Monthly ornithological summary for: November 2008

Firecrests - two in Abney, 2nd; three, 4th; one, 5th; three, 6th; one, 7th; three, 11th; two, 12th; two, 13th; at least two, 14th; two, 16th; two, 20th; two, 21st; two, 22nd; two, 25th; at least two, 27th;

Mediterranean Gull - adult, Clapton Common, 13th, 17th, 22nd, 25th;

Chiffchaff (showing characterisitics of the race P.c. abietinus), Abney, 13th;

Mandarin - drake at Clapton Common, 22nd;

Lapwing - one over NW Hackney, 1st;

Peregrine - SNR, 19th.

November was, on the whole, pretty quiet, although a couple of species went a long way to ensuring the month's efforts were more than rewarded.

Wildfowl numbers were generally unremarkable, with few high counts of note, and - unusually - none of the less common species (Wigeon, Teal etc.) putting in appearances at Stoke Newington Reservoirs (SNR); indeed the month's highlights for quality and quantity came from the inauspicious surroundings of Clapton Common.

A very busy, noisy, small and somewhat bleak open space between a main road and a housing estate is the borough's premier site for Greylag Goose, a large group of which tolerate all manners of disturbance with admirable nonchalance - between 30 and 50 have been present there for most of the month, with a record borough count of 51 on the 21st.

The common's concrete pond is hardly the most attractive site for scarce waterfowl, but a cracking male Mandarin seemed very comfortable there on the 22nd, easily beating the resident Mallards to bread.... this feral species is a real rarity in the borough, and was an unexpected bonus for two observers (and several local kids).

The same site is once again the chosen venue for a locally very rare, returning bird to the area. Last winter's adult Mediterranean Gull was a welcome re-find on the 13th, blending in well with the scavenging Black-headed Gull flock and accepting offerings from the local community with a pleasing regularity; most visits to see the bird were successful, with the middle of the day proving most reliable. An adult Great Black-backed Gull on the East Reservoir (28th) was a good record of this just-about-annual species.

Waders were more hard to come by than ever, with no records from SNR this month - a Lapwing over NW Hackney on the 1st was the only bird to break the duck. The East Reservoir did however host the first Water Rails of the season, with a single on the 17th followed by two on the 26th. This species is a regular wintering presence in small numbers at the site and will hopefully feature in subsequent summaries.

Visible migration was also unremarkable, with no large movements noted. Redwings were encountered in small numbers on several occasions, but the clear peak count was 52 over Clissold Park on the 1st. A single Skylark over SNR on the 6th was the only record this month, and Fieldfares, Meadow Pipits and other late autumn migrants were in very short supply.

Less common finches were represented by two Bramblings in Abney Park Cemetery (APC) on the 13th, and four single Siskins from three sites. Small movements of Chaffinches were recorded on several dates, with a peak of 20 in APC on the 6th - the same date was also noteworthy for an arrival of Blackbirds, with at least 25 in APC and 15 in Allens Gardens (AG).

Warblers were, predictably, represented by two species. A female Blackcap in the cemetery on the 4th was the only record; Chiffchaffs were somewhat more regular, with one in CP on the 2nd, two in APC on the 12th and 13th, and singles at SNR on the 21st and 24th. One of the two birds in the cemetery on the 13th was a clear example of the duller, greyer Scandinavian race P. c. abietinus, even being so good as to pose conveniently alongside a very British-type for comparison.

Abney was once again the venue for arguably the birds of the month (for the second successive time) - happily for local (and not so local) observers, October's Firecrests chose to stick around for all of November. Just how many were present within the cemetery's boundaries was hard to say, but three were recorded on three occasions up until the 11th, with at least two seen on multiple dates from the 2nd to the 30th.

Towards the end of the month especially, the birds were ranging further from their initially very specific patch, most likely in response to maximising increasingly less plentiful food supplies. Each successful visit to re-find these always thrilling sprites was a treat for local patch-watchers.

Please send your records to info@hackneywildlife.org.uk

Mark Pearson