Ally Pally and Highgate Woods

Saturday April 8th

With no Jubilee Line running through Neasden this weekend, I was limited to getting around by bus so took the 182 to Brent Cross and changed onto the 102. I alighted at Rosebery Road and walked up The Avenue (although it heads southwards, it goes uphill).

Site 60: Alexandra Park

I entered the park at the top end by the boating lake and walked down along the eastern boundary through the nature reserve where you can view Wood Green Reservoir through the fence. 

The boating lake had a good selection of waterbirds

I'd visited this part of the park twice before, the first time was to see a Barn Owl and the second time was on the way to a meeting so I hadn't birded the park properly before. All the winter birds have already left the reservoir but there was a pair of displaying Great Crested Grebes.

Crow

Mallard

There are some good areas of woodland which all held singing Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs this morning. I made my way back to the Palace where there's a large terrace with benches. As well as the views over London, it's an excellent place for vis-migging. I was probably too late for any passerines going over but did manage Buzzard and Sparrowhawk. The park is particularly busy, especially today being a sunny Easter Saturday.

The Palace at the top of the hill

This gives you an idea of how steep this hill is

Looking south over London

I walked down the west side of the park and exited at the southwest corner. I turned into Park Road, along Cranley Gardens and onto Connaught Gardens.

Site 61: Queen's Wood

I hadn't visited this site or the next one before. They're both remnants of the ancient Middlesex Forest and support a good selection of breeding woodland birds. There's a series of paths and trails around the wood but some of them were pretty muddy. I walked around the top section and then into the centre where there's a duckpond. The Wood Anemones were in flower but I forgot to photograph them!

There's a good mix of trees in this wood

The duckpond

Crow (I was struggling to find anything to photograph!)

Mallard

I headed over to the west side where there is a cafe (currently closed but due to reopen soon) and crossed over the road where there's an entrance to the next site.

Site 62: Highgate Wood

Note the opening times

Another map where North isn't at the top!

I did a rough clockwise loop of the wood. On the west side there is an open area of grassland which does allow a view of any birds flying over. It has a similar range of woodland birds to the previous site and is also another popular place. It is a bit quieter when walking along the rougher tracks rather than the main paths.

Open area

Nuthatch

I exited this wood at the northern gate onto Woodside Avenue and walked up the Great North Road to East Finchley where I picked up the 102 bus back to Brent Cross. With another three sites walked today, I've now done more than sixty per cent of my target and have been to most of the main sites in North and West London.