OW2009

From Croydon Birders

Contents 1 December 2009 2 November 2009 3 October 2009 4 September 2009 5 August 2009 6 July 2009 7 June 2009 8 May 2009 9 April 2009 10 March 2009 11 February 2009

December 2009

• 31st - Evidence of mole activity along Kent Gate Way near Threehalfpenny Wood. (JB)
• 28th - evidence of mole activity at both Farthing Downs and Happy Valley. (John Birkett)
• 27th - South Norwood Lake (11am): 3 Buff-tailed Bumblebee workers nectaring on Mahonia bush in freezing temperatures (GH)
• 21st South Norwood Lake (10am): 1 queen/2 worker Buff-tailed Bumblebees taking nectar from flowering Mahonia bush (-1C, but sunny!) (Gavin Hawgood)
• 6th South Norwood Lake area: 3 Buff-tailed Bumblebee queens feeding at under 10C (Gavin Hawgood)
• 5th. Evidence of mole activity in Sanderstead Plantation. (JB)

November 2009

• 15th - Chapel Bank : Two Red Admirals on the wing. (John Parish)
• 7th - painted lady butterfly in Briton Hill Road then another at Therapia Lane tramstop. (John Birkett)

October 2009

• 29th - Selsdon Park. 3 Roe deer. (John Birkett)
• 27th - South Norwood Lake: 1 Painted Lady (Gavin Hawgood per John Watson)
• 27th - Harlequin in Briton Hill Road. (John Birkett)
• 25th - Whitehorse Meadow, SE25: Long-winged Conehead bush crickets "singing", plus 2x queen Bombus terrestris (buff-tailed bumblebees) (Gavin Hawgood)
• 25th - Selsdon Wood - Speckled Wood (Ted Forsyth)
• 14th - Report in Evening Standard of an albino squirrel in a 'South Croydon park'; one suggestion is that this refers to one known to be in Selsdon Wood. (posted by John Birkett)
• 10th - Pittville Gardens, SE25: 2pm - very localised "swarm" (<40) of emerging Harlequin Ladybirds (all 4 common varieties represented) (Gavin Hawgood)
• 4th - South Norwood Lake (1pm): 2 very fresh-looking Speckled Woods (3rd, possibly 4th?, brood) (Gavin Hawgood)
• 1st - two bats (pipistrelles?) flew direct over Beechwood Road, Sanderstead at 19:05 (John Birkett)

September 2009

• 29th - South Norwood CP. Two bats feeding over lake near Elmers End Road at dusk. From size appeared to be pipistrelles, but cannot say if common or soprano. (John Birkett)
• 20th - Hutchinson's Bank - Adult common lizard (Ted Forsyth)
• 16th - Hutchinson's Bank - Young slow-worm (Ted Forsyth)
• 13th - fresh mole hills in Sanderstead Plantation (John Birkett)
• 11th - South Norwood Lake: 1 hour evening bat "watch" produced Common & Soprano Pipistrelle, Daubenton's, Noctule, Leisler's & Nathusius' bats. Best bat site in Borough by some way (Gavin Hawgood)
• 8th - Fryston Ave Common Pipistrelle Bat. (Peter Phillips)
• 8th - South Norwood CP. One migrant hawker. (John Birkett)
• 5th - Painted Lady repeatedly visiting same buddleia in Briton Hill Road during day. (John Birkett)

August 2009

• 30th - South Norwood Lake: male Volucella zonaria Hoverfly (Hornet mimic) (Gavin Hawgood)
• 27th - Selwood Road, Addiscombe: Red Admiral on buddleia (per local resident Chas Gent) (Gavin Hawgood)
• 27th - Lloyd Park: a female Wasp Spider 'Argiope bruennichi' in the long grass area near the allotments. (John Parish).
• 23rd - Pittville Gardens, SE25: yet another Jersey Tiger moth ((var lutescens) (Gavin Hawgood)
• 10th - Chepstow Rise, 23:00 hrs. Red-legged Shieldbug 'Pentatoma rufipes' on our front door. (John Parish).
• 9th - Selwood Road, Addiscombe: Hummingbird Hawk-moth (per local resident Chas Gent) (Gavin Hawgood)
• 9th - Hutchinson's Bank - Two Clouded Yellows (four reported by Martin Wills) (Ted Forsyth)
• 9th - Pittville Gardens, SE25: Jersey Tiger (var lutescens) & Red Underwing moth (Gavin Hawgood)
• 2nd - Pittville Gardens, SE25: Jersey Tiger moth (colour of hindwing not visible) resting on window sill for at least 6 hours this am (Gavin Hawgood)
• 2nd - Hutchinsons & Chapel Banks : Butterflies:- large white, small white, clouded yellow (one in field behind Three-corner Grove), brimstone, white-letter hairstreak (one nectaring on marjoram by pipeline on Chapel), small copper, common blue, peacock, painted lady, comma, meadow brown, gatekeeper, ringlet, speckled wood, small skipper, large skipper. Moths:- six-spot burnet, lesser treble-bar, latticed heath, silver-Y. (John Parish)

July 2009

• 28th - South Norwood Lake area: Jersey Tiger moth (red hindwing variety) "flushed" from bramble (Gavin Hawgood)
• 28th - Brickfields Meadow. Painted Lady. (John Birkett)
• 26th - at least four Southern Hawker exuviae on small garden pond in Briton Hill Road. (John Birkett)
• 23rd - Addiscombe Road - Jersey Tiger moth seen at close quarters while we waited at a bus stop this am - it landed on my knee! (John Parish)
• 22nd - Addington Hills - About 4 Purple Hairstreaks seen around one of the oaks this am - a first for me at this site. (John Parish)
• 19th-Pollards Hill S-1 small Skipper, 1 Gatekeeper, new Peacock
• 19th - Hutchinsons & Chapel Banks - Butterflies: Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Brimstone, Small Copper, Brown Argus, Common Blue, Peacock, Painted Lady, Comma, Silver-washed Fritillary, Marbled White, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Ringlet, Small Heath, Speckled Wood, Small Skipper, Essex Skipper. One moth identified: Shaded Broad Bar. One dragonfly: Brown Hawker. Also two Roebucks and a doe in the set-aside field. (John Parish)
• 18th - garden in Sanderstead - Comma chased by a Gatekeeper, also Meadow Brown and Large White. (John Birkett)
• 16th - Lloyd Park - Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Ringlet, Speckled Wood, Purple Hairstreak and Large Skipper all on the wing by 0815 (John Parish)
• 12th - Whitehorse Meadows: 1 Marbled White (Gavin Hawgood)
• 3rd-Pollards Hill-Purple hairstreak on 2 consecutive days drinking at paddling pool overspill (Mike Netherwood0
• 3rd - South Norwood CP - Small tortoiseshell (my first for a while) and Comma butterflies. (John Birkett)

June 2009

• 29th June - Selsdon Wood. Total of 381 Pyramidal orchids, approx half in the car park field. Marbled White, Large White, Comma, White Admiral, Large Skippers, Meadow Browns, Ringlets, Speckled Wood. (Ted Forsyth)
• 27th June - South Norwood Lake: Purple Hairstreak (3 males), early for this species (Gavin Hawgood)
• 27th June - Riddlesdown. Meadow browns abundant. At least 6 marbled white butterflies in various fields. (John Birkett)
• 24th June - Selsdon Wood. 1 female White admiral feeding on bramble, 1 Small skipper, 1 bright orange comma, 1 Speckled wood, several Meadow browns butterflies. 7 spot ladybirds, 1 possible Southern hawker dragonfly.(Ernie Thomason)
• 23rd June - Selsdon Wood. 2 female White admiral on bramble near near Bird Pool area. 1 possible Common Blue buterfiles (Ernie Thomason)
• 23rd June - Heavers Meadow. 1 bright orange Comma butterfly, 2 Large Skippers, 1 Red Admiral. ? Southern Hawker in Enmore Road, SE25. (John Birkett)
• 22nd June - Lloyd Park: three newly-emerged Comma butterflies of the bright-orange 'hutchinsoni' form were noted, also Painted Lady, Small Tortoiseshell, Meadow Brown, Ringlet and Large Skipper. The single spike of Pyramidal Orchid noted in 2008 has now multiplied into a colony of at least ten spikes. (John Parish)
• 21st June - South Norwood Lake: single Essex Skipper & small colony of Ringlets, plus male Broad-bodied Chaser (Gavin Hawgood)
• 21st June - Heathfield: Two male Emperor Dragonflies disputing territory over the pond. (John Parish)
• 21st June - Addington Hills: numerous Green Oak Tortrix moths were disturbed from the foliage of Oaks; several of the tiny wood-boring beetle 'Fan-bearing Wood-borer' (ptilinus pectinicornis) were emerging from their holes in a barkless patch on an Oak trunk, and a dense community of Peacock butterfly larvae was leaving its web on a nettle-bed. (John Parish)
• 19th June - Live stag beetle near Park Hill water tower. (John Parish)
• 16th June - blue tailed damselfly at Sanderstead Pond. Also a damselfly larva in the pond. (John Birkett)
• 15th June - Essex Skipper in my Court Hill garden in afternoon. (Piers Hubbard)
• 15th June. Dead stag beetle in Sanderstead Hill. (John Birkett)
• 14th June - Croydon Crematorium memorial ponds area: single males of Large Red, Blue-tailed & Common Blue Damselflies (Gavin Hawgood)
• 14th June - Painted Ladies and cinnabar moths at New Addington. 7 Spot Ladybird on a No 64 bus from Addington to Selsdon - one of very few seen this year (ladybirds, not buses) John Birkett
• 13th June - Painted Ladies in Church Way, Sanderstead. (John Birkett)
• 13th June - Chapel Bank - Orchids - 50+ Man, Pyramidal, Common Spotted, Common Twayblade, Broad-leaved Helleborine, Violet Helleborine, White Helleborine (Ted Forsyth)
• 13th June - Bull Pen, Riddlesdown - Bee Orchids (20+) and Pyramidal Orchids (loads). (Gill Flinn)
• 7th June - Whitehorse Meadow pond - Several Common Blue Damselflies (in cop) & single male Large Red Damselfly (Gavin Hawgood)
• 7th June - Whitehorse Meadow (SE25) - 1 male "Tree Bee" (Bombus hypnorum) on bramble (european species rapidly colonising Southern England, London in particular, since 2007). Already at SN Lake & could appear almost anywhere in Borough (Gavin Hawgood)
• 2nd June - Hutchinsons & Chapel Banks - Butterflies: Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Clouded Yellow, Brimstone, Green Hairstreak, Small Blue, Common Blue, Peacock, Red Admiral, Painted lady, Small Heath, Speckled Wood, Grizzled Skipper, Dingy Skipper, Large Skipper (John Parish).
• 1st June - Lloyd Park (07:30) - Gathering of the longhorn moth 'Nemophora degeerella' dancing in the shade of a hawthorn clump (John Parish).

May 2009

• 31st May - Hutchinson's Bank - Female Clouded Yellow laying eggs (Ted Forsyth)
• 28th May- South Norwood Lake 14 Painted Lady + c25 Painted Lady in front garden of house Kings Road se25(John Watson)
• 26th May - Thornton Heath - At least 10 Painted Ladies feeding on the Valerian in my mother's back garden this pm. (Terry Osborn)
• 25th May - Park Hill Park single Painted Lady (Ernie Thomason)
• 25th May - Selsdon Wood single Painted Lady (Ernie Thomason)
• 24th May - Chapel Bank - Brimstones, Peacocks, Orange Tips, Small Heaths, Painted Ladies, Common Blues, Small Copper (Ted Forsyth)
• 24th May - Hutchinson's Bank - Small Blues, Common Blues, Grizzled and Dingy Skippers, Small Heaths, Painted Ladies, Comma, Peacock, Brimstone, Brown Argus, Orange Tip, both Green Hairstreak and Holly Blue laying eggs on Dogwood (Ted Forsyth)
• 23rd May - Two lizards in a private garden in Beechwood Road, Sanderstead. (per John Birkett)
• 23rd May - Two Painted Ladies in my Court Hill garden, one allowed me to collect my camera to record it. (Piers Hubbard)
• 22nd May - South Norwood Lake - previously very rare but now rapidly increasing "Tree Bee" (Bombus hypnorum) male on bramble (Gavin Hawgood)
• 20th May - Farthing Downs - 8 Fly orchids (Ted Forsyth)
• 20th May - Hutchinson's Bank - 2 Common Lizards (Ted Forsyth)
• 17th May - Hutchinson's Bank - Glow-worm larva on path, 2 young Slow-worms under loose bark (Ted Forsyth)
• 16th May - Selsdon Wood - Roe buck passing through vegetation at East Gorse (Ted Forsyth)
• 16th May - Whitehorse Meadow pond (12pm) 1m & 1 teneral Blue-tailed Damselfly, plus 3m Large White butterflies (Gavin Hawgood)
• 15th May - Selsdon Wood - White Helleborines discovered earlier this month now total 70 (Ted Forsyth)
• 11th May - Hutchinson's Bank - Roe buck on bridleway, slow-worm rescued from path of a digger (Ted Forsyth)
• 9th May - Roe deer again in Selsdon Park and at the end of Sanderstead Court Avenue. (John Birkett)
• 6th May - Hutchinsons & Chapel Banks. Butterfly Conservation guided walk. All 2nd May sightings again (except Red Admiral), plus Holly Blue, Large White, Small White, Small Heath. (John Parish).
• 5th May - Hutchinson's Bank - adult slow-worm on path (Ted Forsyth)
• 2nd May - Hutchinsons & Chapel Banks. Butterflies:- Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Brimstone, Green Hairstreak, Peacock, Red Admiral, Comma, Speckled Wood, Dingy Skipper and Grizzled Skipper. Also large numbers of St Mark's Fly. (John Parish).
• 1st May - Shirley Park Golf Course (0600 hrs) Large numbers of the micromoth 'Cameraria ohridella' on the wing as soon as soon as the sun started to strike the horse chestnut trees (John Parish).

April 2009

• 28th April - Hutchinson's Bank - While six of us were waiting to begin work on the bridleway a fox walked 40 yards towards us and passed at a distance of 3 feet with just a brief glance (Ted Forsyth)
• 26th April - Selsdon Wood - 100+ Early Purple orchids on three sites (Ted Forsyth)
• 26th April - Briton Hill Road 1 Holly Blue, 1 Large White, Small White, Orange Tip and Speckled Wood butterflies. (John Birkett)
• 25th April - South Norwood Lake (9pm onwards): up to 7 species of bat (details available from

ghawgood@onetel.com) (Gavin Hawgood)

• 24th April - Addington Hills (9pm): Common Pipistrelle bat (Gavin Hawgood)
• 24th April - 10 Speckled Wood, 6 Small White, 3 Orange Tip South Norwood Lake,(John Watson)
• 23rd April - 1 Red Admiral Kings Road SE25 (John Watson)
• 22nd April - Brimstone, Small white, Speckled Wood Butterflies at Selsdon Wood (Ernest Thomason)
• 21st April - 5+ Speckled Wood at Heavers Meadow. (John Birkett)
• 20th April - Comma Butterfly, 1 fox with fur missing from part of tail at Selsdon Wood (Ernest Thomason)
• 18th April - Roe deer doe in Ballards Way garden (Steve Irwin)
• 15th April - Hutchinson's Bank - adult Common Lizard on log pile, 2 Speckled Wood, 4 male & 4 female Brimstone, 4 Peacock, 3 Comma, Red-tailed Bumblebee (Ted Forsyth)
• 15th April - Chapel Bank - 5 male & 5 female Brimstone, 3 male Orange Tip, 2 speckled Wood, 3 Comma, 3 Peacock, 2 Small White (Ted Forsyth)
• 13th April - (1pm) 2 Commas, 1 Peacock & 1 Speckled Wood at South Norwood Lake (Gavin Hawgood)
• 4th April - 6+ brimstone (including at least 2 females) and 2 peacock butterflies at Croham Hurst. (John Birkett)
• 2nd April -1 Holly Blue -Pollards Hill(Mike Netherwood)
• 1st April - 6 Brimstone ,4 Peacock, 2 battling Commas, 1 orange tip Selsdon Woods (Mike Netherwood)

March 2009

• 29th March - 7 spot ladybird in Briton Hill Road (my first of year). (John Birkett)
• 24th March - Markfield - Roe buck and doe at entrance to Baker Boy Lane 7.00am (Ted Forsyth)
• 22nd March - Markfield - 4 foxes feeding on the roundabout (Ted Forsyth)
• 21st March - South Norwood Lake - queen Bombus pratorum (The Early Bumble Bee)(Gavin Hawgood)
• 21st March - at least 8 roe deer in Selsdon Park. Two foxes (one carrying a shoe). Also one buff tailed bumblebee. (John Birkett)
• 20th March - Markfield - First Badger of the spring visiting the garden (Ted Forsyth)
• 15th March onwards - Common (45kHz) Pipistrelle bat (Pittville Gardens) (Gavin Hawgood)
• 15th March - 12 Brimstones, 6 Commas and 1 Peacock on Riddlsdown (Gill Flinn)
• 15th March - Brimstone and buff tailed bumblebee in Sanderstead garden (John Birkett)
• 15th March - 3 Common frogs in garden pond (Simon Harris)
• 15th March - Roe doe in Selsdon Wood near Old Farleigh Road (Ted Forsyth)

February 2009

• 28th February - Roe deer in Sanderstead Plantation (John Birkett)
• 27th February - Roe buck and four does in Puplet Wood (Ted Forsyth)
• 5th February (approx) - Badger running along pavement then disappearing into a garden, Melville Avenue, South Croydon (Alan Pearson)