Monthly ornithological summary for: July 2008

Hobbys - Clissold Park, 1st, Lea Navigation, 6th, and NW Hackney, 11th;

Common Buzzard - Abney Park Cemetery, 8th

A month of at least some stretches of real summer weather (although hardly memorable for reliable sunny skies), July was very much as expected regarding the local avifauna.

Always an impressive sight, and all the more so in urban areas, Hobbys are recorded annually in the borough, with an average of perhaps four or five per year. The vast majority of sightings come from the late summer and early autumn, and so the two records in June were an unexpected highlight; even more unexpected was the run of a further three records this month, bringing the year's tally so far to six.

This month's records - one from over the Lea Navigation in Clapton, one over Stamford Hill, and one over Clissold Park - are apparently unprecedented, coming from a slightly odd time of year, and raise interesting questions regarding where these birds are coming from and why they were here.

The award for biggest surprise, and indeed best spectacle, of the month goes to a Common Buzzard, which entered Abney Park Cemetery at high speed while trying to avoid the somewhat psychotic attentions of the local Lesser Black-backed Gulls, and perched briefly close to observer - unfortunately even closer to the resident Sparrowhawks nest, and the female soon chased the accidental intruder away through the trees. As far as we're aware, it's the first confirmed record of a large raptor making landfall in the borough in recent times.

Always a presence in the borough throughout the summer (although only in small numbers), Common Terns have far exceeded previous high counts this year. A steady build-up towards the end of June suddenly became an influx by early July, with a record 29 birds counted at the reservoirs on the 3rd; 24 on the 4th remained, and for the rest of the month, counts of between 10 and 15 were the norm. 16 were along the Lea navigation at Springfield Park on the 14th.

Common Gulls were recorded on the 3rd (Stoke Newington Reservoirs) and the 6th (two at Millfields Park south), unusual occurences before the autumn proper. Black-headed Gulls, however, were seen on most days in fairly small numbers, Herring Gulls were regular in single figures, and the two breeding pairs of Lesser black-backed Gulls at the reservoirs were as over-protective as ever.

Swifts were omnipresent, and sometimes very numerous, within the borough, with several large congregations at the reservoirs, including 80 on the 4th and 250+ on the 8th. House Martins were also regularly encountered in small numbers, with a minimum of four small colonies within Hackney this year, and early migrants adding to single figure totals; an isolated peak of 15 were counted on the 8th at the reservoirs.

Sand Martins were also seen fairly regulalrly, with peaks at the reservoirs of 35 on the 8th, five on the 3rd, four on the 20th and 12 on the 4th; single Swallows were also recorded on the 4th and 8th. A Peregrine was carrying prey over Abney on the 22nd, and family parties of Goldcrests were seen at several sites in the borough where they traditionally breed. Common Whitethroats were present at the reservoirs and Hackney Marshes, the two sites where the species has successfully nested in 2008; perhaps just the one pair of Sedge Warblers attempted breeding this year, at the reservoirs, where Reed Warblers were pleasingly numerous and omnipresent - 12 to 14 pairs are thought to have bred.

Sightings of Rose-ringed Parakeets were far less regular this month, with the exception of a pair occupying a suitable nest site in Springfield Park; otherwise, three at the reservoirs on the 4th was notable. Numbers of wildfowl at the reservoirs began to build slowly throughout the month, with Common Pochards, Tufted Ducks and also Coots becoming much more numerous; three Shovelers on the 3rd were recorded at the same site. Common Pochards also successfully bred in Clissold Park again this year, although whether they did likewise at the reservoirs / new river again remains to be seen.

Abney Park's Sparrowhawks were doing well, with the adults often seen bringing in prey, and the young replying accordingly; likewise, at least one pair of Kestrels in the NW of the borough were also successful. Early migration was hinted at during the last few days of the month, when a trickle of Chiffchaffs moved through the NW of the borough.

We welcome all records and photographs - email info@hackneywildlife.org.uk

Mark Pearson