Parliament March

 

I visited on Monday March 27th to catch up on them, not surprisingly given the weather of late, last Sundays proposed visit was a wash out. Monday was a better dawn and I located both on arrival, I also wanted to check on the new nest site.

As yet, as of 27th, they hadn’t laid and whilst I watched them, there was no activity around the new nest site, hopefully it will come. However they copulated a couple of times so the intent is there, it could be that a position has already been decided on. Full incubation usually starts on 3 eggs, with copulation ongoing and non-incubation by either bird, it is entirely possible that they could have laid 1 or 2 eggs somewhere, however there was no indication Monday morning. Time will tell.

As with many other sites that I have been visiting in March, an intruding Peregrine turned up, a Tiercel by size and tail length, high up both residents called and watched it intently whilst it circled Parliament aloft.

Eventually it was too much for the resident Tiercel, and he circled and climbed relentlessly before seeing off the rival.

                                                                 About to copulate

                                                                           Falcon

                                                       Spotted the Tiercel with prey

                                                           Falcon arriving to take prey

                                                                         Intruder!

                                                  Shortish Tail and Wings, likely a male

I will visit again soon, by then I should have the nest position, wherever it may be.

Battersea March Latest

 

A good visit last Sunday and a great dawn when I arrived around 5.45a.m which soon became quite an eventful visit.

Both Peregrines got the jump on me and had already left roost and had taken a Northern chimney apiece, body activity showed the urge to hunt, even from the Falcon with consistent head bobbing and turning. Eventually the Tiercel flew strongly South with the Falcon shortly after flying and climbing high East. As I tracked her with Bins, another bird eventually came into view, and I then lost her.

A short while later she returned back, laden down with prey, which remarkably turned out to be an unfortunate Woodcock.

These are on the prey list for the Power Station, currently standing at 46 species recorded on the cameras, they are a weak flying nocturnal species which normally move around at night. This bird sadly was flying in daylight across London, no doubt looking for somewhere to drop down to spend the day hidden.

After feeding and then caching the prey, the Tiercel then returned, both then copulated, no eggs as yet. As the morning moved on, I saw the pair come together, obviously agitated, and looking towards the heavens. My eyes are nowhere near as good as theirs, it took me a couple of minutes to eventually locate a 'dot' in the sky which materialised into an intruding female Peregrine as it got slightly lower. Far too high for them to waste energy going up to challenge it, they both watched it intently calling for all they were worth as it drifted off North. Intruding Peregrines are the norm in the run up to breeding as singles look for their own territory, or to challenge an established pairing.

Both then settled down, but before too long a small flock of Feral Pigeons turned up, around a dozen birds heading for the Refuse Centre from across the river to feed. Despite having cached prey, visually it was too much for the Peregrines who simultaneously went for them. There then ensued scattering pigeons all over the Northern Park, some just above my head as both peregrines pursued them. I actually the heard noise from her wings as she changed direction as she was so low, trying to follow them both with the camera tied myself up in knots but I got a few shots.

Spectacular stuff.

                                                            Cached Black Headed Gull

                                                                      Copulation

                                                                          Falcon

                                                               Falcon after a Pigeon

                                                          On her favoured feeding ledge

                                                            Unfortunate Woodcock

                                                                 Watching the intruder

                                                                          Tiercel

Elsewhere on site, breeding behaviour is also increasing for the smaller birds with a number of species becoming really active towards breeding.

The Roof Gardens again proved their attraction, with singing Black Redstart, Robin, Wren, Wood Pigeon, Chiffchaff and no less than 14 Goldfinches gracing the Birches!

I watched the Black Redstart for a little while, its early days, he is not singing from just one position, he is flying to different areas, even to Phase 3 to make sure he covers all the site. It’s likely that he has not got a female as yet.

The Goldfinches I could see were also flying up to the Sedum Roof's to forage, fantastic to see not just this many, but that all these habitats are working and have attracted a number of foraging species already.

                                                                        Goldfinch

Both species of Wagtail, Grey and Pied are still sorting themselves out on the river wall, it's looking like 2 pairs of Greys and one of Pied.

 

Red Crested Pochard and Blackwit

 

Each year, seemingly earlier and earlier presumably through global warming, Red Crested Pochards return to the Ingrebourne Valley in ever increasing numbers.

A few years back I can recall 3 turning up, a good record at the time, numbers have steadily increased however, on March 11th, I had a remarkable 10 birds. They will obviously disperse as per last year, 2022 was left with one pair who bred raising 4 Ducklings. Unfortunately none of these made it to decent size as I suspect all, or most were predated by Pike.

Last year I actually saw the Duck trying to defend the Ducklings, in the margins of the lake from the attention of a large Pike, talking to Anglers later confirmed they had seen this at other times as well with Tufted young.

Hopefully this year they can have more success.

                                                                    7 of the 10 RCP

                                                                      Grey Wagtail

On February 18th I had a really good count of Black Tailed Godwit at Beckton Sewage Works, one of which was a colour ringed individual. As you do, I photographed and sent off on this to see where it hailed from and its history, from the data below you will see it was a well-travelled Wader.

It was firstly rung on 25.5.2017 in Iceland, S Ice, Rangárvallasýsla, Eystri Rangá,Stóra Hof and there after to date, it has been seen and recorded 42 times.It shows the value of a colour ringing scheme and obviously provides so much data and information on the birds movements.

25.5.2017 Iceland, S Ice,Rangárvallasýsla,Eystri Rangá,Stóra Hof

2.8.2017 Ireland, S Ire, Cork, Clonakilty Bay, Clogheen Marsh

12.9.2017 England, E Eng, Essex, Blackwater estuary, Heybridge

16.9.2017 England, E Eng, Essex, Blackwater estuary, Heybridge

2.10.2017 England, E Eng, Essex, Thames estuary, Thurrock Thameside NP

3.10.2017 England, E Eng, Essex, Thames estuary, Thurrock Thameside NP

3.11.2017 England, SE Eng, Kent, Thames estuary, Cliffe Pools

30.12.2017 England, E Eng, Essex, Thames estuary, Thurrock Thameside NP

7.1.2018 England, E Eng, Essex, Thames estuary, Thurrock Thameside NP

19.1.2018 England, E Eng, Essex, Thames estuary, Thurrock Thameside NP

7.10.2018 England, E Eng, Essex, Thames estuary, Thurrock Thameside NP

26.10.2018 England, E Eng, Essex, Thames estuary, Thurrock Thameside NP

28.10.2018 England, E Eng, Essex, Thames estuary, Thurrock Thameside NP

12.1.2019 England, E Eng, Essex, Thames estuary, Thurrock Thameside NP

12.1.2019 England, E Eng, Essex, Thames estuary, Thurrock Thameside NP

24.2.2019 England, E Eng, Essex, Thames estuary, Thurrock Thameside NP

9.3.2019 England, E Eng, Essex, Thames estuary, Thurrock Thameside NP

9.3.2019 England, E Eng, Essex, Thames estuary, Thurrock Thameside NP

13.3.2019 England, E Eng, Essex, Thames estuary, Thurrock Thameside NP

13.3.2019 England, E Eng, Essex, Thames estuary, Thurrock Thameside NP

14.3.2019 England, E Eng, Essex, Thames estuary, Thurrock Thameside NP

25.3.2019 England, E Eng, Essex, Thames estuary, Thurrock Thameside NP

11.4.2019 England, E Eng, Essex, Thames estuary, Thurrock Thameside NP

12.4.2019 England ,E Eng, Essex, Thames estuary, Thurrock Thameside NP

18.4.2019 Iceland, E Ice, S-Múlasýsla, Álftafjörður, Starmýri

16.7.2019 England, E Eng, Norfolk ,North Norfolk, Titchwell

27.7.2019 England, E Eng, Norfolk, North Norfolk, Titchwell

11.9.2019 England, E Eng, Essex, Thames estuary, Thurrock Thameside NP

28.11.2019 England, E Eng, Essex, Thames estuary, Thurrock Thameside NP

30.11.2019 England, E Eng, Essex, Thames estuary, Thurrock Thameside NP

13.12.2019 England, E Eng, Essex, Thames estuary, Thurrock Thameside NP

13.7.2020 England, E Eng, Norfolk, North Norfolk, Cley

19.8.2020 England, E Eng, Essex, Blackwater estuary, Heybridge

23.8.2020 England, E Eng, Essex, Blackwater estuary, Heybridge

26.8.2020 England, E Eng, Essex, Blackwater estuary, Heybridge

23.9.2020 England, E Eng, Essex, Blackwater estuary, Heybridge

29.5.2021 Iceland, S Ice,Rangárvallasýsla,Eystri Rangá, Dýjanes

13.8.2022 England, E Eng, Norfolk, the Wash, Snettisham

22.8.2022 England, E Eng, Norfolk, North Norfolk, Titchwell

8.1.2023 England, E Eng, Essex, Thames estuary, Erith Pier

18.2.2023 England, E Eng, Essex, Thames Estuary, Beckton Sewage Works

27.2.2023 England, SE Eng, Kent, Thames estuary, Woolwich Arsenal

15.3.2023 42 records

Beckton March

 

All looking good with the Kestrels in the nest box, first used in 2018, this will be their 6th breeding season using the box, it’s getting a bit covered in guano from use so it will be cleaned in the Autumn.
The Sewage Works is a large site, I know there is another pair of Kestrels on the western edge of the site, as yet I haven’t pinned them down as to where they are nesting.

The resident Common Buzzards are around as usual, I have marked out some old Corvid nests before they disappear in the foliage, hopefully they will again breed. Quite remarkably, I have seen one of them sitting on a lamp post on the roundabout of the A13/North Circular nearby, it shows the species adaptability in a pretty urban environment. Good to see there fortunes change and a Raptor on the increase, you pretty much see them everywhere you go now.

The Sparrowhawk pair are elusive as ever, occasional flashes of the male, I am trying to catch them going aloft if we ever get any decent weather!

The Ravens are coming and going, I would expect lured in by McGraths Refuse on the Creek, it’s a big magnet for the Crows and large Gulls, so no doubt it will provide a food source for the big Corvid as well.

Remarkably I watched a pair of Oystercatchers nest site prospecting around the Tanks, one of them, no doubt the male was watching from the edge of the tank whilst she walked round at the base continually searching and dropping down forming a ‘scrape’. She did this in several positions looking to create a nest depression. They do nest in the craziest of places, they get predated on the Thames a lot so perhaps looking ‘inland’ for a new position.

Winter Thrushes are still on site, the pretty regular flock of Fieldfares is still with us on site, I would expect these to be making the trip back next month.