Wheatear: 4 birds present on the open spaces. 3 males one of which was partially leucistic, area 28. Chiffchaff: 2 birds present in the leaf yard wood, area 29. Meadow Pipit: 1 bird flew over. Pied Wagtail: 2 birds flew over. Redwing: 15 birds feeding in the leaf yard wood, area 29. Posted by Picasa

Comments

That swift beats the earliest date for that species by 21 days. If you look on www.regentsparkbirds.co.uk you will find a list of first and last dates.

The odd peregrine has been seen lately, we only put news out of birds that could be migrants, rather than birds that might be breeding. This just offers some protection as they are schedule 1 species.
Within urban London there are only 3 known breeding pairs two of those are vulnerable to disturbance by biulding work or the public. There is another site but the observers in that area have failed to watch the birds thouroughly enough to get evidence that they are trying and failing as the site is not suitble enough.
Belonging to the Peregrine Working Group some thought it might be worth getting birders to watch the skies away from the existing known territories to see if any other birds are present in the breeding season. Not birds that are regular winter visitors to favoured sites.
My assistant and I have watched the skies from rooftops and Primrose Hill and have only seen a handful of birds passing through our nearest territory.
Are you saying that the two sites you know of Peregrines breeding this year are Battersea and the University.
If you know of any other sites apart from the one near the Dome I would be grateful if you could tell me there locations. Every year young are lost when they fledge unless there are people around who can take them up to the top of a siutable building. This means consulting with the owners of the biuldings the birds are nesting on. Contacting the Met Police Wildlife Crimes Unit and English Nature. Up until 2003 the only birds seen in central london were the ones around the Tate, those birds were proven to be the University birds. I am holding a Heron Weekend 1st & 2nd April 9.30 to 12.30 weather permiting, if you would like a chat.