The Urban Birder

Common Redstart

A beautiful male was found on Lester's Embankment on the 3rd and was the first of the spring season. It preceded a run of records unparalleled since spring 2006. On the 4th two males were at large with one by Heron Copse (near the northeast corner of Scrubs Lane Wood) and another (possibly the bird initially reported on the 3rd) on Lester's Embankment.

On the 6th a male materialised in the grassland and another male joined it the following day. This was a good spring.

Northern Wheatear

Last month's successful run of records continued unabated with a male discovered late on the 6th. In total we recorded a further 19 birds totalling some 25 birds since the beginning of spring. So far, this has been best spring for this adorable bird since 2006 when over 40 turned up.

Whinchat

On the 7th, whilst Scrubbers were hunting for the elusive pair of male Common Redstarts, a couple of males and a female were noticed in the grassland. These birds were believed to be the earliest reported in the London area this year. More importantly, they were also our earliest birds ever with the previous distinction going to a male that appeared on the grassland on the 22nd April 2006.

Our second record for the spring was a female found in the grassland on the 13th that lingered until the 14th.

Stonechat

Our second bird of the spring appeared briefly on the 3rd. It was a female that was preceded by the pair seen just as briefly last month.

Song Thrush

Around 12 birds were singing on the 13th increasing to at least 16 on the 14th.

Redwing

There were just three reports of birds heading back to their northern breeding grounds. A couple of birds flew north on the 10th, one headed east on the 13th another northeast on the 14th.

Fieldfare

A singleton circuited Chats Paddock, Central Copse and Lester's Embankment on the 10th. A few days later on the 14th one was discovered on the ground before flying off north over Lester's Embankment.

Blackbird

At least 18 were encountered on the 7th and 20 on several subsequent dates.

Ring Ouzel

Our annual visitation by this incredible migrant montane bird continued for its 7th consecutive year when a well-marked female/1st summer male showed amazingly well around Central Copse on the 9th. It was also our earliest ‘Rouzel’ recorded.

As if that wasn't enough, a female appeared out of nowhere on the 13th and landed on a tree in Chats Paddock before heading northeast. She may have been the same bird briefly reported the following day heading low from the grassland before swooping up over Lester's Embankment. Then a pristine-looking male stepped out onto the ‘Forbidden Path’ in the grassland, surprising a gleeful Scrubber on the 20th.

Garden Warbler

Our earliest bird ever sang and showed itself briefly in the northwest corner of Lester's Embankment on the 5th. They are usually late migrants at The Scrubs typically appearing during the latter end of May, although there have been two previous April records including an early date of the 19th April 2009.

Blackcap

At least 15 singing males were counted on the 3rd increasing to around 17 on the 9th. By the 10th at least 21 birds were either seen or heard and on the 17th a noted 23 birds was almost certainly an undercount.

Lesser Whitethroat

Our first bird of the spring was heard singing from Lester's Embankment on the 19th. The next day there were at least three singing males present.

Common Whitethroat

This delightful summer visiting scrub warbler has a habit of suddenly appearing on our patch as if they had never been away. Just as the script dictated, one minute there were none then next there were at least 10 birds present on the 8th — the very same day as our 1st arrival last year.

The following day only one bird could be found; the others having spirited away to destinations unknown. The real immigration started on the 13th when at least two birds were seen and singing was heard. By the end of the month at least 18 birds were present mostly distributed around Lester's Embankment and the grassland.

Sedge Warbler

A quietly singing male in Chats Paddock on the 15th was our first of the season.

Willow Warbler

Our 1st records for the spring concerned six singing birds heard on the 4th dropping to three for the next few days. From the 9th until the month's end only one singer could be traced apart from the 17th when two were found.

Chiffchaff

Around eight singers were encountered on the 3rd rising to 10 birds the following day and for the remainder of the month.

Willow/Chiff

A singing bird whose song shared the characteristics of both Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff was heard in Scrubs Lane Wood on the 3rd. The same bird was heard again on the 9th, 10th and 17th.

Great Tit

A count of 12 birds was made on the 24th.

Blue Tit

At least 19 were counted on the 24th.

Long-tailed Tit

Only one pair that frequented Lester's Embankment was encountered during the month.

Magpie

The usual 20 or so birds were seen during the month.

Jay

A single bird was seen on the 4th and a pair was seen the following day. They were seen fairly regularly throughout the course of the month.

Jackdaw

Birds were seen on a few dates across April with peak being four on the 19th.

Carrion Crow

An average of around 100 birds were seen throughout April.

Starling

Around 40 birds were around early during the month. The peak count was of 100 birds on the 19th and 24th.

House Sparrow

The small thriving colony along Braybrook Street and environs were frequently seen and heard. Towards the end of the month when birds had chicks in the nest, several individuals took to foraging in the grassland with the Starlings. On the 29th at least 30 commuted between Braybrook Street and The Scrubs hinterland.

Chaffinch

At least three singing males were heard during the month.

Linnet

At least 10 were around Lester's Embankment all month. Louie the leucistic Linnet was not reported at all during April.

Redpoll sp

Four birds were watched on the 3rd erratically flying around Chats Paddock before heading northeast.

Lesser Redpoll

Two feeding on the catkins in Chats Paddock on the 9th were an unusual find. This species is normally associated with the winter here at The Scrubs.

Goldfinch

Very small numbers were reported all month. The maximum count was of 12 on the 20th.

Greenfinch

At least 18 birds were counted mostly along Lester's Embankment during the month. There has been a definite fall in numbers during recent years with double the number recorded during April 2009.

Reed Bunting

A couple were seen on the 4th and 5th and a male and female were positively identified on the 8th. Our usual male held territory in the grassland close to the site of last year's nest. It was rarely seen however and on the 29th was noticed making a beeline for a thicket in Central Copse. Did they have a nest there? On the 13th two males were reported singing from the grassland.