Beckton Sewage Works

 

Catching up on October visits and the pale Common Buzzard is still hanging around; I caught a bit of interaction between it and one of the resident pair, so possibly looking to perhaps displace one. Not sure just how territorial Common Buzzards are outside of the breeding season, peregrines yes, they are aggressive and a handful to other peregrines or large birds of prey at any time of year if they come to near.

The Kestrel pair are territorial to site, as you can imagine the Sewage Works is a massive area with enough habitat on site to hunt and forage, there is no need to extend their boundaries. It is so large, Europe’s largest sewage works, it’s likely that there could even be another pair, keep seeing another regular male on the fringe. 

They have just started to visit the nest box a little more recently, Magpies being Magpies have also visited looking for prey scraps no doubt.

Chiffchaff numbers are starting to build for the winter, the Sewage works are a major wintering area, it will be interesting to see if the Siberian shows again.

Ringing

 

Back in September I was able to attend a ringing session with my 2 buddies Paul and Shaun, both as you know ringers, Shaun fairly recently.

I have been to others with them before previously if I recall, but struggling to get free time these days due to Peregrine stuff, so this was a welcome visit from the norm.

Getting close up to the intricate details on a bird is very eye opening I have to say in the hand, you simply don’t get to see this close just how stunning they are.

During the course of the morning the boys caught a good number of birds including Great, Blue and Long Tailed Tit, Blackcap, Wren, Common Whitethroat, Greenfinch and Cettis Warbler.

All cracking looking birds at any time, seen close up even better, the pick of the morning however has got to go to Lesser Whitethroat and Spotted Flycatcher, little stunners. 

A very enjoyable morning.