Saturday 10 December 2011

Second Little Grebe of the year

Roosting Redshank with two Common Teal
Bow Creek Ecology Park, 10/12/11.

A Cormorant takes advantage of engineering works
on the Docklands Light Railway, using the bridge
across Bow Creek as a convenient drying post.

The silting up of East India Dock Basin has had a detrimental effect on several species, none more so than the Little Grebe. Most years at least two birds are present from October to March but this is the first record at the basin this year, the only other record being a trilling bird at Bow Creek on January 3rd. Common Teal numbers continue to build with 358 counted throughout the site, my best count this period; seven Tufted Duck were at the basin, another species that has suffered from the silt. The wader roost in the ecology park held 20 Redshank and three Common Sandpiper but there was not much else of note, passerines in particular conspicuous by there absence on what was a clear crisp winter afternoon in east London.

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