London Wetland Centre (29 September 2026)

12 of us arrived on a lovely Autumn Day for some good birding although we didn’t see a huge amount of birds.

The Main Lake looked pretty tranquil from the Observatory with not too many birds showing, but it was a pleasant start.

The Dulverton Hide was quiet too, but we got our duck count up to seven.

We moved onto the feeders. The Management have paused filling the feeders at the moment, because research shows that some bird species are experiencing serious declines due to diseases spread at feeders with the risk being highest in summer and autumn. It is okay to keep offering birds mealworms, fat balls and suet all year round but not seeds and peanuts between 1 May and 1 November.

The WWF hide was good to watch lots of Lapwings enjoying the Autumn sunshine.

At the Peacock Hide we settled down to do the bulk of our bird watching. Our target birds were Green Sandpiper and Snipe. A local birder had found a Snipe very close to the Tower on the Marsh. We got very good views and then we found there were two. We never found the Green Sandpiper. However, we were treated to spectacular displays of two Hobbies hunting dragonflies. They were taking it in turns to swoop down from a handy perch, in full view, on the south side of the Sheltered Lagoon.

Baked potatoes and Veggie curry in the café completed a good morning’s birding.

by Christo Impey

List. In roughly the order we saw them.
Parakeet, Mute Swan, Moorhen, Wood pigeon, Feral Pigeon, Starlings, Jay, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Black-headed Gull, Cetti Warbler singing, Cormorants, Coot, Shoveler, Gadwall, Wigeon, Lapwing, Pochards, Great Crested Grebe, Teal, Robin, Heron, Greylag, Tufted duck, Snipe, Long Tailed Tit, Dunnock, Chiffchaff, Canada Geese, Magpie, Little Grebe, Hobby, Sparrowhawk.