We started in the Grove on a warm and sunny morning, and were lucky to see a stock dove and a wood pigeon side by side, allowing us to note the stock dove’s smaller size, shorter tail and dark eyes. 

Walking down the slopes below the palace, we paused to watch the male and female peregrines on the mast. In the tall birches in the south-west corner of the pitch & putt, we saw a showy spotted flycatcher and, excitingly, a more elusive pied flycatcher (photo © Lucia Pino-Garcia). 

The Cricket Scrub was rather quiet, save for a preening greenfinch. Finishing up at the Conservation Pond, a Cetti’s warbler sang loudly if invisibly, and a clouded yellow butterfly fluttered past, only the second recorded in the park this year. 

A stroll around the Boating Lake yielded plenty of wildfowl, including four common pochards and a vocal but elusive nuthatch. At the old deer enclosures, we heard a small flock of redwings chattering invisibly in the trees, before two kindly perched up for telescope views. Two gorgeous stock doves were seen in an oak tree, before we walked on down the steep path towards the station. Despite some enthusiastic ‘pishing’ by Gareth, the firecrest that has favoured the holly bushes by the path this winter failed to give itself up.

Having crossed Alexandra Palace Way, we stopped at the Conservation Pond, where Beatrice gave a talk about the exciting wetland project: the drainage work in the Nature Conservation Area, the digging of three ponds alongside Wood Green Reservoir and some thinning out of the trees here to let through the light necessary for these ponds to thrive.

The male and female peregrines then put on a fine show at and around the top of the mast. On the reservoir, three pairs of shovelers showed well, whilst the young grey heron (pictured, © Greg Smith) did likewise on the Balancing Pond. Pied and grey wagtails were spotted at the Filter Beds, with two of the latter also being seen by the New River near Hornsey High Street. 

Frustratingly, the female kingfisher, which has been wintering here, chose this weekend not to put on a show – you can’t win them all! Both the 33 participants and the total of 42 species were the highest counts on a bird walk for a number of years.

We were blessed with a warm and sunny morning. Starting in the Grove, after seeing two swallows fly over the car park, we enjoyed views of a young willow warbler in the oaks, plenty of stock doves and a vocal and showy nuthatch. Walking down the slopes below the palace, we paused to watch the male and female peregrine on the mast, with the latter enjoying a large meal (photo by Greg Smith). 

Moving down to the cricket pitches, Gareth spotted a whinchat fly in from the west and perch briefly in a tall oak. Unfortunately, only Hesha was also able to lay eyes on this scarce visitor to the park before it continued its migration. After a quick look at the reservoir, we were delighted to hear a Cetti’s warbler singing loudly – if invisibly – at the conservation pond. This brought our list of species to 35 and was a fine end to one of the most sociable and bird-filled bird walks for many years.

This was our first winter bird walk led by Gareth. We started by the boating lake and the many participants (22) managed to get great view of the birds in around the lake and we were particularly pleased to see our winter visitors - the redwings - flitting in and out of the ivy on trees near the boating lake (pictured). Among the birds seen there were tufted ducks, pochards, mallards, Canada, Egyptian and greylag geese, feral pigeons, coots, moorhens and black-headed gulls. Gareth also set up his scope and enabled people to see a peregrine perched on the BBC Tower. 

We then wandered off in the direction of the reservoir where gadwall and great crested grebe were seen with robins and dunnocks singing nearby. Just a selection of the birds that we saw on a very successful first outing for this walk.

More pictures from the walk here.

On a sunny Sunday, the RSPB NW London Group set up a stall by the Boating Lake to promote the Big Garden Birdwatch and encouraging members of the public to take part.

They also counted the birds of different species that they saw around the Boating and on their guided walk. 

Birds seen included redwings and peregrine falcons as well as the usual birds on and around the boating lake. The full list is yet to be compiled, but here is selection of the birds seen: mallard, tufted duck, shoveler, pochard, moorhen, coot, Canada goose, greylag goose, Egyptian goose, black-headed gull, common gull, blue tit, great tit, coal tit, long-tailed tit, goldfinch, carrion crow, jaw, magpie, feral pigeon, wood pigeon, great spotted woodpecker.

We did hope to see a firecrest on the walk, but no luck this although we were treated to views of a pair of sparrowhawks.

Some pictures from the day here.

With Gerry’s move to the Lake District, this was the first bird walk without a ringing demonstration for many years; thankfully, there were still plenty of birds to see. Meeting at 8 am in the Grove car park, we were soon enjoying good views of two vocal nuthatches and a great spotted woodpecker. We then headed across the slopes below the palace, where a green woodpecker fed inconspicuously on the grass and there was a mixed flock with at least two chiffchaffs alongside four species of tit and another nuthatch. Moving down to the cricket pitches, Markus alerted us to a common buzzard overhead. Our enjoyment of this infrequent visitor to the park was not shared by the local peregrines, who thrillingly swooped on the larger bird and quickly moved it out of their airspace (photo by Greg Smith). Although it lasted no more than 30 seconds, this was perhaps the most spectacular sighting we have ever had on a Friends’ bird walk.

Our Spring Bird Walk started at the usual meet up in The Grove Car Park. Gareth led us around the area looking and listening. Blue tits, great tits, wood pigeon and stock dove all around and our youngest participant spotted a great spotted woodpecker on a dead stump prospecting for insects.

A jay put in a good appearance before we left The Grove and walked towards the South Slope. There we saw starlings and goldfinches near the fenced off oaks.

Further walking took us towards the cricket scrub and Gerry's ringing display. He explained the reasons and technique of ringing and how it causes no harm to the birds. He ringed two whitethroats (one pictured left), a sparrow and a great tit.

A shout of surprise from Gareth as he pointed out a cuckoo flying over our heads - a rare delight for the park.

The last of the group looked through a scope at a peregrine on the BBC Tower before before moving to the reservoir where we saw kestrel, herring and lesser black-backed gulls, cormorant, great crested grebe, grey heron, coot, moorhen, grey heron as well Canada and Egyptian geese. The highlight was a distant view of an aerial "battle" between a jackdaw and some magpies - this illustrative picture taken just after the end of the walk. Jackdaws are not very common in the park. 

Some pictures from the walk. 

A list of birds heard or seen.

‘Brilliant birds’ indeed – the walk lived up to its name. Tom Bauss led the walk he had devised for children between the ages of four and ten. Seventeen children and their parents gathered to hear Tom chat about, and identify, birds on the Boating Lake. He gave out sheets with pictures of birds likely to be seen. A variety of water fowl were tempted to come close when offered a mix of seeds, peas and lettuce that Tom and family had prepared – far better food for birds than bread, as Tom explained. The ducks, tufted ducks and pochards could be seen swimming underwater to catch the sinking seeds. The very distant view of a peregrine on the BBC mast didn’t impress the children much until Tom told them that it could fly at 300 km/hr. 

We met on a very sunny afternoon to walk round the Boating Lake, looking at birds on one side of us and plants on the other. There was the swan from Rickmansworth happily eating seed provided by a very excited little boy, along with Canada and greylag geese. Plenty of mallards and three larger versions of them, which turned out to be mallards crossed with farm ducks. A black-headed gull in its winter plumage (black dot behind eye) helpfully sat on top of the pedalo next to a black-headed gull in its breeding plumage (black head). In terms of plants, we teased out the differences between deceptively similar berberis and cotoneaster, took pleasure in smelling the sweetly scented viburnum and enjoyed the reddish glow of the bark of the Scots pine.  

A cold, but successful day for the Big Garden Birdwatch including a walk led by Bob Husband of the RSPB London NW Group.

The group from RSPB were very pleased to see 2 peregrines on the BBC mast, but probably their highlight as well for other locals was to see two firecrests in the Blandford Hall Area - we were led there by local bird expert Marcus. We also had excellent views of a kestrel flying just over our heads below the Rose Garden. Nothing rare on the Boating Lake; we had tufted ducks together with shovelers, mallards and pochards. Greylag and Canada geese, moorhens and coots and a highlight for the locals was to see a mute swan. The swan had been ringed follow this link for some details.

Some of the other notable spots included redwings and jays. We also heard nuthatch, stock dove and great spotted woodpeckers.

Some more pictures from the day.

Fuller report (with numbers!) from RSPB NW London Group can be read here.

A small group joined Gerry to see him demonstrate bird ringing. He had set up a couple of nets in the Cricket Scrub and over the session ringed a total of 26 small birds: blue tits, great tits, robins, blackcaps, wrens and chiffchaffs. The process is very skilled, with great care taken over the handling, identification and then ringing of the birds. The birds were all released unharmed after being measured and weighed. Gerry was able to name the species, determine their age and, in most cases, sex them. The information was meticulously recorded and will form part of a huge dataset collated by more than 2,000 UK volunteer certified bird ringers. The data helps us to understand the movement patterns of various species and generates insights into matters such as breeding success and overwinter survival rates. So conservationists can focus on where things are going wrong with bird populations and, hopefully, start to put them right. (Photo of a female chiffchaff by Patricia Pearl.) 

Around 20 people (many of whom were first-timers) joined Gareth Richards to explore the park’s birdlife. The star of the morning was undoubtedly the singing garden warbler in the Cricket Scrub. Normally an uncommon and rather fleeting visitor to the park, this male has noisily held a territory for several weeks. This is hopefully an early indication of the success of the habitat work that was done in the Cricket Scrub over the winter.

The ringing demonstration by Gerry Rawcliffe also took place in the Cricket Scrub. We were lucky to see an interesting range of birds being ringed, including a greenfinch, several blackcaps and a group of juvenile long-tailed tits. This gave Gerry the opportunity not only to explain the scientific and conservation benefits of bird ringing, but also to show how a close examination of the birds could determine both their age and their sex.

The local branch of RSPB set up a stall by the Boating Lake to help promote the Big Garden Birdwatch. They also aimed to introduce people to the RSPB and to point out local birds. 

There was a guided walk to see some of the birding highlights - a slightly distant view of the peregine and a single redwing were among the highlights. The picture left shows a dispute between coots and egyptian geese. The weather stayed fair and a good day was had by all.

More pictures from the day here. 

A report on the RSPB NW London Group's presence by the Boating Lake for the Big Garden Birdwatch can be found here. The total number of different bird species seen was 24 with the highlights definitely being Peregrines by the BBC Tower and, for some of our regulars who often see those birds, the appearance of a female wigeon on the Boating Lake (picture left). Also of noted was that some of the black headed gulls were getting their "black" heads ready for the breeding season.

We continued to the Bird Ringing Site where Gerry explained that the banding is vital in understanding bird migration and population growth/decline. Only registered and trained Ringers are allowed to carry out this function. We watched him put a ring on a female blackcap. (picture left) The ring is the equivalent of a human wearing a wrist watch.

Walking across Alexandra Palace Way up on the Palace was one of our big highlights of the walk, a Peregrine on the South Western Tower. (pictured) We later saw a Peregrine flying around the BBC mast which was probably the same bird.

Continuing our walk towards the Ringing Site we saw Mallards flying by and heard Chiffchaff and Green Woodpecker.

At the Ringing Point, Gerry was quite excited about catching a common bird. Two male sparrows had been caught in the mist net and we saw one of them being ringed. Sparrows are a common, but have been a big long term decline and have up until a few years ago been limited to the Southern edge of the Park. They are now starting to reconquer territory.

Other birds ringed were wren, blackbird (which had been previously caught last Spring) and most impressively a massive Carrion Crow.