Ruislip Woods 

Ruislip Woods was Londons first National Nature Reserve and is a good mixture of Oak, Birch and Hornbeam. These provide great cover for a  selection of woodland birds. All 3 Woodpeckers can be found here though Lesser Spotted is becoming harder to find . Nuthatch and  Treecreeper are also quite easy to see especially along the paths by the Lido . Buzzard and Red Kite are now becoming quite common too over the back of Mad Bess Wood .

The woods are made up of 4 different areas plus an open meadow by the lido . Bayhurst Wood, Mad Bess, Park Wood,  Copse Wood and Poors field. Though all are quite heavily used by day trippers and dog walkers I find an early week day , when its less crowded to be the best time to visit.

 WWT Barnes

Older Birders will remember when you had to get a permit from the London Metropolitain Waterboard to enter this site. Not anymore those days are long gone but thankfully the birds aren't. You can still get a large amount of Wildfowl at this site, Pochard, Wigeon, Gadwall  and Tufted Duck in the winter along with upto 3 or 4 Bitterns. Sadly  you don't seem to get that many diving ducks such as Smew , Goosander or Goldeneye.In the Summer the reed beds are full of Warblers, Sedge, Reed and a large population of Cetti's that seem to hang around all year. There is a Sand Martin colony and occasionally Avocets and Ringed Plover have bred here on the islands in recent years.

During migration just about anything can turn up ( see my Osprey photos) and Peregrines most likely from just down the river are regular visitors. If your lucky on the right day this is one of the best  places in London to watch birds . You can also enjoy a good cup of tea or browse the WWT shop for a souvenir.

Yeading Brook Meadows and Ten Acre Wood

Yeading Brook Meadows and Ten acre wood form part of the Hillingdon Trail and are run by the London Wildlife Trust . The meadows just north of the A40 are a good spot to see Snipe and Lapwing throughout the year but their numbers are down considerably compared to previous. Lapwings can also be seen across the airfield at RAF Northolt . Occasionally during winter months Jack Snipe and Common Sandpiper can be found too. Kingfishers and Heron are regulars along the brook itself and Tawny and Little Owl are resident in the Wooded areas both sides of the A40.

Water Voles have disappeared from the brook as have Grey Partridge from the meadows but Muntjac and Ring-necked Parakeets are new additions. On a hot sunny day its not to hard to see Hobbies , Buzzards, Red Kites , Sparrowhawks and Kestrels all riding the thermals above the airfield.