Birding around London in winter (1 Viewer)

[scary-canary]

A friend is visiting London this winter and wonders where to visit. Any suggestions? Any guides available for day trips?
Thanks Chris

 

[a_j_steele]

London wetland centre and rainham marshes are both pretty good in the winter and both doable by train, even the london parks are pretty good hyde parks my favourite

 

[scary-canary]

Thanks. Anyone else got any thoughts?
Chris

 

[davercox]

I learnt my winter ducks on the Staines reservoirs: a long while ago, but I bet they're still good. You can get to Staines by train from Waterloo, then walk northwards about a mile to the causeway.

 

[Alexjh1]

Depending on what you mean by around London - if they are willing to take a day trip out of London I'd suggest going to a site in North Kent - Oare Marshes, Elmley Marshes or the Coast alongside Herne bay are all great, a visit to them can easily rack up a very good selection of raptors, owls, waders and ducks with a chance of other bits and bobs like snow buntings, divers etc

 

[TOF Trev]

Rye meads is excellent, and only a short train ride from Liverpool St

 

[Xenospiza]

Where's your friend from? That might change the priorities.
As I used to live in Harlow, I have a northeastern bias...
Rainham, just a short walk from Purfleet Station, must be the best place to go in London. Some nice wet fields, good chances of Peregrine, Water Pipit along the Thames and more than enough gulls. Very well visited, so uncommon stuff gets found on a regular basis.
The Lea Valley has Goosander (Flood Relief Channel at Lower Nazeing, Holyfield Lake or (esp.) the smaller lakes between that and Broxbourne), Smew (best chances probably Amwell, Holyfield, Hooks Marsh) and Bittern (harder now because there is too much habitat, but Amwell is worth a try). I personally would not really bother with Rye Meads... I am less familiar with the locations in London proper (Girling Reservoir requires a good scope for the Black-necked Grebes wintering there). The reservoirs near Blackhorse Road Station might be worth a try. These places are all free, unlike the London Wetland Centre (which I never visited), but reaching some of them could be a bit troublesome.
Broxbourne Woods can have Crossbill, Hawfinch and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker esp. around Danemead, but it is rather hit and (more) miss! I never really bothered with Epping Forest, except Connaught Water which is good for escaped waterfowl...
Further afield Elmley etc. are indeed good options, as could be Southend Pier.
In London itself, I'd give the parks a miss and head for the museums instead!

 

[Alexjh1]

Where's your friend from? That might change the priorities.
As I used to live in Harlow, I have a northeastern bias...
Rainham, just a short walk from Purfleet Station, must be the best place to go in London. Some nice wet fields, good chances of Peregrine, Water Pipit along the Thames and more than enough gulls. Very well visited, so uncommon stuff gets found on a regular basis.
The Lea Valley has Goosander (Flood Relief Channel at Lower Nazeing, Holyfield Lake or (esp.) the smaller lakes between that and Broxbourne), Smew (best chances probably Amwell, Holyfield, Hooks Marsh) and Bittern (harder now because there is too much habitat, but Amwell is worth a try). I personally would not really bother with Rye Meads... I am less familiar with the locations in London proper (Girling Reservoir requires a good scope for the Black-necked Grebes wintering there). The reservoirs near Blackhorse Road Station might be worth a try. These places are all free, unlike the London Wetland Centre (which I never visited), but reaching some of them could be a bit troublesome.
Broxbourne Woods can have Crossbill, Hawfinch and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker esp. around Danemead, but it is rather hit and (more) miss! I never really bothered with Epping Forest, except Connaught Water which is good for escaped waterfowl...
Further afield Elmley etc. are indeed good options, as could be Southend Pier.
In London itself, I'd give the parks a miss and head for the museums instead!

I think thats selling the parks a little short - they do periodically get some good stuff in them, but perhaps more interestingly, you can get much much closer to birds than you would be able to in a rural environment, for instance, I have plenty of jays in the woods near me in the countryside, but they fly off the second they know I'm there, while in Regent's park I've had views down to under 10m.

Though the museums are indeed well worth your time if that's your thing...