WHCG - Welsh Harp - Brent Reservoir - News

Events, such as bird counts, guided tours and working parties, occur throughout the year. The purpose of this page is to keep you aware of events at the Reservoir, and to draw your attention to past highlights. You can also report and view recent sightings by following the link below.

SPRING BIRD COUNT

Thank you to all those who turned up on the day. The following account is by Andrew Self

Spring Bird Count Part 1 - April 27
The last Saturday in April, traditionally the time for all Brent birders to descend on the reservoir and record as many migrants as possible.
I arrived just after 5 in the morning, before dawn, in the hope of getting a calling Tawny Owl. The churchyard has been the usual site for these birds but a lot of tree clearance has gone on here and this year there was no sight or sound of an owl.
As I walked along the North Bank listening to the many Sedge Warblers and Whitethroats I thought how pleasant it was to be here at this time in the morning before most people had even woken up. In the half light, Common Terns were already out fishing and I checked out each one hoping for an Arctic Tern, a scarce bird at Brent but sometimes seen on the Spring Bird Counts. Arriving at the hide I was hoping for some migrant waders. A search of all the rafts and the island revealed two Common Snipe which are staying very late this year, and a Common Sandpiper.
A cold Westerly wind was blowing straight into the hide and I thought then that we would be struggling to get a decent score. With no sign of any other early birders, I went out looking for some more migrants. Blackcaps were plentiful and there was the occasional Chiffchaff singing as I made my way over towards North Marsh. I paused around the dump to see how many Whitethroats there were and was pleased to hear the distinctive rattle of a Lesser Whitethroat , the first one at Brent this year. I caught sight of it as it dived into a bramble bush and cheered up a little as there clearly were some new migrants about. A walk around the playing fields failed to produce any Wheatears or Ring Ouzel but a return through the dump did reveal a Bullfinch.
Back at the hide, other Brent birders had reported in and a checklist was started, the only surprises being the birds we hadn't yet seen. After some time spent skywatching, a regular pastime at Brent which often produces a few surprises, we all split up again to scour the far corners of our recording area in an effort to fill some holes and try to find a 'good' migrant. With Coal Tit being one of those holes, the obvious place to go was the churchyard, a regular stakeout for this species. Driving round with Roy, we passed a hedgehog, unfortunately a road casualty. Within a couple of minutes I had located our quarry and we ventured off to the Field Centre to explore the woods. A couple of Blackcaps, a Speckled Wood and some Bluebells was all we managed to add before visiting a Mistle Thrush's nest to plug another hole. We headed back to the hide to the news that a Garden Warbler had been located singing near the rifle range, another new one for the year. A quick recount brought the total up to 62 species, way down on previous years. A check of what we needed revealed that nobody had managed a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker despite them being seen regularly over the past couple of months. They were no chats about but even more bizarre was the total absence of any wagtails. A further skywatch did manage to find two wagtails flying over but they were unfortunately too distant to positively identify. I left the reservoir to search for Grey Wagtails behind the dam and take a well needed rest while others continued by adding Great Black-backed Gull and Lesser Redpoll, a very unusual species at this time of the year. The afternoon shift added Stock Dove and the first Hobby of the year, making 66 species. I went out again in the early evening, taking in the South Bank but failed to add to the total, however I did add to the number of warblers with another Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler and Blackcaps plus a few Swallows flying over.
At least this year we have another chance to get a better total when Part 2 of the Spring Bird Count takes place on May 4th.

BIRD NEWS
Something to report? Someting to discuss?

Click on the binoculars to report sightings or discuss events in the BRENT FORUM

WORKING PARTIES

Dates to be announced shortly

Your help is essential in preserving the quality of the environment of the Brent Reservoir. Please try to attend the organised working parties.

*UPDATED for 2007*

Throughout the year, visitors to the Brent Reservoir can avail themselves of the expert knowledge and guidance of WHCG members by attending guided tours. This is a free service designed to enrich people's appreciation of this wonderful asset. There is no need to book in advance, just turn up on the day.

2007
January 7th, Sunday 10am, Walk off that Xmas pud!	Get some exercise while enjoying some winter birds. Winter thrushes, woodpeckers and long-tailed tits could be seen.
February 11th, Sunday 10am, Winter’s end?	The wildlife we see will depend on the weather - large-scale cold weather movements of birds or early signs of breeding activity if the weather is mild.
April 22nd, Sunday 10am, Spring Migrants	Early Spring migrants are arriving, join and see if we can find the first swallows and warblers, fresh from the South
May 20th, Sunday 10am, Bird Song	Some birds are establishing breeding territories, others have yet to arrive. The first butterflies might be flying
June 17h, Sunday 10am, Breeding Season	Terns are nesting on the rafts and wildfowl displaying and nesting in the marshes. Butterflies are increasing in number.
July 15th, Sunday 10am, Butterflies & Dragonflies	Butterflies are at their peak and the Purple Hairstreak will soon be flying. A variety of dragonflies can be seen.
August 1st, Wed evening 9pm, Bat walk	Bat-walk, Hear and maybe see up to 4 species, including Pipistrelles and Noctules
September 9th, Sunday 10am, Autumn part 1	Autumn migration has been in progress since July and is now in full swing. A range of migrants should be seen.
October 7th, Sunday 10am, Autumn Part 2	The mix of birds is changing daily and the first winter visitors will soon be here. Wildfowl numbers are at their highest.
November 11th, Sunday 10am, Wildfowl peak.	Many winter visitors have arrived and the numbers of over wintering wildfowl are at their peak.
December 9th, Sunday 10am, Winter birds.	In cold weather scarcer ducks can be seen. Water Rails can be seen in the marshes.
February 9th, Sunday 2pm, Winter's end?	The wildlife we see will depend on the weather - large-scale cold weather movements of birds or early signs of breeding activity if the weather is mild.

Notes for Walks
1 Walks will be led by Roy Beddard (Welsh Harp Conservation Group), John Colmans (London Wildlife Trust). and are run in conjunction with the RSPB NW London Group.
2 All walks will start from Cool Oak Lane Bridge. Most walks will last about two hours.
3 Dress sensibly – For winter walks wear warm clothes with waterproof boots and jacket.
4 Bring binoculars if you have some. Roy and John will bring relevant field guides.

For further details regarding the guided walks, contact:
Roy Beddard on 020 8447 1810
or
John Colmans on 020 8446 4029

THE BIRDS OF BRENT RESERVOIR

NEW BOOK available now!!!.
A 240 page book detailing the birdlife of Brent Reservoir in NW London along with chapters on other forms of wildlife. Illustrated thoughout with line drawings by artists such as Jan Wilczur along with many colour photographs taken at the reservoir, this is an outstanding publication and great value at £12.00 plus £2.00 P & P. Orders can be sent to Brenda McClane, 65 York Way, Friern Barnet, London N20 0DF (cheques payable to Welsh Harp Conservation Group)

Foreword by Bill Oddie

Brent Reservoir just might be the ideal local patch. I know, because it was once mine! It was some time ago, when frankly it probably wasn't quite so well watched as it is nowadays, which is - ironically perhaps - why I've switched to Hampstead Heath. I do rather like having a place almost to myself. Mind you, the Heath has days when not only are there no birders, there are hardly any birds either!
You could never say that about the Brent. One of its joys is that there really is always something to see, even if it might take you a while to find it. But then again, that's another of Brent's attractions. I love the fact that there's quite a big area to explore, with lots of variety, and 'hidden' places that aren't so often or so easily covered (see Andrew Self's account of where and when to look on on page 175). It really is possible to lose yourself around Brent. The roar of the North Circular fades as you creep through the reedbeds along the south east shore, or peer through the bulrushes into the 'secret backwaters' of North Marsh. More than once I've found myself fantasising about being in Suffolk or Scilly instead of within a few miles of the middle of London.
And the birds have sometimes added to the illusion. Bearded Tits zinging in the rushes, Short Eared Owls quartering the grassland, even a Serin singing in the allotments. Oh yes, I've seen 'em all. OK, it doesn't happen every time, but hope springs eternal in the local patcher's breast, and it's never totally dull. Common Terns screeching round the rafts, Great Crested Grebes 'penguin dancing', gulls dropping down to roost, all great sights.
Even if the birds aren't performing, there are flowers, butterflies, dragonflies, creepy crawlies, fishy and furry creatures.... Brent really has got the lot. What's more, there are some pretty impressive humans around too. Constructive and imaginative conservation work has long been a feature of the Welsh Harp. It quite simply gets better and better. We know this, because it also has a well documented and fascinating history.
And now it's got it's very own book. This is it. Enjoy.

*ARCHIVE NEWS*
2nd February 1991
The opening of the first bird hide at Brent Reservoir

Bill Oddie and Councillor Tim Sims JP

A gathering of about 50 people came together to witness the formal opening of the birdwatching hide by Bill Oddie. The hide, kindly made possible by a donation from the credit card organisation 'Greencard', has transformed birdwatching at the reservoir, enabling the refuge in the Eastern Marsh to be watched much more thoroughly and for much longer periods of time. It was particularly pleasing that the arrival of the hide coincided with a more than doubling of the breeding population of Common Terns so people were able to watch the progress of the young and see much more of their domestic dramas than in the past. The educational value of the hide is enormous.(John Colmans)

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