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Birding London - mid-June 2018 (1 Viewer)

mjh73

Well-known member
Australia
Hi folks

We will be having a trip to the UK in June / July and we will be staying with family friends near Walthamstow for a few days.

We won't have access to a vehicle. So what are peoples recommendations for easily public transport accessible birding sites in / near London? I will have my 10 year old son with me who is also a keen birder (while his patience lasts!)

We have a full day available on the 20th June (will sneak an early morning trip to the Walthamstow reservoirs on another day most likely)

I'm relaxed about targets - would be nice to see a Nightingale but not sure how likely that is in London these days. Everything will be new to my son he has never birded outside of Oz.

Cheers
 
I'm sure that some London based birders will chip in, but this would be the best option given the location of your stay. A quick google would suggest the presence of Nightgale at Fishers Green in the Lea Valley, again await confirmation about this - not sure if they will still be singing around 20th June though.
 
There are lots of great birding sites in London, such as WWT London Wetland Centre and RSPB Rainham Marshes. Rainham is a coastal wetland with many reedbed trails, lagoons and hides, plus areas of scrubland. In June you can easily find warblers (reed, sedge, cetti's, blackcap, willow, chiffchaff) and a number of wildfowl and wader species. There is a common kingfisher hide where you can see them at the nest, and reedbed feeding stations for bearded tit and reed bunting, plus feeders outside the visitors centre which attract the common woodland species. Walking along the sea you can scan for gulls, rock and water pipits, common sandpiper, and birds of prey such as kestrels and marsh harriers. WWT London Wetland Centre is smaller and has less variety but is a good place to get started. One highlight is the sand martin hide where you can watch sand and house martins swooping over the wader scrapes.

Regent's Park is a good urban park to get familiar with UK birds, if you're new to the country, with excellent close-up encounters with grey herons, grebes, rails and ducks, and woodland birds.

Hyde Park (http://kensingtongardensandhydeparkbirds.blogspot.co.uk) is nearby and has roosting Little Owl and Tawny Owl. Harder to find in the summer, but I can give you details about what trees they can be seen in.

I don't think Nightingale occur anywhere in London - the only place I've seen them is at RSPB Minsmere on the Suffolk coast, but that requires a whole day trip (a bit under 3hrs from London).

If you'd like any details or a guide/birding pal to show you around, do let me know and I'd be happy to help.

Paul
 
There are lots of great birding sites in London, such as WWT London Wetland Centre and RSPB Rainham Marshes. Rainham is a coastal wetland with many reedbed trails, lagoons and hides, plus areas of scrubland. In June you can easily find warblers (reed, sedge, cetti's, blackcap, willow, chiffchaff) and a number of wildfowl and wader species. There is a common kingfisher hide where you can see them at the nest, and reedbed feeding stations for bearded tit and reed bunting, plus feeders outside the visitors centre which attract the common woodland species. Walking along the sea you can scan for gulls, rock and water pipits, common sandpiper, and birds of prey such as kestrels and marsh harriers. WWT London Wetland Centre is smaller and has less variety but is a good place to get started. One highlight is the sand martin hide where you can watch sand and house martins swooping over the wader scrapes.

Regent's Park is a good urban park to get familiar with UK birds, if you're new to the country, with excellent close-up encounters with grey herons, grebes, rails and ducks, and woodland birds.

Hyde Park (http://kensingtongardensandhydeparkbirds.blogspot.co.uk) is nearby and has roosting Little Owl and Tawny Owl. Harder to find in the summer, but I can give you details about what trees they can be seen in.

I don't think Nightingale occur anywhere in London - the only place I've seen them is at RSPB Minsmere on the Suffolk coast, but that requires a whole day trip (a bit under 3hrs from London).

If you'd like any details or a guide/birding pal to show you around, do let me know and I'd be happy to help.

Paul
Thanks Paul

I'm a UK expat but it will all be new to my son who has never birded outside of Oz.

Minsmere is a bit of a trek so may have to forego Nightingale.

Cheers

mjh

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
 
There are lots of great birding sites in London, such as WWT London Wetland Centre and RSPB Rainham Marshes. Rainham is a coastal wetland with many reedbed trails, lagoons and hides, plus areas of scrubland. In June you can easily find warblers (reed, sedge, cetti's, blackcap, willow, chiffchaff) and a number of wildfowl and wader species. There is a common kingfisher hide where you can see them at the nest, and reedbed feeding stations for bearded tit and reed bunting, plus feeders outside the visitors centre which attract the common woodland species. Walking along the sea you can scan for gulls, rock and water pipits, common sandpiper, and birds of prey such as kestrels and marsh harriers. WWT London Wetland Centre is smaller and has less variety but is a good place to get started. One highlight is the sand martin hide where you can watch sand and house martins swooping over the wader scrapes.

Regent's Park is a good urban park to get familiar with UK birds, if you're new to the country, with excellent close-up encounters with grey herons, grebes, rails and ducks, and woodland birds.

Hyde Park (http://kensingtongardensandhydeparkbirds.blogspot.co.uk) is nearby and has roosting Little Owl and Tawny Owl. Harder to find in the summer, but I can give you details about what trees they can be seen in.

I don't think Nightingale occur anywhere in London - the only place I've seen them is at RSPB Minsmere on the Suffolk coast, but that requires a whole day trip (a bit under 3hrs from London).

If you'd like any details or a guide/birding pal to show you around, do let me know and I'd be happy to help.

Paul

Water Pipit in June? Do the feeding stations operate all year or only winter?
 
Where is reachable from London and I did see and hear a few different Nightingales a few years back was Cliffe Pools in Kent. I did it by public transport to Higham station and walked the distance, and they turned up in a few places around the site. Without your own transport, it's probably a full day trip just from the walk involved - and I was lucky enough to have another very generous fellow birder drop me part way back to the station.

Had gone that day for the Black Winged Stilts breeding at the time, but had a nice supporting cast including avocets, cuckoo and green hairstreak butterflies, with a few other ratiries around too (spoonbill, temminck's stint).
 
If your staying in Walthamstow you can easily get the train from Tottenham Hale up to the Lea Valley which should have some good birdwatching opportunities in early summer. I’ve heard Nightingale at Fishers Green which can be reached by Cheshunt station. Further up there are two good wetland reserves. RSPB Rye Meads at Rye House station and Amwell nature reserve at St.Margarets station.
 
If you miss Nightingale on your London stint we can have a look for it in Hants as well - there are normally one or two breeding pairs near Calshot.
 
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