A month of mainly small things, but no less for that–so a few more pictures of plants and bugs, but that should be the end of it for this year... ... unless!
So what of the birds?
The first Treecreeper for nearly two years and a nice patch tick for Mr Heal. and it might be two birds. Presumably young birds from north of Hollow Ponds, so let's not get too excited just yet and remember the gene pool,
Treecreeper pic by Bob Vaughan
Returning Sedge Warblers–yup two birds is a record!
Other returning warblers including increasing numbers of Willow Warbler and the first Garden Warbler of the autumn. Could be that one chiff-willow may be the one from the SSSI as Tony B heard it's fairly distinctive version of WW song. Tony also picked up the first sightings of Lapwing of the year (the only other being a calling bird heard at night),
Returning Common Sandpiper (with 3 reported on the last weekend of the month from the Perch pond and another couple of sightings).
A single Common Tern sightings for the month, they are becoming increasingly harder to come by on the patch over the last two years (although I've clawed that one back this weekend with two birds–one a young bird of the year).
The first autumnal passage of Yellow Wagtails, OK two birds
77 birds for the month and the only way is up for the next three months, however, at some points it got so samey that even I can;t couldn't be bothered to submit my reports.
The Great Crested Grebe gained its independence and wings and quickly departed. The adults are now on to a second brood on Heronry. Presumably the birds on the basin have managed a brood, but since no one goes there, I could be wrong. Little Grebe are with young on Alex and the Shoulder of Mutton, where Reed Warbler numbers peaked at around 8 with young birds from the two pairs spreading out around the pond.
A Tufted Duck brood appeared on Jubilee Pond of all the places they could have been, and with a difference–that being an adopted Mallard chick. I didn't fancy it's chances as at least its siblings can dive when danger threatens, however it has proved far more resilient while its brothers and sisters have been whittled down to just 3. Otherwise I think Mallard have done well this summer but no Pochard success.
At least one of the local Peregrine were successful the progeny of which has been giving the the crows a hard time on a number of occasions. No Buzzard or Kite which is understandable as none breed too near.
While the ugly creche of young and sub adult held up during the month, the first Common Gull returned to Jub, and Black-headed Gull numbers increased significantly. Yup it's that time again when the apparent lack of larid knowledge comes glaringly into focus and we try and pick out the young Yellow-legs.
As for the Wanstead Challenge I am not sure what the total is, but my contribution a nationally rare hover (below), which I could tell you it's name, but I'd have to go through the twitter feed–suffice to say I had to give a map reference and time of sighting to the National Hoverfly people. Life is too short and I need to go and see some birds...
My contribution to the year-long bio-blitz, a national scarce hover fly
4th
Wanstead Flats: Reed Bunting with young, Coal Tit with young, singing Willow Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat, Hobby, 6+ House Martin, 10+ Swift, singing Skylark and Meadow Pipit, 10+ Ringlets (Nick Croft/Peter Brinton)
Wanstead Park: 2 singing Reed Warbler plus young birds calling, Nuthatch calling, 2 Great Crested Grebe on Heronry – no sign of young on Shoulder of Mutton, 2 Little Grebe, Gadwall, Little Egret, few Swifts (Nick Croft)
6th
Wanstead Flats: Hobby, 6+ House Martin, 10 + Swift, 2 singing Meadow Pipit (4 birds), 2 singing Skylark, 3 Little Grebe, Purple Hairstreak (Nick Croft)
Wanstead Park: 4 Reed Warbler (2 singing males), singing Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Little Grebe, Kestrel, House Martin, Swift (Nick Croft)
7th
Wanstead Flats: Male Reed Bunting, 6 + House Martin, 5 + Swift, singing Skylark, Meadow Pipit, 3 + Purple Hairstreak (Nick Croft)
Wanstead Park: at least 7 reed Warbler (Shoulder of Mutton), including 3 males singing, Nuthatch, Great Crested Grebe nesting on Heronry, 3 Little Grebe, Pochard (Nick Croft)
8th
Wanstead Flats: 14 House Martin, 10+ Swift, 2 adult Little Grebe with 2 young, f Pochard, 2 singing Meadow Pipit, singing Skylark (Nick Croft)
Wanstead Park: 8+ Reed Warbler (3 singing birds), 2 House Martin, 10+ Swift, Kestrel, Little Egret, 2 Great Crested Grebe nest building, 3 Little Grebe (Nick Croft/Bob Vaughan)
9th
Wanstead Flats: 20 + House Martin, 100+ Swift coming through at 05:00, 4 Pochard, 2 singing Meadow Pipit (4 birds), 2 singing Skylark (3 birds), singing Goldcrest, 10 + Black-headed Gull through (Nick Croft)
Wanstead Park: Common Tern on Heronry briefly at 06:00, 3 Nuthatch calling loudly by Grotto (Rob Sheldon), 3 singing Reed Warbler (4 birds), young Great Crested Grebe took its first flight round Shoulder of Mutton, 2 adults on Heronry, 3 Little Grebe, Gadwall, Pochard, singing Goldcrest, Kestrel, 30 + Swift (Nick Croft)
10th
Wanstead Flats: Juv Peregrine hunting over Alexandra pond and landed on pitches, 7 House Martin circling over several parts of the Flats, 2+ Skylark singing, Meadow Pipit singing, Fledgling Gt Spot Woodpecker in Copse. Also, Purple Hairstreak in Long Wood. (James Heal)
11th
Wanstead Flats: young Peregrine Falcon, Kestrel, 2 singing Meadow Pipit (one carrying food), 3 singing Skylark, young Reed Bunting, singing Goldcrest, 5 Little Grebe, 13 House Martin, 20 + Swift (Nick Croft/Peter Brinton)
Wanstead Park: 7+ Reed Warbler (3 singing), 3 family groups of Goldcrest, 3 adult Great Crested Grebe (pair mating on nest), 3 Little Grebe, Little Egret, 20+ Swift, 3 Gatekeeper (Nick Croft)
12th
Wanstead Flats: Sand Martin, 10+ House Martin, 30+ Swift, Little Egret, 4 singing Meadow Pipit, 2 singing Skylark, fem/juv type Reed Bunting, singing Goldcrest, Pochard, 3 Little Grebe, 3 Purple Hairstreak (Nick Croft/Peter Brinton)
13th
Wanstead Flats: 3 singing Meadow Pipit, 2 singing Skylark, 10 + House Martin, 30 + Swift, Kestrel (Nick Croft)
Wanstead Park: what sounded like a Greenshank called once (Shoulder of Mmutton), 2 Little Egret, pair of Little Grebe with young, pr of Great Crested Grebe, Nuthatch calling, 2 singing Reed Warbler, House Martin, 50 + Swift (mostly over Ilford), Ruby Tiger (Nick Croft)
14th
15th
16th
Wanstead Flats: Garden Warbler doing alarm/contact calling, 16+ House Martin, 50+ Swift, 40+ Black-headed Gull anting over brooms then the park later, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, 3 singing Meadow Pipit (4 birds), Skylark, Purple Hairstreak (Nick Croft)
Wanstead Park: at least 7 Reed Warbler still on Shoulder of Mutton (3 ssinging birds), Coal Tit, Hobby heard, Pochard, 3 Little Grebe (Nick Croft)
17th
Wanstead Flats: At least 6 Meadow Pipit, 4 Skylark, House Martin, Swift, 4 Little Grebe 10+ Purple Hairstreak (Nick Croft)
Wanstead Park: 2 Coal Tit, 4 Goldcrest, singing Reed Warbler, Nuthatch, 3 Little Grebe, pr of Great Crested Grebe, 2 House Martin, 10+ Swift (Nick Croft)
19th
23rd
Wanstead Flats: 2 Lapwing, 2 Little Egret, 4 juvenile Black-headed Gulls, Reed Bunting, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, both Chiffchaff and Blackcap with recently fledged young, 3 Yellow-bellied Sliders (Terrapin) Jubilee Pond (Tony Brown)
25th
Wanstead Flats: Yellow Wagtail east, singing Meadow Pipit (2 birds), singing Skylark (3 birds), plenty of Chiffchaff but very few Whitethroat, Kestrel, 4 Little Grebe chicks (3 adults), 6+ House Martin (Nick Croft)
Wanstead Park: Kingfisher, Nuthatch calling (up to 3 birds), Reed Warbler grunting, 2 Sparrowhawk, 2 Little Grebe chick (3 adults), Great Crested Grebe on nest, 2 House Martin, 30+ Swift over Ilford (Nick Croft)
26th
Wanstead Flats: First returning Common Gull of the Autumn, 2 Swallow west, 6 + House Martin, 5 Swift, 10 + Chiffchaff, singing Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Kestrel, 6 + Purple Hairstreak (Nick Croft/bob Vaughan)
Wanstead Park: 3 Reed Warbler, calling Nuthatch, 2 singing Coal Tit, 50 + Swift over Ilford (Nick Croft)
27th
Wanstead Flats: Common Sandpiper, 2 Sedge Warbler, 20+ Common Whitethroat, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 15+ Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, 12 Gadwall, Shoveler, m Pochard, Tufted Duck with 4 chicks plus adopted Mallard chick, 4 Little Grebe chicks (+ 4 adults), singing Skylark (4 birds), singing Meadow Pipit, Hobby chasing House Martin (6+) without luck, m Kestrel, Common Gull, 2 1w Lesser Black-backed Gull and stroppy parent who kept buzzing me, 10+ Swift (Nick Croft)
28th
Wanstead Flats: singing Willow Warbler and young bird (first autumn returns), Lesser Whitethroat, Linnet, 4 House Martin, 4 Skylark, 2 Meadow Pipit, Kestrel (Nick Croft/Sean Dillon)
29th
Wanstead Flats: 1s f Peregrine Falcon giving the crows a doing over (again!) for about 20 minutes, Hobby, 15+ Common Whitethroat, 10+ Chiffchaff, Linnet, House Martin, Meadow Pipit, singing Skylark, 3 Shoveler, Gadwall, Tufted Duck mother flew off from Jubilee while I was there leaving her 4 young to fend for themselves + the mallard chick (Nick Croft)
30th
Wanstead Flats: Yellow Wagtail, 3 Willow Warbler, 4 Lesser Whitethroat, 10 + Chiffchaff, Swallow, 6+ House Martin, 4 Swift, Sparrowhawk with prey, Kestrel, Shoveler, Gadwall, 2 Meadow Pipit, 3 Skylark (Tony Brown/Nick Croft/James Heal)
Wanstead Park: 1s Treecreeper, Kingfisher, 2 Sparrowhawk, 10 + Swift, 4 House Martin, Jersey Tiger (Nick Croft/James Heal)
31st
Wanstead Flats: 2 Garden Warbler, 3 Willow Warbler, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 10+ Chiffchaff, Linnet, Skylark, Kestrel (Nick Croft/Richard Rae)
Wanstead Park: Common Sandpiper (Rob Sheldon); 1s Treecreeper still Bush Wood (could be 2 birds) (Bob Vaughan) 3 Common Sandpiper reported on Perch
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