Skip to content

More Birds Of Spitalfields

June 17, 2014
by the gentle author

When I published my Birds of Spitalfields, selected from Thomas Bewick’s History of British Birds 1797, I invited readers to send in their additions to my survey and today I publish this list accompanied by the relevant extra plates.

Pied Wagtail – spotted by Ash on the Holland Estate, Petticoat Lane

Rose-ringed Parrakeet – an occasional visitorHeron – spotted flying overhead in Spitalfields

Buzzard – spotted over Holland Estate, Petticoat Lane

Blackcap – spotted by Libby Hall in Clapton

Swift – spotted by Ian Harper around Christ Church

Raven – spotted by Ian Harper & Jim Howett around Christ Church

Kite – spotted by Ian Harper & Jim Howett around Christ Church

Sparrowhawk – spotted by Vivienne in Islington

Long-tailed Tit – spotted in Wapping

Willow Warbler – spotted by Tony Valsamidis in Whitechapel

Greater Spotted Woodpecker – spotted by  Annie Martin in Finsbury Park

You may also like to take a look at

The Birds Of Spitalfields

9 Responses leave one →
  1. June 17, 2014

    I am happy to see so many birds still flying over Spitalfields! Valerie

  2. Greg Tingey permalink
    June 17, 2014

    Yes, they are all coming back, aren’t they?
    And new arrivals too.
    The rose-ringed parakeets are now all over London, as residents, terns & kingfishers are nesting in Walthamstow, little egrets have joined the herons on the reservoirs, spar-hawks beat down the streets for prey,
    A lot of them are following the green lung & pathway of the Lea Valley – very occasionally, snipe have been seen there & once, a hen-harrier.

  3. June 17, 2014

    These are incredible and funny names of the birds! The English names as well as the German ones:

    Pied Wagtail —> Bachstelze
    Parakeet —> Papagei
    Heron —> Reiher
    Buzzard —> Bussard
    Blackcap —> Barett
    Swift —> Mauersegler
    Raven —> Rabe
    Kite —> Gabelweihe
    Sparrowhawk —> Sperber
    Long-tailed Tit —> Schwanzmeise
    Willow Warbler —> Weidengrasmücke
    Greater Spotted Woodpecker —> Großer Buntspecht

    Love & Peace
    ACHIM

  4. June 17, 2014

    How wonderful that there is such a variety of feathered friends over a major metropolis like London. And beautiful plates too.

  5. Philip Mernick permalink
    June 17, 2014

    A few more for Tower Hamlets if not quite Spitalfields. The quarrelsome Greenfinch, pretty common in my garden (Bow) also Dunnocks rather inconspicuous, poking around amongst the leaf litter. The sinister looking Cormorants now on the Thames and Lea. Ducks, Geese and Coots a plenty in Victoria Park.

  6. Barbara permalink
    June 17, 2014

    lovely pictures.

    I note one of the photographers is Ian HARPER. My grandmother’s maiden name was Harper (Alice Ada Harper with 4 sisters and 2 brothers) and she lived in Spitalfields most of her life – probably born in North (Rd or St). If at all possible please would you pass my email address to him for contact – as I don’t know how common the name Harper is in Spitalfields. Perhaps a second cousin.

  7. Constance Birmingham permalink
    June 17, 2014

    Lovely! Wonderful to see this variety in a big city! Thanks for these beautiful pictures.

  8. John and Sandy Critchley permalink
    June 17, 2014

    We are inundated with greenfinches in Wilkes Street!

  9. Gary Arber permalink
    June 17, 2014

    I spotted an unusual bird last year.
    Each morning I heard the drumming of a Woodpecker but with a mettalic ring, I eventually spotted it, a Greater Spotted Woodpecker drumming on the reflecter plates of TV ariels.
    I had seen The Greater Spotted Tinpecker.
    Gary

Leave a Reply

Note: Comments may be edited. Your email address will never be published.

Subscribe to this comment feed via RSS