Latest wildlife reports

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

March 2019 Wildlife Records

20 March 2019, East India Dock Basin: a Little Ringed Plover flew in at 12.30pm (the first of the spring), 1 Chiffchaff singing, a pair of Gadwall, 1 Pied Wagtail, 95+ Teal, 1 Mute Swan (Tom Speller).

19 March 2019, Approach Gardens: quite a few Smooth Newts and loads of spawning Common Frogs in the pond (Colin Toogood).

19 March 2019, Mudchute: butterflies enjoying the sunshine included 1 Small Tortoise‎shell, 1 Comma and 2 Brimstones, also 5 Monk Parakeets, 1 Greenfinch (Richard Saville). Click photos to enlarge

 

 

 

 

 

 

19 March 2019, Poplar Dock Marina: 2 juvenile Great Crested Grebes, 1 Grey Wagtail (Tom Speller & Richard Saville).

19 March 2019, Bow Creek: 1 Chiffchaff singing briefly (the first of the spring here), 2 Oystercatchers, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 singing Cetti’s Warbler (Tom Speller & Richard Saville).

19 March 2019, East India Dock Basin: a flock of about 35 unidentified large waders flew high north up the Lea Valley at 1.05pm, 1 Chiffchaff and 1 Redwing in the Copse, a pair of Gadwall, 1 male Tufted Duck, 2 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 1 adult Great Black-backed Gull, 2 Shelducks, 83 Teal, 1 Cetti’s Warbler, 1 Chaffinch (Paul Hyland, John Archer, Tom Speller & Richard Saville).

18 March 2019, Chrisp Street Market: Rue-leaved Saxifrage flowering in abundance in two cobbled front ‘gardens’ on the northern arm of the market, on the right beyond the ‘bridge’ with housing on top, on the way to Cordelia Street. Also a few patches of Wall Rue and Black Spleenwort on the other side of the bridge (Bob Gilbert).

18 March 2019, Victoria Park (West Park): a pair Goldcrests, 6 Mistle Thrushes, 20+ Tufted Ducks, 2 pairs of Shovelers, 1 Pochard, an Egyptian Goose with 7 goslings, a pair of Great Crested Grebes at a nest (Jan Dobbie).

17 March 2019, Mile End Park: a pair of Mute Swans with 7 small cygnets on the Art Lake (John White). Click photos to enlarge.

 

 

 

 

 

15 March 2019, East India Dock Basin: 1 singing Cetti’s Warbler (perhaps the first one here this year, though there’s been one on territory nearby at Bow Creek for several weeks), 6 Shelducks, 140 Teal, 2 Canada Geese (John Archer).

13 March 2019, Mudchute: a Blackcap singing in scrub on the south side beside Millwall Park – presumably an early migrant as there were no winter records from the area (John Archer).

13 March 2019, East India Dock Basin: 1 Collared Dove flew through (the first record here since 2015), 57 Teal, 4 Shelducks including a pair displaying, 4 Canada Geese, 1 singing greenfinch (Tom Speller).

13 March 2019, Bow Creek: 1 singing Song Thrush, 2 Oystercatchers (Tom Speller & Richard Saville).

13 March 2019, Poplar Dock Marina: an adult Great Crested Grebe with 2 juveniles (Tom Speller).

11 March 2019, Bow Creek: 2 Oystercatchers, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Shelducks, 1 Cetti’s Warbler singing (Tom Speller).

11 March 2019, East India Dock Basin: 4 Shelducks, 18 Teal, a pair of adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls perhaps looking to nest again (Tom Speller).

11 March 2019, Mudchute: 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Redwing, 2 Monk Parakeets, 1 Ring-necked Parakeet, 2 Greenfinches (Richard Saville).

7 March 2019, Bow Creek: 3 Shelducks, 2 Oystercatchers flew towards the Thames, 1 Cetti’s Warbler singing, 1 singing Greenfinch (Tom Speller).

7 March 2019, East India Dock Basin: 9 Shelducks, 120 Teal, 2 Oystercatchers flew over from Thames towards Bow Creek, 1 singing Greenfinch (Tom Speller & John Archer).

7 March 2019, Blackwall Basin: a pair of Great Crested Grebes with 2 juveniles, a pair of Canada Geese mating (Tom Speller).

6 March 2019, Millwall Park: 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Mistle Thrushes (John Archer).

4 March 2019, Bow Creek: 2 Oystercatchers, 2 Common Sandpipers, 1 Shelduck, 1 Cetti’s Warbler singing, Song Thrush singing (Richard Saville).

4 March 2019, East India Dock Basin: 1 Redwing in the Copse, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Grey Wagtail, 2 Egyptian Geese, 3 Shelducks, 3 Greenfinches, 138 Teal, 2 Canada Geese, Sweet Violets in flower (John Archer & Richard Saville).

2 March 2019, Victoria Park: the Bird Barmy Army dawn chorus walk recorded 33 species of birds, including 1 Blackcap, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Collared Dove, 2 Sparrowhawks, 2 Goldcrests, 1 Jay, 1 Song Thrush, 3 Mistle Thrushes, 1 Jay, 8 Shovelers, 9 Pochards, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 17 Tufted Ducks, 32 Coots (including a bird with a white Darvik ring “HBB”, which was ringed in Hyde Park in January 2018 and seen there regularly up to July 2018), 5 Mute Swans, 2 Egyptian Geese and 2 Greylag Geese (David Darrell-Lambert & participants on the Bird Barmy Army walk).

1 March 2019, East India Dock Basin: a Common Seal on the southern shore of the Thames, viewable from the north side, 2 Egyptian Geese, 2 Oystercatchers flew towards Bow Creek, 2 Shelducks, 2 Canada Geese, 82 Teal (John Archer).

 

Archive of earlier reports
Jan-Feb 2019 wildlife reports (PDF 350KB)
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)