A pair of Kestrels

Cormorant at East India Dock Basin, 7/1/2012

No Kestrels were recorded at the lower Lea during the last quarter of 2011, in fact there were only four records of five birds for the entire year, the last being two on September 18th, so when Gary picked up a male moving east over Orchard Wharf being mobbed by two Carrion Crows it was added to the year list with some relief, then almost immediately I found a female hunting over the ecology park, we'll probably have to wait until the autumn for the next sighting. Other additions to the year list today were Mute Swan, a pair on the basin and Greylag Goose, one flew in to roost late afternoon. Shelduck numbers are well up with 14 on the basin, two at Bow Creek and three flying south; Common Teal numbers have also risen with 217 recorded throughout the site, the female Pintail continues to grace Bow Creek and 19 Tufted Duck were on the basin with a single male on the creek. High tide was just after midday and the roost contained 15 Redshank and three Common Sandpiper with a fourth just upstream roosting on a bankside ladder. Passerines included a Grey Wagtail, a singing Song Thrush in the ecology park and a Reed Bunting at the basin.