RSPB Cliffe Pools – sightings 20/11/11
On Saturday, Cliffe Pools had a visit from staff and volunteers of the London Wildlife Trust, based at the Centre for Wildlife Gardening in East Dulwich, South London. I met them for a superb walk of the site, held in glorious spring-like conditions.
Starting from the car park, a male Kestrel obligingly posed for photos atop a telegraph pole before flying off. Conoco pool held decent numbers of Tufted duck and Pochard, the perfect, still conditions highlighting their simple but attractive plumage. Unfortunately, due to it being low tide there were fewer birds on Flamingo but it was still an opportunity to show off the impressive new beach that has been created as a result of the recent dredging campaign. We managed great views of hundreds of Lapwing, spooked into flight by a passing Great Black-backed gull. Grey and Golden plovers were hidden among the low scrub lining the lagoon and a Curlew appeared and landed on the beach.
Stopping for lunch at the Thames viewpoint afforded great views of the site and the river. Along the coastguards track there was a fair amount of small passerine activity, including several Fieldfare among the hawthorn bushes. A Green Sandpiper also flushed from one of the ditches.
The best views of the day though came from the Allen’s track viewpoint overlooking Radar. With the sun behind us and the pools deep blue and still, we enjoyed the good variety of birds on offer. Several Goldeneye and half a dozen Pintail were recent arrivals from the east, showing up well in the gorgeous light. These were joined by Shoveler, Teal, Wigeon and Mallard feeding in Radar and Hidden pools.
All in all it was a fantastic day. The London Wildlife Trust does some fantastic work across the capital , check out www.wildlondon.org.uk for details and follow them on twitter @SydenhamWoodLWT.
(1100 – 1545, low tide) Full list:
Conoco – Pochard, Coot, Little grebe, Tufted duck, Redshank, Moorhen, Mallard, Mute swan
Flamingo – Curlew (1), Redshank, Grey plover (c15), Golden plover (c40), Lapwing (c400), Black-headed gull, Great Black-backed gull, Herring gull, Little egret (8), Great Crested grebe
Radar/Hidden/Ski – Goldeneye (3), Pintail (6), Little grebe, Great Crested grebe, Redshank, Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler, Mallard, Grey Heron, Coot, Shelduck, Cormorant, Greylag geese
Across Site – Starling, Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Greenfinch, Blue Tit, Long-tailed tit, Wren, Goldfinch, Blackbird, Reed Bunting, Kestrel, Green Sandpiper (ditch at coastguards), Fieldfare, Chaffinch, Woodpigeon, Collared dove, Rook, Carrion Crow, Sparrowhawk.
Peter Beckenham, resident volunteer NKM