Latest wildlife reports

Please e-mail any interesting wildlife sightings to the Biodiversity Officer.

July 2024 wildlife records

10 July 2024, Mudchute: 1 Marbled White butterfly (Richard Saville).

8 July 2024, Bow Creek: 1 Grey Heron, 7 Reed Warblers, 1 Blackcap, 5 Dunnocks (Richard Saville).

Reed Warbler at Bow Creek (Richard Saville)

8 July 2024, East India Dock Basin: 2 Sand Martins, 5 Reed Warblers, 15 Shelducks, 50 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Robins, 3 Blackbirds, 1 Grey Heron (Richard Saville).

8 July 2024, Mudchute: 7 Large White butterflies, 1 Brimstone, 1 Gatekeeper, 1 Red Admiral, 4 House Martins, 2 Robins, 1 Goldfinch, 3 Wrens, 3 Blackbirds (Richard Saville).

6 July 2024, Victoria Park: a guided walk recorded 37 species of birds, including 1 Pochard, 5 Tufted Ducks 1 Little Grebe, a pair of Great Crested Grebes with 2 chicks, 15 Greylag Geese, 50 Canada Geese, 5 Egyptian Geese, a pair of Mute Swans with 3 cygnets, 14 Mallards, 5 Moorhens, 29 Coots, a pair of Grey Herons at a nest with 3 chicks, 13 Mallards 8 Stock Doves, 10 Swifts,6 Sand Martins, 22 House Martins 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcaps 11 Goldfinches (David Darrell-Lambert & the Bird Barmy Army).

Great Crested Grebe (David Darrell-Lambert)

Great Crested Grebe chick (D. Darrell-Lambert)

Grey Heron (David Darrell-Lambert)

2 July 2024, Bow Creek: 1 Blackcap (Richard Saville).

Blackcap at Bow Creek (Richard Saville)

1 July 2024, East India Dock Basin: 1 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Grey Heron, 49 Black-headed Gull, 1 Pied Wagtail, 15 House Sparrow , 5 Reed Warbler (Richard Saville).

1 July 2024, Bow Creek: 2 Greenfinches, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Blackbirds, 4 Reed Warblers, 5 Goldfinches (Richard Saville).

Blackbird at Bow Creek (Richard Saville)

1 July 2024, Mudchute: 18 Large White butterflies, 1 Red Admiral, 1 Comma, 1 Sparrowhawk, 4 Blackcaps, 3 Chiffchaffs, 10 Long-tailed Tits, 8 Blackbirds (Richard Saville).

June 2024 wildlife records

26 June 2024, Isle of Dogs: a Straw Underwing moth in a house on Hesperus Crescent (Peter Minvalla).

Straw Underwing (Peter Minvalla)

23 June 2024, Mudchute: 1 Comma butterfly (Peter Minvalla).

Comma at Mudchute (Peter Minvalla)

21 June 2024, Isle of Dogs: 5 House Martins around 2 active nests at Cubitt Wharf (George Kalli).

21 June 2024, East India Dock Basin: 4 Little Egrets, 4 Shelducks, 3 Grey Herons (Martin Ling).

19 June 2024, Canary Wharf: 1 male Black Redstart, 1 Grey Wagtail (Sally Middleton).

19 June 2024, Mudchute: 2 Large Skippers, 2 Brimstones,1 Large White, 3 Chiffchaffs, 10 Long-tailed Tits including juveniles, 4 Blackcaps, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 8 Ring-necked Parakeets, 2 Monk Parakeets (Richard Saville). Click small photos to enlarge

Large Skipper (Richard Saville)

Brimstone (Richard Saville)

Long-tailed Tit at Mudchute (Richard Saville)

18 June 2024, St Anne’s Churchyard, Limehouse: 1 Jay (Tim Bray).

17 June 2024, East India Dock Basin: 1 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Little Egret, 2 Sand Martins, 2 Pied Wagtails, 5 Reed Warblers, 4 Shelducks, 21 Mallards, 2 Moorhens, 2 Coots, 3 Black-headed Gulls, 1 Grey Heron, 1 juvenile Blue Tit (Tim Bray).

17 June 2024, Bow Creek: 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Little Egret, 6 Shelducks, 1 female Mallard, 3 Coots, 6 Herring Gulls, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Linnet, 1 Sand Martin, 3 Greenfinches, 2 House Sparrows with 2 recently-fledged juveniles, 3 Reed Warblers, 1 Song Thrush (Tim Bray & Richard Saville).

House Sparrow at Bow Creek (Richard Saville)

17 June 2024, St Anne’s Churchyard, Limehouse: 1 Great Tit, 5+ Long-tailed Tits, 3 Blackbirds (Tim Bray).

10 June 2024, Bow Creek: 1 Grey Heron, 1 Little Egret, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Cormorant, 2 Shelducks (Richard Saville).

10 June 2024, East India Dock Basin: 2 Sand Martins, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Shelducks, 2 Grey Herons, 1 Blackcap (Richard Saville).

5 June 2024, Wapping Canal: a pair of Mute Swans with 7 cygnets (including 1 white “Polish” cygnet), 14 Tufted Ducks, 45 Mallards, 5 pairs of Moorhens with at least 8 young, 4 pairs of Coots with at least 8 young (John Archer).

5 June 2024, Shadwell Basin: a pair of Mute Swans with 5 cygnets, 3 pairs of Coots at nests (John Archer).

5 June 2024, South Dock: a Black Redstart singing early morning (Pete Jones).

4 June 2024, Millwall Docks: a Grey Wagtail by Glengall Bridge (Harvey Smith).

4 June 2024, Mudchute: 1 Reed Warbler, 5 Chiffchaffs, 4 Blackcaps, 2 Ring-necked Parakeets, 1 Monk Parakeet, 5 Long-tailed Tits, 1 Brimstone butterfly, 4 Speckled Woods, 1 Green-veined White, 3 Holy Blues, 1 Large White, 1 Small White (Richard Saville).

3 June 2024, Bow Creek: a Grey Seal swimming upriver, 1 Cetti’s Warbler, 5 Greenfinches, 2 Linnets, 1 Little Egret, 3 Reed Warblers, 2 Egyptian Geese, 1 Shelduck, 7 Herring Gulls, 2 Blackcaps, 1 Dunnock (Richard Saville & Tim Bray). Click photos to enlarge

Linnet at Bow Creek (Richard Saville)

Grey Seal at Bow Creek (Richard Saville)

3 June 2024, East India Dock Basin: 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 1 Oystercatcher circled a few times then flew down the Thames, 3 Shelducks, 8 Tufted Ducks, 1 Little Egret, 2 Grey Heron, 23 Mallards (including 6 domestic/hybrid types), 2 Moorhens, 3 Coots, 1 juvenile Song Thrush, 1 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Greenfinch, 5 House Sparrows, 2 Blackbirds (Richard Saville & Tim Bray).

3 June 2024, Poplar Dock Marina: 2 Great Crested Grebes including one with raised arched wings probably concealing young, 4 Egyptian Geese (Richard Saville).

2 June 2024, St Anne’s Churchyard, Limehouse: a pair of Mallards wandering around the churchyard for much of the day, 2 Dunnocks, 1 Great Tit (Tim Bray).