by Colin Wilson
4th December 2005
On a pleasant winter’s day a large group of 16 members and guests assembled at Hackbridge railway station car park for a walk around this famous site. There to greet us was a Robin which sat on the end of a telescope while we exchanged greetings and met our guide, Nick Gardner, from the local group at Beddington.
Amongst our number were people who were birdwatchers here decades ago, including our Secretary Renton Righelato, who undertook studies of Yellow Wagtails in his schooldays, and Mick Sayles who recalled some of the speciality birds of the area.
It cannot be said this is the most attractive of sites. It is a sewage farm, a working rubbish tip and was extremely muddy, clambering over heaps of spoil, muddy ditches and rutted tracks was the only way to get around. Having said that the rewards were good and most people saw a good range of birds. Some time was spent negotiating muddy routes and pulling, if not lifting, people across some of them!
Our first view was of the main pool where Shoveler were apparent in good numbers with Gadwall, Teal, Pochard, Little Grebe and a solitary Goosander was briefly sighted. A highlight for some, a Kingfisher flew past settled on a willow and then returned in front of the group for all to see. We also had our first glimpses of Tree Sparrows, the speciality of this site where upwards of 200 birds are present. The conditions for the birds, with winter seed, nest boxes, constantly disturbed ground has been readily provided in the area although some concern exists for the long term maintenance of this habitat once the work stops there.
Following a track overlooking a shallow area of water and weed, we benefited from a flushing exercise by our guide who managed to disturb several Jack Snipe and a few Common Snipe from the weedy edges. Many Teal also appeared with a couple of Wigeon adding another species to the list. As we skirted the area we heard and then saw Rose-ringed Parakeets and Rooks, not a common bird in such an urban area but attracted to the rubbish tip. In the scrub birch, Redpolls fed with Goldfinch and Linnets flocked along the edge of the tip on weeds.
On the muddy channels up to 4 Green Sandpipers were startled by our presence and at least 13 Herons sat on heaps of mud as we approached them. Lapwings flew over as we checked the sludge beds, mainly quiet but with Pheasant an unexpected species to add to the list. Our guide then disappeared into the bushes as he attempted to disturb a Woodcock, two of which had been found earlier in the week but with no luck this time, apart from a startled Blackbird.
Finding our way back along the tracks we were alerted to a Water Pipit calling overhead. After spending a few minutes watching Pied Wagtails on settlement beds, the Water Pipit finally flew over and settled close to a Tesco bag, that well known identification marker in today’s world! We all enjoyed good views of this bird as it searched for insects along the lagoon edge.
We returned to the main site for Tree Sparrows, seeing Kestrel, Reed Bunting and some common species of gull on the way and enjoyed the tits and Sparrows feeding on a large feeder for a while before setting off for our journey home. The now almost legendary generosity of ROC members ensured we bought all the remaining Beddington Sewage Farm reports as a contribution to the groups work. An unexpectedly good day at a new site, one we should visit again in the future!