Barred Warbler double

Had you visited East India Dock Basin on September 26th 2006 you would have seen twenty or so birders gazing intently in to the northern scrub trying to get a glimpse of a Barred Warbler, only the 8th London record. Roll on exactly five years and the same sight greets you, a few less people maybe but a simply astonishing record. The bird was found by John Archer during his lunch break and the news was related to me by a slightly incredulous John who had just finished a weekend which saw him find a juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper in Kent and two Roseate Terns at his local patch, Crossness, clearly more ornithological stardust than one man deserves but I'm not complaining. I managed to see the bird briefly at around six o'clock before the heavens opened and sent me off home slightly damp but happy.

Common Terns on the move

It's been generally agreed that it has been a poor year for Common Terns, not only at the basin but across the Capital and beyond, so when Gary picked up the largest flock of the autumn, 26 birds followed by another flock of four, all moving west along the Thames, it was a cause for minor celebration. The first Northern Wheatear of the autumn was in the old gravel works and six Common Sandpipers were roosting on the Pura Foods peninsula, the highest count so far, and three Meadow Pipits flew north-east. Three Chiffchaffs, including one singing were the only warblers noted. Three Common Gulls were the first of the autumn, quite late by local standards, we usually have our first returning birds in mid August, other notables included around 85 Common Teal, mostly at Bow Creek, seven Tufted Duck on the basin and a Sparrowhawk, probably a female, flying south.

Great Spotted Woodpecker and Lesser Redpoll new for the year

Common Darter at Bow Creek Ecology Park, 18/9/11

Wildfowl at the basin this morning included a herd of six Mute Swans, all adults, two Canada Geese, 45 Common Teal with another 40 at Bow Creek, and two Tufted Duck. It was a good day for raptors with a Peregrine on the Millennium Dome and two each of Sparrowhawk and Kestrel. An almost surreal ten seconds passed as a Great Spotted Woodpecker, originally found by Gary, flew out of the northern scrub into the eastern hedgerow while simultaneously a Lesser Redpoll went over our heads calling, giving me two year ticks in a few seconds, the first for over a month. Two Common Sandpipers were at Bow Creek along with at least four Great Black-backed Gulls, five Lesser Black-backed Gulls, around a dozen Herring Gulls and about 200 Black-headed Gulls, but again, no Common Gulls were present. Passerines today included a small group of hirundines too far away to positively identify that were probably Sand Martins, three Meadow Pipits flying south, a Song Thrush, single Reed Warbler and Blackcap and at least seven Chiffchaffs, all very vocal. Finally several Migrant Hawkers were noted along with two male Common Darters and three Red Admirals passed through without stopping.

A passage of Sand Martins

Speckled Wood at East India Dock Basin, 17/9/11

Fruiting Currant and Sloe bushes add some

early autumn colour at Bow Creek Ecology Park

The late brood of seven Mallard ducklings are still on the basin, they are the size of Common Teal now and for a moment I counted them as such as they were silhouetted in the morning sunshine, they seem to have lost their mother as well but appear to be doing fine; Common Teal numbers continue to rise with at least ninety counted this morning but only two Tufted Duck were present, the nasal-saddled Portuguese female was not one of them, she is probably en route to Portugal via northern France. A Peregrine was on the Millennium Dome and was the only raptor encountered today until I got on to a high-flying Sparrowhawk moving north about a quarter of a mile west of the patch. Plenty of gulls were feeding in Bow Creek on the falling tide, including at least 130 Black-headed Gulls, several juvenile Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls and a juvenile Great Black-backed Gull, but, surprisingly, no Common Gulls. Migrant interest seemed to be limited to a single Meadow Pipit heard calling as it flew over the basin, until there was a late morning passage of Sand Martins moving west totalling 23 birds including a group of ten. The only warbler species today was Chiffchaff, at least six were present fairly evenly scattered throughout the patch and all very vocal; two Linnets were in the ecology park along with a single Goldfinch and finally, the Speckled Wood in the photograph was in the copse at the basin, the only other butterfly species noted was a single Small White in the ecology park and on the odonata front several Migrant Hawkers were noted throughout the patch.

Portuguese Tufted Duck returns

Tufted Duck numbers at the basin have risen from three to four since my last visit but the new arrival is the female Red-saddled bird from Portugal, last seen with the red-saddled male on June 4th. Common Teal numbers continue to rise with at least 85 noted today along with a very good local count of 169 Mallard; other wildfowl noted today were six Mute Swans, four at Bow Creek and two on the basin, and four Canada Geese flying south-east. A pair of Sparrowhawks were at Bow Creek including a female perched up on a fence on the Pura Foods peninsula, a Stock Dove was also there and four Common Sandpipers were at Bow Creek. There was a small passage of Common Terns on the Thames totalling 11 birds, most moving west, quite encouraging considering the paucity of this species at the Lower Lea this year. Passerine migrants were virtually non-existent with two Meadow Pipits flying south the only definite movers although two Linnets which stopped over briefly at the basin could have been migrants rather than local birds; the only warbler noted today was a calling Chiffchaff in the Ecology Park. Three species of butterfly were on the wing, several Small Whites, mainly in the Ecology Park and singles of Red Admiral and Common Blue, the latter a pristine male which suggests a recent emergence.

Painted Lady new for the year

Two fairly comprehensive visits this weekend, a solo mission on Saturday and with David and Gary on Sunday. The nagging south-westerly which seems to have been in situ for most of the summer dominated again this weekend, a female Mallard with seven newly hatched ducklings was at the basin on Saturday, almost certainly the last brood of what has been a very good breeding season for this species at the Lower Lea; on Sunday all seven ducklings had been washed through the grilles in the lock gate and into the Thames on a falling tide and only two remained when I left the site late morning. Common Teal numbers are rising daily now, on Saturday I counted 31 and on Sunday 49; Tufted Duck remain scarce with just three present on both days; a pair of Mute Swans were at Bow Creek on both days and a pair of Canada Geese were on the basin with another seven flying east on Sunday. Two Common Sandpipers were at Bow Creek on both days, a Stock Dove was at the Pura Foods peninsula on Saturday and a female Peregrine spent most of the morning on the Millennium Dome on Sunday. Movement on the Thames was slow, with nothing of note on Saturday and just two Common Terns moving east on Sunday. The only warblers I could find on Saturday were two Chiffchaffs, Sunday was better with at least two Reed Warblers, two Common Whitethroats and a Chiffchaff seen by me and Blackcap, Lesser Whitethroat and Willow Warbler noted by David and Gary. Other passerines included a party of five Long-tailed Tits at the basin on Saturday and a Jay hoarding acorns on Sunday. It has not been a very good season for butterflies at the Lower Lea so a Painted Lady at the basin on Saturday was a welcome addition to the yearlist.