LONDON BIRD REPORT No. 71 FOR 2006 1 London Bird Report for 2006 edited by Andrew Self Contents Introduction – Andrew Self 3 Records Committee and Editors 5 Recording Arrangements 6 Map of the Area and Gazetteer of Sites 7 Review of the Year 2006– Peter Naylor 14 Contributors to the Systematic List 21 Birds of the London Area 2006 28 Swans to Shelduck – David Callahan Dabbling Ducks – Andrew Self Diving Ducks - Garry James Gamebirds – Andrew Moon Divers to Herons – Andrew Self Raptors – Andrew Moon Rails – Andrew Self Waders – Roy Woodward & Ian Woodward Skuas to Gulls – Des McKenzie Terns to Cuckoo – Andrew Self Owls to Woodpecker – Mark Pearson Larks to Waxwing – Peter Newmark Wren to Thrushes - Andrew Gardener Warblers - Alan Lewis Crests to Treecreeper – Andrew Verrall Penduline Tit to Sparrows – David Lindo Finches – Andrew Self Buntings – Bob Watts Appendix I & II: Escapes & Hybrids – Andy Culshaw First and Last Dates of Regular Migrants 2006 157 Ringing Report for 2006 – Roger Taylor 158 Breeding Bird Survey in London, 2006 - Ian Woodward 167 Caspian Gull: An identification review - Steve Arlow 169 Bird Racing in London - Andrew Self 176 Birds on London’s Playing Fields in the mid-1970s - Ron Kettle 183 The Birds of Wormwood Scrubs, 1980–2006 - David Lindo 189 Laughing Gull: New to London – Steve Murray 200 Bird Highlights at Alexandra Park, 2006 – Andrew Gardner 202 Bird Highlights at Beddington Farm, 2006 - Kevin Guest 203 Bird Highlights at Brent Reservoir, 2006 - Ian Ellis 205 Bird Highlights at Rainham Marshes, 2006 - Howard Vaughan 208 Bird Highlights at Regent's Park, 2006 - Tony Duckett 212 Bird Highlights at Staines Reservoirs, 2006 - Rob Innes 214 Bird Highlights at Stoke Newington Reservoirs, 2006 – Mark Pearson 215 Checklist of Birds of the London Area 217 Guide for Contributors of Records 225 Breeding Criteria 228 Front Cover: XXX. All line drawings by Roy Woodward LONDON BIRD REPORT No. 71 FOR 2006 2 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.M. Payne F.R.E.S.,F.L.S., R.A. Softly. Officers for 2008 President Mark Burgess Vice Presidents Keith F. Betton, M.B.O.U., David Bevan, F.L.S., 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 John Edgington, Ph.D Treasurer Michael West Assistant Treasurer Robin Blades World List Abbreviation: Lond. Bird Rep. London Natural History Society, 2009 Printed by Crowes Complete Print Norwich, Norfolk LONDON BIRD REPORT No. 71 FOR 2006 3 London Bird Report for 2006 Chief Editor: A.S.M. SELF Papers Editor: M. TRIER Photographic Editor: D. MITCHELL Database Manager: S.J. SPOONER Systematic List written by: David Callahan, Andy Culshaw, Andrew Gardener, Garry James, Alan Lewis, David Lindo, Des McKenzie, Andrew Moon, Peter Newmark, Mark Pearson, Andrew Self, Andrew Verrall, Bob Watts, Ian Woodward and Roy Woodward. INTRODUCTION Welcome to this year’s report, which I think is the best one we’ve ever produced. Following on from the survey of the London Bird Report and Ornithological Bulletin I’ve taken on board the helpful feedback for this issue, notably making the species accounts more readable and adding in more comments. I am also really pleased to publish an identification article on Caspian Gulls by Steve Arlow – the first major colour paper that has been published in the LBR. This is particularly timely as the Rarities Committee is now requesting descriptions for all Caspian Gull records as from 1st January 2007. Ideally, these should be accompanied by photographs. This is so that we can get a really accurate idea of this gull’s status in London as it has become appararent that many claims of Caspian Gull are misidentifications. The site highlights accounts that were intitiated last year proved to be very popular so thiese will continue to be published in the LBR and it has been good to see reports from other sites. Although there were no changes to the recorders during the preparation ofb this report, one change has been made subsequently, with Richard Bonser taking over from Des McKenzie as Inner London Recorder from 1st January 2009. Des will still be compiling Inner London records for 2007 and 2008. I’d like to thank Des, who has been Inner London Recorder for a long time, for all his hard work. I’m also looking for additional help in writing sections for the LBR so please get in touch if you’re interested, or if you would like to provide some illustrations for use within the report. 2006 was a exceptional year for birds in London with two firsts – American Robin and Laughing Gull. Unfortunately for many avid London listers neither birds were widely seen. The American Robin spent a couple of months in gardens in Peckham and only came to people’s attention when photographs were published in the national press, demonstrating how easy it is for rare birds to hide within our city. LONDON BIRD REPORT No. 71 FOR 2006 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS On behalf of the Records Committee, it is my pleasure to thank the 1054 individual observers as well as other organisations who contributed records for this issue of the London Bird Report, the first ever time that we’ve had over a thousand contributors. I’d like to thank all those who worked towards the production of this report, the 15 authors who wrote the systematic list (as named above), Peter Naylor for writing the review of the year, Steve Spooner for putting together the database, Martin Grounds for help with data input, Roy Woodward for his illustrations, Dominic Mitchell for sorting out the photographs and arranging the colour plates, Mike Trier for editing all the papers, additional data input and work on the Gazetteer, and all of the photographers who kindly donated their photos. I am particularly grateful to all the Recorders, for the time-consuming task of checking through the species accounts in the systematic list and for providing invaluable comments and corrections at the draft stage as well as their responses to my requests for information; to Thames Water for the many courtesies extended to 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 Essex Birdwatching Society Hertfordshire Natural History Society Kent Ornithological Society Surrey Bird Club Andrew Self, February 2009 LONDON BIRD REPORT No. 71 FOR 2006 5 Rarities Committee, Recorders & LBR Editors Rarities Committee Chairman Bob Watts Members: J. Archer, R. Bonser, A.V. Moon, A.S.M. Self and S.J. Spooner 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 Steve Spooner, 32 Berkeley Drive, West Molesey, Surrey KT8 1RA. 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] LONDON BIRD REPORT No. 71 FOR 2006 6 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 Middx, Surrey and, just, Kent. A detailed Map of the Area together with a Gazetteer of Sites appears on pages 7 to 13. 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.