Peter Lambert wrote today:

Back to Tottenham Marsh today to find autumn passage still in operation. One brambling calling over WM East at 7.45 which I didn’t see, then a second over Clendish Marsh at 8.25 which I did see, although not close enough to see any plumage details. (Terry saw a female brambling along the Navigation Towpath on 20 Oct.). Also my first fieldfares of the autumn, groups of 8, then 6, then 23 all going west calling but then a group of 3 came down to the trees just north of the pond. One or two redwings going west calling as well and 2 siskins south over Clendish Marsh Car Park at 8.05. But where are the stonechats???? Usually see these from mid-Sept. I’ve still not seen any, and there don’t seem to be any resident ones anywhere.

Finally, the 2 egyptian geese (Little and Large) are gone and either a single is back or it’s “Large” and “Little” has left him/her.

DMC

On arrival at the Waterside Centre
at the start of the survey, it has become a common occurence to see the Egyptian geese that have taken a liking to the shiny pump by the canal edge (these two are the Little & Large referred to by Pete!).

Skylark 34
Meadow Pipit 7
Robin 54
Redwing 19
Fieldfare 3
Linnet 3
Goldcrest 1
Siskin 2
Brambling 9
Reed bunting 2
Common Sandpiper 2 

Peter Lambert wrote today:

Dragged myself out from sick bed for first visit to Marsh for two weeks. Dry when I left but rain started as I entered Wild Marsh East from Walthamstow. 3 little egrets feeding in the channel by East Bridge and chiffchaff calling. Down by west channel to Green Bridge where I met Philip (+ little dog). He said he’d been hoping to see me as he saw a barn owl over West Marsh at 7.05pm yesterday.(!) Also saw pair of stonechats on same Marsh. (Plus a merlin seen at Mansfield Park – near W’m Girling – recently.) Walked with him down to Stonebridge Lock where a grey wagtail flew SW over Lee Nav. Then left him for a walk round Clendish Marsh. Meadow pipit up calling plus dunnock singing were only things of note.

Pair of egyptian geese at Centre (one smaller than other – call them Little & Large). Female blackcap at Stonebridge Wood (north of pond).

By 9.54am, am near Electric Building on WM West when I pick up 2 large falcons over north end. They chase and call, going SE a bit, then go west towards Gasometer where I lose sight of them. One was adult peregrine, other less of a ‘mask’ on face – could have been juv peregrine or some hybrid. Searched Marsh for Philip’s stonechats – no sign of them. Walked south down east towpath from Chalk Bridge seeing 4 little egrets now in channel east. About 10.25, just north of Green Bridge (Next to white boat called Lady Helen) I hear what sounded like singing goldcrest in field maples there. Wait (dry by now) as goldcrests scarce this year at Marsh. Find crest at top of trees but it’s firecrest! First record for Marsh (for me). Vivid black and white eyestripes, kept singing (no end down turn of song, like goldcrest has). Sent out texts but then relocated it in same place -really close views at times, but always inside trees so no good for photo. As it’s my birthday tomorrow, I’ll consider this an early birthday present!

DMC

Pete Lambert wrote yeasterday:

Caught up at last with George’s record of an autumn wheatear on Clendish Marsh this morning – probably because George was standing next to me at the time! It flew off to the Lockwood Res. We also saw a whinchat there, and a male reed bunting – a bit hard to find reed buntings lately on the Marsh. Several meadow pipits flying over calling, all going south.
After George had left me, I saw 3 yellow wagtails flying high south calling, over the WM West, near the north end. Then when I’d left the WM East and was walking down ‘my’ footpath east of the Marsh, a hobby appeared over the allotments there. It drifted west over WM East where it appeared to catch and eat something from its feet. Then it drfited off north over WME.

DMC

Peter Lambert reported this morning:

Apart from the single whinchat on Clendish Marsh, there were 2 teal feeding in the channel on the east side of WMEast (north of the bridge to Walthamstow) when I came in this morning. Later, a cetti’s warbler singing along channel at west of WME. George saw 3 whinchat Saturday morn at Clendish Marsh and a wheatear there on Friday.

DMC