Common Snipe increase as hard weather sets in

Black-headed Gull at East India Dock, December 2010

The heavy snow that fell yesterday has had a dramatic effect on the birdlife of the lower Lea, many of the Common Teal seem to have cleared out, I didn't make a comprehensive count but a rough estimate of 150 would be generous, the female Pintail is still in the area, flying into the basin from the Thames at high tide this afternoon, other wildfowl included five Shelduck and a female Tufted Duck. The wader roost was under an inch of snow but still held eight Redshank, a Common Sandpiper and five Common Snipe, the first time I have seen this species in the roost and five Lapwing flew south-east. A probable female Peregrine was on the dome early morning with a pair there in the afternoon, possibly a different male flew north at the ecology park early afternoon with a female type Kestrel also seen there. Four Reed Buntings were in the pylon reedbed, my first sightings here since the spring, two or three Meadow Pipits were at the water meadow and a Chiffchaff was calling in the ecology park. A single Chaffinch was in the copse, 13 Goldfinches were feeding in birches in the ecology park and two Linnets flew east. A mixed bag, obviously heavily affected by the weather with the low count of Redshank particularly disappointing in conditions that have produced three-figure counts in the past.