1 London Bird Report No.72 for the year 2007 Accounts of birds recorded within a 20-mile radius of St Paul's Cathedral A London Natural History Society Publication Published April 2011 2 LONDON BIRD REPORT NO. 72 FOR 2007 3 London Bird Report for 2007 produced by the LBR Editorial Board Contents Introduction and Acknowledgements – Pete Lambert 5 Rarities Committee, Recorders and LBR Editors 7 Recording Arrangements 8 Map of the Area and Gazetteer of Sites 9 Review of the Year 2007 – Pete Lambert 16 Contributors to the Systematic List 22 Birds of the London Area 2007 30 Swans to Shelduck – Des McKenzie Dabbling Ducks – David Callahan Diving Ducks – Roy Beddard Gamebirds – Richard Arnold and Rebecca Harmsworth Divers to Shag – Ian Woodward Herons – Gareth Richards Raptors – Andrew Moon Rails – Richard Arnold and Rebecca Harmsworth Waders – Roy Woodward and Tim Harris Skuas to Gulls – Andrew Gardener Terns to Cuckoo – Surender Sharma Owls to Woodpeckers – Mark Pearson Larks to Waxwing – Sean Huggins Wren to Thrushes – Martin Shepherd Warblers – Alan Lewis Crests to Treecreeper – Jonathan Lethbridge Penduline Tit to Sparrows – Jan Hewlett Finches – Angela Linnell Buntings – Bob Watts Appendix I & II: Escapes & Hybrids – Martin Grounds Appendix III: Non-proven and Non-submitted Records First and Last Dates of Regular Migrants, 2007 170 Ringing Report for 2007 – Roger Taylor 171 Breeding Bird Survey in London, 2007 – Ian Woodward 181 Cannon Hill Common Update – Ron Kettle 183 The establishment of breeding Common Buzzards – Peter Oliver 199 The Glaucous-winged Gull at Beddington, April 18th 2007 – Johnny Allan 206 Brief Notes on the Isle of Dogs Monk Parakeets – Nick Tanner 208 Bird Highlights at Alexandra Park, 2007 – Andrew Gardner 210 Bird Highlights at Beddington Farm, 2007 – Kevin Guest 211 Bird Highlights at Brent Reservoir, 2007 – Ian Ellis 214 Bird Highlights at Crossness, 2007 – John Archer 217 Bird Highlights at Rainham Marshes, 2007 – Howard Vaughan 219 Bird Highlights at Regent's Park, 2007 – Tony Duckett 223 Bird Highlights at Staines Reservoirs, 2007 – Rob Innes 225 Checklist of Birds of the London Area 228 Guide for Contributors of Records 236 Breeding Criteria 239 4 LONDON BIRD REPORT NO. 72 FOR 2007 London Natural History Society Founded 1858 Honorary Vice Presidents A.J.Barrett, R.M. Burton M.A.,F.L.S., P.C. Holland, K.H. Hyatt, F.L.S, R.A. Softly. Officers for 2010 President John Edgington Vice Presidents Colin Bowlt, Ph.D., F.L.S., Jan Hewlett, Ph.D., David J. Montier, Colin W. Plant, B.Sc., F.R.E.S., Pat J. Sellar, B.Sc (Eng.), F.R.G.S., M.B.O.U., R. John Swindells, H. Michael Wilsdon, M.B.O.U. Secretary David Howdon Treasurer Michael West Assistant Treasurer Robin Blades World List Abbreviation: Lond. Bird Rep. Ó London Natural History Society, 2011 Printed by Crowes Complete Print Norwich, Norfolk INTRODUCTION & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 5 London Bird Report for 2007 This London Bird Report has been produced by an Editorial Board, comprising: Chair of Editorial Board: PETE LAMBERT Chair of Rarities Committee: BOB WATTS Consultant: ANDREW SELF Data Manager: JOHN ARCHER Editors: Birds of the London Area: JAN HEWLETT Papers: MIKE TRIER Photographs: DOMINIC MITCHELL Remaining sections: DAVID CALLAHAN, PETE LAMBERT Layouts: ANDREW HAYNES, MIKE TRIER Production Manager: VACANT Systematic List written by: Richard Arnold, Roy Beddard, David Callahan, Andrew Gardener, Martin Grounds, Rebecca Harmsworth, Tim Harris, Jan Hewlett, Sean Huggins, Jonathan Lethbridge, Alan Lewis, Angela Linnell, Des McKenzie, Andrew Moon, Mark Pearson, Gareth Richards, Surender Sharma, Martin Shepherd, Bob Watts, Ian Woodward, Roy Woodward. INTRODUCTION This is the first report to be produced by an Editorial Board. The Board was set up after Andrew Self stepped down from his role as Editor. Andrew was Editor from 1998 to 2010, and I would like to thank him for all the work he did for us. This is also the first report for many years for which we have not had Steve Spooner as Database Manager. Steve carried out this role from 2002 to 2010 (including LBR 2006) and formatted the 2007 London database. I would like to thank him too for all his work for us. The Editorial Board has plans to catch up with the backlog of reports: we are working at present on the 2008 and 2009 reports, which we are hoping to publish this year. For the moment this is our main focus, so this report follows the same lines as earlier reports. We hope in the near future to focus more attention on ways of improving the reports. We would therefore welcome comments on this report, both positive and negative. We would also like details of any mistakes you find in the report. Please send comments or corrections to me; my contact details are below. This report now has a page, listing records that we have heard about but have not received any descriptions for. Please let us have details if you saw any of these birds, even if you were not the person who found them. We also include on that page, records we have received that have not been accepted. We now have a new Surrey Recorder, Nick Tanner, whose contact details are given later. 6 LONDON BIRD REPORT NO. 72 FOR 2007 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS On behalf of the London Natural History Society, I would like to thank the hundreds of individuals and organisations who have contributed records to this report. I would also like to thank all those who helped with the production of the report: the 21 authors of the Systematic List (listed above); Martin Grounds for help with data input; Anna Marett (AM), Jan Wilczur (JPPW) and Roy Woodward (RKW) for their illustrations; all the photographers who kindly donated their photos; Steve Spooner who prepared the 2007 Surrey records; Andrew Verrall who proof-read the Systematic List section; and GiGL (Greenspace Information for Greater London), the open space and biodiversity records centre, which processed the data for us. Thanks also to all the members of the Editorial Board. I am particularly grateful to all the Recorders, who, in addition to the time-consuming tasks of inputting all the data for their area, checked the species accounts in the Systematic List and provided comments and corrections. Thanks also to Thames Water for the many courtesies extended to our members, and to the following organisations for their generous help in the exchange of records: BirdGuides British Birds Rarities Committee British Trust for Ornithology Buckinghamshire Bird Club East London Birders Forum Hertfordshire Natural History Society Kent Ornithological Society Londonbirders Yahoo group Surrey Bird Club The LNHS would like to thank the BTO and their contributors for data in the Grey Heron records on page 58. Pete Lambert, Chair of the Editorial Board, February 2011 109 Gloucester Road, Walthamstow, London, E17 6AF Email: [email protected] Phone: 020 8531 9814 7 Rarities Committee, Recorders & LBR Editors Rarities Committee Chairman Bob Watts Members: J. Archer, R. Bonser, A.V. Moon and A.S.M. Self LNHS London & Sector Recorders: London Recorder Andrew Self, 16 Harp Island Close, Neasden, London, NW10 0DF Email: [email protected] Inner London Richard Bonser, Flat 7, 96 Rope Street, Surrey Quays, London, SE16 7TQ Email: [email protected] Essex Roy Woodward, 62C High Street, Cheshunt, Herts, EN8 0AH Email: [email protected] Herts Joan Thompson, 73 Raglan Gardens, Watford, Herts, WD19 4LJ Email: [email protected] Middlesex Mark Pearson, 48a Stamford Hill, London, N16 6XT Email: [email protected] Bucks Andrew Moon, 46 Highfield Way, Rickmansworth, Herts, WD3 2PR. Email: [email protected] Kent John Archer, 8 Smead Way, London, SE13 7GE Email: [email protected] Surrey Nick Tanner, 11 Collins House, Newby Place, Poplar, London, E14 0AX Email: [email protected] Papers Editor: Mike Trier, 38 Maury Road, Stoke Newington, London, N16 7BP Email: [email protected] Photographic Editor: Dominic Mitchell, c/o Birdwatch, Solo Publishing Ltd, B403A The Chocolate Factory, 5 Clarendon Road, London N22 6XJ Email: [email protected] 8 LONDON BIRD REPORT NO. 72 FOR 2007 Recording Arrangements The area covered by this Report, conventionally known as ‘the London Area’, is the area within 20 miles of St Paul’s Cathedral. The Area covers the whole of Greater London and parts of Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent, Surrey, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire. However, for continuity of recording, Watsonian vice-counties are used in this Report instead of the present administrative areas (but note that vice-counties 18 and 19, South and North Essex, are lumped together as Essex). The vice-county boundaries are shown on the map of the Area which follows. There is also a special recording zone for Inner London. This is a rectangular area, five miles north to south, eight miles east to west, centred on the site of the old Charing Cross on the south side of Trafalgar Square, which covers parts of Middlesex, Surrey and, just, Kent. A detailed Map of the Area together with a Gazetteer of Sites appears on pages 9 to 15. The names used in this Report for certain sites are not shown on, or differ from those on, Ordnance Survey maps. Please consult the Gazetteer of Sites if in any doubt. It would be helpful if these names could be used by observers when submitting records. A National Ordnance Survey Grid Reference should be given in any difficult or doubtful case. All records of interest are welcome, from LNHS members and non-members alike. These include information on the local status of common species, breeding records, notes on migration (including first and last dates and main movements), regular counts of wintering populations and notes on behaviour and on the occurrence of unusual birds.