Portuguese Tufted Ducks still present

A brief post work visit this evening in the hope of adding Common Swift to the yearlist in the overcast conditions drew a blank but there were still one or two things of interest. Two pairs of Shelduck were on Orchard Wharf, a perfect undisturbed place for them to breed. The females looked very wary and the males were displaying at each other, both of the females managed to slip away, presumably back to their nests whilst I was busy watching the males; if all goes well the ducklings should appear around the first week of June but there are lots of foxes at this site, which could cause a problem, although most of the Mallards seem to have got off their broods without the unwelcome attention of this increasing opportunistic predator; a pair of Canada Geese with four downy young were on Bow Creek , the second pair to have bred this year and the two Portuguese saddled Tufted Ducks were on the basin, part of a flock of 22 birds, a good late May count for the Lower Lea.

Good numbers of juvenile Starlings

Grey Heron at East India Dock Basin, May 2011

Overnight rain prompted a brief pre-work visit but with the wind still coming from a westerly direction nothing much transpired; a very vocal Blackcap and a more subdued Common Whitethroat, both in the northern scrub at the basin, were new in but Reed Warbler numbers had dropped to five singing birds throughout the site. Juvenile Starlings were very much in evidence, vocally at least, their begging calls a constant accompaniment throughout the visit. The only sign of movement was a single Collared Dove flying east at the ecology park, it's been a good year for this species but I've yet to hear a singing bird on the patch. Other notables were four Shelduck, three Sand Martins and one or two Little Ringed Plovers. The above Grey Heron photo illustrates perfectly how silted-up the basin has become, the bird is ankle deep in water that less than a decade ago hosted regular wintering Goldeneye and the occasional Scaup.

Two Swallows pick of a quiet day

The north-westerly wind that has been blowing for the best part of a week now has effectively put a stop to any passage in what should be one of the most interesting periods of the spring migration; the only movement being a single Swallow south-west early morning and another west mid-morning. Reed Warbler numbers are high and this species is probably having its best year ever on the patch but Blackcaps seem a little scarce this year with a pair feeding young in a nest in bramble in the copse and another pair in the ecology park the only definite breeding records so far; there are also two territories of Common Whitethroat but the Lesser Whitethroat from last weekend wasn't singing today; this species is notoriously difficult to nail down as a breeding species, the male usually stops singing after he has attracted a mate and the skulking nature of this sublime sylvia makes proof of breeding doubly hard. Back at the basin two pairs of Common Terns have taken to the rafts, despite the fluctuating water level and two pairs of Sand Martin are breeding. Other notables today included three or four Shelduck, a female Kestrel hunting over the ecology park, a Little Ringed Plover and a singing Chaffinch in the copse.

Spotted Flycatcher and Garden Warbler new for the year

I made a very brief post work visit to add Spotted Flycatcher to my year list this evening, the bird was in the copse at East India dock Basin and showed well after about half an hour. Although Spotted Flycatcher is regular (but not annual) in the autumn, this is the first spring record apart from a bird that turned up in June 2007 that could have conceivably been an early returning migrant. I also added Garden Warbler to the year list, a very showy but silent individual, also in the copse, found during the stakeout for the Spotted Flycatcher.

Common Buzzard falls at last

Overnight rain, albeit on a westerly wind, had me out on the patch at dawn. I wasn't sure what to expect, a nocturnal migrant or two grounded by the rain, but in the event it was disappointingly quiet but I did add Lesser Whitethroat to the yearlist with a single bird singing strongly from Bow Creek, I was beginning to think this species was going to pass me by, at least during the spring, and they can be very difficult here in the autumn. Weatherwise it was a morning of contrast with very warm sunny periods interspersed with some heavy rain showers which really should have delivered the first Common Swift of the year, but didn't. Reed Warbler numbers were up with at least ten singing throughout the site but, given the proximity to each other of several singing birds and the racket they make this is almost certainly a conservative count. It looks like we have two Common Whitethroat territories this year, both in the ecology park where one of the males was observed carrying nesting material in-between song flights. Blackcap territories are harder to ascertain as there are still singing migrants passing through but between three and five pairs a year is the norm here.. Two pairs of Common Tern have settled down on the basin rafts with another pair still prospecting; the two drake Shelducks are still hanging around, the basin bird was joined by his mate for a time, voraciously feeding before flying off to resume (hopefully) incubation duties. Other notables this morning included two male Common Teal on Bow Creek, certainly migrants, a Little Ringed Plover, two Stock Doves and three each of Sand Martin and Song Thrush. Just as I arrived home I received a text message from John Archer informing me that a male Mandarin was heading west up the river from Crossness; I immediately headed back to the basin but didn't relocate the bird anywhere on the patch, but Tufted Duck numbers were up from a singleton this morning to 31 now, including both the Säo Jacinto birds. Not much else was happening so I left the basin by the north-western gate and immediately connected with a typically marked Common Buzzard drifting in from the west at about 200 feet up, it was half-heartedly mobbed by two Lesser Black-backed Gulls before gaining height and drifting off north up the Lea Valley. The wisdom of the Lower Lea birders is that dedicated skywatching is a waste of time here, large raptors just turn up when you least expect them; this is a theory I've decided to buy into, if for no other reason than to give my aching neck muscles a rest.

Tufted Ducks from São Jacinto

The two Tufted Ducks fitted with red nasal saddles have been traced to a marking scheme based at São Jacinto Dunes nature reserve, Portugal. some 1375 kilometres from East India Dock Basin. The male was rung as a juvenile (Euring code 3, ring number L68769) on December 16th 2007, and the female, rung as a juvenile (Euring code 5, ring number LV1732) on January 14th 2011. Both birds were present in the São Jacinto area until February 28th this year and were then relocated in France at Reserve de la Grande Noé, Val de Reuil, Normandie from March 26th to April 8th; the next sighting, of the male only was a East India Dock Basin on April 17th and again on April 27th; both birds were then seen at the basin on May 1st and on subsequent dates. The photographs above were taken in Portugal and I am grateful to David Rodrigues for his permission to reproduce them here.

A passage of Common Sandpipers

Nose-saddled Tufted Duck at East India Dock Basin, May 2011

As I arrived at the basin this morning a flock of seven Mute Swans were heading east down the Thames, the highest count of the year so far and a feature of the last three springs when herds of between six and eight birds have been noted, mainly at Bow Creek; the two male Shelducks, one on the basin and one on the creek, are almost certainly awaiting the arrival of ducklings, which, if my suspicions are correct, should appear around the end of the month. The male nasal-saddled Tufted Duck was on the basin and an attempt to lure him close enough (with wholemeal bread) to photograph failed, but amazingly it attracted the female in the above pictures; hopefully the cryptic markings will make sense to somebody and we will learn the provenance of these birds. A flock of six Common Sandpipers flew down the Thames mid-morning, the largest group I have seen here, the only other waders recorded today were two very vocal Oystercatchers on the Millennium mudflats. Other migrants today included a nice male Wheatear found by Gary on Orchard Wharf, a single Swallow flying north and two House Martins. Most of the recent warblers seem to have moved on with just three Reed Warblers, three Blackcaps and two Common Whitethroats present this morning. Other notables today included a pair of Greylag Geese, a Sparrowhawk, seven Common Terns, a 1st-winter Common Gull, two Stock Doves and a singing Chaffinch.