Its a cabbie's thing (1 Viewer)

[Digbert Doobrey]

Thanks for that. I'll look and listen out for them when I drive up there. I remember someone reporting a flock of waxwings in Covent Garden the winter before last, when we had the last waxwing 'eruption'. The closest I saw them to central London was the end of Archway road where it becomes the A1. Bit of trivia coming up. Did you know that thats where Rod Stewart was born. His house was flattened to make the petrol garage thats there now.

I see another Red Kite was spotted over Muswell Hill today. One day I'll be in the right place at the right time.

 

[Digbert Doobrey]

19/06/2012

All a bit of a birding desert out there at the moment. Well for me anyway. The weather has been very up and down resulting in my first bout of serious flu for many years. I've been keeping my eye out wherever I've been around town. Not a sausage. Allthough in fairness I've hardly stepped out from the cab to look around any birdy haunts in the capital lately due to the aforementioned miserable weather.

However its perked up a bit recently so yesterday I took a walk over Hampstead Heath for an hour. I enjoyed watching two common terns hunting over one of the lakes. They seemed to be oblivious to the many fishermen and dogwalkers around the banks. Wonder if they were a pair who had bred on a raft on one of the other lakes?

Spent a while concentrating on the bird sanctuary pond. Various Reed Warblers were making themselves heard with their screechy scratchy song. However infuriatingly not one would do me the courtesy of 'showing' so I will have to check back sometime to get a tick for the list.

66. Common Tern

 

[Digbert Doobrey]

Saw a falcon and a gull mobbing each other yesterday above the westway flyover at Paddington Green. 90 percent sure it was a peregrine but as I was driving I hardly had a chance to have a good look. I don't think a peregrine has been reported in that area this year. I know on the wiki london bird website someone routinely covered this area during 2011. Anyone out there been covering it this year who could confirm there are peregrines in the area?

Not much else going on. Saw a kestrel fly up into the St.Pancras building. Probably one of the pair that lives around Coram fields/Russell Square. Good to see blackbirds everywhere this year as they seem to be in decline two or three years ago. Plenty of swifts too but sadly haven't seen a House Martin on my way round the capital this year.

 

[Digbert Doobrey]

Had a quick look in at walthamstow reservoirs yesterday. Saw three distant sandpipers. Was hoping they were green but when one was spooked and flew I could make out the white wing bar so they must have been commons. Not much else; about half a dozen common terns and four shelduck chicks with one adult. Unfortunately I didnt have time for a thorough look round. I've since found out they had a gannet there last month.

Last tuesday I saw a sparrowhawk circling over Park Lane in the early evening. It was probably trying to escape that Madonna concert that was going on in Hyde Park. Anyway it had better stay away from Park Lane for the next few weeks. It will probably get a £130 fine for being in the Olympic lanes just like I will.

 

[Digbert Doobrey]

27/7/2012

Well you wait all year for one then two come along at once.

Coming up the embankment to turn right into Parliament square I noticed the unmistakeable silhouette of a Peregrine flying above Portcullis house. This was around 5pm.

Later in the day around 8pm I was heading east onto the Marylebone road below the M40 flyover. The previous day I had noticed a small dark spec on top of the London Hilton metropole high rise block but as I was on the flyover I couldn't pull over to investigate. Yesterday, as I was on the slip below the flyover, I did manage to pull over on a side road and grab my bins. This confirmed my suspicions as the small dark 'spec' was indeed a peregrine. The bird was moving around and slightly agitated. It may have been feeding. Although I had my bins it was still a long way up. For anyone who follows this thread and lives or works around that area the bird was seen in one of the grooves at the top of the high rise block of the metropole hotel as I mentioned earlier. Thats two days in a row it was spotted at the same place so it could be a regular roost for the bird (maybe theres a pair). Its in the marylebone/paddington area if you want to spot an urban peregrine.

67. Peregrine Falcon

 

[Digbert Doobrey]

Nothing for the cause but yesterday I had a little day trip down to Southend and took some pics of the remarkably tame Turnstones at the end of the pier.

 

[Digbert Doobrey]

8/8/2012

68. House Martin

To go through the whole year without spotting any hirundines would have been a sorry state of affairs. I think I got the full set last year. Today around 8pm I saw a dozen flying around the top of the building behind the flower stall at the junction of Park Road and Rossmore Road just north of Marylebone. Funnily enough thats almost the same place I saw them last year so they may have nested in that area. Perhaps if I'm chasing year ticks it might be a good idea to look for birds in the same place I found them in previous years. Genius!!

 

[Digbert Doobrey]

Not much happening recently. Had a quick look around Regent's park the other day to try and find those Spotted Flycatchers that have been seen there but just ended up getting very wet and marooned under an oak tree a long way from sanctuary with just a nervy Wood pigeon for company. Had a distant view of what was probably a swallow but couldnt confirm.

Seen a few Sparrowhawks around the capital. One flying over bayswater road and one flew up city road in Moorgate and a kestrel close to corum fields.

Also the Paddington Peregrine is still around and can be seen on top of the metropole hotel most evenings.

 

[Digbert Doobrey]

1/9/2012

69. Red-crested Pochard

Saw at least five males whilst walking around the serpentine in Hyde Park yesterday. Now I know these birds are of very suspect origin but, unlike Regents Park, as there is not a wildfowl collection in Hyde Park anything that is found there is a wildbird. Just look around at the Egyptian Geese and those parakeets! Not sure where they are breeding though. Anyone got any more info on them?

Also saw another Peregrine passing high up over the park around 3pm.

 

[Digbert Doobrey]

30/9/2012

70. Barn Swallow

Yesterday I thought I'd pass through Alexandra Park on the way in to check for swallows moving south as it would be the last chance to add them to the list. I parked up and in ten minutes roaming I spotted three birds. Two birds were in fact moving northwards up the hill but being a cabbie I couldn't possibly comment on taking the long way round when moving across London.

 

[Plentiful]

Hi

I have sent you a PM recently but you may not have noticed it. Hopefully you will see this and pick it up soon. Regards. Plentiful.

 

[Digbert Doobrey]

To anyone who might be interested I have been invited onto BBC radio london on Tuesday 16th April to discuss last years quest to record all the species I found whilst out in the cab. It's on 94.9fm and I'm on at 1.30pm.

Sorry the quest ended with a whimper not with a bang. I took a much needed break from work at the end of the year. Still a total of 70 species isn't too bad. I know I could have increased it if I'd tried to be more intense in my searchings but I did stress I wanted it to be on a fairly casual basis. This year I'm not going to write a list down although I'm still observing everything I can. Next year though I may do one but make it more serious and try for 100 species or extend the range to the M25.

 

[delia todd]

It's good to hear from you again Digbert. I don't think I can get Radio London up here - I'll explore.

 

[Plentiful]

Digbert I really enjoyed the programme yesterday hearing in more detail about London birds. Good luck with your quest to find birds within the M25.

 

[Digbert Doobrey]

Thank you for your comments.

My birding in London this year has been confined to staying in the cab for the most part as the weather for the first four months was shocking. I missed those bearded tits in Hyde park. I tried for the Slav Grebe in Ally park but dipped on that. However, I managed to get a small flock of waxwings local to me so that's kept my london birding mojo happy. The swifts have been late in this year but the paddington peregrines have been spotted in roost nearly every week so far.

 

[Digbert Doobrey]

Does the Long tailed duck in Rotherhithe only do Mondays to Saturdays? Two Sundays in a row I've been down there to have a look. Not a dicky bird. Then on the Monday it turns up again. Where does it go on a Sunday? To church?

 

[Digbert Doobrey]

Finally got to see the Long tailed duck on Monday. It's very tame and coming to to the edge of the lake to take bread with all the regular mallards and coots. Looks like a long stayer so if you are ever around Rotherhithe head to Surrey water for a great london tick.

A few recent observations. It's certainly a bumper year for swifts. I'm seeing them all over the capital and in good numbers too. Also seen a few more house martins too notably in Rotherhithe and Hornsey. Good year for blackbirds too, there are pairs everywhere. However not so good for robins. I think the harsh winters have perhaps took their toll on numbers. I did see the house sparrows in drury lane that a poster mentioned earlier. At least there are some still to be found in central london. Some fine adult plummaged herring gulls can be seen on the central Park lane island along with the occasional mistle thrush, green woodpecker and numerous Romanian gypsys.

Took a trip to rainham marshes yesterday. There were two spoonbills showing well if you can brave the humid weather. Not many can so we almost had the place to ourselves.

 

[Meropes]

I did see the house sparrows in drury lane that a poster mentioned earlier. At least there are some still to be found in central london.

Glad you caught up with the Drury Lane sparrows. I've also seen a fair few by the Tower of London, down by the river near the Millenium Pier.

Matt

 

[Digbert Doobrey]

I won't keep a list this year but I will post if I've seen anything of note whilst I'm actually in the cab working. Therefore I won't restrict myself to the six mile radius of Charing Cross but I won't post sightings on days when I'm not working.

On Monday I saw a Peregrine at its usual spot from the A40 flyover. Also noted a pair of Egyptian Geese in with the Canada's at the mosque end of Regents Park. Yesterday I spotted a small flock of Redwings at the east end of the same park. Plenty of 'semi-tame' grey herons in there too but other than that just the usual stuff.

 

[davercox]

Welcome back Digbert Doobrey, keep us updated please.