May 2011

From Croydon Birders

• 31st - South Norwood Lake: 09:00-10:45hrs, pair Mute Swan, pair Great Crested Grebe with 2 young, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 15 Tufted Duck, pair Mistle Thrush, 2 Song Thrush, 10+ Common Swift, 1 singing Willow Warbler, 1 Common Whitethroat, 4 Blackcap, 4 Chiffchaff, 6 House Sparrow,(Joihn Watson & Gavin Hawgood)
• 30th - South Norwood Country Park: Little Grebe, LBB Gull, Herring Gull, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Swift, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Blackcap, House Sparrow, Robin, Dunnock, Whitethroat, Wren, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Starling, Magpie, Jay, RN Parakeet, GS Woodpecker, Pheasant, Reed Warbler, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Collared Dove, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Crow, Canada Goose, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Coot, Moorhen, Grey Heron, Feral Pigeon (38)-(Dave Thrussell)
• 29th - South Norwood Lake area (12pm): cracking views of 2 Hobbies circling/feeding overhead (Gavin Hawgood)
• 29th-Elms Farm,Farleigh Road-3 Swallow nests reported (MJN)
• 25th - South Norwood Lake:09:00-11:00hrs, 2 Hobby,1f Kestrel, pair Mute Swan, pair Great Crested Grebe (with 2 young) 1 Cormorant, c15 Tufted Duck, 12 Common Swift, 2 House Martin, 2 singing Common Whitethroat, 6 Blackcap, 5 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Collared Dove, 2 House Sparrow, ( John Watson & Gavin Hawgood)
• 25th - Hutchinson Bank: Hobby hunting overhead, 15 - 20 Swifts,Stock Dove,Chiffchaff,Blackcap (Ernie Thomason & Tom Stone)
• 24th - South Norwood Country Park: 4 Lesser Black-backked Gull, Reed Bunting (JAH)
• 23rd - South Norwood Country Park: 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 6 Jackdaw, 4 Stock Dove (JAH)
• 22nd - Kenley: One Red Kite over at 14.00, battling strong winds, flying roughly from east towards south/southwest. (per JB)
• 22nd - Sanderstead Plantations: one Red Kite over at 18.30. (per JB)
• 21st - South Norwood Country Park: Spotted Flycatcher, Little Grebe, Swift, Swallow, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Blackcap, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Whitethroat, Wren, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Starling, Magpie, RN Parakeet, Reed Warbler, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Chiffchaff, Collared Dove, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Crow, Canada Goose, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Teal (in flight), Coot, Moorhen (Dave Thrussell)
• 20th - South Norwood Country Park: 3 Greylag Goose, Mistle Thrush, Pied Wagtail, 4 Stock Dove, Linnet (JAH)
• 20th - South Norwood Lake: pair Mute Swan, pair Great Crested Grebe (with 2 young) 15 Tufted Duck, 1 Green Woodpecker, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 singing Willow Warbler, 1 Common Whitethroat, 6 Blackcap, 5 Chiffchaff, c15 Common Swift, c10 Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, House Sparrow, (John Watson & Gavin Hawgood)
• 19th - Riddlesdown: 21.40. 2 Tawny Owl fledglings being fed by adult(s) Also on 20th. (Gill Flinn)
• 19th - South Norwood Country Park: 2 Little Grebe, Pied Wagtail (JAH)
• 18th - Sanderstead: 6+ House Martins over Briton Hill Road in the evening. (JB)
• 18th - South Norwood Country Park: 7.30-9am. 2 Greylag Goose, Stock Dove, 2 Jackdaw, Pied Wagtail, 43 Swift, 2 Linnet (JAH)
• 17th - Waddon Ponds: 3+ Little Grebes, female Grey Wagtail, 2 Swifts, pair Mute Swans, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Mistle Thrush, young Canada Geese, Mallards, Coots, Collared Dove, Starling (JB)
• 17th - South Norwood CP: 30+ Ring-necked Parakeets, several singing Reed Warblers, Kestrel, Stock Dove. (JB)
• 16th - 7pm Jackdaw drinking from bird bath in the garden. A 1st for Virginia Road!! (Linda & Terry Osborn)
• 16th - South Norwood Country Park: 7.15-9.15am. Little Grebe, 2 Pheasant, 5 Stock Dove, Collared Dove, 2 Jackdaw, Pied Wagtail, 8 Swift, 2 Linnet (JAH)
• 15th - Riddlesdown: Garden Warbler singing in scrub to NW of Quarry, pair of Bullfinches above railway. (Gill Flinn)
• 15th - South Norwood Lake:1Mute Swan, pair Great Crested Grebe(with 2 young) 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 12 Tufted Duck, 8 Common Swift, 2 House Martin, 1 Swallow, 1singing Willow Warbler, 5 Blackcap, 4 Chiffchaff, 1 Green Woodpecker, 4 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, 5 House Sparrow,(John Watson)
• 15th - South Norwood Country Park: Cuckoo calling from trees along Elmers End tracks at 7.30am, 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull, Pied Wagtail, Jackdaw (JAH)
• 14th - Riddlesdown: 3.30-5.30pm. 20+ Swifts, 7 Song Thrushes, 3 Bullfinches, Blackcaps, Whitethroats, Chiffchaffs, Goldcrest, Skylarks, Jackdaws. No Yellowhammers found at any sites used in past years. (Gill Flinn)
• 14th - Hutchinsons and Chapel Banks: Marsh Tit, 2-3 Buzzards, Sparrowhawk, c20 Swifts, 2 Swallows (John Parish)
• 14th - Sanderstead: Buzzard circling and drifting east over Briton Hill Road at 09.15. House Martins around nest site in Limpsfield Road, family of Mistle Thrushes on The Gruffy. (JB)
• 14th - Riddlesdown (am): 10+ Skylarks, 3 Stock Doves (family), Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Linnet, but no Yellowhammers or Meadow Pipits. (JB)
• 13th - South Norwood Lake: pair Great Crested Grebe(with 2 young) 6 Common Swift, 2 House Martin, 1 Swallow, 2 singing Willow Warbler, 5 Blackap, 6 Chiffchaff, (John Watson)
• 13th - South Norwood Country Park: Little Grebe, 22 Swift, Pied Wagtail, 10 Reed Warbler (JAH)
• 12th - South Norwood Lake: pair Great Crested Grebe (with 2 young) 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 12 Tufted Duck, 2 Green Woodpecker, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 singing Willow Warbler, 5 Blackcap, 4 Chiffchaff, c10 Long-tailed Tit, 2 Coal Tit, 1 Collared Dove, ( John Watson)
• 12th - South Norwood Country Park: Egyptian Goose, Garden Warbler (JAH)
• 11th - Queens Road Cemetery area (9am): 2 Swifts circling (Gavin Hawgood)
• 11th - Pittville Gardens, SE25 (8am): Lesser Whitethroat singing at bottom of garden (Gavin Hawgood)
• 11th - South Norwood Country Park: pair Shelduck on lake at 7.15am, Grey Heron, Little Grebe, 9 Stock Dove, Collared Dove, 9 Swift, 2 Swallow, Pied Wagtail, 6 Reed Warbler, Jackdaw, Linnet, Reed Bunting (JAH)
• 10th - South Norwood Lake: pair Mute Swan, pair Great Crested Grebe, 1 singing Willow Warbler, 6 Blackcap, 5 Chiffchaff, c30 Common Swift, 5 Song thrush, 2 Green Woodpecker, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker,(John Watson & Gavin Hawgood)
• 10th - South Norwood CP: 4+ Reed Warblers, 2 Linnets, 2 male Reed Buntings, Pheasant. (JB)
• 10th - Heavers Meadow: Lesser Whitethroat singing, Swift. (JB)
• 9th - Riddlesdown (Sanderstead end): 2 Willow Warblers, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Whitethroats (all singing), 2 Skylarks, Song Thrush, 4 House Sparrows, Swift, Green Woodpecker. (Gill Flinn)
• 9th - Pollards Hill S.-18.00-12 Swift over N (MJN)
• 8th - Thornton Heath Recreation Ground : 1 Whitethroat (singing), 1 Blackcap still (singing), 3 Stock Doves, 2 Long Tailed Tits, 2 Goldrest(singing), 5 Swifts, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Mallards, 4 Fledgling House Sparrows with adult birds in my garden
• 8th - South Norwood CP: Swallow, Lesser Whitethroat, 26 Whitethroat, 4 Reed Warbler, 6 Blackcap, 5 Chiffchaff, 11 Swift, 2 Linnet, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel (London Birders - Steven Robinson).
• 8th - Croydon town centre: Sparrowhawk disturbed half a dozen Pied Wagtails on Centrale roof. (JB)
• 8th - South Norwood Lake: 09:00-11:00hrs, pair Mute Swan pair Great Crested Grebe(with 2 young) c20 Tufted Duck, 1f Sparrowhawk, 1 Collared Dove, c30 Common Swifts, 2 Swallow, 1 singing Lesser Whitethroat, 6 singing Blackcap, 6 singing Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, 4 Song Thrush, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker (+ 1male at nest feeding young) Long-tailed Tit, 10 Ring-necked Parakeet, Chaffinch Greenfinch, Goldfinch, 3 House Sparrow, (John Watson & Gavin Hawgood)
• INFORMATION - re ringed Canada Geese at Waddon Ponds on 19 April. Information received that ADP was first ringed at Barn Elms Reservoir (now the London Wetland Centre) on 5 July 1991 as a gosling, it has since been seen at Waddon Ponds in 1994, 1995 and 2004 and at SNCP on 24 April 2003. Her mate also had a colour ring at some stage (HSU) and was at Kensington Gardens on 10 August 1995. Any other records of ringed birds (not just canada Geese) would be much appreciated. (JB)
• 7th - South Norwood Lake: 09:00-11:30hrs, Hobby, c20 Common Swift, 1 Swallow, pair Mute Swan, pair Great Crested Grebe,with 2 young + 1 adult, 20 Tufted Duck, Canada Goose (with brood of 6) 1m Kestrel, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Common Whitethroat, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, 1 Green Woodpecker, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker, pair Collared Dove, 2 Stock Dove, House Sparrow, (John Watson & Gavin Hawgood)
• 6th - Sanderstead: First Swift of the year over Briton Hill Road this evening. Mallard and Jackdaw over this morning. (JB)
• 4th - Swifts have arrived back over Virginia Road Thornton Heath 10.45am (Linda & Terry Osborn)
• 3rd - Farthing Downs (BTO survey work (BBS) on TQ2957). Species seen: Yellowhammer, whitethroat, chaffinch, goldcrest, blackbird, robin, blackcap, blue tit, wren, buzzard, carrion crow, wood pigeon, great tit, dunnock, skylark, jackdaw, linnet, ring-necked para, stock dove, chiffchaff, starling, herring gull, house sparrow, magpie, bullfinch, lesser whitethroat, sparrowhawk, pheasant, swallow, mistle thrush, song thrush, collared dove, goldfinch, nuthatch, jay, greenfinch. No house martin, in real trouble over Coulsdon. (David Hayes)
• 3rd - Shirley Park Golf Course: 1 Garden Warbler & 9 Blackcaps singing. Also 2 Mistle Thrush, 7 Song Thrush, 29 Blackbird & 21 Robin (John Parish)
• 3rd - South Norwood Country Park: 7.15-9.45am. Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, 3 Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, 2 Pheasant, 2 Lapwing, 2 Common Tern, 3 Stock Dove, 2 Swift, Swallow, Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Reed Warbler (JAH)
• 2nd - Sanderstead Plantation 04.45: Tawny Owl kewicking. (JB)
• 1st - South Norwood Country Park: Only one Great Crested Grebe-nest vacant between 6.45-9.30am. 4 Greylag Goose, Common Sandpiper, 2 Swallow (JAH)
• 1st - South Norwood Lake 05:30-08:30hrs, 1 Hobby, 1 Common Swift. pair Mute Swan, pair Great Crested Grebe, 12 Tufted Duck, 3 Greylag Goose, 2 House Martin, 4 Song Thrush, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Long-tailed Tit, Ring-necked Parakeet, Jay, 1 singing Willow Warbler, 6 Blackcap, 6 Chiffchaff, 1 Common Whitethroat, 1 Pied Wagtail, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, c6 House Sparrow, 3 Stock Dove, 1 Collared Dove, (John Watson,Gavin Hawgood & Ernie Thomason)
• 1st - Selsdon Wood: 2 House Martins above car park (14:30hrs) (Ernie Thomason & Tom Stone)
• 1st - Pollards Hill S.-06.30 Brief visit by singing Whitethroat (MJN)