Wormwood Scrubs > November 2011 Scrubs Report
November 2011 Sightings at Wormwood Scrubs
The slowdown…
The winter lull occurred earlier than usual at The Scrubs as it commenced from this month and not in January as in recent winters. We are not discussing the lack of abundance of birds. No, it was more a case of a lack of birders. This was a big shame because we are just a handful of species away from hitting the mystical 100 for the year. With no new species for the year discovered this month the chances of achieving our goal during December are drastically diminished.
Despite the low turnout of birders we still recorded our largest group of Egyptian Geese and one of the biggest flocks of Greylags on record. We also possibly recorded our largest gathering of Long-tailed Tits and a very healthy number of House Sparrows leaving their Braybrook Street roost. Curiously, no Kestrels were reported.
Let's end the year with a big bang… and not a whimper!
House Sparrow (R. Kennedy)
Contributors: Rob Ayers, Charlie Farrell, David Jeffreys, David Lindo, Roy Nuttall, Neville Smith, Bob Stills, Paul Thomas et al.
Sightings
Cormorant
One was reported on the 13th. This seabird is definitely becoming scarcer in our airspace.
Grey Heron
A single bird was reported on the 18th.
Greylag
Eight headed over on the 22nd and was one of our biggest flocks ever recorded.
Canada Goose
The only reports submitted were of six on the 13th and around 14 on the 18th.
Egyptian Goose
Our largest flock on record, containing seven birds, circled The Scrubs on the 8th. With their successful colonisation of the nearby Royal Parks in full swing it is therefore understandable that a few of them would want to stretch their wings and explore the neighbourhood.
Mallard
The only report for the month was of the two that flew over on the 22nd.
Sparrowhawk
An immature was seen on the 22nd.
Peregrine
A bird was seen on the 1st and it or another frequented the Hammersmith Hospital tower on the southern border of The Scrubs on the 8th.
Lapwing
A small flock of 13 headed west on the 6th and a singleton passed through on the 8th.
Snipe
Three were encountered on the 22nd.
Black-headed Gull
At least 95 were on the pitches on the 13th along with over 25 overhead.
Common Gull
At least 15 were present on the 11th.
Herring Gull
Small numbers were around during the month.
Lesser Black-back
Nine were reported on the 13th.
Stock Dove
One was recorded on the 13th.
Wood Pigeon
Last month's moderate passage continued into November with the first big flock of over 450 birds flying southwest in an hour noticed on the 2nd. The 3,000 that headed southwest in several wavering groups on the 6th dwarfed that flock. A further 320 flew through on the 18th.
Rose-ringed Parakeet
No significant counts were made this month.
Green Woodpecker
Our regular bird(s) continued to be seen during November.
Great Spotted Woodpecker
The first bird of the month was seen in Scrubs Lane Wood on the 13th. A few sightings were made thereafter with three being seen on the 19th.
Skylark
The odd bird was seen during the month invariably flying over. The maximum count was at least six birds on the 6th.
Meadow Pipit
Small numbers were counted with no more than five on any one day, which was reflected this time last year.
Pied Wagtail
A couple were seen during the month.
Grey Wagtail
A single bird headed over on the 18th.
Wren
At least 10 were around on the 16th.
Dunnock
Only two were found on the 16th.
Robin
A good count of 14 plus was made on the 16th.
Stonechat
Last month's bird persisted until the 1st.
Song Thrush
A few were noted during the month and a singing bird was heard on the 22nd.
Redwing
The biggest flock consisted of around 25 birds on the 6th.
Mistle Thrush
Two headed over Martin Bell's Wood on the 16th.
Fieldfare
The biggest flock was around 40 that headed through on the 6th. In total around 71 birds flew over during the month.
Blackbird
Over 20 were counted on the 2nd.
Goldcrest
As with last month, up to three birds roamed our meagre woodlands within tit flocks.
Great Tit
At least nine birds were found on the 13th.
Blue Tit
Only seven were encountered on the 13th.
Long-tailed Tit
A flock of around 18 was found on the 13th and one of our biggest counts ever came on the 22nd when at least 37 were counted.
Magpie
Fourteen were counted on the 13th.
Jay
A singleton was seen on the 13th.
Jackdaw
An unfortunate individual was watched being harassed by over 20 parakeets on the 10th.
Carrion Crow
The maximum count this month was just 65 birds on the 13th.
Starling
The biggest count was of around 250 migrants heading high west and north on the 10th.
House Sparrow
Low numbers were seen around the vicinity of Braybrook Street during the month. However, dawn visits paid off because it gave Scrubbers a chance to witness the fairly large number that roost in the bushes adjacent to Braybrook Street. This roost is one of the biggest in London. On the 22nd at least 120 were counted leaving it.
Chaffinch
The biggest count of terrestrial birds was around six on the 2nd although up to 18 were around on the 16th.
Linnet
Around five were noted on the 2nd.
Lesser Redpoll
This finch has rapidly become an expected part of the winter avifauna with small numbers usually picked out in flight. On the 11th four were located on the tops of roadside trees along Old Oak Common Lane.
Goldfinch
At least 20 were present on the 13th and 16th increasing to at least 22 on the 22nd.
Greenfinch
Slightly higher numbers than the last couple of years were counted this month with a maximum on 10 seen on the 2nd. Could this species be finally recovering from its recent dramatic decline?
Siskin
At least two birds went over on the 16th.
Bullfinch
Following on from last month's surprise find of a small flock, a female lingered in Chats Paddock from the 6th until the 10th and was seen again on the 28th. The original crew of a male and two females were caught up with again in Chats Paddock, their favoured haunt, on the 19th.
Reed Bunting
Two birds were seen on the 18th.
2011 Year List
- Cormorant
- Little Egret
- Grey Heron
- Mute Swan
- Greylag
- Canada Goose
- Egyptian Goose
- Shelduck
- Mallard
- Shoveler
- Teal
- Red Kite
- Common Buzzard
- Sparrowhawk
- Kestrel
- Hobby
- Peregrine
- Quail
- Ringed Plover
- Lapwing
- Bar-tailed Godwit
- Woodcock
- Snipe
- Black-headed Gull
- Common Gull
- Mediterranean Gull
- Herring Gull
- Lesser Black-back
- Great Black-back
- Common Tern
- Feral Pigeon
- Stock Dove
- Wood Pigeon
- Collared Dove
- Turtle Dove
- Swift
- Rose-ringed Parakeet
- Green Woodpecker
- Great Spotted Woodpecker
- Skylark
- Sand Martin
- Swallow
- House Martin
- Meadow Pipit
- Tree Pipit
- Pied Wagtail
- Yellow Wagtail
- Grey Wagtail
- Wren
- Dunnock
- Robin
- Nightingale
- Common Redstart
- Northern Wheatear
- Whinchat
- Stonechat
- Song Thrush
- Redwing
- Mistle Thrush
- Fieldfare
- Blackbird
- Ring Ouzel
- Garden Warbler
- Blackcap
- Lesser Whitethroat
- Common Whitethroat
- Sedge Warbler
- Reed Warbler
- Willow Warbler
- Chiffchaff
- Goldcrest
- Spotted Flycatcher
- Great Tit
- Coal Tit
- Blue Tit
- Long-tailed Tit
- Nuthatch
- Magpie
- Jay
- Jackdaw
- Carrion Crow
- Starling
- House Sparrow
- Chaffinch
- Brambling
- Linnet
- Lesser Redpoll
- Goldfinch
- Greenfinch
- Siskin
- Bullfinch
- Reed Bunting
- Yellowhammer
93 species thus far (93 species in November 2010 & 94 in November 2009)