Mark will be leading a guided bird walk in the cemetery on behalf of the London Natural History Society - on this date last year we'd Pied Flycatchers in Abney, let's hope lightning strikes twice!

Meet 9.30 a.m. outside Stoke Newington Rail Station (Stamford Hill, N16). Bring binoculars and field guides.

Mark was interviewed on BBC Radio London this morning, talking about the importance of Stoke Newington Reservoirs and other urban sites for bird-life.

Follow the link here

TV, Radio, Newspapers and websites all cover Hackney Wildlife this week

Followers of the 'latest news' page will know that it's been an exceptional few months for scarce sightings in Hackney, with Hackney Wildlife's observers gaining excellent rewards - but nobody expected a media circus....!

After a unrivalled autumn in the borough (see monthly summaries), this winter has been even more surprising; an Iceland Gull several weeks ago was an incredible record and the first ever for the borough, with great back-up provided by a drake Goldeneye, Jack Snipe, long-staying Firecrests and Mediterranean Gull amongst others.....

However, the discovery of a Siberian Chiffchaff along the New River (at Stoke Newington Reservoirs) captured the imagination of local, national and international media. Initially released as a news story by the London Wildlife trust's website (click here), it was then picked up by The BBC (radio, online and even TV news).

Various UK newspapers (including the Daily Express and Daily Mirror) then featured Hackney Wildlife, as well as many national and international news websites.

Mark then found himself being interviewed on National Public Radio in the U.S.A - heard by 3 million listeners across America (not including the World Servce and online broadcasts)!

Listen to Mark's interview on Theworld.org here

Read the BBC stories here and here

Read The Guardian features here and here

(For the many other news stories on the subject, enter 'Siberian Chiffchaff London' into a search engine, and set aside a few hours!)

Feeding Stations

Hackney Wildlife have set up two new bird feeding stations in the area, in Clissold Park (within the deer enclosure) and at the East Reservoir (in the London Wildlife Trust community garden).

Both stations will be refilled daily and are viewable for all - various species are already using them, but look out for uncommon finches as the winter goes on, especially Brambling, Siskin and redpoll.

Guided Walks

Several guided walks are being arranged for the coming months, led by Hackney Wildlife, in Abney Park Cemetery and Clissold Park. Keep an eye on the events page for more details.

Newsletter

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Mark