Potters Bar & Barnet Local RSPB Group
by
Ian Stewart
This report covers the period from early April 2007 until October 13 2007. My thanks go to everyone who has contributed reports for this item. During this period there has been a significant appearance of rare herons and ibises from Europe and several have been seen in the London area, the closest of which was a spoonbill which was at Hall Marsh in July. Other notables to have occurred in the London area include purple heron, cattle egret and squacco heron with glossy ibis and white storks seen around the country. Some other notable sightings were of a dark phase arctic skua reported from Beech Farm and Coopers Green in May, a nightingale singing in Barnet in April and red rumped swallows reported at Aldenham Country Park and Potters Bar. It would be unusual for me not to mention buzzards in this item so ….buzzards …., lots of them! Red kites also are still increasing their range and are often reported being seen from the M25 and the M40. I am continuing to itemise selected reports at various sites and if your favourite patch is not included please let me know.
Selected spring and summer reports from local sites
Tyttenhanger: Red kite, peregrine, buzzard, hobby, marsh harrier, shelduck, oystercatcher, dunlin, redshank, greenshank, little stint, green sandpiper, wood sandpiper, black tailed godwit, curlew, snipe, ringed plover, little ringed plover, ruff, little egret, Egyptian goose, shoveler, ruddy duck, scaup, teal, common tern, swift, swallow, sand martin, sedge warbler, chiffchaff, willow warbler, blackcap, reed warbler, tawny owl, yellow wagtail, tree sparrow, ring ouzel, wheatear, whinchat, and spotted flycatcher.
Beech Farm: Gadwall, shelduck, hobby, tawny owl, stonechat, grasshopper warbler, buzzard, greenshank, sedge warbler, garden warbler, green woodpecker, willow warbler, peregrine, whinchat, sparrowhawk, redstart, wheatear, yellow wagtail, arctic skua and mandarin duck.
Potters Bar, South Mimms and North Mymms Park: Red kite, buzzard, peregrine, barn owl, red rumped swallow, grey partridge, spotted flycatcher, pied flycatcher, turtle dove, hobby, yellow wagtail, grey wagtail, lesser whitethroat, house martin, sand martin, swallow, swift, ring necked parakeet, blackcap, chiffchaff, willow warbler and garden warbler.
Amwell: Lesser spotted woodpecker, greenshank, common sandpiper, common tern, cuckoo, whitethroat, garden warbler, hobby, little ringed plover, dunlin, turnstone, arctic tern, black tern, scaup, snipe, black tailed godwit, spotted flycatcher, redstart, green sandpiper, bittern, little stint, peregrine, buzzard, water rail, sparrowhawk, tawny owl, Mediterranean gull, little egret, and turtle dove.
Rye Meads, Cheshunt Lakes Area and the Mid Lea Valley: Little tern, little gull, red kite, buzzard, hobby, cuckoo, little ringed plover, green sandpiper, swift, house martin, wheatear, nightingale, garden warbler, bullfinch, common tern, Cettis’ warbler, sedge warbler, willow warbler, chiffchaff, blackcap, whitethroat, goldeneye, yellow wagtail, common sandpiper, garganey, pochard, ruddy duck, arctic tern, redshank, turtle dove, little egret, gadwall, wood sandpiper, snipe, water rail, curlew, osprey, grey phalarope, black necked grebe, hen harrier and spoonbill,
Trent Park Area: Wheatear, lesser whitethroat, whitethroat, cuckoo, yellowhammer, swallow, buzzard, red legged partridge, willow warbler, green woodpecker, nuthatch, goldcrest, little grebe, kestrel, skylark, great spotted woodpecker, sparrowhawk, hobby, treecreeper, yellow wagtail, ring ouzel, grey partridge, grey wagtail, stock dove, kingfisher, swift, common tern, whinchat, red kite, crossbill, reed bunting, spotted flycatcher, common redstart, hobby, little owl, stonechat and ring necked parakeet.
Totteridge Valley and Fields: Yellow wagtail, willow warbler, garden warbler, whitethroat, lesser whitethroat, swallow, goldfinch, little owl, goldcrest, spotted flycatcher, hobby, house martin, stock dove, grey wagtail, stonechat and meadow pipit.
Essendon: Buzzard, hobby, common sandpiper, monk parakeet, firecrest, cuckoo, wheatear, little owl and tawny owl.
Aldenham Country Park: Red rumped swallow, pied flycatcher, chiffchaff, blackcap, buzzard, swallow, mandarin, osprey, red kite, black tern, hobby, common sandpiper, cuckoo, common tern, house martin, swift, linnet, whitethroat, sparrowhawk, kestrel, little owl, garganey, dunlin, little ringed plover, grey wagtail, Egyptian goose, scaup, mandarin, pochard, ruddy duck, gadwall, shoveler, lesser whitethroat, skylark, black tern, barn owl, whinchat, peregrine, yellow wagtail and spotted flycatcher.
Recent autumn migrant and winter arrival reports
Trent Park: fieldfare, redwing, siskin, firecrest, brambling, ring ouzel and black redstart.
Totteridge Fields: redwing, siskin and lesser redpoll.
Cheshunt Lakes Area: redwing, fieldfare and redpoll
Please keep sending your reports to Ian Stewart,
104 Aberdale Gardens, Potters Bar, Herts. EN6 2JF
Tel 01707 654429
E-Mail: i.stewart693@ntlworld.com
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