December breakdown

With least number of records for a month that I can remember this shouldn't take to long. The weather remained stubbornly the same and for the most part so did the birds.  It's over lets move on and get this out of the way.

The highlights

Bob's Caspian resurfaced and hung about, mostly in the mornings for a good part of the week with the last sighting on the 17th with the return of the Professor's mob from Walthamstow coming over to poach our birds.  Having deliberately misguided them with a bird the previous time they came over I am happy they caught up with it in the end.  Though I never said any of the birds were it, I might have just said that could be it.  I was too busy to concentrate on such frippery as I was doing the flats WeBS count, but at least I will be able to face up to Mike Messenger next time I see him.

The same day my photos nailed it's second coming I found this year's only adult Yellow-legged Gull, which was the zenith of my gulling ID for December.  I plumbed the nadir soon afterwards.

After many a fruitless trip round all the old haunts and not too long after Jono found the birds back in Bush Wood, it looked like they were everywhere.  A slight exaggeration.  I found 2 in Long Wood, the next day one by the Shoulder of Mutton, then a few days later a probable in the mitigation wood to the south of Perch, confirmed to me by Irish Mick who was visiting the wood for a call of nature. Bob also had a probable bird by the bridge on the Roding, which means up to 7 birds could be in the area.

Records again for Wigeon in the park and possibly for Shoveler too.  Of course the former had magically disappeared for the new year blitz, part from the 2 Bob got on the basin.

The Little Owl re-appeared just in time for the new year

A good Redpoll winter so far, with a high of 20 one day in the Old Sewage Works/Roding area, the same day the highest count of Siskin since the autumn.  Linnet numbers have not been great though with only a few days of 10 +.

A wintering Stonechat–the first in years–takes up elusive residence somewhere near Cat & Dog

A couple of Woodcock sightings the only wader, where are the Snipe? Where's the SSSI boggy bit? still stubbornly refusing to get damp while everywhere else floods!

Just hope I don't get BB rarity in January when I am on my own!


1st

Wanstead Flats: 31 Gadwall, 17 Shoveler, 4 Teal, 4 Pochard, 15+ Tufted Duck, 8 Egyptian Goose, Redpoll, 9 Linnet, 3 Meadow Pipit, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Great Black-backed Gull, Little Grebe, 3+ Goldcrest (Nick Croft/Bob Vaughan).

Wanstead Park: 40 Wigeon (new site record), 318 Gadwall, 60 Shoveler, 12 Teal, 2 Egyptian Goose, 2 Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, 2 Kingfisher, 5 Siskin, 5 Redpoll, 2 Fieldfare, 8+ Goldcrest, possible Firecrest by bridge over Roding (Nick Croft/Bob Vaughan), Kingfisher (James Palmer), Common Buzzard (Paul Ferris)

2nd

Wanstead Flats: 15 Linnet, Redpoll, 6 Pochard, 8 Shoveler, 12 Gadwall, 2 Teal, Little Grebe (Bob Vaughan)

Wanstead Park: Great Crested Grebe, 20 Shoveler, 18 Gadwall, Pochard, 5 Wigeon, 7 Egyptian Goose, Kingfisher, Siskin, Goldcrest (Bob Vaughan)

3rd

Wanstead Flats: 15 Linnet, Redpoll, 2 Reed Bunting, poss Yellowhammer, 7 Pochard, 7 Shoveler, 25 Gadwall, 10 Teal, 2 Great Black-backed Gull, 14 Fieldfare, 2 Meadow Pipit, 5 Goldcrest (Nick Croft/Bob Vaughan)

Wanstead Park: Great Crested Grebe, 45 Shoveler, 243 Gadwall, 30 + Tufted Duck, 15 Wigeon, 7 Teal, 5 Egyptian Goose, 2 Kingfisher, 5 + Siskin, 4 Redpoll, several Redwing, 15 + Goldcrest (Nick Croft/Bob Vaughan)

4th

Wanstead Flats: 12 Redwing (Earlham Grove), 21 Fieldfare, Linnet, 7 Redpoll, Sparrowhawk, Great Black-backed Gull, medium sized grey goose flying south, Meadow Pipit (Nick Croft).

Wanstead Park: Water Rail sharming, 34 Wigeon, 57 Shoveler, 289 Gadwall, 20+ Tufted Duck, 2 Teal, 2-3 Great Crested Grebe, 5 Redpoll, 5 Siskin, what sounded like a Yellowhammer over Bush Wood, 2-3 Nuthatch, Coal Tit, 10+ Goldcrest, Sparrowhawk (Nick Croft).

5th

Wanstead Flats: Ad Yellow-legged Gull and 1w Caspian Gull (re-identified from photographs) , 2 Great Black-backed Gull, 33 Gadwall,, 16 Shoveler, 7 Teal, 3 Pochard, Little Grebe, Meadow Pipit, Goldcrest (Nick Croft/Jono Lethbridge)

Wanstead Park: 20 + Redpoll, 2 Siskin, 10 + Goldcrest, 244 Gadwall, 28 Wigeon, 50 Shoveler, 30 + Tufted Duck, 8 Egyptian Goose, 6 Teal (Nick Croft/Bob Vaughan)

6th

Wanstead Flats: Little Owl reported this morning (@wansteadwomble), Little Egret, 11 Gadwall. 11 Shoveler, 2 Teal, 2 Pochard, Little Grebe, 2 Fieldfare, 2 Kestrel, 6 + Goldcrest, Linnet, Grey Wagtail, 2 Great Black-backed Gull, no sign of Caspian Gull though the gulls were not settling today (Wanstead Birders)

Wanstead Park: 20 + Redpoll, 30 + Siskin, 40 + Goldfinch, 20 + Greenfinch, 6 Chaffinch all by the Roding, c. 200 Gadwall. 36 Shoveler, 8 Teal, 21 Wigeon, 2 Water Rail, Kingfisher, Sparrowhawk, Fieldfare, Redwing 10 + Song Thrush (Wanstead Birders)

8th

Wanstead Flats: brief view of 1w Caspian Gull on Alex, 2-3 1w Yellow-legged Gull, 2 Great Black-backed Gull, 2 Firecrest (Long Wood), 5 Goldcrest, 2 Linnet, 2 Siskin, 37 Gadwall, 12 Shoveler, 6 Pochard, 7 Teal, 2 Egyptian Goose, Little Grebe, 3 Skylark, 9 Fieldfare, 6 + Redwing, 2 Kestrel (Nick Croft/Rose Stephens)

9th

Wanstead Park: Firecrest (Shoulder of Mutton), 10 + Goldcrest, Water Rail, Kingfisher, Nuthatch, Coal Tit, Siskin, 280 + Gadwall, 30 Wigeon, 44 Shoveler, 3 Teal, 5 Egyptian Goose, 30 + Tufted Duck, Great Crested Grebe, (Nick Croft)

10th

Wanstead Flats: 1w Caspian Gull again on Alex, 1 w Yellow-legged Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, 39 Gadwall, 13 Shoveler, 8 Teal, Fieldfare, Chiffchaff, 4 Goldcrest, 3 Kestrel, Sparrowhawk (Nick Croft/Peter Brinton)

11th

Wanstead Flats: Caspian Gull still on Alex (Jono Lethbridge)

12th

Wanstead Flats: Caspian Gull on main football field then flew south (Tony Brown), 1w Yellow-legged Gull, 2 Great Black-backed Gull, 2 Firecrest (Long Wood), 3 Goldcrest, 15 Lesser Redpoll, 5 Teal, 10 Gadwall, 5 Shoveler, 2 Little Grebe, 2 Kestrel, (Wanstead Birders)

Wanstead Park: Firecrest in Bush Wood (James Heal), 10 + Goldcrest, Siskin, 3 Redpoll, Coal Tit, Water Rail, Kingfisher, 20 + Wigeon, 100 + Gadwall, 30 + Shoveler, 3 Teal, Sparrowhawk, 5 Redwing (Nick Croft/James Heal)

13th

Wanstead Flats:  2 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 400 + Common Gull, 150 + Black-headed Gull, Stonechat, 13 Linnet.  WeBS: 3 Pochard, 17 Tufted Duck, 4 Teal, 16 Shoveler, 53 Gadwall, 82 Mallard, 2 Little Grebe, Chiffchaff, 4 Goldcrest, Kestrel (Wanstead Birders, Paul Whiteman, Mike Messenger).

Wanstead Park: WeBS highlights including 319 Gadwall, 74 Shoveler, 32 Wigeon, 6 Teal (Tim Harris, James Heal) Woodcock, Water Rail, Kingfisher,, 4 Goldcrest, 2 Great Black-backed Gull, 10 + Redwing (Nick Croft)

14th

Wanstead Flats: Caspian Gull (@suzehu on twitter)

15th

Wanstead Flats: 2 Firecrest still Long Wood, 6 Goldcrest, Stonechat, 20+ Linnet, 3 Redpoll, 60 Gadwall, 6 Shoveler, 6 Teal, 2 Pochard, 3 Egyptian Goose, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Great Black-backed Gull (Bob Vaughan/Nick Croft).

Wanstead Park: 244 Gadwall, 29 Wigeon, 47 Shoveler, Teal, Pochard, 2 Kingfisher, 5 Siskin, Nuthatch, 10+ Goldcrest, 3 Redwing (Nick Croft).

17th

Wanstead Flats: Caspian Gull (Walthamstow Poachers)

18th

Wanstead Flats: 16 Linnet, Siskin, Reed Bunting, Meadow Pipit, 3 Goldcrest, 5 Teal, 3 Pochard, 20 + Gadwall, 10 + Shoveler, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk (Nick Croft)

28th

Wanstead Flats: 16 Linnet, Siskin, Reed Bunting, Meadow Pipit, 3 Goldcrest, 5 Teal, 3 Pochard, 20 + Gadwall, 10 + Shoveler, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk (Nick Croft)

29th

Wanstead Flats: Firecrest, 7 Meadow Pipit, Skylark (Tony Brown).

30th

Wanstead Flats: Firecrest (Peter Brinton), 21 Gadwall, 5 Egyptian Goose, 10 Shoveler, 100 + Jackdaw, Kestrel (Nick Croft)

Wanstead Park: 180 Gadwall, 36 Shoveler, 5 Teal, Great Crested Grebe, Redwing, 6 Goldcrest, Redpoll, Siskin, Kestrel (Nick Croft)

31st

Wanstead Flats: Firecrest (Bird Guides/RBA), 10 Gadwall, Kestrel, 3 Skylark, Great Black-backed Gull (Peter Brinton/Nick Croft)

Wanstead Park: pair of Peregrine Falcon calling over Bush Wood, Nuthatch, 9 Goldcrest, Coal Tit, singing Stock Doves, 10 + Redwing, 204 Gadwall, 44 Shoveler, 3 Egyptian Goose, Pochard, Great Crested Grebe, Grey Wagtail, Kestrel, Little Egret (Nick Croft)