(Click on the map to examine it in detail)
A team of local birders – members of the Wren Wildlife and Conservation Group and the Wanstead Birders group – spent nine weeks this spring surveying the territories of 25 species on our local patch. Wanstead Flats and Wanstead Park were covered pretty comprehensively, as was Gilbert’s Slade. The species covered were Stock Dove, Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Common and Lesser Whitethroats, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Goldcrest, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Great Tit, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch and Reed Bunting. Almost 1,200 territories were found and mapped. Some proved a whole lot harder to survey than others, and some – Willow Warbler, Garden Warbler and Reed Bunting spring to mind – hardly troubled the scorers! On the other hand, there were no shortage of Wrens (found to be the commonest species surveyed), Robins, Great Tits or Blackcaps.
This is the map for five, key grassland species Skylark and Meadow Pipit, scrub specialists Lesser and Common Whitethroats and an old favourite that seems to be doing pretty well on the patch, Song Thrush. Next year we hope to do some of the areas left uncovered this year, including the City of London and Manor Park cemeteries and Leyton Flats. Any volunteers very welcome. Thanks to James Heal for producing the very fine map.
Tim Harris