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.

Battersea Latest

 

All looking good with the Peregrines  at the Power Station with the first signs of spring starting to kick in and smaller birds already starting to sing on site.

Accessing the Jetty on a falling tide last Saturday produced a singing Grey Wagtail, as with Pied Wagtails, both these species are annual breeders at the Power Station. Additional songsters were Chiffchaff and Great Tit, Goldfinches already seem to be paired and were investigating trees despite the low temperatures.

What was quite surprising was the number of Cormorants present on the river, many summer plumed with their white heads/crests, at one point there were over 40 fishing on a falling tide. What was very interesting also was the fact that more often than not, most were coming up with fish. They were not flatfish or Eels but something else, I am not up on my Fish but even this far up the Thames, it shows a healthier river.

If there are any fishy people out there, have a look at the photos, would be intrigued to know what species they are.

A fairly cold grey morning but lots of activity on the Peregrine front, as expected multiple visits within the new nest box as we fast approach breeding, more or less daily now.

It was an eventful morning for the pair, the Tiercel came in from the North with yet another Ring-Necked Parakeet, which as expected was quickly claimed by the Falcon who commenced feeding.

Whilst she fed another intruding Peregrine arrived from the South, fairly high but quickly dropped down to chimney height on seeing the Tiercel. He not surprisingly attacked the intruder with numerous dives and manoeuvres trying to see it off and out of territory, by now I had decided it was a female peregrine, although a little on the small side.

The Falcon was still oblivious to all of this, filling her crop up but eventually realised the drama unfolding overhead mostly towards the south chimneys, she was feeding on the north face. Before she went up however to challenge, rather amusingly, she cached what was left of the Parakeet in a position I suspect she hoped the Tiercel wouldn't find it - food first!

As she climbed up, I could see that she was bigger than the intruding female, who on sight of her visually, decided discretion was better than a confrontation and hastily headed west with our female hot on her tail. Smaller Tiercels are one thing, but a resident Falcon defending her core site and territory is another entirely, it will take a strong female to displace her.

                                                             Cached Black Headed Gull

                                                                         Tiercel

                                                          Caching before she goes up!

                                                       Arriving back having seen off  intruder

                                                          Tiercel and female intruder

                                                            Size difference apparent

The Falcon, now in her 12th year+ is holding on well though, egg laying I would suspect will be around the end of March/early April all being well due to her age, fingers crossed.

Rather amusingly, I also saw the Black Redstart briefly, mobbing and scolding the Falcon whilst she was feeding on the Parakeet, not a sight you see too often with both Power Stations Schedule 1 species together, a pity I was not quick enough with the camera.


Stop Press

Black Redstart singing on March 2nd, easily the earliest songster I have had on site, possibly despite the colder weather, a sign of global warming as I heard that others were heard in London.