Peregrine on gas holder
Sunday morning 12 Feb. Sorry it’s a little soft was right at the end of the lens and on top of the gasholder.
Goosander?
Having managed to scare off most of the marshes birds by dropping my step down rings onto the metal grid of the green bridge (I was trying to spot the red breasted merganser that Pete had mentioned) I managed to get a shot of what I take to be a Goosander which has been north of the green bridge for a while. Also got sight of a water rail further down river towards the moorings. On the Sunday after the snow a startling thing happened! Because there was no traffic noise I found out that the birds visiting my feeder actually make quite a lot of wing noise! It was really amazing to ‘hear’ Great tits and Blue tits fly in and out! Dermot
Peregrine
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
Latest Sightings
Pete Lambert wrote today:
Started well with a single Redwing calling in the trees at the north of East Marsh which was my first record in 2012 here, as well as four Fieldfare calling from these trees. Possibly all these had been roosting overnight, as I didn’t see them as I returned through the area going home. 2 Greylag Geese west over here too. Goosander briefly over NE from Lockwood Reservoir plus a second bird that might have been a Merganser or Goosander. Met Terry here and both saw little Egret fly NW from Res. Terry also saw Reed Bunting here which I missed. Little Grebe in channel north of Green Bridge plus Teal and Tufted Ducks. Rest of Marshes generally quiet, male Reed Bunting at Stinebridge Wood, just one Grey Wagtail in Pymmes Brook from Cetti Bridge and Chiffchaff plus Goldcrest near Gasometer. Female Goosander in channel by Banbury Res (just east of East Bridge). On Banbury Res (no access to public) Red-breasted Merganser, four Goosander. Counted 15 different Song Thrushes singing as I walked round Marshes between 8am and 10.15.
DMC
Latest Sightings -Tuesday, 17th January
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
Long tailed tit
On East Marsh in December – they are so cute!
Can’t make out what this is
Hi all, this was by the green bridge on the 11th. Can’t find what it might be. Nothing unusual there then!
Latest sightings
Pete Lambert wrote yesterday:
Just walked round the East Marsh this morning where I was very surprised to disturb five Bullfinch! They were along the channel near the Green Bridge, flew up to the top of a tree south of the bridge and then went off south. Don’t recollect seeing as many as this before ever. Also 2 Redpoll drinking from a puddle at the track between the two bridges, 3 Fieldfare over NW calling, a Shelduck south amd the Water Rail scurrying about just SW of Green Bridge. Didn’t meet up with the Whitethroat this morning but Kevin reported it from inside the Reservoir soon after 9am.
DMC
November 2011 Bird Survey Results
[Note – To view larger versions of images: Right Click on an image and choose Open Link in New Window,
then you can Left Click to get a magnified image]
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
More winter whitethroat news
Pete Lamber wrote today:
Terry relocated the Whitethroat this morning on the footpath east of Walthamstow Res at 1030 today. The footpath runs from Blackhorse Lane just north of Lockwood Way. If you come in there and walk along the footpath, on the right hand side you reach some allotments. The bird was on the left hand side of the path there. I saw it at 1215pm for a while. It was feeding on the grass mostly and sometimes hopping up into vegetation. It flew into the allotments as I got nearer. The bill and legs all look right for a Common Whitethroat and it does look about the right size for this. An odd feature is that the underside of the tail is pale with a dark tip. I don’t remember seeing this on Common Whitethroats, but can’t say I’ve ever noticed the undertail. Still no calls from the bird.
DMC