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