London: Bird Viewing Help (1 Viewer)

Hi Bird watchers,

I recently moved from the west country down to London, due to a new job posting. Can any one help me find or recommend a spot where I can bird watch in London. I dont mind travelling!

I'm sure the London birders on here will give you a few less obvious pointers, but I always thought the WWT London Wetlands centre at Barnes looked worth a look one day... http://www.wwt.org.uk/visit-us/london

Hi James

Depends whereabouts in London you are really, but have a look in Opus, there's a few articles there for different parts of London.

Hope these help to get you started.

D

Hiya James

Welcome to the big smoke!

As Pete pointed out, the Barnes WWT centre is very good and I definitely recommend it. Some other London birding locales are covered in the Opus article supplied by Delia, but adding to those I can suggest Rainham Marshes out to the east by train from Fenchurch Street. It is still technically in London, but getting towards Essex. It's an RSPB reserve and some excellent birding can be had there. It also has a good visitor centre.

Richmond Park has also been mentioned, which is good. Around the Pen Pond in the middle is good for the odd wildfowl (even smew has been known in the winter). Then close by is Wimbledon Common, also good for birding.

London is also full of commons and heaths (Hampstead Heath being an excellent example - Bill Oddie lives near there and very often birds on the Heath) and the like, which can provide a little oasis of greenery amongst all the suburbs. These too offer some birding potential, although the earlier in the day the better before all those parks become busy with human activity and the birds go to ground.

As a rule if I'm birding in London, I usually get up early and spend an hour or so on Wandsworth Common, then get the train up to Barnes as the WWT opens at 9.30 and spend the day in that area, mostly at the WWT centre itself but also checking out Barnes Common (if it's not too busy), but also along the river where you can get some surprises.

Hope that helps!

Hope that helps.

Your best first port of call should probably be here:

http://londonbirders.wikia.com/wiki/London_Bird_Club_Wiki

David Callahan said:

Your best first port of call should probably be here:

http://londonbirders.wikia.com/wiki/London_Bird_Club_Wiki

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I was going to post this too. The London Birders email group is interesting for local bird chatter, but the Wiki is definitely the place to go for news and site info.

Whereabouts in London are you based?

Tom

Giddyone said:

Hiya, if you're up in the north or north east area you can take a trip out to Rye Meads RSPB reserve, that's a great place to go whatever the season. If you're over in the west of town you can take a trip out to Rickmansworth, The Stockers Lake & it's surrounds are also a lovely place to go, this time of the year is good for Smew & Goosanders in particular, in summer the reedbeds are alive with Sedge & Reed Warblers whereas the woods are alive with Willow Warbler & Chiffchaff amongst many others. Please tell us where you'll be living (as one of the other posters said) then it will be easier for us to suggest places, Cheers :t:

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Agree with Stocker's Lake, really nice place to go.

As mentioned London WWT a good place.

Also Rainham Marshes excellent place as something unusual usually turns up, they've still got Tundra Bean up there at the moment. Other recent sightings have been Great Skua, Slavonian Grebe, Glaucous Gull, Iceland Gull, Med Gull, Whooper Swan. The usual waders are there; Plovers/Dunlins/Godwits etc

Here's the link to the London Birder Latest News page http://londonbirders.wikia.com/wiki/LatestNews

Bird Viewing!

Thanks every one, will check out one these spots asap.
:eat:

http://www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/herts/reserves/amwell.htm is worth checking out if your near to Liverpool Street or Tottenham hale. Change at Broxbourne and alight at St Margarets.
regards,
Jono

If you can travel a little way the KWT reserve at Sevenoaks. It's quite near to the Bat & Ball train station.

If you are in South London, you're only an hour or so away from the Medway, Sheppey (Elmley, Shellness etc) and the The Swale (Oare Marshes, South Swale)