Regent’s Park
No chats today, probably disturbed by to much evening sports yesterday evening.
Swallow: the first bird of the autumn was with some martins this morning.
Spotted Flycatcher: four birds present again on the Holford House site, between area 39 & 40.
Garden Warbler: one possibly two in area 39.
Chiffchaff: six present.
Willow Warbler: three present.
Bushy Park
Common Buzzard: one very high bird drifted NE at 11.41 am.
Hobby: three adult birds in the air together, one bird stooped at the Buzzard.
Swallow: twelve migrants.
An even later brood of Mallards in Bushy Park
Hobby juvenile chasing a Jackdaw (above) and the boot is on the other foot below when a Jackdaw chases a Kestrel.
Common Buzzard
I had just heard the call of a panicking Green Woodpecker and thought there must be a Sparrowhawk about, then up popped this bird.
Comments
Clear and cool (12C) at dawn with steady N breeze that must have been a boon to migrants, a few of which dropped into the Park.
Tree Pipit 1 (in hawthorn on SW slope of Primrose Hill, area 47 at 11:20).
This small area of rough grassland, dotted with hawthorns and lime trees, could be attractive to southbound migrants partial to open spaces after they crest Primrose Hill.
Pipit sp. 1 (prob Meadow Pipit; flushed from Long Grass near Chat Bush, area 34 at 07:30).
I saw it in flight long enough to recognise it as a pipit (brown above, whitish below, longish tail with white outer tail feathers) but it lingered only momentarily low in the main gorse bush before vanishing: a shame, because a 'mipit' would have been a lifer, I'm embarrassed to say!
Northern Wheatear 2 f/imm (Cricket Squares E of The Hub, area 37 at 13:35).
Spotted Flycatcher 1 (area 47).
Willow Warbler 1 (Cricket Pen, area 31 at 07:15).
Chiffchaff 5.
Blackcap 3.
Swallow 1 (SE over Primrose Hill at 09:30).
House Martin 12.
Sparrowhawk 1+ (seen a few times all morning high above and around Primrose Hill).
Kestrel 1.
Shoveler 2.
(Unusual sight of 100+ honey bees from nearby apiary sipping from moist stonework of water fountain next to Avenue Gardens shelter, area 20 at 15:00.)