Wanstead Park 22 November 2009
Written by Richard Oakman Sunday, 22 November 2009 19:45
Our walk round the Ornamental Water today, as part of the Water Bird Count, also produced 20+ Siskins in the Alder trees of The Dell. We noted, as usual, good numbers of Garganey, Teal in the usual inlet of Lincoln Island (Roding side) where there were also Shoveler, small numbers of Mallard, Coot and Moorhen plus quite a few Tufted Duck. Of woodland birds, we had good views of Great Spotted Woodpecker and Green Woodpecker on the trunks of trees. Peter Saunders saw a Spparrowhawk almost catch a Blackbird; we all saw a Kestrel and a Grey Heron catch a large fish by piercing it well up its beak...it was quite a time before it got into a more convenient position! By the time we got to the Pump House, by the Roding, the skies opened and we got very wet indeed...... We did not examine the hedges in the old sewage works area so did not record any Fieldfare or Redwing. More detailed records will be forwarded to Tim Harris and these will be published some time next year.