Lee Valley Regional Park Bird Reports

October 1999

A rather quiet month was punctuated by the rarest bird of the year -.. so far -.. but more of this later. It began with a couple of species remaining from September, both on the Cornmill Meadows. The Stonechat remained until at least the 9th, perhaps intent on wintering, whilst the immature Garganey remained until at least the 10th, seemingly intent on not wintering in Africa.

On the 4th an Osprey, quite possibly last month's bird from Amwell, was seen circling over North Met Pit and around the same time one was reported in front of the Grand Weir Hide over Holyfield Lake. The middle of the month was particularly quiet although the Cornmill Meadows proved attractive. It regularly hosted over 100 Teal, up to 50 Snipe, the majority of which could be seen feeding in the open, and 20-30 Wigeon. The latter species had been present in large numbers at Bowyers Water and Friday Lake feeding in the extensive areas of water weed, but as this food source was gradually eaten birds began moving off to more sustainable sources of food, hence the ever increasing numbers on the Cornmill.

On the 12th a Brambling was present at Holyfield Hall Farm and, at around the same time, small numbers of Siskins and Redpolls began appearing in the River Lee Country Park, the former building up to flocks of around 30 or 40 by the 31st. Also, on cue, Fieldfare and Redwing arrived in ever increasing numbers by months end. Two rather unseasonal waders were seen on the Cornmill Meadows late in the month, a Dunlin on the 20th and a Green Sandpiper on the 23rd, but on the 26th things changed dramatically and interest was totally focussed on one very small area, the reed bed in front of the Bittern Watchpoint. Early in the morning on the 26th ,Tim Hill, the Park Authority's Nature Conservation Officer, decided to visit the hide to check for the arrival of Bitterns. No luck with that species, although one had been reported on the 22nd, but instead he noticed a small pale acrocphalus warbler which he felt sure was a Paddyfield Warbler. An hour later the identification was confirmed with the help of a number of local birdwatchers and, by its departure on the evening of the 28th, as many as 700 people had travelled from all over the country to see the bird. There are less than 50 records of Paddyfield Warbler in Britain and this was the first London record. Breeding from the northern Black Sea eastwards and wintering in India and south-east Asia, its presence in a small reed bed in the Lee Valley Park could hardly be more surprising.

Whilst the Paddyfield Warbler rather stole the limelight there were a number of other interesting records around the same period. A late Common Tern flew south over 70 Acres Lake on the 26th and on the 28th a Peregrine was seen on Holyfield Lake, also seen on the 30th just north of Holyfield Hall Farm. Additionally on the 28th, a female Ferruginous Duck was discovered on 70 Acres Lake, whilst a pair of Mandarins graced the same area. Finally, to round off an extraordinary week, a family party of five White-fronted Geese put in an all to brief appearance on the Holyfield Goosefield on the 31st.

July 1999
Always a little unpredictable, this July was no exception. It began with three Black-necked Grebes on the William Girling which were no surprise, but promptly shocked with a report of 13 Black-tailed Godwits on the Cornmill Meadows briefly on the 3rd. This handsome bakers dozen was accompanied by two Dunlin and six Green Sandpipers and also, from the same hide (the recently opened Wake Hide), a Spotted Flycatcher was one of very few seen in the Valley this year. Still on the 3rd, but further south, a Whinchat was seen at Walthamstow Reservoir. Hobbies have generally been in much lower numbers this year than last, but did put in a good appearance hunting Swallows and Martins over Waltham Abbey early in the month, this always being a spectacular site (not though for the Swallows and Martins!). A Goldeneye on the William Girling on the 10th was remarkably early, but the next day, and a little more on cue, three Greenshank arrived on the Cornmill Meadows to join the ever fluctuating number of Green Sandpipers and Little Ringed Plovers. Two days later a male Ruff arrived at the same site, this day also seeing the peak Little Ringed Plover count of 10. Back on the Chingford complex Dunlin were present on the 15th and 16th and a little further south falling water levels on the Lockwood Reservoir, part of the Walthamstow complex, began attracting Waders later in the month. The selection included Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper (up to 10), Redshank and Little Ringed Plover, however by this time the Girling’s selection was more impressive, boasting nine species of Wader, the highlights being Dunlin, Greenshank and Sanderling. A Wood Sandpiper on the Cornmill Meadows on the 22nd, moved to Hall Marsh Scrape next day which had attracted around a dozen Green Sandpipers as a result of temporarily low water levels. Some extensive counts on Walthamstow Reservoirs on the 24th revealed 1206 Tufted Ducks, 100 Pochard and 132 Common Tern, 70 of which were young. Throughout the Valley there were good numbers of young Common Terns reflecting the continuing and, in fact, improving success of artificial rafts the entire length of the Valley from Amwell in the North to East India Dock Basin in the South. On the 31st a busy day saw a Wigeon arrive back on Bowyers Water, a Turnstone joining the plethora of Waders on the Girling, two juvenile Mediterranean Gulls also on the Girling, another Dunlin on the Cornmill Meadows and 10 Common Sandpipers passing through the Lockwood to round off the month.

June 1999
June is typically a fairly lean month for the more unusual species, but with everything settling down to breed there is plenty to look at. On the Cornmill Meadows the Green Sandpiper from May remained until at least the 3rd and was in the company of up to four each of Redshank and Little Ringed Plover. On the 6th at the same site a Curlew paid a brief visit before heading off south. Other passage birds around this time included both Arctic and Black Tern on the Chingford Reservoirs on the 2nd, but most notable, and not strictly a passage bird, was a record of a Nuthatch on Hooks Marsh on the 7th. Breeding success this year included record numbers of Common Tern in the River Lee Country Park with probably as many as 18 pairs attempting to breed, the Ringed Plovers mentioned in last month’s report in Hall Marsh rearing two young and Yellowhammer returning to form with three singing males on the Cornmill Meadows Tree Park alone. On the Holyfield Farm complex a pair of Lapwings successfully rearing young on one of the arable fields, additional to the five pairs that settled on the nearby Holyfield Goosefield, although only two of these five successfully reared young. A pair of Tawny Owls at Fishers Green reared three young and a pair of Little Owls were again present on the Holyfield Hall Farm. Further south, Walthamstow Reservoirs held 170 pairs of Cormorant and a 108 pairs of Grey Heron. Briefly turning away from birds it is worth mentioning the continued success of the Cornmill Meadows Dragonfly Sanctuary. This year particularly high numbers of Large Red Damselfly were present, whilst Hairy Dragonfly were still on the wing in mid to late June having put in a healthy showing in mid to late May. By the end of June some 13 species of Dragonfly or Damselfly had been recorded and a visit during July and August is equally likely to be rewarding with a whole new range of species appearing on the wing at this time of year. From mid month evidence of autumn passage came in the form of four Teal on the Cornmill Meadows and towards the end of the month Green Sandpiper numbers began building so that by the 30th five were present on the Cornmill and birds began appearing at other sites including Hall Marsh Scrape and the Essex Filter Beds. Also Lapwings began appearing in larger numbers with up to 20 on the Cornmill Meadows at months end. Finally a record of a Kittiwake on the William Girling on the 24th was unusual and proved that anything is possible at any time of year.

May 1999
The month began well with a Little Gull at Ponders End Lake on the 1st and the Cornmill Meadows continuing to produce the goodies with two Greenshank remaining from April and on the 2nd both joined by a fine summer plumaged Spotted Redshank. On the same day a Wagtail which had originally been identified as a ‘Blue headed’ at Holyfield Goosefield was tentatively claimed as a ‘Syke’s Wagtail’. Belonging to the Yellow Wagtail family, this sub-species, known as beema, comes from as far away as the Kirghiz Steppes, just south of the Ural Mountains. Having travelled some considerable distance in the wrong direction there was speculation as to whether the bird might in fact have been a Yellow x ‘Blue headed’ cross. Over the next few days small numbers of Black Tern included singles on King George V on the 5th and on Holyfield Lake next day , the latter joined very briefly by an Arctic. Also small numbers of Whinchat and Wheatears moved through the south of the Park over this period. A drake Garganey added variety to the Cornmill Meadows for a few days from at least the 14th and joined a selection of more usual species including up to four Little Ringed Plover, two Ringed Plovers, six Redshank and variable numbers of Lapwing. Ringed Plovers settled to breed at Hall Marsh Scrape whilst Little Ringed Plovers did likewise at Amwell. Of the summer migrants, Yellow Wagtails passed through in reasonable numbers and held territory on Holyfield Hall Farm (three pairs), Nightingales consolidated their numbers at Fishers Green with maybe 12 pairs, although were a little thin on the ground elsewhere and Hobbies continued to be abundant throughout the Park, but with as many as 12 over the Cornmill Meadows at any one time being impressive. Late migrants at the end of the month included a Whinchat at Holyfield Goosefield on the 24th, a Teal at Broxbourne Gravel Pits on 27th and a Green Sandpiper on the Cornmill from the 30th into June. Finally a selection of more interesting escapes and ferals included a brood of nine Mandarins on the Cornmill late in the month, up to three Ruddy Shelduck on the Cornmill in the latter half of the month and an immature Black Swan in the Holyfield area at the months end.

Note that this report is in no way a complete account of all the notable bird sightings in the Lee Valley Regional Park over the month, but is a selection of some of the more interesting records. Please phone any bird sightings into the Information Centre on 01992 702200, available 24 hours a day, as this helps us greatly in compiling this report.
Lee Valley Park Information Centre, Abbey Gardens, Waltham Abbey, Essex EN9 1XQ, tel 01992 702200

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