Saturday 30 October 2010

Hampstead Cemetery & UCL Sports Ground, London, UK, 30-Oct-2010

10:20 - 12:00
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Comments: Final autumn migration visit.
Weather: bright & sunny, cool, still.
22 species

Herring Gull X - over.
Common Wood-Pigeon X
Ring-necked Parakeet X - over.
Great Spotted Woodpecker X - heard.
Green Woodpecker 1 heard.
Eurasian Jay X
Common Magpie X
Carrion Crow X
Coal Tit 2
Great Tit X
Blue Tit X
Long-tailed Tit X
Eurasian Wren X
European Robin X
Eurasian Blackbird X
Redwing 1
Song Thrush 2 chasing each other.
European Starling X - over.
Dunnock X
Common Chaffinch X
European Greenfinch X
European Goldfinch X - heard.

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

Sunday 24 October 2010

Hampstead Cemetery & UCL Sports Ground, London, UK, 24-Oct-2010

09:30 - 11:40
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Comments: Another patch visit during autumn migration, hoping to keep the site-tick run going.
Weather: bright, sunny, frosty & cold.
24 species

Eurasian Sparrowhawk 1
Black-headed Gull 2 - over.
Common Gull 1 possible, over.
Herring Gull 2
Common Wood-Pigeon X
Great Spotted Woodpecker X - heard.
Eurasian Jay 2 heard first, then 2 seen.
Common Magpie X
Carrion Crow X - heard.
Great Tit X
Long-tailed Tit X
Eurasian Wren X
European Robin X
Eurasian Blackbird X
Fieldfare X - over; 2 at first, then 30 then 5.
Redwing X
Song Thrush X
European Starling X
Dunnock X
Grey Wagtail 1 - over as I observed from the south-side concealed path. A short call, long tail & sturdier, bigger bird identified another great site-tick. It was flying roughly north where it (or another in a general movement) was later picked up at other sites.
Common Chaffinch X
European Greenfinch X
European Goldfinch 3 - over.
House Sparrow X

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

Sunday 17 October 2010

Hampstead Cemetery & UCL Sports Ground, London, UK, 17-Oct-2010

09:30 - 11:45
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Comments: After the previous weekend's firecrest I was enthusiatic to hit the patch again & was out for the cemetery's opening time. I realised autumn migration was the best time for the patch & had my fingers-crossed for another firecrest or another site-tick.
Weather: cold, bright, sunny, still.
21 species

Black-headed Gull X - over.
Herring Gull X - over.
Common Wood-Pigeon X
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 atop a dead tree in the bright sunlight.
Eurasian Jay X
Common Magpie X
Carrion Crow 3
Skylark X a brief flurry of skylark-sounding song from a bird flying overhead. It was soon gone but the call was distinctive - still only a probable though. Would have been a site-tick.
Coal Tit X
Great Tit X
Blue Tit 3
Long-tailed Tit X
Eurasian Wren X
Goldcrest X
European Robin X
Eurasian Blackbird X
Redwing X
European Starling X
Common Chaffinch X
Lesser Redpoll 7 in the large silver birch on the path up to the garden of remembrance. I heard their flutey calls at first which caused me to double-back on my circuit. As I crept towards the tree I caught site of a bird I had not seen in over 20 years due to their unfortunate drastic decline in that time. I was able to get fairly close & found a lovely little feeding party merrily going about their business amongst the catkins. There may have been a couple of paler individuals but I didn't get a good enough look at those to clinch common redpoll. Another great site-tick & a poignant look at a previously common bird that I was very familiar with as a kid. They eventually flew off jingling & jangling, as a dog-walker came up the path. I hope it's not another 20 years til I see another one!
European Goldfinch X

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

Sunday 10 October 2010

Hampstead Cemetery & UCL Sports Ground, London, UK, 10-Oct-2010

16:08 - 17:30
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Comments: A busy day with lots of people enjoyign lovely autumn weather.
Weather: warm & sunny, clear sky, breeze (N).
18 species (+1 other taxa)

Lesser Black-backed Gull X - over
Feral Pigeon X - ugh, an ever present at many sites. I hold my nose & put it here for the only time so I have a complete life list.
Stock Dove 1 flew away rapidly towards the garden of remembrance. A site tick.
Common Wood-Pigeon X
Ring-necked Parakeet 2
Green Woodpecker X
Eurasian Jay X
Common Magpie 2
Carrion Crow X
Coal Tit 2
Eurasian Wren X - heard.
Firecrest 1 on the south-side of the cemetery along the concealed path. I lingered hoping something would show, thinking I might see goldcrests or late blackcaps, but after hearing a high-pitched call I turned back & this beauty popped out on a low branch. Although somewhat gloomy in the undergrowth it was unmistakeable. I had thought that this patch could hold a firecrest & so it proved to be - a great site-tick & one I credit to the Urban Birder who inspired me to go back after I had begun to lose interest in it. After about 20 seconds it flitted away & did not come back though I waited for 10-20 minutes.
European Robin X
Eurasian Blackbird X
Redwing X - over.
Song Thrush X
European Starling X
Common Chaffinch X
European Greenfinch X

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)