Posted by Vincent Ganley, 6/9/05 at 9:13:20 AM.
March & April 2005 Sightings at Wormwood Scrubs
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April and May 2005 at the Scrubs were dominated by the surprise discovery by the local birders and other users of the complete clearance of undergrowth along the track of woodland starting at the south eastern end of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Braybrook Street southwards</st1:address></st1:Street>. Coupled with this was the massive swath cut through the middle of the Central Copse likened to a ‘motorway’ by the Friends of the Scrubs Chairwoman.
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After a flurry of angry e-mails and phone calls, the council finally explained their thinking behind the action. To be fair, their reasoning appeared sound and we believe that it will not be detrimental to wildlife in the long run. Indeed, it may add to the local biodiversity. The only negative was that, as usual, we were the last to know.
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It was a good, if quiet start to spring 2005. Numbers of migrants appear to be generally lower than last year and several species appeared to have arrived a lot earlier than last year. However, there has been no repeat of last year’s unusual migrants – but we still have May to come!
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Contributors: David Jefferies, David Lindo, Roy Nuttall et al.<o:p></o:p>
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Cormorant
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Scarcely seen these days, however, 15 headed over on 19th March.
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Grey Heron
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The only records for the period were singles heading over on 10th, 13th and 19th March.
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Mute Swan
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On 10th March 3 adults flew over south west from the direction of the canal followed by another bird overhead on the 11th, probably a bird from the day before.
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Canada Goose
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Small numbers seen over the two months. Pairs are no doubt getting involved in the serious business of chick rearing.
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Mallard
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At least 3 birds were on the move on the 18th March. It surprising that being so near the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Grand</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Union</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Canal</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> you would expect to see more Mallards!
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Sparrowhawk
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A pair may persist in the area perhaps breeding in the nearby and far more heavily wooded <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Kensal</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Green</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Cemetery</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>.
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Kestrel
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As with the Sparrowhawks, a pair may breed nearby as birds were seen sporadically.
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Black-headed Gull
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Numbers continue to fall as birds begin to drift off to their breeding grounds. Over 100 birds were still to be found on the 6th March. A mere 12 days later a total of 6 were counted on the pitches easily outnumbered by the Common Gulls associating with them – in itself a rare event.
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Common Gull
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A steady number of around 20 birds were loafing on the pitches during March with a peak of 28 on the 18th making it the most numerous gull species that day.
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Herring Gull
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Around 10 birds were seen on most days during March tailing off during April.
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Lesser Black-back
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Numbers remained constant during March with around 25 birds being seen. In April around 6 birds was nearer the norm.
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Great Black-back
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A couple of adults were discovered resting amongst the other gulls on the pitches on 6th March. They represent the latest recorded winter date for this locally scarce species at this site.
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Woodpigeon
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A light movement involving at least 60 birds was noted on the 10th March.
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Swift
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This harbinger of hazy summer days suddenly flew out of the blue sky (as they seem to do) on 29th April – 2 days later than last year. From then on the odd pair could often be seen drifting seemingly aimlessly over.
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Rose-ringed Parakeet
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After a long period of only seeing a few birds per visit (sometimes none, though we weren’t complaining!) they suddenly upped the anti and began to appear in larger flocks. Some of their number had also taken to landing on Scrubs trees in search of buds and more menacingly, nesting sites. At least 45 headed over on 29th April and at least 10 of them broke off to inspect the Scrubs.
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Green Woodpecker
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A bird was flushed from the exercise area near the stadium on 14th March and another was seen on the 20th. They are almost certainly breeding in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Kensal</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Green</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Cemetery</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>.
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Great Spotted Woodpecker
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The usual couple of pairs were present throughout the period.
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Skylark
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The last birds of the winter (a pair) flushed up from the grassland on 10th March.
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Swallow
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Returning migrants began to be noticed 19th March – over a month earlier than in 2004. A steady trickle passed through the Scrubs from then on into early May.
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House Martin
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On 28th April, 2 briefly flew over from the south during a strong south westerly gust. Last May, over 30 flew over with Swifts. Other than that record this is a rare bird here during the spring.<o:p></o:p>
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Meadow Pipit
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Early March saw small roving flocks passing through – the largest of which was 15 on the 6th and the 10th. Over 20 birds were present on the 11th. By the 15th the first displaying bird was noticed and 3 days later 3 males were seen in display flight with around 20 birds counted in the grassland. These figures seem to remain constant for at least the next week. At the end of April at least 1 male was still in song flight.
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Pied Wagtail
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It seems likely that a pair may be holding territory in the vicinity of the derelict ground/stadium again this year.
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Wren
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Around 5 singing males were picked up around the site on the 6th March. This is obviously a huge underestimation.
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Dunnock
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At least 10 birds were happened across on the 6th March with some displaying.
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Robin
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This is another undercounted bird. At least 7 were noticed on the 6th March.
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Stonechat
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Our small wintering population was augmented by some new arrivals during March. An additional pair arrived on the 6th March to bring our total to 2 pairs. However, the fab four ranged from being 3 males and a female to 2 males together and the 2 females doing their own thing separately. Quite how many birds were involved is not known.
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The last sighting was that of a male on 19th March.
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Whinchat
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Our unofficial emblem bird returned to us on its way further north on 30th April when a flock of 6 including a magnificent male were found in the grassland opposite the embankment. This was probably our largest spring flock ever. Incidentally, on that same day our bird rich neighbour, The Wetlands Centre, had a flock of 10 birds.
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Northern Wheatear
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A male was glimpsed briefly in flight over the grassland on 18th March. This constitutes our earliest record ever. The next record came on 21st March when a female was discovered. Both these birds were a month earlier than last year’s birds. <o:p></o:p>
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In keeping with last year’s dates, a female was discovered on the derelict land between the pony centre and the Linford Christie Stadium on 28th April. Later on the same day, some council workmen claimed a pair on the mown grass between the Central Copse and Chats Paddock.<o:p></o:p>
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Song Thrush
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This species has become very visible again with several birds proclaiming their territories, especially along the northern edges of the Scrubs.
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Redwing
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Up to 25 birds persisted in the wooded areas during March with a peak count of 40 on the 10th. The last birds were 7 seen 19th March.
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Fieldfare
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At least 6 birds were in the area until mid March.
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Mistle Thrush
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A pair may be nesting in or around the Southern Paddock judging from the spate of occasional sightings.
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Blackbird<o:p></o:p>
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At least 20 birds were on site. The true figure may be double that. On the 9th April 35 males were counted and by the end of the month, most birds seen were voraciously collecting food for their young.
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Sedge Warbler
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After an initial bird in the Central Copse on 17th April up to 2 birds have been singing on and off either side of Chats Paddock. It’s difficult to say how many birds are involved. Last spring there were up to 7 different singing birds, though as far as it is known, this riparian species has never bred here.
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Blackcap
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Yet another early arrival – this time 1 was found in the Southern Paddock 1st April, 3 days earlier than last year. From then on there was a steady influx (by Wormwood Scrubs standards!). By the 16th around 12 were guessed to have been present.
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Common Whitethroat
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The first of the year was seen in the Central Copse on 17th April, 3 days earlier than last year. Since then the relevant breeding areas are slowly being re-colonised.
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Chiffchaff
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The date of the first spring migrants for the year was 18th March when 3 birds were seen or heard along from Chats Paddock to the <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">north west</st1:place></st1:State> corner. These birds arrived a couple weeks later than last year. There doesn’t seem to be as many singing males around the site as in April 2004 when 8 males were consistently singing. Even though around 8 birds were found on 16th, at most 5 singing males were heard by the end of April this year with only a couple heard on most visits.
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<st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Willow</st1:place></st1:City> Warbler
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This rather scarce warbler was first detected on 16th April when 3 were in song. Thereafter, at least 1 has appeared to have stuck around the Chats Paddock area. Last year we had to wait until May to hear its wistful song.
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Great/Blue and Long-tailed Tit
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Pairs of these species were busily singing and displaying during March and collecting food during April.
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Jay
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The first sighting since February was of a singleton on 8th April.
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Magpie
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Over 30 birds were seen on March 14th including a flock of nearly 20 in the Southern Paddock.
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Carrion Crow
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The population remained constant during March with over 80 present.
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Jackdaw
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A total of 10 birds flew over to the east on 18th March in 2 flocks. This is the first record for the year.
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Over 100 birds were counted on 6th March including a wheeling flock of around 50 birds over the houses at <st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Braybrook Street</st1:address></st1:Street> and the surrounding streets. On 28th April there were over 200 birds on site including a roving flock of c120 on the grassland.
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House Sparrow
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Chirping has become a much more commonly heard sound at the Scrubs, especially since the Central Copse has been opened up by the ride carved out by the council. For some reason, the sparrows seem to love this area and regularly commute from <st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Braybrook Street</st1:address></st1:Street> and environs to feed on the blossoms of some of the trees and collect nest materials. Quite why they are doing this now and not before (especially seeing that the trees have always been there) is puzzling. Up to 30 birds have been seen here.
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Chaffinch
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Our tiny wintering population has quickly evaporated with 2 females discovered along the north western edge of the site on the 6th March and 3 in the Southern Paddock on the 19th March being the last of the winter. If we use 1st April as the start of spring, then we had a spring record of a pair on the embankment on the 9th!
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Linnet
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Displaying pairs are returning to the embankment, with a small enclave near the stadium. There could be as many as 35 birds involved.
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Goldfinch
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This attractive finch has recently become exceeding scarce with a maximum count of 10 birds on 6th March, most of which along the southern edge of the Scrubs. However, this may be a normal dip as the population seems to be comparable to this time last year.
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Greenfinch
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This species still carries the mantle of being the most common finch around with displaying birds scattered throughout the area, maybe as many as 40 birds are involved.
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Bullfinch
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A couple pairs abound, though they have become quite secretive over the period.
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Reed Bunting
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A pair, of which one was certainly a male, flew overhead parallel with the embankment on 10th March. This was our first record since October 2003, which was quickly followed by the discovery of a male frequenting Chats Paddocks and adjacent grassland on 1st April.
