Burton and Chingford Ponds, Borden and Goring

Burton and Chingford Ponds this morning produced two Firecrests, three Pochards, 42 Tufted Ducks, three Gadwall, 12 Little Grebes, a Great Crested Grebe, six Great Spotted Woodpeckers, three Green Woodpeckers, two Buzzards, a Marsh Tit, seven Coal Tits, five Treecreepers (one singing), a Nuthatch, 15 Redwings, a singing Mistle Thrush, a Grey Wagtail and five Siskins.

I revisited a nice site I discovered a couple of years ago near Borden, spending a couple of hours there early afternoon. Just as I was about to head off, my target species appeared, with an immature female Goshawk soaring across my view.  Other raptors were a Sparrowhawk, two Red Kites and nine Buzzards, while three Cormorants flew over. I was delighted and somewhat perplexed to find three Woodlarks, a singer and a courting pair, around some arable fields. The singer of the pair followed the other bird within a tree, while both birds bobbed incessently and flicked their wings and tail. Two Crossbills, 30 Siskins, a singing Mistle Thrush, two Treecreepers including a singer, a Redwing, a redpoll, 11 Meadow Pipits, a Fieldfare, six Stock Doves, two Nuthatches and a Skylark were also noted.

immature female Goshawk near Borden

Goring Gap had 10 Mediterranean Gulls and 82 Common Gulls. Another adult Mediterranean Gull was seen along the greensward as I drove home.

adult Mediterranean Gull at Goring Gap