Top 5

Five actually pretty cool birds you can spot in London right now

Mike Pollitt | Tuesday 19 April, 2011 10:41

Bird watching has a bad press. It’s perhaps second only to trainspotting in the list of male hobbies most likely to lead to accusations of anorak-wearing social misfittedness. This is most unfair. Birds are beautiful and fascinating creatures. Below are five species spotted this very weekend by the good people at the London Bird Club, from whose log I have shamelessly pilfered my information. What it shows is that you don’t need to go hiding away in a wood all day to spot some pretty cool wildlife. Just keep your eyes open, and you shall be rewarded, as I was on Sunday by the sight of two geese properly getting jiggy on Regent’s Canal.

Buzzard on Paddington Green

The Latin name for the common buzzard is buteo buteo. So good they named it twice. Spot it by the white colouring on the underside of the wings.

Great Crested Grebe in Regent’s Park

Basically a pimped up duck. Wikipedia says it was almost hunted to extinction in the 19th century because its head plumes were used to decorate “women’s undergarments”, which just goes to show that the Victorians were sexually depraved.

Peregrine in Greenwich Park

We call it by the mighty name of peregrine falcon. The Americans call it the duck hawk. Proof, if any were needed, that we’re better.

Kestrels at Stoke Newington Resevoir

On Sunday someone saw buzzards, kestrels, sparrowhawks and peregrines at this location just north of Stoke Newington proper. A veritable smorgas-bird, you might say.

Arctic Tern at East India Dock

The bird that flies 24,000 miles a year because it hates winter so much. You think your SAD is bad. This one is a rare spot, so be happy if you see one because next month it’ll probably be in Melbourne.

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