Pete Lambert wrote today:

Over the last few days there have been daily sightings of an adult peregrine perched on the top of the gasometer at the NW of the West Marsh.  Now Michael has sent me a text saying there were two peregrines there today  This raises the possibility once again of peregrines trying to breed locally.  Please do keep a lookout for peregrine on the gasometer.  If people want to send me details of their sightings, I’m happy to collate them and circulate.  This is the gasometer on which a pair of kestrels fledged young in 2011 and 2010, so maybe competition!

Does anyone know who owns the gasometer?  Centrica? LB of Enfield or Haringey?

DMC

Pete Lambert wrote on Tuesday.
 
A very cold morning when I started out at 7.40am.  Started well when I caught up with the female Red-breasted Merganser that Terry and Kevin have both seen recently.  It flew up (with 2 male Goosander) from the channel that runs west of the Banbury Res but was south of the path there, so inside Walthamstow Res.  Didn’t see it close but from Terry and Kevin’s description it does have the distinctive dark patches round the eyes so is the “usual” bird.  This has been returning every winter since at least 24 Dec 2005.  But it may have been coming here longer than that.

Very cold with most of the Lee Navigation frozen, so not many birds on that, but Teal and Tufted Duck in the channels.  Probably two Water Rails, as I saw one just east of Stonebridge Lock at 8.30 and then one at the Green Bridge at 10am (thanks to Terry who had seen this one earlier). As I walked on to Stonebridge Wood, a large falcon flew NW over my head.  When I got to the NW of the West Marsh there was an adult Peregrine sitting on the Gasometer, which I presume was this bird.  it flew off NE.

Had a shouting conversation across the Lee Navigation with Terry – he’d seen a couple of groups of Fieldfare that I didn’t see (27 in total?).

When I left at 10.30, the Red-breasted Merganser was asleep on the west edge of the Banbury Res with four Goosander.  A Lapwing flew south over Banbury and then Walthamstow Res as I left.



DMC

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I haven’t any info to add about the November Survey as instead of going to Tottenham Marshes, I set off for Norfolk at 4am! I’m told it was pretty quiet on the bird front on the Marshes (unlike the ‘Snettisham Spectacular’ where thousands of Pink-footed geese and waders were fairly vocal as the sun rose).
Debbie

Pete Lambert wrote yesterday:
  
On my way to Tottenham Marshes this morning at 9am I had a brief view of what looked like a (Common) Whitethroat.  It was just south of Banbury Reservoir along the footpath that runs south from there by the houses, coming out on Blackhorse Lane E17 (just north of Lockwood Way).  It appeared on a patch of brambles just opposite 33 Waterhall Close.  As it came up about 10m in front of me, I could see it had an obvious white throat.  When I got my bins on it there was a clearly red-brown area on the upperparts like a Whitethroat.  No obvious dark mask (like Lesser Whitethroat).  Didn’t have time to check bare parts before the bird moved down into the brambles towards the fence for Walthamstow Res.  Although I stood still for a while and then walked up and down here I couldn’t relocate the bird.

I looked again in the area with Terry at about 1120am but no joy.  No calls heard.

There are extensive bramble patches just north of this,inside the Reservoir, just east of the channel going to Banbury Res where it could be lurking.  This is also close to where the Dusky Warbler was the other year.

Terry on his way back west saw Bullfinch and Buzzard at East Marsh.

 

DMC