Red Fox skull. As skeletal as the February bird list!
Cormorant
This fish eater, scarcely seen this month as per the current trend, was occasionally noticed heading over. The adults had already got their white thighs signifying their breeding condition.
Grey Heron
Our first report for the year lazily flapped over Scrubs Lane Wood on the 18th.
Canada Goose
Birds were seen sporadically throughout the month with 14 on the 4th being the largest count.
Kestrel
This once regular falcon is seldom seen these days. There probably has been a genuine decline and we can't keep solely blaming the crows for their disappearance. A female occasionally visited us during the month.
Black-headed Gull
The post breeding gatherings on the football pitches continued to involve a fairly large number of birds - well by Scrubs standards at any rate!
At least 150 were present on the 4th, rising to 400 plus on the 11th and over 300 on the 18th.
Common Gull
Numbers of this less than common gull improved on last month with at least 30 birds counted on most visits.
Herring Gull
The largest count was 12 birds on the 11th.
Lesser Black-back
Average numbers drifted around the Scrubs with 8 being the optimum figure.
Woodpigeon
The small flocks that have been travelling over since November ceased during February leaving us with our resident birds.
Rose-ringed Parakeet
No counts were made this month though their colonisation continues.
Green Woodpecker
This vociferous species was more often heard than seen during this month.
Great Spotted Woodpecker
The pair first noticed in late January had been roaming widely, inspecting trunks and branches in Scrubs Lane and Martin Bell's Woods during February. The male was first heard drumming on the 4th.
Skylark
Our first bird of the year landed on the football pitches amongst the gulls on the 11th. It was the only record for the period differing from last year when we experienced a small movement.
Meadow Pipit
The annual pre-breeding season build up occurred this month with at least 20 being flushed from the grassland on the 11th. Interestingly, over 20 birds were discovered amongst the gravestones at St Mary's Cemetery (adjoining Kensal Green Cemetery) on the 7th.
Pied Wagtail
The occasional bird was encountered usually in and around the stadium, though one was found feeding on the streets around Braybrook Street on the 4th.
Wren
Singing birds abounded at the Scrubs this month with their small frames usually noticed going head first into a bush. At least 5 night singing birds were heard in Ladbroke Grove, Westbourne Park and Bayswater during the month.
Dunnock
No counts were made this month though they were very much in evidence.
Robin
As with the Dunnock no counts were made during February. At least 12 night singing birds were found in Westbourne Park, Ladbroke Grove and Bayswater.
Stonechat
Our wintering pair started to become increasingly difficult to pin down during February with the male often being absent. Our theory is that he's gone off to stake out his breeding territory in some unknown location. A movement of birds was noted on the 18th when 3 near summer plumaged males turned up with a female in a loose roving flock.
Whereas our winterers tend to stick to the grassland areas adjacent to Lester's Embankment and the embankment itself, new birds wander more freely.
Blackbird
This adorable thrush has already started to break into song - surely this is way too early? At least 30 birds were observed on the 4th with several males beginning to attain their breeding plumage - getting a yellow bill and losing the sooty look to their plumage.
As a point of note, up to 7 night singing birds were discovered mid-month in nearby Notting Hill and Ladbroke Grove. Once again this is all being rather early for our liking.
Song Thrush
This species seems to sing all year round - have they always? At least 6 males are busily advertising their territory around the park.
February 2007 Sightings at Wormwood Scrubs
February was exactly as we expected- wet, muddy, fairly birdless and poorly watched. Indeed, the fox skull we found was the most exciting find this month!
The good thing is that spring is just around the corner. We eagerly await the first Northern Wheatears and Chiffchaffs that will be with us by the end of March. As with last year, we have joined the London-wide patch watch competition to see if we can beat 2006's 89 species. We have already clocked up 38 species. Although this is 3 more than this time last year, we still have not recorded anything amazing, yet.
Bring on spring!
Contributors: David Jefferies, David Lindo, Roy Nuttall et al.
If you have details of any sightings or observations of unusual behaviour please sent them on no matter how trivial they may seem to: david@theurbanbirder.com
Redwing
This northern visitor has been a little light on the ground this winter, apart from the reasonable influx we experienced back in October. Counts were numbered in ones and twos during the month.
Locally, Kensal Green Cemetery held the monopoly with a roving flock of around 10 birds counted on the 7th.
Fieldfare
This attractive winter thrush has been in even shorter supply this winter than its smaller congener. Following on from the 3 sighted last month, February mustered just 1 bird on the 4th.
Great Tit
No counts were made this month.
Blue Tit
As like their larger cousin, no counts were made.
Long-tailed Tit
Birds were busy prospecting for nest sites and we were too busy to count them!
Magpie
At least 20 birds were present this month.
Jackdaw
The year's sporadic records of this diminutive crow continued with a singleton heading east on the 4th another single bird calling from the Central Copse on the 11th and 2 on the 25th.
Carrion Crow
The usual gangs were to be found with perhaps 180 plus the maximum count.
Starling
We don't quite get the flocks of thousands twirling in the evening sky like wispy smoke at the Scrubs but Starlings were still very much in evidence. They could be commonly seen around the Braybrook Street area variously singing, displaying and generally hanging out.
They also were found feeding amongst the assembled gulls on the pitches or consorting on the 2 dead trees in Scrubs Lane Wood.
House Sparrow
The Central Copse roost is seemingly no more with the best place to see them (or to be more exact, hear them) being along Braybrook Street. Occasionally birds were seen in the bushes running adjacent to Braybrook Street.
Chaffinch
Feeble numbers exist within the park with the peak count being 5 on the 11th.
Linnet
The first singing male was seen on Lester's Embankment on the 18th. Of local interest, a flock of over 40 birds was discovered at St Mary's Cemetery on the 7th. This was a 'mammoth' flock considering we struggled to see more than 7 birds at the Scrubs.
Goldfinch
Singing birds punctuated some of the wooded areas of the Scrubs, especially in Martin Bell's Wood.
Greenfinch
As with last month many birds were encountered, maybe in the region of 50 birds.
Compartments within Wormwood Scrubs
Martin Bell's Wood
- formally known as the Southern Paddock is situated on the south eastern corner close to Scrubs Lane.Scrubs Lane Wood
- the strip of woodland on the eastern edge of the site running the length of Scrubs Lane to the east and along the northern edge to Chats Paddock in the west.Chats Paddock
- will also be known as the main lizard habitat.Lester's Embankment
- marks the north western border of the Scrubs and is also referred to as 'the embankment'. Now named after Lester Holloway who in the 80's unsuccessfully campaigned to stop British Rail developing on the Scrubs.North West Corner
- the western edge of the Scrubs.Braybrook Woods
- the woodland strip running along the southern edge from Braybrook Street up to and including outside the prison along the southern parameter.2007 Year List - thus far
Cormorant, Grey Heron, Canada Goose, Kestrel, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-back, Woodpigeon, Stock Dove, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Stonechat, Song Thrush, Redwing, Fieldfare, Blackbird, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Jay, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Bullfinch
38 species