Visit to St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas – 2nd April 2026

Date: 2nd April 2026

Time: from 8:30 a.m.

Weather: dry, cloudy/bright, light wind, 6°C to 8°C

The weather for my visit this morning was not particularly spring-like, not least given the very cold wind, but there were some obvious signs such as the Chiffchaff, Blackcap and other bird song plus the profusion of blackthorn and hawthorn blossom.

I focused on the northern section of the site and recorded 22 species of birds with some excellent sightings. These included 3 additions to my 2026 site list: Red Kite, Sparrowhawk and Grey Heron.

The notable bird records during my visit were as follows ….

Red Kite: 1 seen flying over the northern section of the site heading in a northerly direction

Common Buzzard: 1 heard “mewing” but unseen as I walked along the access track from Larkins Tyres but then the same bird briefly seen as I entered the northern section of the site

Sparrowhawk: 1 seen briefly soaring and displaying over the trees at the far end of the northern section of the site

Grey Heron: 1 seen flying over in a westerly direction shortly after I entered the northern section of the site and then presumably a different bird again seen flying over heading in the same direction

Blackcap: at least 3 singing males heard but none seen in the northern section of the site

Chiffchaff: singing male seen in the wooded area along the access track from Larkins Tyres and at least another 3 singing males heard but none seen in the northern section of the site

Stock Dove: 2 (a presumed pair) seen again in the tall trees at the far end of the northern section of the site

Green Woodpecker: 1 heard calling distantly in the northern section of the site and another heard calling from the central section of the cemetery

Undoubtedly, the highlight of my visit was only my second record of Red Kite for the site after my first on 26th August 2025. Unfortunately, the bird was distant and flying away from me plus the light was poor so I failed to get any photos. However, this is a cropped record shot of the bird that I saw on 26th August 2025.

Photo: Red Kite seen on 25th August 2025

As I arrived in the northern section of the site, I quickly spotted a Red Fox which was largely obscured by vegetation. It was clearly watching me and then, after I had passed by at some distance, it briefly emerged. Later on, I briefly saw what I assumed was the same Red Fox at the edge of the pond and when I finally left the northern section of the site I saw what I suspect was the same animal again watching me.

Photo: Red Fox

Photo: Red Fox

Photo: Red Fox

Photo: Red Fox

Photo: Red Fox

In addition, I saw a Grey Squirrel in the wooded area along the access track from Larkins Tyres.

Species recorded during this visit were as follows (heard only records in italics):

Red Kite

Common Buzzard

Sparrowhawk

Grey Heron

Blackcap

Chiffchaff

Stock Dove

Green Woodpecker

Blue Tit 

Great Tit

Long-tailed Tit

Robin

Dunnock

Wren

Goldfinch

House Sparrow

Jay

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Woodpigeon

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Herring Gull

Red Fox

Grey Squirrel

Site totals for 2026 to date (2025 and 2024 totals in brackets): 

Birds = 34 (50) (49)

Mammals = 3 (4) (3)

Butterflies = 0 (23) (17)

Dragonflies and damselflies = 0 (11) (11)

Reptiles = 0 (0) (0)

Amphibians = 0 (0) (0)

Total species list for the site 

Birds = 70

Mammals = 8

Butterflies = 26

Dragonflies and damselflies = 14

Reptiles = 1

Amphibians = 0

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Visit to Noak Bridge Nature Reserve – 1st April 2026

Date: 1st April 2026

Time: from 8:30 a.m.

Weather: dry, cloudy/bright, light wind, 6°C to 8°C

On my walk over to the reserve, I saw both a singing male Chiffchaff and a singing male Blackcap.

Although relatively quiet, my visit to the reserve this morning was productive and included 3 further additions to my 2026 site list: Blackcap, Jackdaw and Dunnock.

Having already recorded my first Blackcaps of the year at my St. Nicholas Church local patch site and immediately adjacent to where I live, I was fully expecting to record my first at the reserve this morning. This proved to be the case with both a pair seen plus other singing males seen and/or heard.

This year's first record of Blackcap for the reserve is much later than that last year (9th March 2025), although I suspect if I had visited during the previous 2 weeks I would have heard and/or seen a singing male earlier. In the 2 years prior to 2025, my first records of Blackcap were on 20th March 2024 and 8th April 2023.

The notable bird records during my visit were as follows ….

Blackcap: male and female seen together in the woodland adjacent to Willow Pond, singing male seen and photographed in the area at the start of the loop path in the eastern section and a singing male heard in the area behind Meadow Pond (although possibly the same bird as already seen) and another singing male heard in the Thorny Wood area

Chiffchaff: singing males heard in the wooded area behind Willow Pond, in the wooded area between the storage shed and Puckles Pond and in the area at the start of the loop path in the eastern section

Jackdaw: 2 seen flying over the wooded area near the Spanish Steps

Moorhen: 1 seen on Willow Pond

Mallard: 2 seen flying high over Meadow Pond

I also saw 3 Grey Squirrels: 1 in the wooded area near the Spanish Steps, 1 in Thorny Wood and 1 in the trees adjacent to Meadow Pond.

Species recorded during this visit were as follows (heard only records in italics):

Blackcap

Chiffchaff

Jackdaw

Moorhen

Mallard

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Robin

Wren

Blackbird

Song Thrush

Dunnock

Woodpigeon

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Herring Gull

Grey Squirrel

Here are some other photos from my visit ….

Photo: male Blackcap

Photo: male Blackcap

Photo: male Blackcap

Photo: male Blackcap

Photo: male Chiffchaff

Photo: male Wren

Site totals for 2026 to date (2025 and 2024 totals in brackets):

Birds = 22 (34) (39)

Mammals = 1 (3) (3)

Butterflies = 1 (17) (12)

Dragonflies and damselflies = 0 (7) (11)

Reptiles = 0 (1) (0)

Amphibians = 0 (1) (1)

Total species list for the site:

Birds = 50

Mammals = 5

Butterflies = 23

Dragonflies and damselflies = 15

Reptiles = 2

Amphibians = 3

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Common Buzzards

This morning on the way to Billericay on the bus, I saw a presumed pair of Common Buzzards perched on a pylon between Noak Bridge village and Barleylands.

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Another spring Blackcap record!

After my first spring record (heard only) of Blackcap on my St. Nicholas Church local patch site on the remarkably early date of 25th February 2026 and my first sighting of a male and female together during my visit on 16th March 2026, I had another record this morning.

As I left home at 7:20 a.m., I heard a male Blackcap singing briefly from a hedge immediately adjacent to the block of flats where I live. As with my first spring record, this was a "heard only" record and I failed to see the bird in the dense vegetation.

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Trip away from SS15 – WWT London Wetland Centre, Barnes, London - 26th March 2026

WWT London Wetland Centre is a wetland reserve managed by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in the Barnes area of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in south west London.

The site occupies more than 40 hectares of land which was formerly occupied by 4 disused Victorian reservoirs tucked into a loop in the Thames. These were converted into a wide range of wetland features and habitats before the site opened in May 2000. It was the first urban project of its kind in the UK. In 2002 an area of 29.9 hectares was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

The site is important for resident, passage and wintering bird species, many of which can not be found anywhere else in London. In addition, there is a collection of captive wildfowl.

WWT London Wetland Centre is a site that I visit at least once a year, usually in winter to see 3 particularly elusive species: Bittern, Jack Snipe and Water Pipit.

However, the main purpose of today's visit was to see the Sand Martins that had returned in recent days to breed at their artificial nesting bank. This proved to be very easy with c.30 birds at least seen flying around the wader scrape area, collecting nest material and entering the holes in the nesting bank. What wasn't easy was photographing these very quick flying birds although I did manage to get some record shots.

Sand Martin was a new addition to my 2026 UK year list taking it to 133 species

Photo: Sand Martins

Photo: Sand Martins

Photo: Sand Martins

Photo: Sand Martin

Photo: Sand Martin

The most notable sightings from my visit were as follows (heard only records in italics): Sand Martin (c.30 at least), Chiffchaff (1 singing male seen and another heard), Cetti’s Warbler (3 singing males heard), Green Woodpecker (1), Great Spotted Woodpecker (1), Ring-necked Parakeet (at least 5), Lapwing (3), Grey Heron (3), Wigeon (6), Tufted Duck (c.20 at least), Common Pochard (1 male), Mallard (2), Gadwall (8), Teal (c.15 at least), Shoveler (4), Great Crested Grebe (3), Coot (c.20 at least), Moorhen (c.10 at least), Mute Swan (4), Egyptian Goose (1), Canada Goose (6), Cormorant (2), Herring Gull (c.10 at least), Lesser Black-backed Gull (2), Black-headed Gull (c.50 at least)

Here are some other photos from my visit:

Photo: Ring-necked Parakeet

Photo: Ring-necked Parakeet

Photo: Ring-necked Parakeets

Photo: Ring-necked Parakeets

Photo: Ring-necked Parakeets

Photo: Ring-necked Parakeets

Photo: Robin

Photo: male Chiffchaff

Photo: Long-tailed Tit

Photo: Grey Heron

Photo: Grey Heron

Photo: Grey Heron

Photo: Grey Heron

Photo: Grey Heron

Photo: Grey Heron

Photo: Great Crested Grebe

Photo: Moorhen

Photo: male and female Wigeon

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