The Friends of West Ham Park

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 Birdwatching in the Park  
 
What a Morning - Goldcrest Alert

"Just to let you know - I was walking through the park yesterday at 11.45 and watched, for 5 minutes, a Gold Crest up at Linden Gate. I thought it was a bit small to be a sparrow and it was the yellow stripe on his head that made me stop - it is the size of a wren (smaller) and is the smallest European bird; it was lovely - so look out!"

.....Geraldine.

 

 What was that?

 

Have you seen a bird.....didn't know what it was?

There are nearly 40 different types (species) of birds regularly seen in the park.  If you want to know what it was puzzled you, then follow this link to the RSPB bird identifier

CLICK HERE

 

 

A Grand Morning

It started with a tree with 25 crows in it, masses of blue tits chasing each other, a great spotted woodpecker showing off, a wren being very friendly 'til I fired up the camera, and robin's singing their hearts out. Break for a coffee and a pain au chocalat, and then a slow walk through the ornamental garden gave me a sparrowhawk high in the sky, getting higher as a single crow mobbed it, followed by a pair of goldcrest, the first I have seen in the park.

......Bob

 

 

I have just seen a pair of male mallards chasing each other on the garden pond, with a female close by on the grass near the mahogany trees.

.....Bob

 

 I have seen three Sparrowhawks this morning in the trees between the bandstand and the cricket nets - wonderful - ........Geraldine

 

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This morning I watched a female Sparrowhawk chase a squirrel along the ground between the trees.  The Squirrel made no attempt to go up a tree. Two Magpies then dive bombed the Sparrowhawk and she flew off leaving a (hopefully)grateful Squirrel to finally climb a tree!.......Lyndsay (1st October)

 

 

 

 

 

The List

                                  

 

 

SPARROWHAWK

We keep a list of the birds that have been seen in the park, not all of them are the commmon garden birds.  We have seen:-

Kestrel
Ring Necked Parakeet
Willow Warbler
Redstart

Blackcap
Chiffchaff
Lesser Whitethroat
Grey Wagtail

 
 
For a full up to date list Click here

 

Birds-eye view of West Ham Park

 

The Birds of West Ham Park

by Bob Smith

 

Written, photographed and funded by Bob, this beautifully illustrated book lists, in full colour, the variety of birds that can be found at the park.

 

One of only a few books written about the birds of Newham, the publication is a great reference tool for birdwatching beginners, young and old.

 

The book costs £3.50 and is available online at

www.birdsofwesthampark.co.uk,

or call 07765 046 505.  Delivery is free to residents of Newham.

 

 

 

For more information go to the web site at http://www.birdsofwesthampark.co.uk/

 The Friends at Rainham Marshes Bird Reserve

 

The weekend of 19th & 20 September, Bob & Jim represented the Friends at the Country Fayre at Rainham Marshes RSPB Reserve.  Bob took the opportunity to sell copies of his book 'The Birds of West Ham Park' and in the process met David Lindo, the BBCs 'One Show' presenter.  David, well known in birding circles as the Urban Birder, publishes articles on the joys of birdwatching in towns.

 

 

 

 

THE SURVEY was originally instigated by the park management in early 2006, with the staff themselves taking notes of the sightings. The setting of the Friends later in the year saw us take on the survey and also that of reporting the results. For information on how we do the survey, with some of the technical stuff and the rota of people.

 

 

 

 

The Robin, a familiar sight

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Jay is also a familiar, if exotic, sight 

Bob and I were wandering through the gardens this morning when we spotted a Buzzard, doing what Buzzards do.  It circled around, high above the park before heading off, after 5 minutes or so, towards Wanstead Park.

.....Jim