Hampstead Heath Birding (1 Viewer)

[Londonbirder]

I though I should create a thread for HH because it is such a huge local patch for birders in London. The HH houses many great birds and there is always something to see. The RSPB host a bird observatory on the fist weekend of every month (here is the website click here) Please report sighting and discuss issues!
Thank You,
LB

 

[GorgeousTony]

Are dartford warblers on Hampstead Heath?

I seem to recall on Springwatch (or some other programme with Bill Oddie )that Dartford Warblers can be found on Hamstead Heath. Is this true and if so whereabouts on HH would be recommended?

Tony

 

[Londonbirder]

Never heared of one (or more) on HH but if there was it would have been a great sighting

 

[paulwfromtheden]

Never heared of one (or more) on HH but if there was it would have been a great sighting

Went to HH the other week in great expectation...and found bugger all!!

 

[shrikebirder]

Went to HH the other week in great expectation...and found bugger all!!

Thats one of its specialities!!!!!!

 

[Londonbirder]

Proved you guys wrong, there is a Purple Heron on Bird Sanctuary Pond today!

 

[paulwfromtheden]

Proved you guys wrong, there is a Purple Heron on Bird Sanctuary Pond today!

I saw that on the pager, well done....Like so much birding it is hit and miss, I'm sure it's a great place otherwise Bill Oddie would not bird there

 

[rubatroid]

Whinchat on Parliament Hill

Seen this morning around 7am. Perched on fence post of fenced off area on south side of Parliament Hill. Quite flighty. Then flew into top of tree to the west of the fenced off area. Not sure where it went after that.

Reuben

 

[Vespa]

Mandarin Ducks

I recently read (can't remember where) that there were decent numbers of mandarins on some of the Hampstead ponds. It could have been Stock pond. Can anyone confirm this, and is Stock pond accessible?

Thanks in advance.

 

[rubatroid]

I recently read (can't remember where) that there were decent numbers of mandarins on some of the Hampstead ponds. It could have been Stock pond. Can anyone confirm this, and is Stock pond accessible?

Thanks in advance.

Yes, I and another birder had a high count of 33 Mandarin on Stock pond on the 11th of September - they must have had a very good breeding season as I have never seen that many before. The 33 included a good number of juveniles. I haven't been back since so don't know whether they have moved on. Stock Pond is accessible from one side so no problems there. See the Heath map at the following link:
http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corp...mpstead_Heath/Visitor+information+and+map.htm

 

[rubatroid]

Whinchat and Meadow Pipits on Heath today

Hi all, I had one female Whinchat and at least 4 Mipits on Parliament Hill today. They were in and around the fenced off area on the South side of the hill, which is proving a real magnet for passage migrants.

I just wish we could stop all the joggers running past and spooking them all the time. :C

 

[Vespa]

Yes, I and another birder had a high count of 33 Mandarin on Stock pond on the 11th of September - they must have had a very good breeding season as I have never seen that many before. The 33 included a good number of juveniles. I haven't been back since so don't know whether they have moved on. Stock Pond is accessible from one side so no problems there. See the Heath map at the following link:
http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corp...mpstead_Heath/Visitor+information+and+map.htm

Thanks very much rubatroid :t: I will probably have a look on Sunday, I was interested in getting there with the camera if they are present in decent numbers. I don't recall seeing anything other than single Mandarins, so 33 is some count. Thanks for the map, I used to live near the Heath so I have a rough idea where it is. I assume they have bred there then? It'll be interesting to see if they have dispersed now.

 

[Vespa]

Mandarin Ducks

Thanks for the directions to the HH Mandarins. There were around 20 present last Sunday, mainly males.

Although not particularly distant, photography was very difficult as the pond is surrounded by high trees. The Mandarins tend to congregate around the pool edge where its particularly dark, the only chance for good light was to catch them as they made forays across the pond while the sun was out, but it took a while to get both in sync.

Best shot here:

http://www.birdguides.com/iris/pictures.asp?mode=notable&rty=0&r=1&v=1&album=865&off=220898

Some others attached.

Lovely place, forgot how nice it was.

 

[htcdude]

Great pics! That last one's pretty evil trying to drown the female.... ;-P

 

[rubatroid]

Wow, good stuff Vespa, even been shortlisted for Bird of the Week!!! Good to see u raising Hampstead heath's profile!

 

[rubatroid]

Recent records

Couple of notable records from last few days, none seen by me :C:

Sunday 18 October: several Tawny Owls heard calling across East Heath 1800-1900, one seen at bottom of Parliament Hill

Friday 16 October: 1w Stonechat in scrub on Pryor's Field 100m north of East Heath Road car park

 

[rubatroid]

Yesterday on the Heath

Went down to the Heath for the first time in weeks yesterday. It was very quiet. I had an interesting warbler type shortly after I arrived in the bushes on the south side of Parliament Hill but it dived inside and wouldn't come out again. I guessed that would be a sign of things to come and I was right! Very quiet. I had 1 Coal Tit in the trees on the Tumulus (first since April) plus usual common species but nothing else even slightly unusual in terms of passerines!

On the way out, I had a quick look on Highgate Ponds: Pond 1 was quite busy with the usuals plus a single Grey heron, one Kingfisher flying across, a couple of Pochards, one of which was in moult (Pochards are quite scarce on the Heath) and 6 returning Shovelers. I later heard that another birder had a pair of Gadwall on the same pond, don't know how I missed them!! (they might have come in after I left I suppose). Gadwall are regular in winter on the Hampstead Ponds but less so on Highgate Ponds.

Heath birders, where are you all?

Reuben

 

[napamatt]

I'll be visiting family in Hampstead the weekend of April 10,11. I plan on taking a couple of good walks on the Heath looking for birds, I'll be starting at Pond #1. Can anyone recommend some of the better areas to concentrate on.

 

[tinribs_1]

Cool thread,
I work 5 minutes walk from HH and go there every lunch break (rain or snow etc..) I've been doing this for a month now and have seen a few things worth mentioning:
Whitethroat (bushes south of Parliament Hill - I suspect this is what rubatroid saw)
Blackcaps (everywhere!)
Hobby - my first ever hobby; in fact I had no idea what it was until I visited Rainham Marshes a couple of weeks ago and had an RSPB chap point one out to me; then it clicked that the raptor I saw at the top of Parliament Hill on a hot but windy day was actually a hobby!
A strangely melanistic (if that's the word) Long Tailed Tit off the dual use path (actually a kind of mud trail at the moment). It was very dark - almost no pink and a very black head. For a long time I tried to convince myself I'd seen a rare migrant (I briefly swerved towards some kind of Shrike!) but I think it was an LTT - although it was solitary which I always think is odd for them....

Anyhow - I'm just off there now to try and spot the Kingfisher family in the Bird Sanctuary Pond; on the way I hope to see the Common Tern that's fishing around there and the Lesser Black Back harrassing the Coot chicks....

One day, when I'm feeling fit, I'll haul my camera along and see what I can get.

It's a hard life

Tinribs

 

[tinribs_1]

No Kingfishers or terns
Good Nuthatch calling and a very large herd of Long Tails..

Very quiet on the heath today.

Tinribs...