Please e-mail any interesting wildlife sightings to the Biodiversity Officer.
May 2020 Wildlife Records
25 May 2020, Victoria Park: a Sedge Warbler singing by East Lake (very unusual here), a Great Spotted Woodpecker feeding young at a nest hole, 2 drake Pochards and 2 drake Red-crested Pochards on West Lake, 8 Swifts, 1 singing Chiffchaff, several Blackcaps (Jan Dobbie).
25 May 2020, Limehouse area (Breeding Bird Survey visit): 28 species including 1 Grey Wagtail, 47 House Sparrows (my highest count in the area for years), 3 Mistle Thrushes (Harry Harrison).
23 May 2020, Isle of Dogs: a singing Reed Warbler in Thameside reeds by Pierhead Lock (Sean Huggins).
23 May 2020, Poplar Dock Marina: 2 pairs of Canada Geese with broods of 2 and 3 goslings (Sean Huggins).
22 May 2020, Victoria Park: a Great Spotted Woodpecker at a nest hole, 12+ Sand Martins skimming boating lake, 3 House Martins (Harry Harrison).
21 May 2020, Wapping Canal: the pair of Mute Swans still with 9 cygnets (Tony Valsamidis).
Mute Swan family at Spirit Quay (Tony Valsamidis)
21 May 2020, Victoria Park: a pair of Great Crested Grebes still with 1 chick on West Lake (JW Davies).
19 May 2020, Millwall Park: a Latticed Heath moth on the mound in the north-west corner by East Ferry Road (Peter Minvalla).
17 May 2020, Victoria Park: 1 Stock Dove, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers feeding young at two separate nest holes, 7 Swifts, 18 House Martins, an adult Grey Wagtail feeding a juvenile, 8 Mistle Thrushes, 2 Blackcaps, 3 House Sparrows, 3 Linnets feeding with Goldfinches in unmown grass (per London Birders wiki).
15 May 2020, Wapping Canal: the pair of Mute Swans still with 9 cygnets by Spirit Quay (Lesley Pearce).
Mute Swan family at Spirit Quay (Lesley Pearce)
14 May 2020, Mile End Park: 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 House Martins, 2 singing Blackcaps (Harry Harrison).
12 May 2020, Mudchute: 1 Garden Warbler, 8 Blackcaps, 3 Chiffchaffs, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker (Sean Huggins).
10 May 2020, Victoria Park: a pair of Great Crested Grebes with 1 chick, 1 drake Pochard, 1 drake Red-crested Pochard and a strange hybrid goose on West Lake; a pair of Little Grebes nest-building on East Lake; several Blackcaps and 1 Chiffchaff singing (Jan Dobbie).
9 May 2020, Isle of Dogs: 3 Sand Martins, 2 House Martins, 3 Common Sandpipers, a pair Egyptian Geese with 5 small young along the Thames between Saunders Ness and Poplar Rowing Club (Sean Huggins).
9 May 2020, Mudchute: a female Smooth Newt in the lined pond in Lower Field (Peter Minvalla).
Smooth Newt at Mudchute (Peter Minvalla)
8 May 2020, Millwall Docks: a pair of Grey Wagtails on territory, a pair of Egyptian Geese with 4 small young by the Blue Bridge (Sean Huggins).
8 May 2020, Blackwall Basin: a pair of Grey Wagtails on territory (Sean Huggins).
8 May 2020, Antill Road E3: 2 Swifts over the house, 4 House Sparrows daily on the feeders (Harry Harrison).
4 May 2020, Blackwall Way E14: a Whitethroat singing near the Radisson Hotel (Sean Huggins).
4 May 2020, East India Dock Basin: 1 Reed Warbler singing, 4 Shelducks (Sean Huggins).
4 May 2020, Victoria Park: 5 Swifts feeding high over East Lake; on and around West Lake: 2 drake Pochards, 1 drake Red-crested Pochard, 5+ Tufted Ducks, 1 adult Great Crested Grebe (but no sign of the other adult or any young), 3 singing Blackcaps, 1 singing Chiffchaff; lots of Mistle Thrushes all over the park (Jan Dobbie). 7 Linnets, 5 House Saprrows (Harry Harrison).
2 May 2020, Mudchute: 1 Sedge Warbler singing (Sean Huggins).
1 May 2020, Dunbar Wharf E14: 1 Peregrine, 6 House Martin nests (not all occupied) (Sean Huggins).
Archive of earlier reports
Jan-April 2020 wildlife reports (PDF 1MB)
2019 wildlife reports (PDF 6.8MB)
2018 wildlife reports (PDF 3.6MB)
2017 wildlife reports (PDF 3.1MB)
2016 wildlife reports (PDF4.4MB)
2015 wildlife reports (PDF 2.6MB)
2014 wildlife reports (PDF 3.2MB)
2013 wildlife reports (PDF 2.1MB)
2012 wildlife reports (PDF 780KB)
2011 wildlife reports (PDF 100KB)
Header photo: Firecrest in Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park (David Darrell-Lambert)