Beckton Sewage Works

Jan 1st 2026



I kicked off the new year with a visit to Beckton on the 1st, a very cold morning but good to be out nonetheless in the sunshine.

Looking round to start the year list off, I caught up with all the usual wader suspects on the mud, Curlew, Redshank, Black Tailed Godwit and Common Sandpiper.

Accessing the entrance track, bright sunshine had brought out many Chiffchaffs looking for flies etc on the outlet walls. Added to this were various Wagtails, Long Tailed Tits and even a Goldcrest.

Heading down to the Nature Reserve, I had all the Christmas food leftovers in the car, in this cold, birds really suffer as we know, even as I put it down Robins, Great and Blue Tits were turning up next to me in the bushes.

Old and even young birds will often succumb to the minus temperatures overnight, if they can't build up enough body fat during the day.

Moving on, lots of Meadow Pipits around on the frozen ground and both Common Buzzard and Kestrels were also seen.



I visited again on Jan 4th and added a few others, Wigeon likely the best bird as its hard to get here.

From the 2 visits I finished on 55 species, the total for 2025 was 98 so a ways to go yet, April onwards will see the arrival of the summer migrants which will bolster the numbers, hopefully 100 species will be achievable this year.

                                       Taken at night, birds flying across the face of the moon

                                              Common Buzzard getting the Crow treatment

                                                                 Common Sandpiper

                                                                  Green Sandpiper

                                                             Unfortunate Grey Heron

Filming with a Legend

 

Happy New Year, everyone! Hope you had a great Christmas break.

On May 15th 2025 my good buddies Paul Hawkins, Shaun Harvey and myself were lucky enough to film alongside Sir David Attenborough at the Houses of Parliament, a once in a lifetime experience that none of us will ever forget. Such a privilege to see the great man at work, incredibly knowledgeable as you would expect and such a presence.

Amongst other wildlife filmed it shows Sir David, a long time hero of mine and no doubt many others, narrating on Parliaments Peregrines. In particular, with excellent footage all round, it shows him featuring with one of the 4 chicks. An incredible professional as ever even at his age – 99 ! , the whole scene was all done in one take!

The clip with the chick and him talking to it in his distinctive voice, especially when it looked up, absolutely put a smile on everybody’s face in the room.

It was shown on New Years Day and called Wild London, it is now available on iPlayer.

Also with us that day was Tom Maher from Parliament. Tom’s been managing the peregrine project since they first arrived in 2008, and I know it was a pretty special experience for him, too. His dedication has been a huge part of the birds’ success over the years.

All was undertaken and covered under Schedule 1 licence, and with the agreement of NaturalEngland/BTO, whom I was in contact with. This was to ensure that no extra stress occurred, to chicks or adults, and the process was all undertaken as quickly and efficiently as possible.

As it happened, neither adult were aware of the colour ringing process of the 4 chicks, although they had the Riverside Tower nest site in view at all times, the chicks were unseen as both were resting up behind on Central Spire.

Last year, as well as their BTO metal and white colour ring, all 4 chicks were swabbed for DNA, myself, Paul and Shaun have been doing this at every Peregrine nest site.

DNA logging is to combat Wildlife Crime, the idea being a massive UK database is being created, to eventually register all peregrine nests/sites, so that if any illegal activity comes to light, the DNA data will prove origins and if a wild bird or not.

In the footage, you’ll see one of them getting stuck below the nest site. Juveniles have a knack for getting into trouble after they leave the nest—getting trapped or even falling prey to predators.

To wrap up, it was an incredible day, though there were a few stressful moments for all of us just hoping everything would come together. After all, you’re working with nature, and things don’t always go to plan!

Note to self: smile more!

                                                            Paul and Shaun swabbing

Paul, Shaun, Sir David, myself and Tom

                                                                          Swabbing

                                                                 Getting ready to film

                                                 Sir David's Chick coming down for ringing

                                                               The great man at work

Battersea December 14th 2025

A great weekend of weather, with plenty of sunshine at long last. Although it was cold in the mornings, Sunday delivered a lovely sunrise.

The first bird I encountered was the female Peregrine. With no male present since May to bring in prey, she is now entirely reliant on her own hunting skills. Her roosting spot remains unchanged: well sheltered from the wind and benefiting from residual warmth from the brickwork, allowing her to stay fluffed up and warm throughout the night. Sadly, her breeding days are now behind her.

Due to her age, her last brood was in 2021, when she successfully fledged three juveniles. Nevertheless, since her arrival at the Power Station in 2012, she has been an exceptional female, raising and fledging an impressive total of 26 juveniles.

After seeing off a Crow from her territory, she made a direct line towards the crane across the river and began hunting. A flock of Ring-necked Parakeets was targeted, but unfortunately the attempt was unsuccessful. On bright days hunting can be more challenging, as prey tends to spot her earlier and evade more easily. In this instance, the parakeets dived into the trees across the river.

Whether loved or loathed, Ring-necked Parakeets are a non-native species that were accidentally introduced and here to stay. They can cause significant damage to trees and shrubs, particularly during the budding season. Their size and aggressive behaviour also mean that native hole-nesting species—such as Great, Blue and Coal Tits, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Robin, Wren and Nuthatches—are often displaced, which is far from ideal. Peregrines, however, are particularly fond of them.

Leaving her to continue hunting, I moved on to survey the wider area, starting at the Coaling Jetty. Grey and Pied Wagtails were present, roosting in the riverside Buddleia, all quickly dispersed to forage as they usually do. I then visited the roof gardens, where the female Black Redstart was present, along with Goldfinch, Blue and Great Tits, Wren, and a good number of Robins dotted around.

I also spent time looking for the Kestrel. I am fairly confident I would have seen him if he were present, it’s possible that he has moved on.

Moving on to the pre-construction area again produced the highest number of sightings, unsurprising given the complete lack of disturbance. The pair of Black Redstarts were present as usual, and nest boxes will soon be installed for them.

I finished the morning with 28 species recorded, a good result considering the habitat loss resulting from the Ice Rink footprint. The year list now stands at 47 species seen or heard, while the life list sits at 98—tantalisingly close to the target of 100.

Next month, I will be cleaning out all existing nest boxes and relocating a few where necessary. With uptake increasing year on year, I am hopeful that this season will be no different.

Happy New Year to everyone.