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.
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