The Urban Birder

Whinchat

A singleton was noted on the 8th and immediately became one of the earliest recorded at The Scrubs. The actual earliest was a seemingly fresh looking juvenile that was glimpsed in the pouring rain on a tree top in Heron Copse on 5th August 2008.

Two new birds appeared on the 12th sticking around until at least the 23rd although sometimes only a single bird was seen. They probably replaced our original lone bird, seen on the 8th. Bucking the trend though were the four found in the grassland on the 24th that reduced to three the following day then increased again to five birds from the 27th until the 29th. By the 30th, we could only locate three birds and eventually only two immatures by the 31st.

Overall it was a good August showing at The Scrubs for this scarce migrant, as they are usually more prevalent during September.

Song Thrush

A couple were seen on the 14th and at least five on the 23rd.

Blackbird

At least 10 were noticed on the 14th and the 23rd.

Garden Warbler

This has not been a bad autumn for this usually scarce autumn migrant. Two birds were seen in the dead bush on Lester's Embankment on the 5th. One of those birds or perhaps another was discovered in the same location on the 8th until the 12th. Finally, one was noticed briefly, again on the embankment, on the 29th.

Blackcap

At least six were foraging along Lester's Embankment on the 6th peaking to 10 on the 8th and the 15th. Birds were still being seen during the following weeks until the 26th when five were found. The Scrubs had a second wind of migrant birds on the 27th when as many as 17 were counted.

Lesser Whitethroat

Up to eight birds were seen across the month. The last birds of the month were seen on the 29th when at least four were found.

Common Whitethroat

An impressive count of some 40 birds was made on the 5th emanating from along Lester's Embankment, the grassland and in Chats Paddock. Most were immature birds and no doubt there could have been more to be found in Martin Bell's Wood and in the northeast corner. This phenomenal count was our highest since 2004.

There were still at least 30 around on the 8th and around 35 on the 14th. Thereafter, counts remained in the 20's until the 23rd when 12 were encountered. By the 27th 11 still remained. By the end of the month we could only muster two immature birds in and around the Magic Bush on the grassland.

Sedge Warbler

Our first bird of the autumn was recorded moving east along Lester's Embankment on the 5th. It was a typical date for this riparian warbler to visit The Scrubs on its way south.

Three days later two were seen on the 8th and the 9th and a singleton on the 15th.

Reed Warbler

After the two on July 25th a further bird was watched secreting itself into some Buddleia on Lester's Embankment on the 5th. A couple more birds were discovered at the same venue on the 27th.

Willow Warbler

A singleton was seen briefly on Lester's Embankment on the 5th with four seen on the 8th. Single birds were reported almost daily from the 11th through until the 24th when an immature bird was found along Lester's Embankment. On the 26th we experienced a small fall of six birds that were seen foraging predominately along Lester's Embankment with at least three remaining the following day. Numbers had dropped off by the month's end.

Chiffchaff

At least 10 were seen on the 5th with fewer noticed over the ensuing days until the 27th when around 12 were seen increasing to around 15 the following day.

Goldcrest

Our first bird for the winter was found within a tit flock on the 29th.

Spotted Flycatcher

This scarce migrant has enjoyed a good year at The Scrubs. Above average numbers were seen during the spring an this autumn started well with two birds briefly seen traversing Lester's Embankment on the 14th. It was the joint earliest with the lone bird described by our trusty groundsmen on the same date in 2009.

On the 27th, an adult and a juvenile were watched in Martin Bell's Wood and another was seen on the 29th.

Great Tit

Counts were very poor for this month.

Coal Tit

After many years of searching this woodland specialist was finally added to The Scrubs site list on the 29th. It was initially heard first then located within a large roving tit flock.

Blue Tit

Up to 15 were seen on the 14th.

Long-tailed Tit

At least six were noticed on the 14th. This is undoubtedly an underestimate.

Magpie

A minimum of 10 was counted on the 14th.

Jay

A probable juvenile was seen on the 3rd and another lone bird was reported on the 27th and 28th.

Carrion Crow

The peak count was 180 on the 25th.

Starling

Small numbers were present during the month with a peak of 40 on the 23rd. Numbers usually drop during August after the highs of July but this year the figures performed even less favourably against last year's larger flocks.

House Sparrow

Sightings were in short supply this month with the first report coming in on the 23rd when five were seen along Braybrook Street. The following day, over 30 were observed leaving their Braybrook Wood roost.

Linnet

The biggest count was of 10 on the 15th.

Goldfinch

At least 30 were at large around the grassland on the 5th and the 8th. Meanwhile, at least 40 were feeding on the thistles by Hammersmith Hospital car park on the 12th and again on the grassland on the 18th.

Greenfinch

A paltry nine were counted on the 27th.

Reed Bunting

A female was seen in the grassland on the 12th. A male and two female-types were seen on the 21st and another singleton recorded on the 27th and 28th.