Monthly ornithological summary for: April 2009

BLACK KITE - Stoke Newington Reservoirs, 13th;

PURPLE HERON - Hackney Marshes, 25th;

Marsh Harriers - NW Hackney, 4th; SNR, 15th;

Water Pipit - SNR, 13th;

Short-eared Owl - SNR, 6th;

Osprey - Clissold Park, 1st;

Little Gull - adult at SNR, 6th;

Arctic Terns - SNR, singles on 12th & 15th;

Turnstone - over NW Hackney, 14th;

Redshank - SNR, 2nd;

Little Ringed Plover - SNR, 5th;

Goshawks - Clissold Park, 1st; SNR, 5th;

Mandarin - drake, Clissold Park, 1st;

Red Kite - SNR, one on 5th; three on 20th; one, 21st; one, 22nd; one 25th;

Red-legged Partridge - one at SNR, 13th;

Common Buzzards - Clissold Park, one on 1st, one on 19th, one on 20th; SNR, three on 5th, one on 10th, one on 13th, one on 20th, one on 25th; East Hackney, two on 5th; Stamford Hill (near Stoke N'ton BR), one on 25th; NW Hackney, one on 5th (probably duplicate of SNR), one on 22nd;

Hobby - SNR, 29th;

Common Swift - SNR, 10th (earliest ever).

As the quality and quantity of the highlights listed above suggests, April 2009 was a truly exceptional month. Observer effort was at a level far exceeding any other time, and the rewards were fantastically rich and varied; indeed, despite the unprecedented successes during the preceding months, it's hard to imagine April's results being rivalled for a long time to come.

A more detailed appraisal of our ornithological studies in 2009 - especially concerning this spring's returns - will be published in the near future; in addition, an article dealing specifically with large raptor passage will follow soon. In the meantime, the following summary gives a good idea of the nature of this unique period.

In common with March, the month kicked off in some style; the 1st was one of those days local observers won't forget in a hurry. A dawn visit to Clissold Park began the day promisingly with a male Mandarin (a very rare bird locally) and a Peregrine (increasingly regular but always a pleasure to see); a check of the temporarily-exposed mud at the East Res yielded a Common Snipe amongst the usuals.

The afternoon looked good for sky-watching, with bright skies, scattered cumulus cloud and a moderate easterly wind, and Clissold Park provided one of the best ever sessions for local raptor watchers. An Osprey drifted high and north at 1320 - our third local record, all in the last three years, and all in early April; a great return, and a reflection not just of increased observer effort, but of the pleasingly steady recovery this species has made in recent years.

Incredibly, the Osprey was followed 25 minutes later by a Goshawk, which circled the park several times - giving great views in the process - before also drifting north a few minutes later. (Interestingly, both birds were reported independently within an hour of heading over the park, moving north over the Holyfield Lake area of the upper Lea Valley).

Ten minutes later, and a Common Buzzard went into an aerial battle with a Peregrine, before both drifted west; various sightings of Sparrowhawks and Kestrels completed a cast of six raptor species, all within two hours.

The 2nd provided a locally very rare wader on the banks of the West Res - our second Common Redshank sighting of the year. A couple of relatively quiet days passed before another memorable marathon sky-watch on the 5th - the platform at the East Reservoir Community Garden providing great views of no less than three Common Buzzards, a Red Kite (our first of the year), and another Goshawk (again, exceptonal).

As if that wasn't enough, our first Little Ringed Plover for six years arrived on the East Res mud at 1435, remaining until dusk. A further two Common Buzzards were recorded over East Hackney, bringing the day's tally to five. Meanwhile, the year's first Marsh Harrier (barely annual in the borough) drifted over NW Hackney in the mid-afternoon.

The 6th contributed another two very special spring migrants, both at the East Res. A Short-eared Owl circled several times and ambled slowly east early on (co-inciding with a record from Wormwood Scrubs, SW London, 90 minutes earlier) - our second ever record, after last October's bird, which followed an almost identical flight-path.

Half an hour later, and a cracking adult Little Gull appeared with Black-headed Gulls over the East Res, feeding avidly and remaining until mid-afternoon; an overdue and very welcome first for the site on a day when an influx occurred at numerous inland water bodies.

The 7th was less dramatic, but in any other year would've been more than enough - a Woodcock spent several minutes around the East Res, and our earliest ever Reed Warbler burst into song in the reedbed.

Even more surprising was the arrival of our first Common Swift, battling the wind and showers over the reservoirs on the 10th, easily our earliest ever; a Common Buzzard similarly headed north into poor weather later in the day.

A brief visit to West Reservoir on the 12th came up with the goods in the graceful shape of an Arctic Tern - only our second ever record (after the stunning flock of last autumn). More like the twelve days of Christmas than the first twelve of April, local observers were (much) more than satisfied with an exceptional period of scarce migrants and highly entertaining patch-watching; but as it turned out, the best was yet to come.

The 13th was one of those days which enters local folklore by the time the sun sets, and was personally perhaps the most enthralling day's urban birding yet in many years of study. A full day at the reservoirs was cool, overcast and showery early on, and initial scans produced little apart from the usuals (and 11 Redwings along the New River) - until a more intensive scan of the track by Lordship Road (along the East Res) bizarrely revealed a Red-legged Partridge, feeding nervously and using the local Mute Swans as 'defensive cover'...

Another new species for the area, and hardly on the list of the expected (coincidentally, another was found simultaneously across the capital at Wormwood Scrubs). A few minutes later, and a familiar call came from a bird which alighted just a few metres from the partridge - not a Rock Pipit as anticipated (which would have been warmly welcomed), but a superbly-plumaged Water Pipit. Another first for the area, presumably the same individual was seen a further two times around the reservoir during the afternoon.

As the skies steadily cleared and the sun broke through, another lengthy sky-watching session from the platform beckoned; shortly after midday, many common species were up and thermalling, but it was another two hours before the first large raptor came into view, relatively low, from the south-east. Pursued by a pair of Carrion Crows and heading initially north-west, it took a matter of seconds to confirm first impressions - Black Kite.

News was put out as quickly as possible (we've subsequently heard the bird was relocated later on over south London), and it turns out our record was one of a mini-influx into the south-east around this time; in addition, a Black Kite which was seen on several occasions a week or two later on the eastern fringe of London could potentially involve the same individual.

Honourable mentions from the same day go to another Common Buzzard south-west over the reservoirs, and a Northern Wheatear - the first and only of the spring - on Hackney Marshes.

The following day saw five Bramblings appear in Clissold Park (remaining til late on the 15th), the year's first Common Whitethroat at the East Res, and another first - a Turnstone flew low over NW Hackney shortly after first light.

The 15th yielded the year's second Marsh Harrier low over the East Res, briefly checking out the reedbed before drifting south late afternoon; earlier at the same site, the year's second (and the site's third record of) Arctic Tern drifted in, before being chased away by Lesser Black-backs.

A pair of Shelduck dropped into the East Res on the morning of the 16th, when a tail-less African Grey Parrot caused a brief heart murmur as it lolloped overhead. A Common Buzzard, this time north over Clissold Park, was recorded on the 19th, before another day of quality raptor-watching from the platform on the 20th.

At least three (probably four) Red Kites were over the East Res, single Common Buzzards were over the park and the reservoirs, and an escaped Falcon species - very large and dark, possibly suggesting Gyr or a hybrid - put in the first of several appearances this spring at the reservoirs. The year's first Sedge Warbler was in song from the reedbed.

Large raptors continued to navigate overhead until the end of the month - a Red Kite (East Res) and a Common Buzzard (NW Hackney) on the 22nd, a Common Buzzard (East Res) on the 25th, and a Red Kite (East Res) and a Common Buzzard (over Stamford Hill) on 26th.

The 25th provided the year's (and the month's) second national rarity, another classic spring overshoot from mainland Europe. Found two days previously at West Warwick Reservoir - tantalisingly close to the border! - Walthamstow's Purple Heron had the good grace to spend several minutes in Hackney airspace, drifting south over the marshes before being relocated on the Thames at Crossness.

Of commoner migrants? When there's time......

Mark Pearson

Please continue to send all records to info@hackneywildlife.org.uk