Some recent sightings in and around the Lea Valley and North London Apr to Jun 2003

Some recent sightings in and around the Lea Valley and North London April to May 2003

Wed 21-5-3 Trent Park area, spotted flycatcher Williams Wood, 2 hobby, 2 broods of mandarin 8 young Upper Lake, 6 Dew Pond, silver Y, 'insect field' 5 burnet companion moths, several mother shiptons, 7 small copper, 11 small heath, speckled wood, sml yellow underwing. 9 c blues on old golf course, painted lady - R Callf, also R White
Fisher's Green 2 common buzzards spiralling over Holyfield farm about midday. Nearby,at Hayes Hill farm, a turtle dove by the visitor's centre - Alex McKechnie.
Clissold Park, 4:10 - 4:20 quick 10 minute walk through, 2 ruddy ducks from last year returned, 4 moorhens fighting over a nest, and a surprise Egyptian goose. No sign of common terns yet - Chris Langsdon

Tue 20-5-3 Navestock Church singing turtle dove, also in display flight. 2 c terns over Lady's Lake & 4 hares along track east side - C Jupp & T Broom
The Chase, Dagenham, pr Lapwing, pr LRP, plenty of Reed Warblers, Reed Bunting, 1 Kingfisher
flying around and making a lot of noise and 1 albino Starling. - Tom Clarke.
GUNNER`S PK, 12.15 to 13.20. Fe SPARROW HAWK, 2 SPOTTED FLYCATCHER in trees on the right hand side of pond entrance. TONY HOWELLS.

Mon 19-5-3 Grovelands Park, Southgate, mandarin with one duckling, 1 little grebe, 5 pochard, grey wag. Trent park yesterday 60 stock dove - R Callf
Passingford Bridge mid pm, 1 probably two spotted flycatchers Albyns Lane, also 1st red-eyed damsel of the year, banded dem & blue-tailed damsel. Risebridge GC four-spotted chaser resting grass by pond near A12 - C Jupp, T Broom

Sun 18-5-3 Collier Row Garden (Clockhouse) Cuckoo calling - D W Newton
Bedfords Park, 3 willow warblers singing Valley Marsh, lesser whitethroat Marsh Lane, skylark on setaside - C Jupp
Walthamstow Reservoirs Complex whole site - 1300+ Swifts East Warwick - 1 Hobby, 36 pairs of LBBG, 3 pairs of Herring Gull David G Darrell-Lambert
Copped Hall area, several y'hammers, song thrush, linnets & lapwing - A Middleton
Cornmill - 3 Reed Bunting territories, 2 Little RP and 1 RP. Lapwing displaying and a pair of Redshanks flying together. Lots of Sedge and Reed Warblers, Kestrel hunting and a male Linnet singing. Helen Bantock
WAKERING STAIR`S, 7. 30 to 8.50, 6 TURTLE DOVE, CUCKOO male, MARSH HARRIER Jv. THE FLEET, 9.00 to 10.30, 2 TURTLE DOVE, SEDGE WARBLER, CORN BUNTING, CUCKOO, 3 AVOCET, 2 LITTLE EGRET, PAINTED LADY, MEADOW BROWN. TONY HOWELLS,

Nice site. Gave me a few good memories of birding in the UK back in the late 70s early 80s. Here's our local site - sorry, you probably won't understand much: http://www.nofnt.no/news/. Here, Pied Flycatchers arrived a few days ago (they breed in the garden) as did the first Willow Warblers and Whitethroats. Still waiting for the Swallow tribe, Blackcaps, Whinchats, Icterine Warblers and Swifts- Stephen Barstow (Malvik, Norway)

Sat 17-5-3 New River Loop - opposite Enfield Town Station - grey wagtail, a surprising (and welcome) sight in this urban situation. P Rhodes
Bowyers GP, pm, a common swift with much of its rear end white including tail, white throat patch - Roy Woodward
KGV Res area am - 100 swifts, 20 swallows and several house martins, c sand, c blue roosting - A Middleton, H Bantock >>
WAT TYLER C/P, BASILDON. 16.00 to 18.00. GLAUCOUS GULL 2nd summer, Fe PINTAIL, BEARDED TIT Fe, TURTLE DOVE, Pr CUCKOO, 2 REED WARBLER, many SWIFT, and HOUSE MARTIN. TONY HOWELLS.

Friday 16th May. Valentines Park: coots, Canadas, mallards all have broods. Green woodpecker, great spot, pied, grey wagtails regular, blackcap, goldcrest, goldfinch, chaffinch, greenfinch in song. Small numbers of house sparrows again recently, and plenty of starlings (going through birdcake in my garden like there's no tomorrow) ... B Miller
Weald Pk, Upper Lake: 2 prs grt crested grebes with young, adult with v small chicks on back, its mate offering chicks fish too big, 2 prs tufted duck, 1 c tern flew west, 14 swallows, 1 grey wag, Nags Hd Lane Fishery, 1 pr grt crested grebes, 3 pr c tern, 20 house martins, plus one y wagtail on 13th - C Jupp
Ponders End Lake (06.10- 06.50). Temminck's Stint still present, but mostly feeding out of sight. Also 1 Dunlin, 3 pairs of Little Ringed Plover and recently fledged Pied Wagtails. Roy Woodward. ...........Temminck's flew off 8.43am after golf-course machinery came by, after-which I left, but bird may have returned. Ponders End/KGV Res 2 juvenile grey wags, c50 swifts and 25 swallows - A Middleton

Thu 15-5-3 Fishers Green 1930 1 king fisher fly low over 70 acre lake also sedge wablers and reed wablers singing well and as I drove out up lane little owl on top of telepone pole. M Howell
Trent Park pr spot flies Nature Trail, very recent brood of 10 mandarin on Upper Lake, 40 stock doves, whinchat on Vic Farm rape, lit owl. 14th Oakwood Park female bullfinch. Dead weasel on Vic Farm Tuesday - R Callf
Ponders End Lake pm, Temminck's stint - news passed on by Phil Vines
Paddington Green (Inner London). Locally breeding gulls = one pair of LBB's and three-four pairs of Herring Gull. D. McKenzie.
Stockers Lake -Reed Warblers (10 plus), Lone Reed Bunting, 4 broods of Canada Geese. Rex Cox
KGV Res 2 oystercatchers - Phil Vines
Long Running, Epping Forest: tree pipit in song-flight at 07.30. Fishers Green Goosefield/hedge up to farm: female whinchat at 08.25. Also two nightingales singing near the substation - Martin Shepherd
Harold Park, R Ingrebourne, 3 banded demoiselle in nettles & 4 lrge red damsels. 14th Weald park 100+ swifts, 15 golfinch Belvedere Field feeding on dandelion seeds - Colin Jupp
Broxbourne Wood NR, c10 speckled yellow moths, 2 speckled woods nectaring on garlic mustard - A Middleton
THE FLEET WAKERING, 17.15 to 18.40. 10 REED WARBLER, 20+ SWALLOW, 4 YELLOW WAGTAIL, 5 LITTLE EGRET, Pr CUCKOO , Fe GREY MORPH, 2 Fe MARSH HARRIER, one Jv, on POTTON ISLAND. Also 5 AVOCET, 2 TURTLE DOVE. TONY HOWELLS.

Wed 14-3-03 Walthamstow Reservoirs Cormorant a record 340 nesting pairs; Mute Swan 6 nesting pairs, with the first brood hatched on No. 5; Black Swan 6 on East Warwick; Shelduck 11; Gadwall 22; Hobby 1; Common Tern 55; Green Woodpecker pair; Swift 400; Garden Warbler 1 - Stephen Harris
Amwell 18:00 Spotted Flycatcher, Lesser Whitethroat, both on track road side of Railway crossing Mark Hows
6 singing Nightingales at Fisher's Green tonight. All the best, Chris Page
Rammey Marsh pm, 1 nightingale, also skylark, reed bunt, linnet and kestrel. Sewardstone 3 nightingales singing at dusk - J Gaskell & A Middleton
ABBERTON RES, 8.30 to 10.30. 112 MUTE SWAN, 3 BLACK SWAN, 3 YELLOW WAGTAIL, 3 COMMON SANDPIPER, 50 COMMON TERN on raft, 5 NIGHTINGALE singing, watched one for 10 minute`s , couple hundred SWIFT. FINGRINGHOE, 10.50 to 13.00. WILLOW WARBLER, 2 CHIFFCHAFF, 8 NIGHTINGALE singing, watched two bird`s for some time, showing well. had good, close sighting of a STOAT about eight feet away. HANNINGFIELD RES, 14.15,to 17.00. 6 RED CRESTED POCHARD (4 drake), 2 LITTLE RINGED PLOVER, WILLOW WARBLER, 2 BLACKCAP ( male`s), 2 CHIFFCHAFF, GARDEN WARBLER, GREY WAGTAIL ( female). TONY HOWELLS.

Tue 13-5-3 Ware Old Lea Many Swifts around today. Cuckoo still calling, Willow warbler, Garden warbler, Blackcap, Sedge warbler. Canada geese and Mallard with young. Male Bullfinch. Male Pied wagtail gathering food. Ian Edwards.
Paddington Green. Not a lot today: c30 Common Swift low during rain. Des McKenzie
Sewardstone LVP farmland - c4 singing skylarks associating with setaside strip, 2 common blues, 1 nectaring on red campion - A Middleton. Parkside Farm, Enfield, c sand still on Res - R White

Mon 12/5/3 Trent Park pm: Hobby 2. also Common Tern, Lapwing , Mandarin. - Pete Lowman
Black Redstart, 1 in song, St John Street EC1 between Farmiloes and St John Restaurant. Monday 19.00hrs - Patrick Baglee
Paddington Green: Grey Wagtail. 1 singing. Cheers Des McKenzie.
Walthamstow Reservoirs 1 Hobby hunting over the Maynards Walthamstow Marsh 1 Lesser Whitethroat singing Tate Modern 1 Collard Doves, 7 Swifts, female Mallard with 7 young swimming down river in the middle of the Thames. David G Darrell-Lambert
Rammey Marsh East, early morning visit: Nightingale still around. Lesser whitethroat singing on east side in scrub south of lock - my third record from this position over the last four days. Five garden warblers - Martin Shepherd
Cornmill pm black tailed godwit on scrape and nightingale north side of carpark in scrub, also common toad on footpath - Brian Dawton.
Cornmill Meadows, later on - 1 black-tailed godwit, 2 redshank, 1 lapwing - Chris & Pete Langsdon

Sun 11-5-3 KGV Res pm, Redshank, Dunlin, Lapwing, 3 Shelduck, 2 pr Gadwall, 3 Common Terns, 7 Black-headed Gull (non-breeding plumage), 4 Pied Wagtail, Cuckoo, Linnets pr on industrial buildings, Brimsdown - Jeremy Gaskell
9/5/3 Amwell 17.25 Red Kite Over, 2 Hobbies, Garden Warbler Mark Hows
9/5/3 Dagenham Chase 1 Cuckoo, 6 Reed Warblers, 2 Lapwing (at separate ends of the slack and not looking like a pair), pair of LRPs, linnets. Tom Clarke...............There have been problems with collecting email from acmiddleton@blueyonder.co.uk over the last few days - if you think your message may not have arrived or it's wrongly dated, please resend.

Sedge warbler, Sewardstone - Helen Bantock
Yellow wagtail - Nick Sampford - Nick's Wildlife Photography

Sat 10th May 03 - KGV Res am, 2 c sands, c tern with mostly dark bill, wheatear & 2 lesser whitethroats Brimsdown, painted lady egg laid on a thistle on the reservoir bank today >>>>>>>. Mossops Creek red-eyed damselfly, also azure and blue-tailed - PJV, AM & HB
Rammey Marsh. Nightingale still present, garden warbler, 2 lesser whitethroats, sedge warbler, reed bunting, kingfisher (carrying small fish), numerous whitethroats, cuckoo and and single common blue. Phil Rhodes.
Weald Park pr of grey wags Upper Lake, 22 house martins, spotted flycatcher reported by the 'cattle field' in the site's notebook - C Jupp
Thurs 8-5-03 LVP Amwell viewpoint at 12 noon - 6 hobbies Jeff Butcher
10-5-03, TWO TREE ISLAND (EAST) 5.30 to 6.45, 3 SEDGE WARBLER, 2 LESSOR WHITETHROAT, CUCKOO male, REED WARBLER, CETTI`S heard and seen in front of main pond. Location of GRASSHOPPER WARBLER, opposite carpark, behind picnic tables. All birds heard and seen. 8-5-03,TWO TREE ISLAND, LEIGH-ON-SEA,8.30 to 11.30. (WEST) 4 SEDGE WARBLER, 12 JUV AVOCET. (EAST) GARDEN WARBLER, 2 SEDGE WARBLE, 4 REED WARBLER, SPOTTED FLYCATCHER on right hand side of main pond, in elderberry. SPECKLED WOOD, COMMON BLUE, and a SLOW WORM. TONY HOWELLS.

9/5/03 - Cheshunt Marsh 10:30 am. 3 Garden warblers, 4 Lesser Whitethroat and all other common warblers. Grasshopper warbler not seen although heard previous Sunday at 11:00 am at this site. Mark Riley
Bowyers Water 6:00 - 7:20pm , no sign of the gropper thats been around. Superb views of a lesser whitethroat and garden wabler, 1 nightingale calling. Fishers Green- 7:40 - 8:40 pm - Looked at the old gropper haunts without any luck, 2/3 nightinggales behind sub-station, all the common wablers- chiffchaff, willow, nice views of a garden wabler- Chris
& Pete Langsdon



Some great images of red grouse, red deer, Slavonian grebe & buzzard, all taken during Nick Sampford's recent trip to Scotland ~ see more on Nick's Wildlife Photography

Fri 9-5-03 Trent Park 29 sml heath, 10 small coppers New Fields, 1 red ad, 3 p ladies, Parkside c sandpiper & 4 little grebes. Also holly blue, 3 small torts. - R Callf. Broad bodied chaser Lower Lake - R White
Tylers Common 1 X Turtle Dove - Paul Norris.

Thursday 8th May Rammey Marsh East, 07.45-09.00: nightingale still around. Lesser whitethroat and two garden warblers singing and showing well in NW corner near Small River Lea and Mollison Avenue. Kingfisher flew over - Martin Shepherd
Vicarage Farm, N Enfield male whinchat where female had been yesterday. 50+ stock doves on stubble north of Williams Wood. Vic Farm 3-4 painted ladies - R Callf, wheatear Pete Lowman
Early morning. Rammey Marsh Nightingale singing. Cheshunt Marsh, reeling Grasshopper Warbler at N end near Small River Lee. Roy Woodward.
The Chase, Dagenham - Four hobbies yesterday! Tom Clarke.

Wed 7-5- Brentwood Merrymeade Park red dmiral, holly blue, 2 orange tips, , speckledwood, 2 garden warbler, willow warbler, 4 bullfinch. Also numerous large red damsels at sevral sites (9tetards this year) in the area - C Jupp, also T Broom
Vic Farm fem whinchat, 6 painted ladies. Trent Park 'new fields' 20 sml heath, 4 sml copper. Also red admiral, brimstone and c5 sml. tortoiseshell. Parkside Res c sandpiper - R Callf. Yardley Hill, Epp Forest 1 painted lady - see http://www.hmbutterflyconservation.org.uk/ for more news
03 -05 hobby over Temple Meads freight yards Leyton 12.30hrs. 07 - 05 20 house sparrows having dust bath on the drive to my school, Woodford Green Primary School. 12.55hrs also 5 speckled wood butterflies performing mating helix dances at 10.20hrs - John Snow
New Hill Pond, Royal Gunpowder Mills (viewable from outside the wire by taking the footpath from Cornmill Meadows north across the farm) 2 little grebes have successfully bred on a nest in the middle of the pond, one parent carrying two chicks on its back this morning. Jeff Butcher
Wed 7th 19.15 East Warwick Reservoir, Walthamstow. Five black swans sailing majestically together, then roosting on the island. Quentin Given. PS Rammey Marsh nightingale was still present on Sunday evening.
Trent Park pm: 3 Common Tern on Lower lake, Whitethroat 1, Mandarin 2, Lapwing 2. Pete Lowman

Tue 6-5-3 Risebridge GC, 4 species of odonata on 3 ponds, 13 red ds, 1 bluetailed, 2 azues, imm broad bodied chaser. Bedfords Park 2 ponds, 12 large red, 2 b-tailed, 2 azures, 10 species of butterfly inc red admiral, holly blue, small tort, small copper. Six species of warbler inc 2 lesser whitethroats and 6 garden warblers - C Jupp
Trent Park/Vic Farm total 12 species of butterfly inc 4 sml coppers, 15 small heaths, 20 speckled woods, painted lady Trent and one Vic farm. 5 little grebes Parkside Res and c sand - R Callf & R White

Mon 5-5-3 Benington pm, farmland: 2 Painted Ladies along with more usual of which Small Tortoiseshell most numerous, P.Smith
Trent Park 3 sml heath, 2 sml coppers, painted lady. Vic Farm painted lady- R Callf
Ware Old Lea, Cuckoo, Garden warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Long Tailed tits carrying food, Magpie feeding young. This mornings most unusual sighting, in fact never seen before, was two male Blackbirds that fought to the death. The victor actually drowned the vanquished in the muddy shallows despite my clapping and throwing sticks. Ian Edwards.
KGV this morning 4 Wheatear, 6 Common Sandpiper. Wall Brown sunning in pathway leading to flood channel S. end of W. Girling . Tony Clancy
Fishers Green Goosefields, 6:00am - 6:50 am 2 shelduck, 2 cuckoos. Amwell, 7am - 9:30 am, - 2 redshank, 1 ringed plover, 2 sedge wablers, 2 garden wablers, 1 sparrowhawk, c40 am, - 2 redshank, 1 ringed plover, 2 sedge wablers, 2 garden wablers, 1 sparrowhawk, c40 common terns. - Chris & Pete Langsdon
Sew Marsh, 4 nightingales, Brimsdown 3 orange tips Mossops, H Bantock, Long Running Epping Forest 1 tree pipit, HB and AM
Sat 3rd May, KGV Res 3 Sandwich terns south at 7.15pm (late record) also spring high count of 12 Wheatear inc 10 males, also ringed plover, common sandpiper, lapwing and redshank - John Murray. Sun 4th May, LVP Grasshopper Warbler singing by Bowyers water at 6.30pm also 2 Turtle doves over plus Cuckoo - John Murray
4-5-03, GUNNER`S PARK, 6.15 to 7.45. 3 CUCKOO, 12 SWIFT, LESSER WHITETHROAT, 13 COMMON WHITETHROAT, CETTI`S SINGING. WAKERING STAIRS, 8.00 to 10.10, 3 TURTLE DOVE, Pr WHEATEAR, 2 SEDGE WARBLER, BARN OWL, 2 REED BUNTING males, 8 WHITETHROAT. THE FLEET, 14.15 to 16.20, 12 WHIMBREL, SPOTTED REDSHANK, 3 GREENSHANK, CUCKOO, 2 BARN OWL, 3 YELLOW WAGTAIL, SEDGE WARBLER,3 HOUSE MARTIN, 2 AVOCET, 10 SWALLOW. BARLING 16.30 to 18.15. TURTLE DOVE, 2 YELLOWHAMMER male`s, YELLOW WAGTAIL, 3 SWIFT, 12 WHITETHROAT, 2 REED WARBLER, 8 SWALLOW, 2 AVOCET.- TONY HOWELLS.

Sun 4-5-03 Walthamstow Reservoirs: 2 Little Grebe territories, 340 nesting pairs of Cormorant, 5 Shelduck, 8 Ruddy Duck, 1 Hobby over, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 male Stonechat. Cetti's Warbler - 2 in song - one at the southern end of West Warwick Res, which is the bird which can also be heard/seen along the northern boundary of Walthamstow Marsh, and a second bird within the reservoir complex. Stephen Harris
The Chae, Dagenham, 1 Cuckoo singing this morning, 2 Sedge Warblers, 2 Reed Warblers, 3 Wheatears, 1 (and first of the year) Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Lapwing. - Tom Clarke.
Amwell, this morning 4 hobby, at least 35 common tern, 2 redwing, 1 ringed plover, whitethroat, blackcap, willow warbler, sedge warbler, 1 female reed bunting, 1 kestrel, 1 sparrowhawk, in distance looked like a buzzard [light under wings with dark edges].plus 6 swift. Dave Messenger
Whilst on the Lea Valley dawn chorus walk, we all saw a Hobby flying over Hayes Hill Farm at about 6 am Tom and Brenda
Harold Hill brimstone lfew past, Tarnworth Rd. Tylers Common 7 large red damsels, good ns whitethroat, 7+ willow warblers. Nags Hd Lane holly blue, Fishery 2 pr c tern, SW 2 lesser whitethroats, 1 sedge w, 2 reed w, cuckoo. Weald Park, 1 blue tailed damsel, several large reds, , also orange tipe, green veined white, speckled wood, peacock, grass sanke in pond nr Foxdown Cottage - C Jupp

Woodchat Shrike at Langley Park,
Bucks today - image by Nick Sampford
- see Nick's Wildlife Photography

Saturday 3-5-03, KGV Res several hundred swifts, 1 hobby - T Clancy
Fairlop hobby, 4 wheatear - A Bell
Epping Forest - Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge area: Whinchat (f), Tree Pipit (2), Lesser Whitethroat (2 singing mm).. Connaught Water: Mandarin (5mm/2ff). Hill Wood: Tawny Owl, Marsh Tit and Nuthatch (3). Rushey Plain: Tawny Owl mobbed by Jays. Copped Hall: Hobby, Mandarin (pr), Yellowhammer (3 singing mm) and Golden Pheasant (m). Long Running: Mandarin (m). - Fraser Simpson
Cheshunt Marsh: grasshopper warbler reeling at 07.55 in scrubby area to SE of Bowyers Water and west of the stream. Rammey Marsh East: nightingale still singing near the lock. Waltham Abbey: reed warbler singing from east side of canal opposite Wacker Construction - Martin Shepherd
Epping Forest, High Beech south of main parking area, a singing willow warbler around 9am often giving song comprising 50% or more chiffchaff song (willow warbler at Weald park yesterday giving very occasional chiffchaff notes at end of song - A Stroud (from C Jupp). Sunshine Plain tree pipit - A Middleton

Fri 2-5-3 Nags Hd Lane fishery, 6 c terns, STW 100 house martins, 2 sand martins, 40-50 swallows. Weald Park pr grey wag feeding juv, 3 garden warblers,, red admiral nr the Belvedere - C Jupp
Walthamstow Marsh, Cettis warbler singing today. Walthamstow Res yesterday, 1 hobby & 1000 swifts - David G Darrell-Lambert
Had a Wall Brown at Rainham Marshes on Wednesday 30 April - Howard Vaughan
KGV Res am, 1 whimbrel south at 9.45, 2 c sands, several hundred each of swift and swallow, 6 wheatear, 40 house martins, 2 y wags over - A Middleton
I heard and saw the Cuckoo 3 times on 29th April at Southern Green Farm, this is 3 days later than last year. Regards John Dingemans
Trent Park, c50 stock doves by Williams wood, 2 muntjac nr Ride wood - R Callf

Thu 1-5-3 Weald, 2 grey wags 1 carrying food, red admiral, lrg white & orange tip, a few prs of linnet on the tip, 2 garden warblers. Warley 3 pr swift Crescent Rd, male wheatear farm field west side of Clement's Park - C Jupp
Trent Park, hobby, 3 lesser whitethroats - R Callf, R White. Trent Park pm: 2 Garden Warblers along south side of lower lake also 1 Lesser Whitethroat in same area. 2 Mandarin on upper lake. Pete Lowman
Sewardstone am, 4 nightingales, 5+ garden warblers, 3 lapwing - A Middleton
THE FLEET, WAKERING. 16.30 to 18.20, 24 YELLOW WAGTAIL, 5 SPOTTED REDSHANK, 2 GREENSHANK, RUFF, 4 SEDGE WARBLER, 2 WHIMBREL, 32 SHELDUCK.. GUNNER`S PARK, 18.30 to 19.45. 2 TURTLE DOVE, 2 CETTI`S singing, Different bird`s, saw one. TONY HOWELLS.

April 2003

Wed 30-4-3 Rainham, Wennington and Aveley Marshes Nature Reserve, At least 3 Wheatear on site 2 male Whinchat showing well close to river wall mid morning.Good passage of hirundines and a few Yellow Wags - Dominic Funnell, Reserve Warden
KGV Res, 7.30 - 8.30pm, 2 Hobbies hunting over SE corner North Basin, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 15 Pied
Wagtails, 2 Wheatear, 45 commic Terns, 60 Swifts - David Brothwell
Walthamstow Marsh - Cetti's Warbler still present, first Lesser Whitethroats and more Reed Warblers in. Tate Modern - Peregrine, male at lunchtime also Garden Warber and resident Collared Dove is still present. Yesterday Tate Modern - Peregrine male. Walthamstow Reservoirs 1300+ Swifts David G Darrell-Lambert
Amwell, pm, 18:30 Male Whinchat from the viewpoint, Hobby from viewpoint 20:00, also sparrowhawk, common sandpiper, ringed plover - Mark Hows
Wood Warbler singing in oak tree by private garden next to college in Regents Park, till 4pm at least - John Murray
Dagenham Chase 1 Lapwing, 2LRPs, 2 Reed Warblers main birds of interest. today - Tom Clarke. Project Officer London Wildlife Trust.
Whipps Cross a.m: flurries of hirundines moving through up-forest, some swift groups numbering 25 or more, swallows less numerous and lower. Sparrowhawk activity continued, peaking at 5 birds together early morning. Peter Hadrill
Weald Pk first breeding record of grey wagtail for the site, juv just fledged, v short tail, garden warbler, 6+ whitethroats, on tip. Nags Hd Ln 30 swallow, 20 house martin, , 8 c terns over fishery - C Jupp
Trent Park area am, fem ring ouzel north of Williams Wood, female lesser spot drumming, calling and feeding near Lower Lake, 3 hobby over Vic Farm at 11.30 am, c3 garden warblers - R Callf & R White
Fishers Green LVP this morning: 09.15 Goosefield male whinchat on fence wire near Crannum. Later max of 11 shelduck. 12.20 Common Buzzard flew in from north circle, climbed high before I lost it. On the Island, 5 nightingales singing along path between weir and Bailey Bridge. More at the sub-station (I heard 2 other reports of 4). 3 short bursts of turtle dove song between sub-station and flood relief channel. Jeff Butcher
KGV Res 2 sanderling on causeway, pair hobby south then west over Ponders End, 2 c sands, 1 wheatear east side & 5 Brimsdown, 10+ c terns, group of 50 swifts- P Vines & A Middleton

Tue 29-4-03, Hooks Marsh: hobby over woodland and farmland at 13.26. Female ring ouzel showing well this morning by hedge near scrape south of the Goosefield - Martin Shepherd
Trent Park area, lesser spot calling Williams Wood, 3 red legged partridge, 1st hornet of year, cuckoo, 2 garden warblers, pr c terns, Vic Farm male whinchat, Parkside Fm wheatear, total 4 orange tips - R Callf
Ware Old Lea The Cuckoo has been calling regularly today and yesterday, also I have seen a Hobby on a few occasions. Ian Edwards.
Horsenden Hill Turtle Dove (1 early AM just north of Grand Union Canal flew south into/over Perivale Wood), also Lesser Whitethroat (2), Swallow (2), Reed warbler (1), Sedge Warbler (1). Andy Culshaw
Weald Park, sedge warbler Lower lake scarce local, garden warbler, grey wag, 12 house martins moved off with arrival of three hobbies high over area. Harold Wood, 20-24 swifts , lesser whitethroat. Nags head Lane fishery, 3 pr c tern, , first brood of mallard > 13, STW 30 house martins, 2 swallows. Swifts back aroud breeding areas, 24 Harold Wood, 6 Harold Crt Rd. Siler Y moth S weald Wigley Bush Lane- C Jupp,

Mon 28-4-3 Valentines Pk pm: 10 swifts over the lake and the first mallard ducklings. Goldcrest in song. B Miller
Holyfield, Goosefield, 2 whimbrel mid morning flew off NE around noon, also ring ouzel showing well - Phil Vines
Trent Park area, Vic farm, tree pipit flew up from ground pm, 2 pr little grebe Parkside Res plus another 3 am in Grovelands - R Callf
KGV Res pm, 100+ swifts, 75 each of house martin and swallow, 2 redshank, 1 c sand, 3 LRPs, 1 y wagtail - A Middleton
Nags Head Lane STW/fishery during rain, pm, 60+ house martins, 20+ snad martins, c300 swallows, extra insects from grass cutting. Weald Park 50 house martins, 30 swallows, Bennett's farm pr of red-legged partridge. 84 pied wags 'Deer field' near M25 - C Jupp

Sun 27-4-03, Walthamstow Res southern complex - 2 incubating argenteus Herring Gulls and at least 5 incubating L B-bs. 2nd cal yr GBb Gull. One 2y gull almost certainly Caspian (i.e. cachinnans, not micahellis): narrow straight-sided all dark bill, white-headed appearance, fairly 'spangled' upper-parts with all dark (not 'marbled') tertials; up.- wing pattern like GBb; thicker, more contrasting tail band than on other imm Hg Gulls. Not seen full on laterally so distinctive jizz not assessable. 25 Common Terns. c.15 Swifts. Common Sandpiper. Water Treatment plant - Shelduck pair; Grey Wagtail. Walthamstow Marsh: Blackcap in song whose opening phrase clearly imitated Nightingale - v. remarkable The Cetti's Warbler was in song at Springfield Marina - Jeremy Gaskell, also poss Red-foot Sat eve Cheshunt Sat. eve. I thought I'd do the bit between Cheshunt and Waltham Abbey and saw what I took to be a Hobby 2-300m away as soon as I approached the level cossing on leaving Cheshunt Stn. I got the bins on it anticipating a streaky underside, but was amazed to see rich orange buff not only on chest, belly but also on underwing coverts. Then it was lost behind the trees. Total obs c.4 seconds!
Walthamstow Marsh, the cetti's warbler is still present by stream at north end. On the Goosefields at Fisher's Green the female ring ouzel was showing well this afternoon - Alex McKechnie.
River Lee CP: Hall Marsh, 1 Little Ringed Plover; Cornmill Meads, 6 Shelduck, 1 Wigeon, 2 LRP, 4 Snipe, 4 Redshank, 1 Lesser Whitethroat; Seventy Acres Lake, 2 LRP, 1 Garden Warbler; Holyfield Goosefield, 1 Ring Ouzel (female, feeding amongst the rushes at the edge of the southernmost scrape). Stephen Harris
Sewardstone Marsh, plenty of whitethroat & chiffchaff, 1 nightingale seen & 1 heard, 2 common tern along river, goldfinch & jays. Overhead approx 10 swift & a few sand martin - Dave Messenger
Staines Res. Whimbrel (4) also Dunlin (4) and Arctic Tern (at least 2 among 100+ Common Tern), Swift (estimated 600-800). Staines Moor Little Owl (1). Horsenden Hill Garden Warbler (1), Reed Warbler (2), Lesser Whitethroat (2), Whitethroat (8). Andy J. Culshaw
Vic Farm, Enfield, female ring ouzel again edge of oilseed near Williams Wood, 15 swifts, 2 pr little grebes on Parkside Res - R Callf
Boyles Court Farm TQ 580 914 early pm again 19.15hrs, male ring ouzel, same spot as previous female. Nags Head lane STW hobby, sswift, pair c tern, 12 house nartins, & 15 swallows. Tylers Common, cuckoo, 2 lsr whitethroats, singing male reed bunt - C Jupp
Cornmill Meadows - 2 shelduck, snipe, r.plover, redshanks, green sandpiper. For information hide has been trashed unable to use D. Messenger
Brimsdown, male common redstart in bushes by canal near 'Tradeteam', 100m north of bridge, at 6.30am, in subsong briefly - A Middleton, H Bantock

Sat 26-4-3 Horsenden Hill, Garden Warbler (1), Sedge Warbler (1), Reed Warbler (1), Blackcap (20), Chiffchaff (13), Willow Warbler (1), Lesser Whitethroat (1), Whitethroat (7), Swallow (5). Most notable was a Greylag Goose, a site first for me! Other highlights at Horsenden over the last few days included a tardy Fieldfare on 25th, the first Swift on 24th and a Common Sandpiper on 22nd. - Cheers, Andy Culshaw
Warley, Clements Park, 1 lesser whitethroat, , 8 whitethroat keeping low, 2 garden warblers, 8 willow warblers, 2 pr & 3rd singing male y'hammer. 2 wheatear on farmnland nearby. Noak Hill, Priors GC, pr lit grbs & mute swan, 6 fieldfares by horses - C Jupp
Swallows on the boat, KGV Res, H Bantock >

Ware I have just seen six Swifts over the town, my first of the year. Ian Edwards.
Vicarage Farm, nrth Enfield, female ring ouzel found by R White, seen later at 2.30pm by R Callf, also swift and swallow
Whipps Cross late morning/early afternoon: Swifts, Swallows and House Martins all passing through in small parties, both Kestrel and Sparrowhawk pairs displaying, another Hobby over spiralling up to several hundred feet before gliding off north. Peter Hadrill
Rammey Marsh East: male whinchat at 08.07 in rough grassland and bushes near canal halfway between Enfield Island Village bridge and lock. Also nightingale singing near lock - Martin Shepherd
KGV Res am, whinchat on west fence, 5 c sands, LRP, 3 little gulls by 10.50am, 100+ swifts and 100+ swallows, a few house martins. P Vines, A Middleton, H Bantock, also Sewardstone, c3 each lesser whitethroats and garden warbler, hobby, 2 redshank

Fri 25-4-3 KGV Res 3 Whimbrel low south at 3pm, also summer plumaged Black necked grebe on north basin/eastern corner also female wheatear and yellow wagtail - John Murray
Nags Head Lane STW, 3 house martins, 60 swallows, , 3 sand martins, male yellow wagtail on filter beds - C Jupp
Fairlop pm, garden warbler and reed warbler - A Bell
KGV Res evening, 2 ringed plover, wheatear, hybrid aythya, 2 c sands - A Middleton
Whipps Cross: 12 Swifts passed through singly or in small parties (1330-1430). All moved west to east. A Hobby also flew straight through moving north. Peter Hadrill
Rainham, Wennington and Aveley Marshes Nature Reserve - some recent records starting with today - Gropper on River Wall, Common Scoter 3m 2f on Thames, Common Tern 1 on Thames, Wheatear female on the marsh, Greenshank up to 4, Ruff up to 4, LRP at least 4. Other records in the last couple of weeks included: 2 spot shanks (24th); 2 Jack Snipe (24th); small numbers of Swift, Swallow, Sand and House Martin this week; up to 10 yellow wags around; Whimbrel 1 -2 in last week; up to 4 Green Sandpipers; max of 5 Barwits - inc some in full summer plumage - Dominic Funnell, Reserve Warden
Goosefield, Fishers Green: female ring ouzel at 08.45 to west of muddy scrape and then in rough grass along hedgerow bordering the river. Whimbrel on Goosefield at 09.05, chased off by lapwing: flew calling onto Holyfield farmland and then head off north, gaining height rapidly. Also green sandpiper over - Martin Shepherd
Brox Woods NR crossbill flew over (twice) - A Middleton. Sewardstone hobby flew south, c50 swifts, 20+ each of swallow and house martin all over marsh and KGV, lesser whitethroat, garden warbler - T Clancy & A Middleton

Thu 24-4-3 pm nightingale Rammey Marsh east close to lock - Brian Dawton.
Coppetts Wood this evening Reed Warbler singing in bushes, Also Willow Warbler - Tony Clancy
Amwell GP 7 Swifts, 1 Dunlin Alan Harris
Trent Park area, am 2 green sands, cuckoo, 1 y wag north, male and female lesser spot calling, in flight etc east of University buildings - R Callf
KGV Res am, 25 swifts south, 1 imm little gull (3 yesterday 1st w, 1st and 2nd summers), 2 aythya hybrids inc prob. scaup/pochard type, c 30 c terns, 2 c sands. Phil Vines, also male whinchat near Goosefield hide, female ring ouzel seen around 11am but not since - sightings and news from Phil Vines
KGV Res pm, c50 swifts, 2 y wags, 1 white wag & 29 pied wagtails north field, 3 c sands, 3 LRPs, 2 redshank, 1st summer little gull - R Callf
Nazeing Meads 3 whimbrel flew east around 11.40am, towards Nazeing traffic lights - Gary Gardiner
PAGLESHAM LAGOON, 15.30 to 18.20. 9 YELLOW WAGTAIL, 32+ SWALLOW, 4 HOUSE MARTIN, SAND MARTIN, 14 SWIFT, 4 CORN BUNTING, 2 REED BUNTING, YELLOW HAMMER, 2 WHITETHROAT, on river Roach, 2 WHIMBREL, 2 COMMON TERN, SANDWICH TERN, 2 AVOCET. TONY HOWELLS.

Wed 23-4-3 Nags Hd Lane fishery, 2 pr c tern, 14 house martins, 2 sand martins, 3 swallows - Colin Jupp
Trent Park area, LRP (1st since may 93) and green sand Parkside Res, female lesser spot drumming 9.08-22am Icehouse Wood, 6 jays nature trail, garden warbler, 2 lesser whitethroats, 6 small torts, female orange tip - R Callf, Trent Park area, 2 Bullfinch in shrubbery by side of lower lake. 2 Lapwing , 1 on Parkside res and 1 on Vic farm, c25 Stock Dove .4 mandarin upper lake. - Pete Lowman
Fishers Green Goosefields- 1 LRP, 1 yellow wag, 3 shelduck, 1 green sand, 2 common terns. - Chris & Pete Langsdon
Possible swift over but didn't get a good enough view to I.D propley. Chris Langsdon
Fairlop swift, cuckoo, whinchat, wheatear, lesser whitethroat, fieldfare & corn bunting - Alan Bell
Grt Warley, no sign of ring ouzel or winter thrushes, Weald Pk male brimstone, Nags head lane c tern. Harold Hill garden, female lesser spot giving pe-pe-pe calls in shorter than usual bursts 10.15am. Noak Hill 5 lapwing, 3 fieldfare, y'hammer, total of 30+ orange tips various sites inc.female near lady's smock in sheltered spot. Tylers Common pm, male wheatear n side, 12 swallows, lesser whitethroat - C Jupp
Morning at Fishers Green LVP: 08.40 3 swallows across Hayes Farm; 09.00 on 70 Acre reed warblers, cuckoo, 4 common terns, 2 little ringed plover; 2 shelduck; 10.00-12.00 at least 6 nightingales singing on the Island Jeff Butcher
Sewardstone am, 3 nightingale, 3 garden warbler, lesser whitehroat, snipe, 7 shelduck - H Bantock & A Middleton, later 3 orange tips and brimstone
Waterford & Rickneys - 2 grizzled skippers & small copper - see http://www.hmbutterflyconservation.org.uk/
21/4/03:- Hall Marsh Scrape - 1m & 1f Garganey, 2 LRP, 8+ Snipe, 3 C.Tern. LVP - warblers: numerous Sedge & Chiffchaff, 2+ Willow, 1m Blackcap & 1 Reed. - Nigel Willits

Nightingale today - H Bantock

Tue 22-4-3 Fairlop curlew flew south at 6.27pm, & wheatear still present - Alan Bell
Morning LVP: common terns on one of the rafts in Friday Lake and on 70 Acre raft. Yellow wagtail (male flavissima) on Holyfield Farm (between Cornmill Meadows and Fishers Green Lane) perching on wire of Gunpowder Mills fence. Garden warbler by path up west side of Hooks Marsh Lake - not singing full song. Jeff Butcher
KGV Res am, 2 y wags north, 3 little gulls - A Middleton. Long Running 8-8.30pm, 8 passes by woodcock including two clashing, several mandarin, 1 or 2 tree pipits - AM and Tony Baumber
Ware - heard my first cuckoo this evening - Liz Goodyear

Sewardstone Marsh am - Nightingale, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat in usual spots. LRP & Redshank on marshy area. - Fishers Green pm- Goose Field - Green Sandpiper, 2 Barnacle Goose Mark & Bill Cutts
Sewardstone Marsh, early morning: at least two lesser whitethroats, garden warbler, two nightingales - Martin Shepherd
21 April 2003 - Walthamstow Reservoirs Complex Banbury Res 2 Common Sandpipers Lockwood Res 1 Greenshank, 1 LRP, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Swifts, 2 House Martins, 9 Teal East Warwick 1 Turnstone, 1 Common Sandpiper 22 April 2003 Walthamstow Marsh Cetti's Warbler singing again at the north end just west of the railway line by the road. Tate Modern 1 Common Buzzard flew west at 12.48 hrs, 2 1st summer GBBG, 1 Peregrine. David G Darrell-Lambert
Trent Park area, green sand Parkside (RC), garden warbler Lower Lake & common tern (R White) - news from R Callf

Please find attached distant record shot of female ring ouzel through Swarovski at 60x and zoomed in Nikon coolpix 4500. Regards Richard Waters ~ Boyles Court Farm 21st April

21-4-03, Sewardstone Marsh: garden warbler singing this morning between Knights Pits and the angling club lake. Cornmill Meadows: ringed plover. Muntjac grazing out in the open. Amwell: water rail squealing at 16.20. Three reed warblers. 20-4-03, Sewardstone Marsh: two nightingales, cuckoo, and male bullfinch this morning. Enfield Lock: five yellow wagtails with pied wagtails at 16.35 in meadow between KGV Reservoir and Enfield Island Village - Martin Shepherd

Mon 21-4-3 Cheshunt Marsh east of Bowyers and over old river - ring ouzel reported again near mown area - news passed on by PJV
Walthamstow Reservoirs 8 Shelduck, 41 Gadwall, 8 Shoveler, 41 Ruddy Duck, 3 Sparrowhawk, 1 LRP, 1 Greenshank, 2 Green Sandpiper, 4 Common Sandpiper, 1 Turnstone, 14 Common Tern, 5 Kingfisher, 1 Wheatear. Stephen Harris
Great Warley, Boyles Court Farm, female ring ouzel still & 3 redwings, TQ580914. Leverton 18 fieldfares, 2 redwing, total 9 swallows. Nags Hd 3 teal, drake shoveler - Colin Jupp
Also viewed from Great Warley, a kite almost certainly a black kite, flew west at 4.55pm and was in view through telescopes for 3-4 minutes, seen initially and identified as a black kite by Richard Waters, also seen by Colin Jupp who reports ~ it flew west over Brentwood, over Weald Church and towards M25. Too dark and uniform for red kite, tail too shallowly forked, paler carpal bar wing pattern also noted and soon positively ID'd as a black kite by Richard
Fairlop, male whinchat, male wheatear, sedge warbler, & yellow wag - Alan Bell
Fairlop 07.30. 2 Shelduck, 10 singing Willow Warblers and 4 Whitethroat. Also 3 Fieldfare.Peter Hopkins
Trent Park, lesser whitethroat & sand martin new for year, green sandpiper - R Callf & R White
Cornmill Meadows LVP this morning: still 2 ringed plover on the drying out mud of the middle pool, kingfisher on the Old River Lea, south end of the Meadows. Jeff Butcher
KGV Res am, 21 little gulls, 1 black tern, 2 c sands, sanderling briefly on causeway around 10.15am, 3 drake common scoter north basin mid-am, housemartin, 2 y wags over - A Middleton. Sanderling & Scoters still present pm, also 1 Yellow wagtail, 1 Wheatear near causeway east end. Tony Clancy. Lippitts Hill c10 redwing - AM
HADLEIGH MARSH, 16.30 to18.00, WHEATEAR male, REED WARBLER, 5 STONECHAT 4 male`s, WHITETHROAT, 5 WHIMBREL, 11 BAR TAILED GODWIT,16 BLACKTAIL GODWIT, 2 GREENSHANK, COMMON TERN. TONY HOWELLS.

Whitethroat ~ Tristan Bantock ~ http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/digiscoping/

Sun 20-4-3 Greenwich Ecology Park - 3 Skylarks over the fields to the south of the park along with 5 Meadow Pipits also Black Redstart reported there. In the park 2 Reed Buntings, 2 Little Grebes, 2 Grey Wagtails, 6 Linnets, 11 Goldfinch and 8 Tufted. On the Thames 2 adult Yellow-legged Gull's, 3 Shelduck and 6 Grey Herons
Maryon Wilson Park, Charlton - A few migrants around with Garden Warbler, 3 Blackcaps and 4 Chiffchaffs also seen were 2 Nuthatch, 3 Great-spotted Woodpeckers, 3 Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Goldcrest, Green Woodpecker and 6 House Sparrows.
Ladywell Fields SE6 - 3 Grey Wagtails, 3 Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Song Thrush, 4 Mistle Thrush, 2 Great-spotted Woodpeckers, Green Woodpecker, 4 Jays, 3 Ring-necked Parakeets but no sign of the Kingfisher that has been in the area recently - Chris White
Trent Park area, 70 linnets on rape, 30 fieldfare, 30 stock dove & 26 y'hammer on stubble. Parkside Farm green sand on Res, 2 RL partridge. Vic farm area, little owl, 31 magpies on recnt plough - R Callf
Horsenden Hill Ring Ousel (2 feeding on lower fields flew off strongly to north at 07.55 after being flushed by a dog walker), Lesser Whitethroat (1), Chiffchaff (14), Blackcap (13), Willow Warbler (2), Whitethroat (4), Common tern (1). - Cheers, Andy Culshaw
Great Warley, Boyles Court Farm, female ring ouzel & 3 redwings, TQ580914. Tylers Common lesser whitethroat- Colin Jupp & Trevor Broom. Fairlop, wheatear - A Bell
Friday 18th Ware Old Lea Willow Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Chiffchaff, Four Common Terns, two Cuckoos calling. Saturday 19th By Chadwell Springs golf club, a female Mallard leading a family of ten ducklings across the road. Sunday 20th From the garden one Jay flew over, three Swallows, Song Thrush. Ian Edwards.
WAKERING FLEET, 15.00 to 16.30, WHINCHAT male, WHIMBREL, 3 HOUSE MARTIN, 9 SWALLOW, 5 LITTLE EGRET. GUNNER`S PK, SHOEBURYNESS, 16.40 to 18.00, 9 COMMON TERN off sea wall. TONY HOWELLS.

Sat 19-4-3 Horsenden Hill, Garden Warbler singing from the south side of Horsenden Hill this morning, otherwise no new migrants but still a couple of Snipe lingering. Andrew J. Culshaw
Rye Meads Nature Reserve - Single jack snipe and green sandpiper. At least three singing sedge warblers. 18-4-3 (yesterday) pair of LRP on the island at Ponders End Lake. Phil Rhodes.
Sewardstone Marsh 8.00 am - 1 Nightingale showing well by main track and 1 other by Knights Pit. King George Res, 20 plus Little Gulls and 1 Black tern and 3 Yellow wagtails. W.Girling channel 1 Common Sandpiper and at Tottenham Marsh 1 Greenshank on Relief channel. At midday 1 Reed warbler at Middlesex fIlter beds. Marco Johnston. Also count of 21 little gulls, 3 redshank, c50 c terns, 20-30 swallows am & pm KGV Res - various obs
Great Warley female ring ouzel, 10 fieldfare, 3 redwing, pr mistle thrush. Weald Pk lake 7-8 house martins, 15 swallows, grey wag, m pipit. Nags Hd fishery, c tern, 14 swallows, a probable whimbrel flew north, going away from us, STW pr teal, 4 yellow wagtails - Colin Jupp, with Andrew & Bob Stroud
Fairlop, male wheatear, 2 yellow wags, 2 LRPs - Alan Bell
Enfield, Vic farm 60 linnets on flowering oilseed rape, 25 fieldfares & 12 y'hammers on setaside, kingfisher calling along Salmons Brook - R Callf

18-4-3 Walthamstow Marsh 18.15 - 18.30hrs Cetti's Warbler singing frequently and observed in willow growing on railway side of metal palings separating W'stow Marsh from the railway track c. 50 m. from Coppermill Lane entrance to the marsh. Also frequenting briar behind drainage ditch bordering footpath leading to marina. Common Whitethroat singing a subsong. Coppermill water treatment plant - pair of Shelduck ; Grey Wagtail carrying food. Jeremy Gaskell
Amwell - LRP and Greenshank on pit before railway line - RP, Common Terns, Sedge Warbler from viewpoint - Reed and Sedge Warbler - Cuckoo calling - Nathalie Schorbon
Harold Crt * Tylers Common, both lesser whitethroats, fieldfare, latter. Grt Warley 2 singing firecrests, 2 fieldfares. Butterfly totals for day various places 1 large white, 6+ sml white, 3 gr v white,.8 orange tips, 3 holly blue, 3 sml tort, c20 peacock, 5+ comma, 10+ speckled woods, Colin Jupp
Sewardstone Marsh: redwing at 08.00. KGV: yellow wagtail, NE corner of north basin, at 10.30. Holyfield area: drake pintail and grey plover still around at 16.00 on scrape near the Goosefield. Also calling bullfinches near the electricity sub-station and at Hall Marsh. Pair of Garganey still present at Hall Marsh - Martin Shepherd
Fishers Green Goosefeilds 11:00am - 3:30pm Grey plover present until 12:00 at least. 3 Green Sands and a Wood Sand - longer more yellower legs then the Greens, streaked breast and a drake pintail - apperard to have an injured leg. - Chris & Pete Langsdon
Fairlop 2 orange tips, pr shelduck, 12 teal. Hainault, brimstone, 2 orange tips. Sewardstone cuckoo, sedge warbler, nightingale - total 8 species of butterfly (missed out on small white and small tort) - sightings by Alan Bell (from Fairlop)
Bowyers Water, Cheshunt. Male Ring Ouzel showing well in area of rough grass and hawthorn scrub directly behind Cormorant hide from at least 11.30am-12.30pm. Area is best viewed from ramp leading up to hide as bird is quite well hidden when feeding in grass. Also Sedge Warbler & Whitethroat. Ross Facer
FISHERS GREEN 3 x NIGHTINGALE CALLING 1 x SHOWING TYLERS COMMON 1 x MALE BLACKCAP 3 x LINNET'S PAUL NORRIS
KGV Res am, 15 little gulls, 2 Sandwich terns briefly, 1 black tern, Egyptian goose, several house martins swallows, 1 swift - various observers
Bowyers area - male ring ouzel seen east side by Barry Bishop around mid-day - news from PJV

17.4.03 Amwell GP 7.45pm a splendid adult female Marsh Harrier flew in low from the West of the viewpoint and flew leisurely South over the main lake before being mobbed by the 11 or so Common Terns. It then headed North towards the reeds at the Northern end of the lake, when it was lost from view, and probably went to roost. Also Cuckoo, a couple of Sedge Warblers, Grey Wagtail, Redshank, Ringed Plover and several Snipe coming in to roost. Ross Facer
Fishers Green LVP The Grey Plover at the Goosefield took off at 19.50 and flew north over trees and Holyfield Lake. Jeff Butcher
LVP Cranhum hide area, g.s.woodpecker 2 jay, common whitethroat, ,jackdaws, 2 barnacle geese, 3 snipe, towards weir & round to Bittern Hide plenty of chiffchaff, a blackcap, willow warbler, fieldfare on field by iron bridge, r.warblers from hide. D Messenger
Trent Park, female lesser spot drumming from same branch as make earlier in year - R Callf
KGV Res Morning, North basin north end, 3 Oystercatchers, Common Tern. Sewardstone Marsh. 2 Redshank, 4 Whitethroats, 5 Sedge Warblers and a Cuckoo. Neville Smith
Thursday morning: Fishers Green LVP: Goosefield 08.35:Grey Plover (juvenile plumage with some black on belly) greenshank, redshank, snipe. 70 Acre 10.30: 2 Little Ringed Plover, reed warbler, sedge warbler, cuckoo, great black-backed gull (juv) Jeff Butcher
Tylers Common east side, lesser whitethroat, 10 whitethroats. Nags Hd Lane orange tip. Weald Park cuckoo. Warley tree pipit, 3 whitethroats, 8 willow warblers. Harold Hill garden holly blue - C Jupp, S Petts, Harold Court, six large bats around oaks at dusk, noctules? C Jupp
Walthamstow Marsh am, Cetti's warbler still at north end along stream - David G Darrell-Lambert
KGV Res am, 3 sandwich terns, left to south around 10.30am, 17 little gulls, 2 black terns, 1 common sand, 3 oystercatchers - Phil Vines
Broxbourne Woods, 2 crossbill, 5 brambling, pr marsh tits - A Middleton

16-4-03 Amwell GP 7pm - 8 Common Terns, Sedge Warbler, Cuckoo, Willow Warbler, 2 Green Sand, Redshank, Ringed Plover - Mark Hows
Tylers Common, Essex, 8 whitethroat, 10 willow warblers, 6 swallows - C Jupp
Walthamsow Marsh Cetti's Warbler at the north end by the stream also seen in reservoirs area of the marsh (West Warwick Reservoir). Whitethroat present for its second day. Tate Modern Peregrine seen at 2pm, was present yesterday at 9am David G Darrell-Lambert
Barnes WWT Wetland Centre: 3pm: Three Garganey (two males), Jack Snipe and Wheatear David Bradshaw (Two Water Pipits and Redstart seen AM)
Cornmill Meadows, LVP: 12.45 pm one garden warbler feeding in hedge north of car park; 1.15 p.m. one sedge warbler in bushes north of Wake Hide. Jeff Butcher
Trent Park area, female whinchat on oilseed rape Vic fm, redwing & 13 fieldfares, 50 linnets, totals 3 brimstone & 4 male orange tips - R Callf, also large red damselfly Merryhills Brook, garden warbler nrth Williams Wood, pr kingfishers Leeging Beech Gutter - sightings from R White
KGV Res pm, c40 little gulls, 2 black terns, c30 c terns, 2 y wags - Alan Bell
Cuckoo at Amwell Pits yesterday c14.00hrs 15 April 2003 - Nigel Agar
Walthamstow Marsh early am, A singing cetti's warbler present. Bird is mobile, patrolling area from the entrance to the marsh at Coppermill Lane up to the bridge at entrance to marina. Seen on path side of watercourse briefly. One common whitethoat nearby - Alex McKechnie and David Darrell Lambert.
KGV Res 10am, 66 little gulls of various ages, 2 black terns, 20+ c terns, 2 c sands, redshank, 2 y wags, 2 hybrid aythya ducks one not unlike Ferruginous duck, sedge warbler and whitethroats. - Phil Vines, A Middleton, H Bantock, Martin Shepherd
Sewardstone Marsh: nightingale singing out in the open at 07.10 between Knights Pits and the fishing club lake. Also five whitethroats at south end of the marsh - Martin Shepherd
Also reported, 2 ring ouzels am Fishers Green area, osprey moving up Lea Valley around 11am

Tue 15-4-3 Sewardstone Marsh, am: two cuckoos, sedge warbler, seven fieldfare, and three whitethroats (two on the edge of Pattypool Mead). Amwell: six sedge warblers and a cuckoo this afternoon - Martin Shepherd
Weald Pk brimstone. Nags Head STW y.wagtail, 2 white wags, 4 m pipits, reed bunt, Risebridge GC pm 2 speckled wood. Bedfords Pk 3 wilow warblers. Heath Drive Gidea Park mandarin flwe over GC - C Jupp
Ware Old Lea This morning Blackcap, Kingfisher. Green woodpecker, Sedge warbler, Chiffchaff, 6 Swans flew over. Ian Edwards.
Nazing Meads- 78 Fieldfare over, heading South - Gary Gardiner. Trent Park 40 linnets and 60 fieldfare on stubble - R callf
Sewardstone Marsh - 1 Little Egret, 2 lapwing, 3 Redshank. KGV 4:00pm - 6:25pm - min 15 Little Gulls, 2 black turns, Common sand, Green sand, 3 Redshank, 2 LRP, 1 Bar-Tailed Godwit, 1 Little Egret, Pair of mandarins, c10 sand martins, 3 swallows, c6 shelduck, 9 ruddy duck only 1 m.pipit c25 - 30 C.Terns - Chris & Pete Langsdon
Fairlop tree pipit and whitethroat this evening - Alan Bell
KGV extras - late am/early pm: probable tree pipit over calling, one wheatear S end of S basin, two LRPs causeway, two white wags, two common sands, three redshank. Sewardstone Marsh: Cuckoo, two whitethroats. Cornmill Meadows: sedge warbler. Sean Huggins
Barnes WWT Pair of Garganey still on grazing marsh. Reed and Sedge Warbler singing on reserve. David Bradshaw
This morning at Fishers Green LVP. Reed warbler at Bittern watchpoint (thanks Terry Smith) at least 2 whitethroats on the island (many blackcaps, willow warblers and chiffchaffs singing) greenshank & redshank on pool south of Goosefield, little owl in tree in field by sailing club (thanks again Terry Smith). Sparrowhawk and kestrel. Jeff Butcher
LVP Area between river and Cheshunt Station. Whitethroat 1, Blackcap 2, many Willow & Chiff. Hall Marsh Garganey pair from plover hide, Sedge Warbler 3+, L R Plover 2 on shingle, Greylag 2 flew over. Mark & Bill Cutts
KGV Res am, 2 black terns, max 36 little gulls by 9.30am, barwit - Phil Vines. Reservoirs also 2 y wags, 8 goldeneye, 4 small torts, peacock, male brimstone - R Callf. Trent Park area 2 brimstones R White
Yates/Yardley Hill 8 speckled woods, holly blue, brimstone, 4 peacock, comma, green veined and small whites, whitethroats. Barking 3 whitethroats - A Middleton, see http://www.hmbutterflyconservation.org.uk/

Mon 14-04-03: Warely, Essex, Clements Pk 7 willow w, 2 redwing, 7 y'hammer, pr rl partirdge adj. field. Boyles Crt Fm, area 4 redwing, 4 fieldfare, Tylers Shaw 140 jackdaw, 3 1st sum c gulls. Nags Head SW pm, 6 teal, 20 swallows, 4 m pipits, 2 y wags, 3 grey wags, 20 pied wags - C Jupp
Walthamstow Reservoirs No5 5 Shelduck on the east bank Walthamstow Marsh 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Swallow north, 1 Fieldfare south Tate Modern 1 Peregrine this morning, 1 pair of Shelduck up river at 1pm. David G Darrell-Lambert
Sewardstone Marsh: sedge warbler singing south end of marsh at 07.30, plus whitethroat: KGV Reservoir: in addition to other reports, eight yellow wagtails between 08.20 and 09.30, female and male wheatears, mandarin, green sandpiper, ringed plover with three LRPs on causeway - Martin Shepherd
Amwell 14:00 - 1 Pintail, 4+ Redshank, 1 R.P., P.Smith
Cuckoo, Hornchurch.C.Park also 2 Sedge Warblers and Cetti's at Berwick Ponds.Les Harrison.
Mudchute Farm, Isle of Dogs: A male common redstart in paddock on north side of the allotments on East Ferry Road side of park at 9.45am. Eventually disappeared into hedge bordering allotments. Sean Huggins
KGV Res am, 11 common terns and 1 yellow wagtail - Phil Vines, pm c20 c terns, little gull, barwit, 2 y wags, several swallows, 3 mandarin 2m & f Res and east channel - A Middleton, Jeremy Gaskell
Saturday 12/4 c 2.15, 2 hobbies at Amwell - Alex Lewis. Also cuckoo on Sun LVP for Harry Lacey
GUNNER`S PK, SHOEBURYNESS, 13.20 to 15.00, 2 REDWING, sea wall, RED NECKED GREBE, SAND MARTIN. FLEET WAKERING, 15.15 to 18.20, BARN OWL, SHORT EARED OWL, SPOTTED REDSHANK summer, Pr WHIMBREL, 8 SWALLOW, 5 YELLOW WAGTAIL. TONY HOWELLS.

Sun 13-4-03 Horsenden Hill Migrants: Willow Warbler (1), Chiffchaff (12), Blackcap (6). Also Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (2). Barn Elms WWT Sedge Warbler (1). Cheers, Andy Culshaw
KGV S.Basin Little Gull, Common Terns and Bar'wit still present mid pm. Also Shelduck pair, c20 Pied and 1 fem. White Wagtail. North Basin and res. bank 'alpina Dunlin' c.40 Meadow Ps male Yellow Wagtail (flavissima), 10 Pied Wagtail Party of three 'flava' wagtails comprising male Blue-headed and 2 identical birds showing classic characteristics of race 'lutea' from Volga region. Wheatear Peacock and three Small Torts - Jeremy Gaskell
Garganey pair still present on Hall Marsh Scrape, LVP, at 6 p.m. today. Jeff Butcher
TYLERS COMMON 2 x SWALLOWS 3 x SKYLARKS 2 x MEADOW PIPIT'S PAUL NORRIS
Cuckoo calling from wires NE KGV this morning, Common Whitethroat Sewardstone Marsh. Tony Clancy
Trent Park area, female lesser-spot Williams Wood, total 7 redwing, 20+ fieldfare,Vic Farm whitethroat, 2 rl partridge, 1st weasel on farm for a long time, 30 linnets on barracks and yellow wagtail calling over - Robert Callf, also male common redstart seen by Chris Moorhouse near Upper lake, common buzzard over Church Wood for Robin White, redstart still pm - RC
Grt Warley, Boyled Crt Fm, wheatear in rabbit field, 2 fieldfare, 2 swallows - Colin Jupp
Sewardstone Marsh, little egret feeding in relief channel, north of 'red bridge' - Neil Wilson
KGV Res am, barwit south basin, little gull, 3 common terns, 2 whimbrel south around 9.25am, also redshank, green sand and LRP. Aythya hybrid resembling Ferruginous duck south basin - Phil Vines, pm barwit SW crnr south basin, female red-crested pochard, yellow wagtail north - Alan Bell. C sand and 2 reed bunts territories KGV area and brimstone & 2 peacocks mott Street - Helen Bantock
Epping Forest, Long Hills, c20 brambling, large raptor flew from scrub in wood - perhaps c buzzard. Several sightings of holly blue in Ponders End garden - A Middleton

Sat 12-4-03 Tylers swallow, 5 willow warblers, Nags Heal Lane, total 7 swallows, 8 teal, 17 pied wags, pr grey wags - C Jupp
KGV Res pm, 3 common terns, little gull, 2 LRPs, swallow, no sign of any arctics. - Alan Bell
KGV Res 1 Arctic tern and 1 Little Gull (first summer) flying between boats on South Basin. Also 1 Bar Tailed Godwit feeding on South basin in western corner. Male Black Redstart reported singing from Macro Carpark. Also 1 House and 7 Sand Martins. - John Murray, also 2 c terns & 1 arctic tern at one point, c.sand and green sand, redshank, several LRPs. Kittiwake finished. Sewardstone Marsh whitethroat - various observers
Bowmans Farm Lake - late news from Friday 11th Single Water pipit, 6+ LR Plover, 12+ Ringed plover, 3 redshank, 1 dunlin, 6 Meadow pipit, 5 RL Partridge, large linnet flock. Mark & Bill Cutts
GUNNER`S PK, SHOEBURYNESS, 6.30 to 8.00. 2 SANDWICH TERN, 6 COMMON SCOTER. WAKERING STAIR`S, 8.15 to 9.45, BARN OWL, SHORT EARED OWL, WILLOW WARBLER, WHITETHROAT, LESSER WHITETHROAT,11 LITTLE EGRET,6 REED BUNTING 3 pair, YELLOW HAMMER fe. TONY HOWELLS.

Fri 11-4-03 Ware ( Friday ) Widbury Hill. Pair of Red Legged Partridge, Green Woodpecker, and the strange sight of a Magpie flying quite low and slowly carrying what looked like a large egg in its beak. Ian Edwards.
Harold Hill/Hatters Wood garden lesser spot drumming for 10 minutes early am, called pm, grt spot, green wood. Maylands GC/Weald Brook scrub 60 redwings, 2 m y'hammers, bullfinch, several linnets - Colin Jupp
KGV Res at dusk, 7 terns flying between boats, jizz of arctic terns but too late to ID in fading light - A Middleton
KGV, late afternoon: two little gulls and four arctic terns, south basin, terns flew off NE. Also godwit species reported north end of north basin by three other birders - Martin Shepherd
10+ Redwings near the lake at Hainault Forest - Steve Stuart
KGV Res, 2 little gulls, kittwake not looking so well, common tern south basin, bar-tailed godwit reported nrth basin then later at south end of north basin - sightings and news from Phil Vines
Trent Park area, crossbill heard over Rough Lot, 40 fieldfare, 27 stock doves on stubble, redpoll over Williams Wood, Vic Farm 25+ linnets, lit owl farm buildings, male lapwing over Parkside Farm - R Callf
HANNINGFIELD RES, 14.15 to 16.20. 3 COMMON TERN, 19 SWALLOW, WILLOW WARBLER, 3 BLACKCAP males, BRAMBLING male, 3 RED CRESTED POCHARD 2 male`s. TONY HOWELLS.

Thu 10-4-03 Weald Park pm, 6 fieldfare, 2 redwing deer park, blackcap, chiffchaff, & pr reed bunts between lakes, 4 brambling 3f & m Beech Wood with 10 chaffinch, 10+ redpolls in feeding quietly in freshh greenery of treetops Fox wood - C Jupp
RSPB Rye Meads at 12 noon. Kingfisher hide blackcap singing. Green sandpiper still present. Jeff Butcher
Hall Marsh scrape am, pair of Garganey still present from Plover Hide, also singing Sedge Warbler on walk back to Seventy acre carpark. Gary Gardiner.
Trent Park area, on stubble 19 stock doves, 36 fieldfares, 38 y'hammers, muntjac, 39 chaffinch + 15 Rough Lot, 50 linnets Parkside Farm. Yesterday 1 snipe Parkside Res, 28 y'hammers - R Callf
KGV Res am, 2 arctic terns and 2 little gulls south basin, total 4 lrp, 3 redshank, 6 green sandpipers, 75+ meadow pipits, 1 white wagtail, red crested pochard, 25 swallows briefly, possibly 3 y wagtails calling over but not seen- P Vines, A Middleton

2003 SPRING CHALLENGE - ORANGE TIP DISTRIBUTION IN HERTS AND MIDDX

Wed. 9-4-03 late evening, Fishers Green / Goosfields - ChiffChaff, several fieldfares and a barnacle goose with the Canada flock Mark Hows
Hall Marsh scrape 11.15 to 11.45, 4 pair teal, 5 pair shovelers, 1pair reed bunting, 5 chaffinch, 1 heron, 1 cock Pheasant, 2 chiff-chaff, 1 bird with a group of Gt Tits by south end of Hall Marsh looked to me to be a spotted flycatcher although I do not profess to being an expert - the bird was brown and mottled above, slightly lighter chest and underparts, and was slightly larger than a robin but a lot thinner - Fred Dearing
near Jnc 28 M25/A12, large field to north with deer, male yellow wagtail, pre-roost of 75 pied wags, and grey wag on stream nearby parallel with A12. Weald Park 2 swallows upper lake > 1 flew north, one perched and flycatching from island trees, subsinging blackcap, grey wag, little owl two palces, winter male brambling with chaffinch Beech Wood. Pages Farm 18 y'hammer, 100 linnets. Grey wag along Ingrebourne - C Jupp
About 9 am Waltham Abbey 6 Redwing flying out of Gunpowder Mills south over Powdermill Lane estate. Jeff Butcher & Terry Smith. This afternoon RSPB Rye Meads green sandpiper, water rail, one willow warbler, several chiffchaff. J Butcher
KGV res. pm Immature kittiwake still present on south basin. A few swallows, 3 lrps, 2 redshank, a green sandpiper and at least 2 white wagtail also seen - Alex McKechnie.
Fairlop, swallow this evening - Alan Bell
GUNNERS PARK, SHOEBURY NESS, 17.45 to 18.20. sea wall, RED NECKED GREBE summer plumage, 47 GREAT CRESTED GREBE. TONY HOWELLS.

Tue 8-4-03 Weald Park, 2 swallows over upper lake early evening. Female brambling with 9 chaffinch Beech Wood. Speckled wood Lincolns Lane car-park - C Jupp
Ware Old Lea I saw my first Swallow of the year this morning, along with a pair of Bullfinches and a Kingfisher. Ian Edwards
Amwell: four swallows and a house martin between 15.35 and 16.00. Common buzzard over high up and flying SE at 16.40 - Martin Shepherd
KGV Res dunlin nrth end, swallow, fem goosander, 4 lrp, 2 redshank, 3 green sands - R Callf
North Weald/Toot Hill, Essex, c10 y'hammers, 30 linnets, several skylark, 2 bullfinch, 1 or 2 lapwing, c100 fieldfare - A Middleton

Mon 7-4-03 In addition to KGV report: female common scoter flew over the causeway and landed on the S basin late am.. Fishers Green: the male common redstart still till 1.15 at least; Hall Marsh scrape: the pair of garganey again; Cornmill Meadows: two LRPs, 50 snipe, six redshanks. Fair numbers of willow warblers and a few blackcaps around. Sean Huggins
Grovelands Park pm, 6 nuthatch - R Callf
KGV Res am, 1st winter kittiwake feeding on flies at the water's edge, 4 lrps, 2 redshank - P Vines, A Middleton
Sat 5th Male Redstart showed well 100 yards up the track from the Bittern Watchpoint at 10.30 am, also one Goosander on the river and two Buzzards in the distance from the watchpoint over the Goose Field. Simon Papps.

Sun 6-4-03 Bowyers Water: pair of common scoter at 16.55, seen by Brian Sperring this morning. Pair of Garganey visible on east side of Hall Marsh. Redstart at Fishers Green still active at 18.20. Also water vole in the Lea seen while watching the redstart, and three snipe at edge of scrape south of the Goosefield - Martin Shepherd
FISHERS GREEN - 3pm - Redstart showing well near to Bittern Hide, also Willow Warbler singing nearby. 4pm at HALL MARSH from Plover Hide pair of Garganey quite elusive on left hand side. Marco Johnston.
Sedge Warbler at Hooks Marsh Lake, but no sign of Garganey at Hall Marsh. Also Redstart near the Bittern Watchpoint, and 7 swallows at Amwell - Graham Knight
KGV Res am, arctic tern from around 9.45-11.45am, but not later - Phil Vines. pm 2 lrps, 3 redshank, 50 sand martins, 75 pied wags inc 1 white wag. J Gaskell, A Middleton, A Bell, also 9 ruff circled then few north at 2.30pm over Sewardstone Marsh
Cornmill, 2 LRP, 2 Ringed Plover. Brimsdown 2 Green sands flying from Res - H Bantock
Fishers Green, yellow wagtail flew north at 4.53pm - Alan Bell
FLEET WAKERING, 13.30 to 15.45, 3 YELLOW WAGTAIL, LITTLE OWL, GREENSHANK, 5 LITTLE EGRET, SPARROW HAWK fe, 7 COMMON SNIPE, 2 AVOCET. WAKERING STAIRS, 16.00, 23 EIDER. TONY HOWELLS.

Sat 5-4-03 Ware ( Sat A.M.) Three Jays flew over my garden this morning. ( Sat P.M.) Rye House RSPB Willow Warbler, 8+ Sand Martins. Ian Edwards.
Nr Noak Hill, Paternoster Row 2 prs lapwing displaying. Grt Warley, Tylers Shaw, leucistic magpie, 4 redwing & several fieldfare - C Jupp
Had a pair of Common Scoter in Aveley Bay this am viewed from the green by the Purfleet Heritage Centre. Howard Vaughan
Fishers Grn Goosefield. 3 barnacle amongst Canada & g.l.geese also 5 shelduck. 1 willow warbler, I also saw the redstart. Gt.Amwell 3 sand martin. 2 ringed plovers, & a pair of bullfinch. Dave Mesenger
Hall Marsh - the pair of garganey still present. Pair of blackcap. Fishers Green Goosefeilds - one buzzard flew over, pair of snipe - Chris & Pete Langsdon
Female Marsh Harrier flew north up the Ingrebourne Valley over Hornchurch C Park at 7:45 am. No sign of Bearded Tit, Cetti's still calling but mobile - Les Harrison
Trent Park, Merryhills Brook, 25 fieldfare, 2 or 3 blackcap, total 11 jays, small tort, GV white & peacock - R Callf
Fairlop 2 C Snipe, 30 Fieldfare, 4 Willow Warbler D W Newton
Fishers Green, male Common Redstart still present at 10am, approx 70yds N of Bittern watchpoint. Gary Gardiner
KGV Res am, 1st winter kittiwake south end south basin, female c scoter (and Friday), 25 m pipits, 1 lrp, red-crested pochard, male white wagtail, pair mandarin in relief channel - Tony Clancy & Phil Vines
Sewardstone Marsh, whitethroat, 2 speckled woods, 2 lrps, several willow warblers - A Middleton, H Bantock, T Clancy
Fishers Green nr Bittern Watchpont - male redstart this am - Barry Bishop
Pole Hill lesser spot male and female drumming, orange tip in Ponders End garden - A Middleton
THE WARREN STANFORD-LE-HOPE, 11.00to 15.30, fe GOSHAWK being mobbed by a pair of SPARROW HAWKS heading south. pr BEARDED TIT, WATER RAIL, 2 KINGFISHERS, CETTIS singing, and 2 WEASEL`S. WAT TYLER C/P BASILDON, 16.45 to 17.15, adult WHOOPER SWAN. TONY HOWELLS.
Glebelands, Nrth Finchley, common redstart late pm Thu 3rd - Tony Clancy

Fri 4-4-03 1 Wheatear, 1 Small White south end W. Girling Res this afternoon. Tony Clancy
Female Bearded Tit Berwick Ponds eastern reed bed also Cetti's Warbler still calling well but mobile.Les Harrison.
Epping Forest: 10 bramblings between Centenary Walk and Broom Hill, 08.00. Fishers Green: male common redstart at 12.10 100 yards north of the Bittern Watchpoint in scrubby bushes on the right hand side of the river - Martin Shepherd
Clerkenwell, 07.30hrs Meadow Pipit (9) high and heading North. P. Baglee
KGV Res am, 1st winter kittiwake on south basin - Phil Vines
KGV north basin, late afternoon visit: house martin at 16.06 over causeway. Drake mandarin on the relief channel - Martin Shepherd
Trent Park area, c buzzard flew north over Vic Fm at 10.45, pair greylag on lake, 23 y'hammers nrth of Williams Wood, total 6 peacock & 4 comma - new from R Callf
Rochetts Fm calling little owl, 3 small whites, small tort. Noak Hill Carters Brook willow warvbler, 4 peacock, comma. Priors GC 3 s white, 4 peacock, Paternoster Row 100+ stock doves, 14 fieldfare, 9 redwing - C Jupp

3-4-03 South Weald Wigley Bush lane calling lesser spot - C Jupp
Valentines Pk. 19.00. Ring Ouzel (m) . Peter Hopkins.
Trent Park kingfisher Lower Lake and tawny owl calling Moat Wood, also Orange underwing moth - R Callf
KGV reservoir This morning got a white wagtail and 2 wheatears. Waders present were 2 green sands, 2 LRPs and a redshank - Alex McKechnie
Cornmill, 2 Ringed and 3 Little ringed Plover, 6+ Redshank, 34 Redwing going E. Sewardstone, 4 singing Willow Warbler.1 Blackcap. Regards Gary Gardiner.
Bury Wood, EF, c60 brambling, mandarin in tree-top nr Grimstones Oak, several blackcap, one willow warbler - A Middleton. .........................Adder, one of two photographed last week in Havering by Paul Norris

2-4-03, Walthamstow Reservoirs Complex Banbury Reservoir 4 female Goosander, male Wheatear, 6+ Sand Martins north, 2 Common Sandpipers, female Pheasant walking like wader in the water (is this species in the wrong family?). Lockwood 20+ Sand Martins north, female Swallow north Low Maynard 13 Ruddy Duck Tottenham Marsh Wild Marsh East 3 Chiffchaffs, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Water Rail - David G Darrell Lambert
Tylers Common 2 willow warblers. Pages farm, large mixed flock inc. 100 linnets, 50 n pipits, , 12-15 y'hammers, 10 fieldfares, 2 redwing. Harold Wood, two tawny owls very vocal - C Jupp
Sewardstone Marsh: twenty redwings at 07.40 and four willow warblers singing. KGV Reservoir: house martin over north basin near causeway at 08.47. Also two wheatears - male and female - and three little ringed plovers. Pair of kingfishers and grey wagtails on River Lea Enfield Lock - Martin Shepherd
2 little grebes at Clissold Park - Chris Langsdon

Tue 1-4-03 Nags Head Lane Fishery jack snipe, c snipe, 25+ m pipits, 13 teal, 2 grey wags. Weald Park, 3 pr great crested grbs, male pochard, 2 chiffs, male blackcap, 12 & 3 redwing, - Colin Jupp
Trent Park area, c125 m pipits in two flocks, female black redstart Vic Farm & pr red-legged partridge - R Callf
LVP Cornmill mid-day, greenshank seen earlier by Terry Smith, then jack snipe seen from hide on central meadow, also 2LRPs, redshank - Phil Vines and Harry Lacey
Epping Forest A large flock of brambling dispersed over quite an area of woodland, making a great deal of noise in the tree-tops around 8am, between 100 and 200 birds, Pear-treee Plain area - A Middleton
BASILDON, WAT TYLER C/P, 15.45 to 17.50, WATER RAIL, 6 SAND MARTIN, LITTLE GULL ( 1st winter), fe SPARROW HAWK, 3 REED BUNTING (all male), 2 LITTLE EGRET. VANGE MARSH, 18.00 to 19.15, 14 COMMON SNIPE, JACK SNIPE, WATER RAIL.. TONY HOWELLS.

Andrew Middleton, London, UK acmiddleton@blueyonder.co.uk ~ site index