[Deb London]

Hi Digbert,

I just couldn't resist trying for the HH Bittern today, and I wasn't disappointed. Very elusive at first then it came out a little way.

Very rewarding.

Deb

[Digbert Doobrey]

17/2/2012

Had a great day out birding yesterday up at Holkham and Titchwell. Highlights included my first Rough-legged Buzzard, a flypast Bittern and a hunting Barn Owl.

On friday I also couldn't resist going for the Bittern on Hampstead Heath so I popped in on the way to work to the ponds for a quick look. I remember reading something about the bird being seen at the sanctuary and the 'ladies' pond so I headed for that area. However a 43 year old bloke stalking around the 'ladies pond' with a pair of binoculars might take some explaining so I didn't linger. Having already got a Treecreeper I quickly moved over to the sanctuary pond and bumped into some other birders so I knew I must be in the right place and what do you know Bingo! up pops the Bittern skulking around the edge of the reed bed. It looked like it had grabbed an early frog and was showing quite well considering how well marked they are. Anyway thanks to the other birders for helping to find the bird. I couldn't linger as I had to put in the hours in the cab (was that you Deb who was there? Around 11am?). There was also a distant Shoveler at the far end of the lake.

I've had brief views of Bitterns at Lakenheath, Minsmere and Fishers Green. One showed very well at Barnes albeit at a distance but this was perhaps my best view ever and it will be hard to match this as 2012's top birding moment for my London list.

51. Treecreeper

52. Bittern

53. Shoveler

[Deb London]

Hi DD,

T'wasn't me you saw, I was there a few hours later than that. Ha, ha, I felt the same at the Men's pond, though I guess it would look less of a threat, and more, well, erm, desperate, LOL.

Has every birder in London been to see this Bittern I wonder.

I thought Titchwell was fantastic for birds when I went last year. I'd go just for the walk through the different habitats to the sea - beautiful.

Never seen a Rough-legged Buzzard in my life, though I need spot a few more BOPs before I feel I can gain my "qualified to identify an RLB" badge. Well done you - you must be chuffed!

Keep up the good work - enjoying the thread.

Deb

[Digbert Doobrey]

Originally Posted by Deb London

Never seen a Rough-legged Buzzard in my life, though I need spot a few more BOPs before I feel I can gain my "qualified to identify an RLB" badge. Well done you - you must be chuffed!

Keep up the good work - enjoying the thread.

Deb

Thanks. I went on an RSPB club coach trip so I had help from around 30 other people to ID the Buzzard! Once you get your eye in you can notice the white on the rump and tail and the overall paler appearance. We had word that there were a few flying around Holkham so they weren't altogether unexpected.

With regards to the Bittern does anyone know when the last one was seen on the Heath?

[Digbert Doobrey]

28/2/2012

Had a bit of time to spare so I nipped into Hampstead Heath to see if I could get another look at the Bittern. No such luck but just an hour and a half walking around the area of the sanctuary was still very productive;

Great Crested Grebe
Mute Swan
Mallard
Tufted Duck
Shoveler
Mandarin
Kestrel
Coot
Moorhen
Black-headed Gull
Ring-necked Parakeet
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Wood Pigeon
Stock Dove
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Goldcrest
Jackdaw
Magpie
Jay
Carrion Crow
Wren
Chaffinch

...that I can remember

So that gives me

54. Goldcrest

Managed to hear one somehow above all that parakeet squarking and found it bobbing around the numerous Robins.

Also saw a Kestrel flying around Russell Square earlier. Probably the same one I had around a month ago at Corum Fields.

[lazza]

Great thread... even though I live nearly 300 miles away, it's good to hear what can be seen while doing your day (or night?!) job with just a bit of extra care :)

In fact, I found this thread because I was in London yesterday for work to meet a customer. I guess I should've read it before I came down, but still....!

In fact, I took a decision to walk some of the way back into London from up near Finchley, by way of Big Wood and Little Wood, and then across Hampstead Heath. So if you were there late afternoon, and saw a bloke in a suit with a pair of bins, trying to avoid the mud and take photos of a green woodpecker with an ipad.... it was me! I was amazed actually at how enormous Hampstead Heath is... and at how much I saw in 2 hours wandering around: 24 species, plus one heard-but-not-seen

[Digbert Doobrey]

Thanks. Haven't birded there much myself until this year but now I've been pleasantly surprised I will check it out more often. The Bittern they've had has certainly put it on London's birding map if it wasn't already on it. Apologies to regulars who have birded there for years!

Would love to get a Water Rail and a Woodcock would be a lifer. Anyone give me a tip on the best way of spotting one?

[Trystan]

Originally Posted by Digbert Doobrey

10/1/12

Found a little bit of time today to grab my bins and go for a quick walk along the regents canal at the north end of regents park. This is one of my boltholes in London when I get the chance to stretch my legs and do a bit of birding. I might make it my 'patch' for this year as it meets some criteria needed for such a spot namely;

1. Theres a cab rank close by so I don't have to pay to park.
2. Secluded spot with a canal running through it. Birds like water dont they!
3. Its close to the London Zoo bird aviary. If I get fed up with the Moorhens and Mallards I can look at the Sacred Ibis and Whistling Ducks and imagine I'm somewhere I've only dreamed of going to.
4. It only has a small amount of empty beer cans per square metre lying around.

Anyhow this is what I managed today;

22. Moorhen

23. Blue Tit

24. Egyptian Goose

Somewhere someone in Southern England was staring at flocks of Canada Geese and feral Greylag Geese and prayed really hard that some of them just for once could turn into something more exotic. And guess what, his prayers were answered by a genie or Gandalf or Yoda or something and thats why, at random locations throughout the capital and Southern England we have Egyptian Geese. Isn't that nice.

25. Chaffinch

26. Long-tailed Tit

Little darlings aint they. And they're everywhere these days.

27. Song Thrush

Are the Egyptian geese in Hyde Park tickable, I saw them last week but wasn't sure of their situation?

[Deb London]

Originally Posted by Digbert Doobrey

Thanks. Haven't birded there much myself until this year but now I've been pleasantly surprised I will check it out more often. The Bittern they've had has certainly put it on London's birding map if it wasn't already on it. Apologies to regulars who have birded there for years!

Would love to get a Water Rail and a Woodcock would be a lifer. Anyone give me a tip on the best way of spotting one?

The best view of a Water Rail I've had was at the LWC - in one of the pond-dipping ponds in cold weather. I was there first thing. I see them at Brent Reservoir reasonably regularly. Any time of day. If you are ever at Wanstead Park, then I can give you the exact spot where at least one was seen regularly last year, though not sure if it's there. But it was near the road. As well as reeds, they seem to like muddy banks under low branches.

Only ever seen Woodcock twice. I was told to walk the paths of Epping Forest before the dog walkers were out - which is very early. Didn't see them there mind you. But I agree with the principle, early walks or in places where no one's been that day have worked or me. Pure luck. Unless you know a roding spot that is.

[Digbert Doobrey]

Originally Posted by Trystan

Are the Egyptian geese in Hyde Park tickable, I saw them last week but wasn't sure of their situation?

These were flying over the regents canal. They have breeding pairs in Hyde Park and they are certainly tickable as there is no collection there. I presume some of these wander across London now and then.

I've also seen Bar-headed and Barnacle geese wandering around the lake in Regent's park but I couldn't possibly tick those as they have strayed from the collection area. I hate collections. Why bother? That part of Regents Park could be used to increase the natural area and provide more reedbeds for warblers and Water Rails to breed in.

Its not as if the general public care whether they are looking at Mallards and Tufties or Smew and Eider is it?

[Digbert Doobrey]

Originally Posted by Deb London

The best view of a Water Rail I've had was at the LWC - in one of the pond-dipping ponds in cold weather. I was there first thing. I see them at Brent Reservoir reasonably regularly. Any time of day. If you are ever at Wanstead Park, then I can give you the exact spot where at least one was seen regularly last year, though not sure if it's there. But it was near the road. As well as reeds, they seem to like muddy banks under low branches.

Only ever seen Woodcock twice. I was told to walk the paths of Epping Forest before the dog walkers were out - which is very early. Didn't see them there mind you. But I agree with the principle, early walks or in places where no one's been that day have worked or me. Pure luck. Unless you know a roding spot that is.

Thanks for that. Trouble is Brent Reservoir, Wanstead Park and Epping forest are all outside my 'zone' rules.

I'll just have to concentrate on Hampstead Heath until I get over to Barnes and, as Shaw Taylor used to say, "keep em peeled".

[Trystan]

Originally Posted by Digbert Doobrey

These were flying over the regents canal. They have breeding pairs in Hyde Park and they are certainly tickable as there is no collection there. I presume some of these wander across London now and then.

I've also seen Bar-headed and Barnacle geese wandering around the lake in Regent's park but I couldn't possibly tick those as they have strayed from the collection area. I hate collections. Why bother? That part of Regents Park could be used to increase the natural area and provide more reedbeds for warblers and Water Rails to breed in.

Its not as if the general public care whether they are looking at Mallards and Tufties or Smew and Eider is it?

Thanks for the info, I counted 11 egyptian geese when I was there, I'll stick them on the year list!

Entirely agree with you about collections but I think the general public probably get more out of them than they would a reedbed unfortunately.

Nice thread by the way!

[Digbert Doobrey]

Originally Posted by Trystan

Entirely agree with you about collections but I think the general public probably get more out of them than they would a reedbed unfortunately.

Yeah that is very true but the general public have plenty of ducks, geese and swans to look at or feed on the main lake in the park. In fact if you look at the collection area there is hardly anyone around there.

Anyway never mind. I'm sure it keeps someone happy. Its just that seeing a male smew in all its finery in the middle of summer in Regents park looks bizarre and a little bit sad in truth.

Not much birding going on at the moment. Business is slow and the weather is a bit up and down. Saw a male blackcap from my flat window yesterday. Doubt if its an early migrant as I've had one overwinter around here these past two years. It may have been the same bird.

[Digbert Doobrey]

I had a Coot in the back of my cab!

On monday me and my partner Sandra had a bit of time to kill so we took a little walk around Regents Park lake. Amongst the many waterfowl we spotted an injured coot that was struggling to feed and was being attacked by other coots in that ruthless way of theirs. Sandra wanted to rescue the bird and get it attended to by the wardens. Despite my pleas that this wasn't going to end well she managed to grab the coot.

We couldn't find a warden so I told her to jump in the cab and we would look for one. Couldn't find one so eventually I drove round to the park offices to find someone. In the meantime the coot had managed to peck away at Sandra's hand and also made a direct hit on her top lip which drew blood. So she had let go of the bird. Believe me it is a bizarre and funny sight to turn round and see a coot sitting on your back seat!

Anyway the guy at the offices I spoke to said it would take the wildlife warden two hours to get there and he would only put the coot down when he arrived. By now the only thing left in the cab was the coot flapping around so I decided to let it go back over one of the ponds away from other coots. It probably wont be seeing another summer but at least it had a ride in a London taxi before it goes to birdy heaven. How many other coots can say that!

55. Common Pochard

Loads of them in Regents park.

[Digbert Doobrey]

20/3/2012

Had a quick look around Walthamstow reservoirs yesterday. Only the ones below Ferry Lane as I can't get access to those north of it. Anyway I have to be careful there as the six mile radius cuts right through that area and anything I see there (like escaped Lanner falcons) cannot be counted. However there is plenty south of Ferry Lane to keep you busy including the spectacular Heronry. As the banks are raised its easy to get a level view of the nests and see the young Herons being fed by the adults. Theres also a few Little Egret nests in there too. I was hoping for some winter wildfowl like Goldeneye but it seems I may have left it too late now so will nip in again for those at the end of the year.

Checking the websites show that the local patch workers turn up some great stuff there so check the place if you ever get the chance. Its just a stone's throw from Tottenham Hale tube.

56. Reed Bunting

57. Chiffchaff

First Warblers this year. Quite a few birds calling. Managed to find a very 'showy' pair flitting around the stream at the southern end.

58. Little Grebe

Several pairs around the reservoirs.

59. Little Egret

Is this the only inner London site for these birds? I don't think they've had them yet at Barnes.

Loads of other stuff spotted too such as a Kingfisher, pair of GS Woodpeckers bothering a Kestrel (unsuccessfully), Shelduck and displaying GC Grebes.

[Digbert Doobrey]

Trying very hard not to be jealous of all those Buzzard and Red Kite sightings that are being reported in the London area. I keep looking but not a sausage.

Gotta be one flying over kings Cross station soon!

[Digbert Doobrey]

27/3/2012

60. Grey Wagtail

Camley Street Nature Park. Not exactly the Masai Mara or even Minsmere but - if you can ignore the building works going on at Kings Cross - a peaceful little oasis of tranquility in this fair city. Its never going to give you a huge list of birds but I enjoy popping in there now and again just to see how a little ecosystem can be created on a tiny piece of land in such a built up area. You can observe nesting birds in there such as Wrens, Blackbirds and Coots and there is a chance of something a little rarer popping up. Last year I had a Sedge Warbler in the reeds and yesterday I found a very confiding Grey Wagtail bobbing around the pond.

One day I swear I will get a Black Redstart on top of the buildings on the other side of the canal.

[Digbert Doobrey]

1/4/2012

Got out for an early run this morning so had a quick stop at Berkeley Square. Five times round the square is a nautical mile so I often do that to stretch the legs. Its a very public square but the north west corner remains a little overgrown so when I passed a bit of scrub there I couldn't believe my ears when I heard that gorgeous and unmistakeable song. Peering in I just managed to get a brief glimpse of a singing Nightingale. At first I thought it was a bit early for such a bird but the view I had gave me no doubt.

Along with the Hampstead Heath Bittern that was definately one of this year's birding highlights.

61. Nightingale

[TwoDipsfromAmsterdam]

No surprise there Digbert, given the date.



David

[Digbert Doobrey]

9/4/2012

Got a job to Bow yesterday so had a quick look at the bow creek nature reserve and the east india dock basin. Saw a pair of Tufted Duck with red markers on their bills. Not sure what thats all about but I think one of the markers had 'SA4' written on it. There is a blog site which covers the area stating there is a Portugese Tufted duck around with a saddle on it so maybe thats what I saw. Dont know much about bird ringing or Tufted ducks from Portugal but perhaps someone reading this does?

To get to the nature reserve I parked on the other side of the Docklands railway which means walking through the tunnel underneath. A bit un-nerving with the local hoodies around doing whatever hoodies do in a tunnel on a wet bank holiday afternoon but I was pleasantly rewarded with a couple of additions to the list;

61. Common Sandpiper

It was a very high tide but I managed to spot seven in a loose flock on the concrete banks of the Lea.

62. Linnet

A pair flew up in front of me on the grassy area just before the entrance.

[TwoDipsfromAmsterdam]

Digbert

Here's a link that may be of some use re the nasal saddle you saw. I had one on a Tufted Duck near Utrecht last year and it turned out to have been marked in western France.
http://www.pt-ducks.com/nasalsaddles.htm

David

[Digbert Doobrey]

Cheers for that. I must say they dont do the ducks any favours visually. I thought they were deformed or hybrids or I'd spotted a rare vagrant. Poor little dears. Still, not much point in ringing their feet. When was the last time you saw a Tufties plates of meat.

Anyway took a day off today out into the countryside and did what I love doing the most. I picked a reserve I hadn't been to before in the hope of finding something new. This time it was Weeting Heath to try for a Stone Curlew and got one almost straight away thanks to the help of the warden and a bloke in the hide who already had it in his scope. Much appreciated guys if by chance you get to read this.

Sorry not much to do with birding in London from a cab I know but I've got to have days out like this to retain sanity.

[Digbert Doobrey]

21/4/2012

I haven't done much birding in town recently other than sticking my head out of the cab now and then to see if any of those gulls high up were raptors (no such luck). Yesterday I had cracking views of a male Sparrowhawk in a tree outside my taxi garage round the back of Wood Green. I saw a hirundine at a distance flying over Regents Park the other day but it was too far for an id. Probably a Swallow judging by size.

Today whilst on a job driving through Hyde Park I saw a gorgeous Mistle Thrush feeding on the verge so on the way back I thought I'd stop off, grab my bins, and have a quick walk around the north end of the Serpentine. I was hoping for a Common Tern or some hirundines but what I got was something totally unexpected and, well, blew my socks off I can tell you. Just a brief look around gave me the following;

Mute Swan
Cormorant
Grey Heron
Great Crested Grebe
Canada Goose
Egyptian Goose
Mallard
Tufted Duck
Mandarin
Moorhen
Coot
Herring Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Feral Pigeon
Wood Pigeon
Stock Dove
Ring-necked Parakeet (bloody things!)
Robin
Blackbird
Chiff-Chaff
Blackcap
Pied Flycatcher!!!!!
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Carrion Crow
Magpie
Jay
Goldfinch
Chaffinch

So thats...

63. Pied Flycatcher

I sat down on a bench where there is an large opening right onto the bank of the lake. It's just before you get to the next opening that has the statue of Peter Pan behind you. It is concreted over and often has the usual mix of tourists and regular park users milling around but today was not so busy. I was scanning the bank opposite. I had heard the sharp trilling of a Little Grebe but couldn't find the bird. I then noticed a small bright bird flitting around the branches of a tree around 15 feet off the ground. At first I thought it was a Wheatear but then I caught sight of a small black and white bird and its plummage was very distinct (and in any case Wheatears in my experience dont flit around in the branches). I had clear views albeit at a distance and could not believe my luck. The bird I was looking at was a male Pied Flycatcher and moved around several branches at the front of the tree for a minute or so before flying further back and deeper into the foliage. A real cracker of a bird and I couldn't stop grinning to myself for the rest of the day.

Using my mobile I put the bird on that London bird club wiki website so hopefully anyone who birds the park regularly could try for it. I'm guessing the bird is passing through on migration to the west country so no idea how long it will be in the park. I've seen Pied Flycatchers before in Spain but thats a tick for me in the UK.

64. Blackcap

I saw two males, one singing by the top end of the serpentine, and one close to the feeding station next to the RSPB noticeboard.

[George London]

Nice, never seen a pied flycatcher and I live about half a mile away congrats!

Are you going to put some kind of identifier on your cab? Don't really feel that comfortable asking every cab driver... Are you the knowledge birder?!!

Have you seen the charing cross peregrine? Webcam video is just the best although you need to refresh every five mins which is tedious, but worth it. Either way you need to see it for real...

Thanks for a great thread. George

PS my train gets to kings cross at 8.15 ha ha!

[Digbert Doobrey]

Thanks for your comments.

Not sure the carriage office would appreciate me putting an identifier on the cab. Or the garage for that matter as I went back to renting. My own cab kept braking down! If you ever get in my cab you might notice one or two birding magazines or books in the luggage compartment next to my seat. Or just check to see if the driver is gazing up at the sky or into nondescript bushes and not concentrating on the road in front.

Not seen the charing cross peregrine. Is that actually at Charing Cross or the hospital on Fulham Palace road near the wetland centre as I know peregrines are often seen on that building? Last year I saw peregines flying around the buildings by the M40 westway flyover at Paddington but I haven't seen them this year. Do they still have them at the Tate Modern as I haven't seen them yet either?

8.15. A great time to check for birds but its way too early for me to be out working sorry!

Off to Menorca on friday for ten days so unless I finally catch up with the summer stuff thats arriving over the next few days on the road (what chance a wheatear, there seems to be quite a few popping up in the capital this spring) then it will be a bit quiet on here for a while. Will bore you all with my trip report of yellow-legged gulls and tawny pipits around the middle of the month.