Little Bunting (Y. Kolbeinsson)
Cormorant
Adults flew over on the 6th, 26th and 27th.
Canada Goose
The only reported birds were a pair that flew over Braybrook Street on the 30th.
Sparrowhawk
A high soaring female spooked the gulls on the pitches on the 26th and the following day there was another along Lester's Embankment.
Peregrine
Our 5th ever record coasted high over the pitches and Chats Paddock on the 8th much to the chagrin of the gulls in its wake.
Kestrel
A female was sighted along Lester's Embankment on the 30th for the first time this year.
Snipe
Two separate birds were flushed on the 2nd. The first individual was roused from the sapling enclosure - fondly referred to as 'Rudolph's Enclosure', the site of our famous over wintering Common Redstart - immediately west of Martin Bell's Wood (in itself an extremely unusual location for Snipe at The Scrubs). The other bird was flushed from the more usual area - the grassland.
These birds followed hot on the heels of the singleton seen on the 31st December 2007.
Black-headed Gull
Our wintering loafing flocks remained constantly large throughout the month and even hosted a gorgeous adult winter Mediterranean Gull for part of the month. At the beginning of January around 70 birds were counted and over 400 were on the pitches on the 20th.
Mediterranean Gull
A beautiful winter adult bird was discovered on the 20th amongst the gull flocks on the pitches. It was seen on most visits until at least the month's end and was our 6th ever.
Common Gull
By the month's end quite a few of these subtly distinctive birds were to be found stalking amongst the Black-headed Gull flocks. By the 20th well over 120 abounded which was in stark contrast to the beginning of the month when only 6 were counted.
Herring Gull
The maximum count was at least 10 birds on the 6th.
Lesser Black-back
The usual numbers were present during the month
Woodpigeon
No real counts were made this month of this, Britain's most common pigeon. An average of around 30 were seen on most dates with up to 50 seen on the 27th.
Stock Dove
There were 2 reports for the month involving a bird on the 9th feeding on seed with the Woodpigeons under the trees at the western end near Braybrook Street. It was surprising to see this perceived 'country' pigeon scrabbling for scraps with its city cousins. The other sighting was of 7 birds that flew north together over Martin Bell's Wood on the 26th.
Rose-ringed Parakeet
The usual cacophonous Central Copse roost persisted throughout the month with upwards of 600 birds larking around in the trees. After their early morning departure The Scrubs is left relatively parakeet free until just before sunset when the varmints come back to roost.
They are certainly getting bolder as some have taken to vigorously mobbing passing gulls and they've even been seen having a go at the erstwhile kings of the mobbers - our very own crows!
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Courtship activity was well underway with a pair generally frolicking around the eastern edge of the site with another pair ranging around the western end. A male was watched on the 25th drumming at very close quarters on the dead tree at the eastern edge of Central Copse.
Meadow Pipit
Unusually, there very few reported during the month and walks through the long grass on some days resulted in none being flushed. This time last year we had on average around 15 birds that made the grassland their home. The most seen this month was a measly 3 individuals on the 30th.
Pied Wagtail
A pair was quite frequently found feeding on the tarmac by the picnic area in the western end. They occasionally strayed along the path adjacent Lester's Embankment. They or another pair was also seen flying towards the prison on the 20th.
Wren
At least 4 were counted around the Lester's Embankment area on the 6th.
Dunnock
Displaying birds were watched along Lester's Embankment plus up to 6 birds regularly foraged along the path adjacent to the embankment on some mornings.
Robin
Singers were noted all around the site with at least 6 seen n the 27th.
Stonechat
The usual single female or first winter bird was recorded around the grassland sporadically during the month and it was joined by a winter male on the 9th and 26th with 3 birds located on the 30th.
Song Thrush
At least 2 birds were singing along Lester's Embankment and around 5 seen elsewhere on the 27th.
Redwing
We seem to be holding a small wintering population that occasionally belie their presence when they suddenly explode from the bit of woodland that they were feeding in to traverse The Scrubs to another suitable area. These wintering thrushes were normally seen in tiny numbers with around 10 being the maximum count on the 6th.
Mistle Thrush
The only record for the month flew over on the 25th.
Blackbird
There were still a quite high percentage of presumed first winter males present. Instead of being jet black with yellow bills, these birds were a bit sooty with duller bills. At least 10 were generally encountered around the park with 16 counted on the 27th, though the true number present could be double that.
Put out the bunting!
In short, 2008 has started off amazingly and this January has probably been the best ever.
The year had barely started when we recorded yet another incredible first for Wormwood Scrubs in the small, cute and elusive shape of possibly London's 10th ever Little Bunting.
This bird has raised eyebrows in the wider ornithological world mostly due to it being found as part of an incredible run that we have been experiencing at our wonderful local patch. We've also had a fine Peregrine over this month as well as our first long-staying Mediterranean Gull that was even been noticed by some of the dog walkers - both good birds in any month!
Are we actually latching onto more exciting birds because we have become more vigilant or is it because the site has been maturing over the years becoming more attractive to wildlife in general?
We feel that it's probably a bit of both. But above all it's about belief. We really do step out onto The Scrubs believing that almost anything can turn up. Once you open your mind to that possibility you then begin to instinctively look in the places that may harbour even more of the commoner species to be found and you never know, maybe something a little more interesting.
Contributors: Kim Dixon, David Jeffreys, David Lindo, Franko Marovich, 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
Goldcrest
The first bird of the year was recorded on the 6th in the 'Back Passage' -and before you gasp, it's the sheltered path that runs between the Channel Tunnel fence and the northern portion of Scrubs Lane Wood!
A scarcity at the best of times, this sprite is most regularly seen during the winter months, though oddly, there was a singing male seen near the cottage by Old Oak Common Lane last summer.
Great Tit
The sound of Great Tit calls filled the air during January with at least 10 noted on the 6th. These inquisitive birds seem to introduce a brand new call to their already massive repertoire every year obviously designed to confuse us all!
Blue Tit
At least 12 of the colourful birds were seen around site on the 6th. Several were observed displaying during the month.
Long-tailed Tit
The 6th seemed to be a good day for the tit tribe at The Scrubs with at least 12 of these black-and-white beauties counted.
Jay
The first bird of the year was noticed flying along Lester's Embankment on the 30th.
Magpie
These pied crows went largely unnoticed by us this month and as a consequence the maximum that was vaguely noticed was around 10 on the 6th.
Carrion Crow
At least 120 were patrolling the area, uncertain of what to make of their new, noisy and more numerous neighbours - the Rose-ringed Parakeet.
Starling
Around 30 to 40 birds were present principally in and around the grassland.
House Sparrow
Our localised birds had love on their minds with at least 11noted courtship chasing in the bushes adjacent to Braybrook Street mid-month. Over 60 emerged from their Central Copse roost on the 8th.
Chaffinch
Around 20 birds literally came out of the woodwork around the western end whilst the Little Bunting, the super elusive star bird of the month, was being staked out on the 6th and again on the 9th.
Goldfinch
Small numbers were noticed during the month with never more than 10 being seen.
Linnet
A pair returned to Lester's Embankment on the 9th.
Greenfinch
Our most common finch this winter with at least 30 around on the 6th and 27th and several males were in song and displaying, especially around Lester's Embankment.
Reed Bunting
The 2 females and single male continued to winter in the grassland and in the trees alongside Braybrook Street. They have been in the area since at least the 16th December making this the first time we've ever had birds staying for longer than a day. They were also seen briefly in the company of the Little Bunting, their close relation, on the 6th and were last seen on the 20th.
Little Bunting
Words could not describe the shock of seeing this Siberian gem! An individual was briefly seen in bright sunlight on top of a tree bordering the cottage bund along the western edge of the site on the 6th.
Although its diminutive, plump shape was immediately discernable (it resembled a small, neat looking female Reed Bunting) the distinctive foxy brown ear coverts (the triangular area from cheeks to around the ear) were not clearly seen. It then dropped down to a lower branch and before a telescope could be trained in its direction, it had slipped away.
A concerted search was carried out in the afternoon that also involved a couple of visiting birders. This nearly resulted in failure until practically in the last minute the Little Bunting flew into a bush accompanied by the 3 wintering Reed Buntings and an unidentified 4th bird - which was probably a Greenfinch. It was seen long enough to observe the diagnostic facial pattern. But as soon as it came, it went and despite further searches over the following days it was not seen again.
Little Buntings are rare autumn visitors to Britain, though there has been a propensity in recent times for some of these birds to occasionally spend the winter at the same site. That fact alone raised hopes that our bird may still be in the area undetected. This species is notoriously difficult to track down, so a plan has been drawn up to lay birdseed around the area that it was discovered during February in the vain hope of its rediscovery.
We would like to thank the local conservation body, Groundwork West London, for supplying the seed. Not only was this a 1st for our site, but possibly the 10th ever for London and the 1st in the capital since 1994 when a bird was seen briefly at Coppetts Wood, Middlesex. A full rarity report will be forwarded to the area's bird recorder in due course.
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.
2008 Year List
Cormorant, Canada Goose, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine, Kestrel, Snipe, Black-headed Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-back, Woodpigeon, Stock Dove, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Stonechat, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Redwing, Blackbird, Goldcrest, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Jay, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Reed Bunting, Little Bunting
40 species thus far