Lee Valley Regional Park Bird Report for December 1999

December always sees winter beginning to bite and consequently a flurry of more unusual birds. This December was no exception. The female Ferruginous Duck from October showed well in the first few days of the month and remained until at least the 19th. On the 4th one lucky observer found three Waxwings feeding on berry bushes near to Cheshunt Station whilst next day an observer searching, in vain, for the Waxwings discovered a Firecrest in the nearby Pindar Car Park.

On the 8th five Woodcock on the Essex Filter Beds Nature Reserve was a good count as was 23 Goosander on Nazeing Meads on the 10th. A Snow Bunting was reportedly still present on the King George V Reservoir on the 9th and on the 12th two Black-necked Grebes were still on the nearby William Girling Reservoir. What was presumably the Enfield Lock Mediterranean Gull roosted here on the same date.

A little further south on the Walthamstow complex 13 Kittiwake flew south west, again on the 12th and a Common Sandpiper was on the Lockwood on the same day. Attention was focused at the opposite end of the valley two days later when a second (or possibly third) winter Glaucous Gull roosted at Amwell for three nights. On the first night there were also six Yellow-legged Gulls in the same roost.

A rather quiet spell during the middle of the month allows mention of more usual winter fare which included two-three Bitterns in the River Lee Country Park, ever increasing numbers of Siskin (more of these later), a gradual build up of Smew numbers, most around Bowyers Water with a maximum of 11 (three XX) towards the end of the month, superb numbers of Gadwall on the Netherhall complex peaking at over 200 by Christmas and a large count of Moorhens in the River Lee Country Park around Christmas when 85 were present in one field at Fishers Green. The quiet period was broken on the 20th when an adult Mediterranean Gull roosted at Nazeing Meads with interest continuing on the 24th as a Red-necked Grebe was found at Netherhall and a C Red-breasted Merganser on the William Girling Reservoir. Both apparently remained till the end of the month.

After the holiday period things livened up a little more, firstly in the north of the valley when two drake Smew and an adult Mediterranean Gull whitened Amwell on the 27th, with the same day seeing a Long-eared Owl and drake Garganey were in the Rye House area, and then further south when 23 unidentified grey geese flew west over Walthamstow on the 28th and next day a Red-necked Grebe, 32 Ruddy Duck and a White-headed Duck were all found on the Walthamstow complex. The presence of a metal ring on one of the legs of the latter did little to inspire confidence in its origins.

To round off an excellent month a massive flock of 150 Siskins graced 70 Acres Lake on the 31st.

Lee Valley Regional Park Bird Report for November 1999

After last months excitement November was always going to be a little quiet, nonetheless there was plenty of interest throughout the month and indeed throughout the valley.  To begin, the female Ferruginous Duck on 70 Acres Lake remained until at least the 21st and in fact, was being reported into December, also the beginning of the month saw the conclusive arrival of Bitterns with birds at Amwell in the first few days of the month, in front of the Bittern Watchpoint from the 8th and at Rye House Marsh from at least the 12th.

Other lingerers from October included Stonechats on the Cornmill Meadows and a Dunlin periodically reported at the same site up until the 17th, whilst new arrivals of the former species included birds at both Walthamstow Marsh and Holyfield Hall Farm in the first week of the month.

In the second week a real flurry of activity included a Slavonian Grebe on King George V Reservoir on the 10th, accompanying three Black-necked Grebes, three Bewick's Swans north-west over the same site next day, a flock of 35 Pintails flying north over Fishers Green also on the 11th and a Buzzard heavily mobbed by Jackdaws and Rooks circling over Holyfield Hall Farm again on the 11th.  To conclude an outstanding week, a Great Grey Shrike was found at Sewardstone Marsh on the 13th, but unfortunately didn't linger.

From the 15th King George V Reservoir proved the place to be.  On that day itself there were sightings of Snow Bunting, three Black Redstarts, Peregrine, and Black-necked Grebe, the Peregrine again on the 16th and on the 19th a Great Northern Diver and three Brent Geese.  Further north at Nazeing Meads an adult Yellow-legged Gull joined the gull roost on the 17th and the first Goosander for the winter was also noted.  At around the same time the Rye House Marsh/Rye Meads area hosted a drake Garganey, an elusive Water Pipit, a Firecrest and a Stonechat.

Large flocks of commoner species of note during the month included 250 Fieldfare on the Holyfield Goosefield on the 10th, 2000 mixed Jackdaws and Rooks, mostly Jackdaws, around Holyfield Hall Farm in the middle of the month and 200 Collared Doves also at Holyfield Hall Farm on the 23rd.  Also Siskin numbers gradually built up, although no single large flocks were present, and Wigeon on the Cornmill Meadows peaked at around 200 around the 20th.

Finally, a second - winter Mediterranean Gull frequented playing fields adjacent to Enfield Lock for 2-3 weeks prior to the 29th, which in fact ties in with the disappearance of the bird from Holyfield Weir.

Please 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 telephone 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