Barking Gulls April 3rd

Barking Outfall has for the last 10 or 15 years or so hosted a very large Herring and Lesser Black Backed Gull colony. I suspect that in the last 5 years or so it has grown to be the largest colony of both species in London, at breeding time it is a spectacular and impressive sight.

The colony looking south.(Click on photo's too enlarge)

I visited the colony this morning, watching from around 100 metres away, even at this range, looking through binoculars they became aggressive and I was mobbed for my troubles. It appears none are on eggs as yet, but many are paired up and occupying there nest spot.

Part of the colony

Eastern end

I did a random count of the pairs/singles present on the large jetty and also surrounding structures, reaching a very impressive 67 pairs of Lesser Black Backed and 46 of Herring, these were of the ‘ static’ pairs, there were many other singles milling around and absent on other parts of the Thames Water site. The figure will be far higher and more accurate when I can count incubating birds.

Red colour ringed Herring Gull, left leg, anyone got any idea where this would be from?

Barking Outfall

Pair of Oystercatchers still present at low tide, with Teal now down to 27 pair. The Creek held a calling Cetti’s Warbler along with 2 Blackcap singing in a nearby copse.

As I was driving out of the Thames Water site I had a 1st year male/female Black Redstart fly across the road, a welcome addition to the list, this has to be a migrant passing through to London, as far as I am aware they have never bred here, but have wintered.

Barking Bay

Wheatears at last – 2 found on the open area of land adjacent to the green sward. Other additions for the year came in the shape of Green Sandpiper, Little Grebe, Chiffchaff and 2 Common Tern up and down off Crossness.

Wheatears

Shelduck were everywhere pairing up and prospecting Rabbit holes and Skylark numbered at least 6 singing birds.

Unusual sight of 3 Song Thrushes in low grass, flushed and then flew high together west, possible migrants.

Pair of Shelduck

Grey Heron

Ingrebourne Valley April 2nd

Out at dawn in search of migrants, a lovely bright morning with the Valley really starting to come to life, makes you feel better to see summer coming. I definitely was not feeling better due to the monthly birders drink the night before, legs and head were on auto pilot and driving me forward into the wilderness.

The viewing area at dawn

As you can imagine many species are now singing well, 10 Chiffchaffs were recorded on a round robin route taking in the viewing area, Berwick Ponds and Reservoir and returning back through the horse paddocks. Blackcaps were also on the up with 8 heard singing.

Cetti's Warbler

Male Reed Bunting going for it.

Only a single Willow Warbler was heard but top migrant will go to an early Sedge Warbler heard singing off and on just beyond the green bridge. Easily my earliest by about a week.

Waders were represented by 3 Green Sandpipers and a Common Snipe in the viewing area early a.m, and then later 2 Redshank flyovers, still no sign of a Little Ringed Plover but I understand from mates that they have been seen. No Swallows as yet but 2 Sand Martins were over Berwick.

Very distant Green Sandpiper

Teal are still hanging on with 18 pair, mostly in the viewing area.

Ingrebourne Valley March 31st

A brief visit to the Reservoir produced the 1st Redshank of the year, still no Little Ringed Plovers but cant complain with the Redshank.

Pair on island

In flight

Stone Curlew - Barking Bay March 27th

Got very lucky this morning whilst searching for Little Ringed Plover and Wheatear, still cant find one, they do seem late this year, instead as I walked the Bay, a Stone Curlew came up in front of me.

Only my 2nd ever in London, and a very welcome addition to the patchlist.

Just come up

Click on photo's to enlarge

It came up at 10.54am off the large open area of earth as you walk east from the visitor centre, stayed low initially heading east before climbing and disappearing around a large hill on the site. Despite a good search for the next hour I could not relocate it. On its last seen heading going east, it would either take it to Rainham RSPB or it could have flicked over to Crossness, these offer the best suitable habitats. It was not seen to leave the site.

Climbing

Hopefully it will turn up again.It could have gone to ground somewhere in the Bay as there is excellent habitat there, I also understand they can be quite elusive and crouch down a lot so it is possible that it may still be present.

Just like Buses....Ingrebourne March 24th

The Ingrebourne Valley sometimes benefits from being a neighbor to Rainham Marshes as it is only 2 miles away, today was one of those days. Many species travel to the reserve along the Valley and vice versa, the habitat in the valley, although smaller is much more diverse, especially for breeding species.

Great Crested Grebe

For a number of years now I have been trying to catch up with a Mediterranean Gull from the overspill off the Tip at Rainham, what happens, 2 come along at the same time, both adults and most likely a pair. I would have very likely missed them if it wasn’t for them calling, a very distinctive call learnt from countless winter visits to the Pier at Southend. Last seen heading directly for Rainham Tip.

Mediterranean Gull above

All though I am not a Gull lover, must admit to Med Gull being on top of the list when it comes to seeing Gulls. Caspian is the next one I would like for the Valley, Berwick Reservoir would be a possible venue, identifying it is another matter, adult I think I will be ok with, this comes from countless cock ups involving Yellow Legged Gull. Immatures, no chance, just have not got the patience to learn all the plumages and features.

Supporting cast included a singing Blackcap, suspect it was a wintering bird as it couldn’t make its mind up to sing strongly or just sub- sing.

Nothing like a bit of sunshine to make you feel good

Grey Herons fishing in the viewing area

4 Common Buzzards up in the sunshine, they are now getting as common as Sparrowhawks, a very welcome sight, up high also were 33 Golden Plover. These were distant but it was clear to see that some are starting to coming into summer plumage, hopefully will be able to get some photo’s in the next few weeks.

Also seen or heard-

Yellowhammer - 4 singers

Sparrowhawks – pair displaying

Fieldfare – 80 flushed from an adjacent field by the Goodyear Blip

Siskin – 11 Berwick Glades

Small Tortoiseshell – 3 seen, have now seen more of these in the last week,than I did in all of last year. Hopefully it will be a good year for them.                                                                                                 

The adjoining airstrip housed the Goodyear Balloon from a couple of years ago, it looked like they were testing it, for such a large Balloon it was surprising to see how well it could manoeuvre as you can see from the photo below.

Climbing

Rainham RSPB March 21st

As yet, still no Wheatears despite a thorough search of there usual haunts on a walk round the Reserve, very pleasant in the sun and at last we seem to have turned the corner to Spring.

Marsh Frog - 1st of the year

Pair of Peregrines briefly copulating on a Pylon, had a look at them and recognized the female, having seen other singles and pairs over the last year hunting at Rainham, it looks as if a minimum of 2 pairs use the Reserve. There is also a hybrid knocking around, an absolutely enormous bird that dwarfs the Peregrines, I suspect it has Gyr/Saker origins, to see it harassing the Crows gives you an idea of its size.
Photo's from last year below.

Hybrid - absolutely dwarfed the local Crows

Big bird

A bonus to the walk was coming across 3 newly arrived Garganey on the Target Pools, 2 cracking drakes and a female, these were found earlier by Dave Smith.

Garganey

Previous to this had also had a site tick in the shape of a group of Waxwings in the Cordite area, although distantly scoped from the sea wall, there was no mistaking them with there crests as they fly catched from the Hornbeams.

Other sightings were of a Common Buzzard initially soaring quite low, and then pushed up higher and off the Reserve by a Rook, Crows you expect to mob Birds of Prey, but a little surprised on the Rook, especially as it was miles away from its nest site.

Common Buzzard and Rook

First sighting of Butterflies included 2 Comma’s and a Small Tortoiseshell.

Barking Bay March 20th

Still overcast and cold at dawn but cleared to hazy sunshine mid morning, not quite good enough for a large raptor but looked promising, at last spring seems to be arriving.

I had in mind early migrants Wheatear and Little Ringed Plover and despite a thorough search of the site, none gave themselves up.

Shelduck at dawn

Pick of the supporting cast was a flyby Avocet heading downriver, no doubt one of the lingering birds from February 20th, every year now they are getting more regular at Rainham RSPB, good to see. The only drawback with Avocets is that they disrupt other waders breeding close by, for such an elegant wader they can be quite aggressive.

Pair of Curlew

Curlew

Also seen was a flyby Kingfisher, Shelduck peaked at 145, a very good count, single Ringed Plover and 3 Dunlin.

Additionals were

9 Snipe

15 Oystercatchers – mostly Crossness

6 Black Tailed Godwit

11 Curlew

Redshank numbers were also quite high with 129 recorded.