush, 2 Great crested Grebe, 5 Tufted Duck (Stuart Fisher)

26th

Wanstead Flats: 2 singing Lesser Whitethroat, singing Willow Warbler, singing Reed Bunting, 7 House Martin, 50+ Swift, 4 Pied Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, singing Meadow Pipit, Skylark, 3 Pochard, Kestrel (Nick Croft)

27th

Wanstead Flats: 2 Lesser Whitethroat singing, 50 + Swift in evening over Alex, House Martin, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, singing Reed Bunting, 5 Pochard (+ 3 young–first recorded breeding), Meadow Pipit, Skylark, 1-3 Painted Lady, 2 Purple Hairstreak, 5+ Ringlet (Nick Croft/Dan Hennessy)

Wanstead Park: Black Kite over OSW from south (presumed nr adult/adult; pale head but overall dark with feint white in underwing near carpals), circled very high returning south, tatty Buzzard west, Sparrowhawk, 50 + Swift, 8 House Martin, singing Reed Warbler, Little Egret, 6 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Little Grebe (Nick Croft)

28th

Wanstead Park: Hobby, Kestrel, singing Reed Warbler, Coal Tit, Goldcrest, 3 Little Egret, 6 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Little Grebe, 3-6 Grey  Wagtail, Nuthatch (The WREN Group)

29th

Wanstead Flats: Cuckoo (John Whele), 2 Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Meadow Pipit, Goldcrest, 3 Skylark (Bob Vaughan) 2 juvenile Little Ringed Plover on Alex (as reported to J Whele by visiting birder)

Wanstead Park: 5 Gt Crested and 3 Little Grebe, Swift nesting (Bob Vaughan)