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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Highgate-Waterlow Park (1 Viewer)

Opinion seems to be divided about the parakeets and I found that on a recent short break up north I really missed their screeching cries as they fly around this area. I see good numbers of them every day round me and when I pop into Richmond Park they do seem to dominate the airwaves with their multitude of squeaks and squawks but I tend to think it makes picking out other birds by sound that bit more special, like you've had to work for it.

Our garden feeders attract a few parakeets but they don't seem to put other birds off at all. Certainly the woodpigeons and squirrels that think they own the place seem prepared to stand their ground and the great/blue tits seem happy to swoop in around the bigger birds, pinch a nut or seed and then dart off to the nearest tree.

I don't know about any impact the parakeets are having on nest sites for other birds or their wider impact on the environment in general but I kinda like having them around.

Oh, and I know someone in Hampton who saw a Sparrowhawk get a parakeet so they are definitely targets for predators too
 
At least 4 Chiffchaff belting out their song this morning, a pair of Blackcap by the bottom pond , female with caterpillar, 6 Canada goslings still, coot hatched and 3 Swift over Archway.
 
I was alerted by mobbing Carrion Crows to a low Red Kite over Pembroke Rd, Muswell Hill this morning. A lovely bird in the sunlight and although I've seen them over here occasionally before they've always been at a distance.
I tried to put this on London Birders with the same result as usual.

There are around 23 Tufted Duck in the park, a Grey Wagtail bombed overhead calling on the lower pond and a pair of Blackcap. I also had a Whitethroat yesterday morn close to the cemetery fence. There's been a regular Heron first thing, and Cormorant are passing over more frequently than I've noticed before. Not many sightings of the Sparrowhawks this spring but there's a Kestrel over Archway sometimes.
 
angusmcoatup said:
and Cormorant are passing over more frequently than I've noticed before.
Click to expand...

Hi Paul

Interesting that you note this - it's something we've remarked on in the last couple of weeks. Having only rarely seen them over Highgate in the last 7 years, I've seen singles several times (maybe the same bird) over the last couple of months, both morning and evening, travelling south-west or north-east. Most of the local swifts seem to be back now, which is always good to see.

Matt
 
Over the sound of rain dripping on leaves there were a couple of Chiffchaff and Blackcaps belting out their song early this morning. I still see a Nuthatch occasionally and there seem to be more G.S Woodpeckers around than usual including one low down in a Rhodedendrom which was a bit unexpected.

Locally to me I saw a Willow Warbler and a Garden Warbler on Monday in Coldfall Wood, had a prospecting but brief House Martin under a neighbours eaves and 2 House Sparrows in front of my flat. A rare occurence. A Tawny owl on the way back from the pub was as always a cheering sight.
 
Not too much of note to the wider birding community but a couple of birds of local interest recently. Yesterday a Kingfisher shot off the lower pond , Heathward bound. Frightened off by the less than Phantom bread thrower as is often the case here.

I had a Yellow Wagtail on the newly dug over spring last Thursday, and this morning a Grey Wagtail collecting bugs from the lower slopes. Still can't tell if these have bred as I only ever see one bird sporadically but as it was food carrying it seems like a safe bet.

There's still a couple of Chiffchaffs singing, regualr Blackcaps and 1 Garden Warbler by the Conservation pond.

Around the general area there have been small numbers of Jackdaws (between 1 - 4) over my home (Muswell Hill) occasionally, and a Common Buzzard high over Coppetts wood.

A bit out of the way was a Hobby in Richmond park on Sunday along with a Little Owl.
 
Meropes said:
Hi Paul

Interesting that you note this - it's something we've remarked on in the last couple of weeks. Having only rarely seen them over Highgate in the last 7 years, I've seen singles several times (maybe the same bird) over the last couple of months, both morning and evening, travelling south-west or north-east. Most of the local swifts seem to be back now, which is always good to see.

Matt
Click to expand...

Just remembered , there were 5 in "tick" formation over The Woodman last weekend heading roughly North west.
 
Finally I've seen both Grey Wagtails together and I'm pretty certain I know where the nest is. Hopefully successful.

It was like the Observer book of birds this morning, nothing rare but a fair selection of the residents. I had Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Green & G.S Woodpecker, Mistle & Song Thrush, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Wren, Stock dove and a Willow Warbler in the cemetery. Add to this a Heron over my bus stop, House Martin over Muswell hill and the usual everyday residents the trip to work was quite pleasant.

Yesterday I watched a Kestrel along the North circular (B & Q Southgate area), and heard a Tawny owl very early Saturday morning.
 
A whole month without posting. Not a lot to whet the appetite to be honest. The locals all seem to have bred successfully, notably Woodpeckers and there are at least 3 broods of Tufted duck now of varying sizes. I haven't seen the Grey Wagtail for a few days. There have been the odd Blackcap and Chiffchaff piping up.

I had one bird with a call I don't recognise. I may post it if I don't find anything near to it.
 
Saw a single Swift yesterday evening over Jackson's Lane, but wonder if it was passing through, since the 2 local pairs appear to have left - we have not seen them since the last weekend of July. Hope they bred successfully after two failed consecutive years. A Tawny Owl has begun calling each night in and around our garden. A Blackcap was calling in Cromwell Ave on Sunday morning.
 
There was a Spotted Flycatcher in the park around 07.45 this morning. Still there when I left, middle pond trees on the cafe side. Also at least 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Green Woodpeckers including a juvenile and a Swallow over.

Last Thursday I watched 2 Meadow Pipits on the slope briefly plus a Kestrel over the village. There appear to have been 4 Tufted duck broods of varying success, one of which has just the 1 surviving duckling.
 
An earlier visit brought another Spotted Flycatcher, calling Chiffchaffs (2) + 1 in a mixed tit flock. Also of note was a Treecreeper, which I don't see too often here.

There's a nightly calling Tawny Owl off Sydney Rd, Muswell Hill and I suspect a distant Hobby flying towards Alexandra Park on Saturday morning. I haven't been around much, birding in Turkey and Scotland, so apart from the Wryneck and a couple of other notables at Ally Pally I've missed out on a lot of this autumns bonanza.
 
Male and female Mandarin on the middle pond this morning in the rain. Wouldn't come to bread, undoubtedly wild.

I watched a couple of Common Buzzards circle over Archway on Sunday, and there have been a couple of Chiffchaff and up to 5 Goldcrest in the park over the last week.
 
Recent highlights - 6 Mandarin, a couple of Meadow pipits, a Skylark, 4 + Goldcrest, Chiffchaff, 2 Linnets and 3 Siskin in the park. Also 1 Snipe low over Highgate woods, 20 + Redwings over Coppetts wood.
 
Aaargh. The parakeets are back in force in our garden, after a 3-4 month break. Our neighbours must particularly enjoy the first hour after dawn on Sunday mornings, when a score or more descend to wolf down sunflower seeds, peanuts and fatballs, screeching pretty much incessantly.

We have good numbers of finches visiting. No bramblings yet, but about 20 chaffinches and the best numbers of greenfinches we've had for years (well over a dozen, all looking healthy), with a supporting cast of up to ten goldfinches, plus a few great tits, blue tits and two coal tits. Two nuthatches join in a couple of times a day when the parakeets have cleared off. Couple of jays and increasing woodpigeons - up to half a dozen at any one time. Stock and collared doves have been absent since the summer, however.

Saw my first grounded redwing of the season last weekend, in Jackson's Lane. Also, am regularly seeing pied wagtails in Highgate for the first time, around Pond Square, Highgate School and flyovers on Jackson's Lane.

Matt
 
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