Daily sightings
Monthly Ornithological Summaries
Common Redstarts - Stoke Newington Reservoirs, 1st & 2nd (two) and 7th (one); Sandwich Terns - two over SNR, 1st; Pied Flycatchers - one at SNR 1st & 2nd; one at SNR, 7th; Little Egret - one over SNR, 2nd; Tree Pipit - one at SNR, 2nd;
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Welcome to the latest sightings page. You'll find details of latest sightings in the Borough, updated daily, below - click on the photos to view a larger image. Monthly ornithological summaries can be found via the links on the left, and new sections involving other flora and fauna will be appearing on this page soon.
Please send all sightings and photographs to info@hackneywildlife.org.uk, with your name and email address or phone number. In line with standardised recording methods, all records are observer credited and are supplied to the relevant organisations where applicable.
Monthly ornithological summary for: February 2010
Jack Snipe - one at Stoke Newington Reservoirs, 16th;
Cetti's Warblers - one at Middlesex Filter Beds, 21st; one at Stoke Newington Reservoirs to at least 26th (from Nov 2009); one in Clissold Park to at least 8th (from Oct 2009);
male presumed Common Pochard x Tufted Duck hybrid - Stoke Newington Reservoirs, 26th;
male presumed Ring-necked Duck x Tufted Duck hybrid - Stoke Newington Reservoirs to at least 10th (from Nov 2009);
female presumed Greater Scaup x Tufted Duck hybrid - Stoke Newington Reservoirs (from Nov 2009).
A relatively quiet month in the area, with typical weather involving none of the extreme conditions of December and January. Birds were very much as-you-were, with the exception of a scarce wader at the East Res mid-month.
Redwings remained throughout the month in good numbers at various sites, with Clissold Park and Stoke Newington Common holding flocks of between 70 and 120 on many dates; other popular areas with these always welcome winter visitors included the reservoirs, Abney, Middlesex Filter Beds and London Fields.
Blackcaps - scarce this winter in the borough, with just a few reports over recent months - are an expected feature in February, and several sites hosted single birds, with two in Abney by the third week; all were males, and some were in song.
Several notable wintering species continued their stays, including at least three Water Rails at the reservoirs (although exactly how many is impossible to say), and - somewhat amazingly - all three Hackney Cetti's Warblers not only survived the harsh weather but continued to find our inner London borough to their liking. No sign of scarcer visitors to the East Res feeding station this month, but the male Brambling continued to visit the feeders in Clissold Park throughout.
Waterbirds lacked quality or quantity at the reservoirs, with no repeat of last February's superb Great Northern Diver and no scarcer ducks alongside modest numbers of the commoner species. However, close scrutiny of the diving duck flocks established the intermittent presence of both aythya hybrids from the preceding months, and a new addition to the murky gene pool on the 26th - a 'Lesser Scaup type' presumed Common Pochard x Tufted Duck hybrid.
Bird of the month prize easily goes to a Jack Snipe in the north-west corner of the East Res on the 16th. A slight drop in water levels allowed a sliver of mud to become exposed, and a few minutes with a scope trained to the spot produced this scarce little wader, 'bouncing' amongst the scrum of gulls and Gadwall.
A couple of Peregrine sightings occurred late month, and a single adult Tawny Owl - presumably the male - was usually present at a favoured roost spot in Abney. We're hoping this means the female has had other duties to attend to, and there'll be good news over the next couple of weeks.
Mark Pearson