Latest wildlife reports

Photo: Firecrest in Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park (David Darrell-Lambert)

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September 2015 Wildlife Reports

28 September 2015, East India Dock Basin: 1 juvenile Little Egret, 2 Egyptian Geese, 50 Teal, 2+ Chiffchaffs (John Archer).

28 September 2015, Wapping Canal: 2 Egyptian Geese, 3 Mute Swans (2 adults and a first winter), 4 Canada Geese, 2 Coots, 51 Mallards, 1 Jay (John Archer).

28 September 2015, Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park: 2 singing Chiffchaffs, 1 male Blackcap, 5+ Goldcrests (Bob Watts).

27 September 2015, Victoria Park: 2 Little Egrets flew south-west over East Park at 8am, 10 Meadow Pipits and 1 Siskin flew over, 1 Red-crested Pochard on West Lake (Brian Gee).

26 September 2015, Victoria Park: 4 Meadow Pipits, 5 Linnets and 1 Song Thrush flew over, 1 drake Gadwall on West Lake (Brian Gee).

25 September 2015, Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park: 2+ Chiffchaffs, 5+ Goldcrests, 25+ Long-tailed Tits, 1 Grey Wagtail (Bob Watts).

24 September 2015, Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park: a Spotted Flycatcher flew into the park from the south at 12.30pm but could not be relocated. 2 Blackcaps in Scrapyard Meadow (Bob Watts).

23 September 2015, East India Dock Basin: a male Blackcap and 3+ Chiffchaffs with a mixed tit flock, 44 Teal (John Archer).

23 September 2015, Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park: 3+ Goldcrests with the tit flock (Bob Watts).

22 September 2015, Victoria Park: a pair of Gadwall on West Lake (Brian Gee).

22 September 2015, Bow Creek: 3 Egyptian Geese (James Palmer).

22 September 2015, East India Dock Basin: 1 Little Grebe (the first site record this year), 1 Kingfisher (James Palmer).

21 September 2015, Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park: 10+ Chiffchaffs in a mixed tit flock in Scrapyard Meadow, 1 Meadow Pipit flew north, 7 Ring-necked Parakeets (Bob Watts).

21 September 2015, Meath Gardens: 2+ Chiffchaffs (John Archer).

20 September 2015, Victoria Park: 33 Meadow Pipits, 17 Siskins, 6 Pied Wagtails, 12 House Martins, 7 Mistle Thrushes and 12 Chaffinches all flew west over East Park between 7.30 and 8:50am, 1 Lesser Redpoll flew east, I Kingfisher and 1 drake Red-crested Pochard on West Lake (Brian Gee).

19 September 2015, Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park: the first site record of the jumping spider Salticus scenicus, found by a mum called Celine on the Bow Beasties spider foray. This is the sixth species of jumping spider recorded in the park, more than anywhere in London except Hampstead Heath (Ken Greenway & Edward Milner).

19 September 2015, Victoria Park: 4 Siskins, 3 Meadow Pipits, 9 Pied Wagtails and 8 House Martins flew west (Brian Gee).

18 September 2015, Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park: 200+ House Martins, 1 Sand Martin and 1 Swallow flew south-west, part of a large movement of Swallows and martins through London. Also a Chiffchaff and a Goldcrest in a mixed tit flock in Sanctuary Wood) (Bob Watts).

17 September 2015, Victoria Park: a Kingfisher again by West Lake, 1 Siskin flew over, 10+ Chiffchaffs (Brian Gee).

17 September 2015, Elf Green: lots of pollinating insects in the nectar-rich garden beside the meadow, including Garden Bumblebees, Honey Bees and Syrphus hoverflies (Simon Woodlock & Paul Wilson).
Bombus hortorum
Hoverfly (Syrphus sp.) (left), Garden Bumblebee (top right) and Honey Bee (photos: Simon Woodlock)

16 September 2015, Virginia Quay: the male Black Redstart still in and around the fenced-off picnic area at the west end of the Thames path. Nearby 3 Chiffchaffs at East India Dock Basin (John Archer).

15 September 2015, East India Dock Basin: 1 male Kestrel, 1 Kingfisher, 55 Teal (John Archer). Nearby the male Black Redstart still present in and around the fenced-off picnic area at the west end of the Thames path by Virginia Quay (Quentin Given).

14 September 2015, Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park: 1 or 2 Whitethroats (Dan Hall).

13 September 2015, Victoria Park: 2 Spotted Flycatchers in West Park near Pavilion Cafe, 3 Siskins flew over, 8+ Chiffchaffs (Brian Gee).

13 September 2015, Virginia Quay: 2+ Black Redstarts, including an adult male, still in and around the fenced-off picnic area west of Jamestown Way, and a Great Black-backed Gull on the nearby jetty (Katy McGilvray).

11 September 2015, Victoria Park: A Great Black-backed Gull on the playing fields in East Park (Brian Gee).

11 September 2015, Virginia Quay: at least 2 Black Redstarts, including an adult male, in and around the fenced-off picnic area west of Jamestown Way (Conrad Ellam & Alan Hobson).

11 September 2015, Meath Gardens: 1 Chiffchaff (John Archer).

10 September 2015, Victoria Park: 2 Gadwall, 6 House Martins (James Palmer).

10 September 2015, East India Dock Basin: a 15-minute count for the Tower Hamlets Bee Survey found 3 Brown-banded Carder Bees and 5 Honey Bees. Also 1 Kingfisher, 35 Teal, 1 Chiffchaff (John Archer).

9 September 2015, Victoria Park: a Kingfisher at West Lake, and a small tit flock with 5 Blackcaps, 1 Willow Warbler and 2-3 Goldcrests on East Lake Island (Brian Gee).

9 September 2015, Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park: 1 male Blackcap, 1 Southern Hawker dragonfly (Bob Watts).

8 September 2015, Victoria Park: 2 Sparrowhawks being mobbed by crows over the Pavilion Cafe, 1 Willow Warbler on East Lake Island (Jan Dobbie).

8 September 2015, Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park: 2 Blackcaps (Bob Watts).

7 September 2015, Victoria Park: a Meadow Pipit flew over, the first of the autumn (Brian Gee).

7 September 2015, Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park: 1 Chiffchaff with a large mixed tit flock (Bob Watts).

7 September 2015, Canary Wharf: a male Kestrel flew east over the Crossrail site in the morning (Ian Ellis).

6 September 2015, Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park: 2 Painted Ladies on the regular butterfly transect (Terry Lyle).

5 September 2015, Victoria Park: a Curlew flying east over the park, calling, at 9.40am was the highlight of the Bird Barmy Army walk. Also among the 35 bird species recorded were 1 Siskin flying over, 3 Goldcrests, 9 Ring-necked Parakeets, 150 Coots, 2 Pochards, 4 Tufted Ducks, 3 Little Grebes, 6 Greylag Geese, 7 Stock Doves, 14 Goldfinches, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Jay, 1 Grey Wagtail and a huge flock of about 150 Blue and Great Tits (David Darrell-Lambert and 15 participants on the Bird Barmy Army walk).

4 September 2015, Victoria Park: a Nuthatch in the Glade (Brian Gee).

3 September 2015, Victoria Park: 3 Spotted Flycatchers and a Coal Tit in the Glade, also a blue Ring-necked Parakeet, an unusual colour mutation (Brian Gee).

2 September 2015, Mudchute: 1 Pied Flycatcher (a female or 1st autumn male) in trees between allotments and paddocks, 1 Spotted Flycatcher by the goat pen, 18 Monk Parakeets (Sean Huggins).

2 September 2015, Bow Creek: 2 Egyptian Geese in the Creek, 2 newly-fledged juvenile Reed Warblers in scrub by Silvocea Way reed bed (John Archer).

1 September 2015, East India Dock Basin: 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Garden Warbler, 1+ Willow Warbler and 1 Chiffchaff in the Copse, 2 Whitethroats in the north-west scrub, 2 Teal, 2 Mute Swans (John Archer).

Spotted Flycatcher at East india Dock Basin (photo: John Archer)

1 September 2015, Mudchute: 2 male Redstarts still in the paddocks and nearby allotment hedge, 1 Spotted Flycatcher on the Nature Trail (Sean Huggins).

1 September 2015, Victoria Park: 6 Spotted Flycatchers in and around the Glade (Brian Gee).

Archive of earlier reports
Jan-Aug 2015
2014
2013
2012
2011