A small group of wigeon (above) had arrived on the last day of August, and they stayed until September 16^th, with four birds being seen together on a few dates. Red-crested pochard (below) started to appear from the 8^th, initially in eclipse plumage but they were close to winter plumage by the end of the month. Up to five birds were seen, all of which were male.

Numbers of shoveler usually peak in September, and the high count this time around was 66 on the 12^th. This is well down on the number from last year, but still a high count locally (more than all ten of the Walthamstow reservoirs combined). Teal were present all month although the highest count was only 4.

In terms of passage migrants, a spotted flycatcher was seen on the 2^nd,  willow warblers were seen up to the 4^th, and common sandpiper up to the 8^th. Meadow pipit passage started on the 22^nd. Three jackdaws seen on the 16^th were probably frfom the London population rather than genuine passage migrants, which usually don’t start until October.

The last few of our summer-only breeding birds left during September with the last whitethroat seen on the 5^th but reed warblers still being seen up to the 23^rd.

Sightings of our winter visitors generally increased through the month, with kingfisher (above) becoming almost an everyday bird for the second half of the month.  Snipe were seen from the 14^th, and we had the first few sightings of mistle thrush since spring.

The total number of bird species seen here in September 2021 was 65, this is the same total as the corresponding month in 2018, but well down on the totals of 74 and 72 from 2019 and 2020 respectively, illustrating what an unpredictable month September can be.