OW2011

From Croydon Birders

Contents 1 December 2011 2 November 2011 3 October 2011 4 September 2011 5 August 2011 6 July 2011 7 June 2011 8 May 2011 9 April 2011 10 March 2011 11 February 2011 12 January 2011

December 2011

• 27th - South Norwood Lake (10am): 5 x Buff-tailed Bumblebees feeding on mahonia (incl 1 with replete pollen baskets, indicating active nesting activity) (Gavin Hawgood)
• 16th - South Norwood Lake (12pm): Buff-tailed Bumblebee worker foraging for pollen on mahonia bush in a cold (3C) NW wind (Gavin Hawgood)
• 10th - South Norwood Lake (11am): several Buff-tailed Bumblebee workers with full pollen baskets feeding on mahonia shrub, indicative of queen over-wintering nesting activity rather than hibernation (Gavin Hawgood)
• 10th - Sanderstead, Briton Hill Road: Bumblebee (buff-tailed?) in garden despite the cold weather. (JB)
• 7th - South Norwood Lake area (11am): surprisingly late record of (very active) 7-spot Ladybird on bramble (Gavin Hawgood)

November 2011

• 30th - South Norwood Lake (1pm): Red Admiral feeding on lakeside mahonia bush (Gavin Hawgood)
• 26th - South Norwood Lake (11am): Buff-tailed Bumble bee (1 Queen & 3 workers) & Carder bee (2 workers) foraging for pollen on Mahonia bush (Gavin Hawgood)
• 5th - South Norwood Lake area (11am): First ever sighting of the Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae) (new UK coloniser since 2001) foraging for pollen on ivy (Gavin Hawgood)
• 4th - South Norwood Country Park (11:40): Red Admiral crossing low E/W over lake (Gavin Hawgood)

October 2011

• 31st - Pittville Gardens, SE25 (7pm): Probable Noctule bat circling above tree line (Gavin Hawgood)
• 25th - Canning Rd, Addiscombe: bat (pipistrelle?) flying over garden at dusk (David West)
• 16th - Sanderstead Plantation: plenty of molehills (JB)
• 16th - Selsdon Park: 2 Roe deer at 07.20 (JB)
• 16th - Pittville Gardens, SE25 (3pm): 1 Holly Blue in garden (Gavin Hawgood)
• 15th - Pittville Gardens, SE25 (3pm): 1 Red Admiral in garden (Gavin Hawgood)
• 2nd - South Norwood Lake (10am): unexpected, freshly-emerged Tree Bee queen nectaring on flowering lake-side symphoricarpus exotic (Gavin Hawgood)

September 2011

• 28th - South Norwood Lake: Kidney-spot Ladybird ("locally common"), my first sighting at this site; plus 1 Small Copper, 1 Large White & 1 Red Admiral (Gavin Hawgood)
• 22nd - South Norwood CP. Several pipistrelles in different parts of the park, also Daubenton's bat at lake. (JB)
• 22nd - Millers Pond: Many Pipistrelle bats 45hz feeding above(7:45pm) (Ernie Thomason)
• 22nd - Selsdon Wood: 1 Roe Deer feeding in field & possible Pipistrelle bats 45hz feeding above(7:30pm) (Ernie Thomason)
• 22nd - South Norwood Lake (11am): Small Copper butterfly "sun- bathing" on discarded mound of cut grass (Gavin Hawgood)
• 22nd - Pittville Gardens, SE25 (3pm): male Migrant Hawker patrolling my garden (Gavin Hawgood)
• 17th - Briton Hill Road: Migrant hawker in garden. (JB)
• 15th - Chepstow Rise: Red Underwing (moth) nectaring on ivy flowers at 17:30 and still flying around at 19:30. Big! (John Parish)
• 13th - South Norwood CP: large bat (noctule?) flying around at dusk. (JB)
• 13th - Addington Hills: two healthy clumps of Hard Fern revealed by clearance of scrub from former pond site (John Parish).
• 12th - Lloyd Park: Pipistrelle on the wing at 19.15 (John Parish)
• 10th - South Norwood Lake (11am): Stunning, freshly-emerged Red Admiral (Gavin Hawgood)
• 1st - Blackhorse Rd Tramstop (Addiscombe Railway Park): Southern Hawker (male I think) (David West)

August 2011

• 18th - Farthing Downs: 1 Roe deer. (JB)
• 13th - Selsdon, Old Farleigh Road: 2 pipistrelles at 21.45 for 30 mins, badger at 21.50 (MJN)
• 12th - Kenley Common: 2 Roe Deer, (D.W.)
• 3rd - Chepstow Rise: A Wood Mouse busy on our patio for much of the afternoon, dashing from its home behind the ivy to grab selected fragments from a scattering of Alpen ('no added sugar')(John Parish)
• 1st - South Norwood Lake & Pittville Gardens, SE25 (am): 1 Jersey Tiger @ each site (Gavin Hawgood)

July 2011

• 31st - Park Hill Park : 1 Jersey Tiger on tree (Ernie Thomason)
• 31st - Rotary Field : 1 Jersey Tiger (Ernie Thomason)
• 31st - Pittville Gardens, SE25 (4pm): 1 Jersey Tiger on window pane (Gavin Hawgood)
• 30th - Waddon Ponds (7:30am) Single Jersey Tiger on grass starting to warming up - First for the year (Ernie Thomason)
• 29th - South Norwood Lake (10am): 2x Jersey Tigers (1 v. lutescens) - first for year (Gavin Hawgood)
• 29th - Park Hill Road/Chichester Road junction: Jersey Tiger (moth) am. (John Parish)
• 24th - Dollypers Hill: Large Skipper, Small Skipper, Brimstone, Large and Small White, Green-veined White, Small Copper, Small Blue, Common Blue, Holly Blue, Peacock, Silver-washed Fritillary, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, 6-spot Burnet Moth. (Gill Flinn)
• 24th - Park Hill: 1 Badger (Ernie Thomason)
• 23rd - Selsdon Wood LNR: Pair of Roe Deer (Ernie Thomason)
• 21st - John Ruskin Sports Ground near Oaks Farm: 2 Roe Deer (Ernie Thomason)
• 20th - Kingswood: 1 Roe Deer (per Ernie Thomason)
• 18th - Addington Park: 1 Rabbit grazing on grass. (Ernie Thomason)
• 17th - Riddlesdown: 1 Roebuck. (JB)
• 15th - Lloyd Park Silver-Washed Fritillary (P Phillips)
• 14th - Kings Wood, Sanderstead: 2 White Admiral, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Speckled Wood, Small Heath, Large White (Gill Flinn)
• 13th - Park Hill Rec: 1 Munjac Deer grazing on flower beds (10:15pm)(Ernie Thomason)
• 10th - Buttermere Gardens,Purley: Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Gill Flinn)
• 7th - Coulsdon Common: 1 Deer
• 4th - Lloyd Park: a White-letter Hairstreak and c6 pristine Small Coppers (John Parish)
• 1st - Canning Road, Addiscombe: White-letter Hairstreak in garden (David West).

June 2011

• 30th - Hutchinsons Bank, Three-corner Grove & Chapel Bank: Large White, Small White, Brimstone, Small Blue (still at least one on HB!), Common Blue, White Admiral (T-cG), Comma, Silver-washed Fritillary (CB), Marbled White, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Small Heath, Speckled Wood, Small Skipper, Large Skipper. Also Hummingbird Hawkmoth (singles on both HB & CB) (John Parish)
• 26th - Kingfisher Gardens: 1 young Roe Deer (6:30am) (E Thomason)
• 26th - South Norwood Lake (10.30am): 1st Purple Hairstreak (m) of year (early!) (Gavin Hawgood / John Watson)
• 24th - Sanderstead: female stag beetle in Purley Oaks Road at 6pm (JB)
• 23rd - Sanderstead: Lesser stag beetle on landing inside house at 11pm. (Do they have a habit of coming indoors? - see record from Pollards Hill South on 9 June) (JB)
• 16th - Lloyd Park: Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Green-veined White, Common Blue, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Specked Wood, Marbled White, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Burnet Companion Moth. 12 Bee Orchid 1 Pyramidal Orchid. ( P Phillips)
• 14th - South Norwood CP: 1 Red Admiral. (JB)
• 11th - Hutchinsons/Chapel Banks (Walk led by Martin Wills): Brimstone, Small Blue (many), Common Blue, Speckled Wood, Marbled White, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Small Heath, Small Tortoiseshell, Dark Green Fritillary, Grizzled Skipper, Dingy Skipper, Large Skipper. Plants:- Greater Butterfly Orchid, Common Spotted Orchid, Pyramidal Orchid (100s in bloom), Common Twayblade, Man Orchid. Also Adder's Tongue Fern (John Parish)
• 9th - Pollards Hill S: Lesser Stag Beetle flew in thru open window(MJN)
• 5th - Stambourne Woodland Way (12pm): Queen Bombus hortorum (Garden Bumble Bee) on bramble - a surprisingly rare species in London in recent years for some reason (Gavin Hawgood)
• 3rd - Fryston Ave: Stag beetle Male (P Phillips)
• 3rd - Happy Valley: Meadow Brown,1 Small Totiseshell,Speckled Wood,Possible Large Skipper Butterflies, & Burnet Companion moth, Red tailed Bumblebee,(Ernie Thomason)

May 2011

• 29th - South Norwood Lake area (11.45am): excellent views of immature male Emperor Dragonfly (Gavin Hawgood)
• 25th - Lloyd Park Green Hairstreak (P Phillips)
• 24th - Lloyd Park Meadow Brown & Bee Orchid (P Phillips)
• 22nd - Hutchinsons and Chapel Banks: large white, green-veined white, orange tip, brimstone, green hairstreak, small blue, brown argus, common blue, small heath, speckled wood, dingy skipper, large skipper; also glow-worm (John Parish)
• 20th - Riddlesdown: 21.30. Badger. (Gill Flinn)
• 19th - South Norwood Lake (9am): freshly emerged female Ruddy Darter dragonfly (at least 4 weeks too early!) (Gavin Hawgood)
• 14th - Riddlesdown: 25 spikes of White Helleborine in Whitgift Field and 2 beside Quarry. 1 Roe Deer near Warlingham Court Farm. (Gill Flinn). Cinnabar moth seen in the morning. (JB)
• 14th - Hutchinsons and Chapel Banks - Seen during Ted Forsyth's birding walk: Common Lizards (2) and Slow Worm; Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Brimstone, Green Hairstreak, Small Blue, Holly Blue, Common Blue, Brown Argus, Small Heath, Speckled Wood, Grizzled and Dingy Skippers; Mother Shipton, Burnet Companion and Cinnabar (moths); Early Purple, Common Spotted and Man Orchids, White Helleborine and Common Twayblade (all in flower); Violet and Broad-leaved Helleborines and Large Butterfly Orchid (located but not in flower)(John Parish)
• 9th - Riddledown (Croydon's area) - Slow Worm, lots of Small Heath butterflies, Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood, Holly Blue (Gill Flinn)
• 6th - Duppas Hill - Pair of Large Red Damselfly found on kitchen window sill (SH)
• 4th - South Norwood Lake (8.45am): Dozens of Tree, Early, Buff & White-tailed Bumble Bees feeding on flowering lakeside ceanothus shrub (Gavin Hawgood)
• 4th - Hutchinson & Chapel Banks : Fine showing of Spring butterflies during Malcolm Bridge's Butterfly Conservation walk - Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Brimstone, Green Hairstreak (10+), Small Copper (1), Small Blue (1), Holly Blue, Common Blue, Peacock, Red Admiral, Comma, Small Tortoiseshell, Small Heath (c6), Speckled Wood, Grizzled Skipper (c5), Dingy Skipper (20+). Also moths - Beautiful Carpet, Yellow Shell (JP)
• 2nd - Sanderstead Plantation: muntjac heard. (JB)
• 2nd - Selsdon Park: four roe deer. (JB)
• 2nd - Kings Wood: 1 Roe Deer. (JB)
• 1st- Pollards Hill S.-Large Red Damselfly sunning on garden Hostas _No pond! (MJN)

April 2011

• 25th - South Norwood Lake (11am): unusual collection of coccinellids on one small alder shoot at edge of lake - 3x 2-spot; 1x 7-spot; 2x 14-spot; 1x 22-spot (plus the inevitable hoard of Haxys!) (Gavin Hawgood)
• 22nd - Addington Hills : Many swarms of Green Longhorn moths dancing in the morning sunshine particularly around newly-opened leaves of birch and mountain ash (John Parish)
• 18th - Whitehorse Meadows, SE25 (2pm): 1 teneral Large Red Damselfly near pond (Gavin Hawgood)
• 17th-Old Farleigh Road-Comma,Brimstone,Peacock,Sml.Tort. Holly Blue -1 Fox
• 11th-Pollards Hill S.-1 Speckled wood.1 Green veined white.2 Holly Blue (MJN)
• 10th - Biggin Wood: orange tip, speckled wood (London Birders - R Bell)
• 10th - South Norwood Lake (11am): 5 Speckled Wood & 1 Comma butterflies (Gavin Hawgood)
• 7th-Pollards Hill South-2 Holly Blue, 3 Orange tip (males),1 Comma (MJN)
• 7th - South Norwood Country Park: 15:00-16:10hrs, c10 Orange Tip, 4 Peacock, 1 Holly Blue, 2 Small White Butterflies, (John Watson)
• 7th- South Norwood Lake 2 Peacock Butterfly,(John Watson)
• 6th - Park Hill Park & Chepstow Rise : Holly Blues on the wing (John Parish)
• 6th - South Norwood Lake (10am): first male Orange Tip this year, plus Small White & first Large Red-tailed bumblebee (queen)(Gavin Hawgood)
• 6th - Brimstone Butterfly in back garden 13.00hrs (Terry Osborn)
• 5th - Hutchinson's Bank: Small Quaker moth (John Parish)
• 3rd - South Norwood Lake: first Small T'shell & Small White this year (Gavin Hawgood)
• 2nd - Addington Hills: 1 m Brimstone Butterfly (Ernie Thomason)

March 2011

• 29th - Waddon Ponds: Around 40 Frogs & toads ready to sprawing (Ernie Thomason)
• 29th - Hutchinsons Bank: Slow-worm (moribund). (John Parish)
• 29th - South Norwood CP at dusk: 3+ pipistrelle sp by lake with 2 slightly larger bats hawking over the open water about 15 feet above surface (too high up for Daubentons, too small for Noctule, which are the other bat species I have seen here in the past). (JB)
• 26th - Selsdon Park: 3 Roe deer (2m & 1f). (JB)
• 26th - Sanderstead Plantation: fresh molehills. (JB)
• 26th - Addington (beside Kent Gate Way): fresh molehills. (JB)
• 24th - Hutchinsons Bank: Brimstones, Commas, Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells, all am (John Parish)
• 23rd - Kingswood: 1 pair m&f Roe deer browsing on vegetation close to Kingswood Lane (Ernie Thomason)
• 22nd - Waddon Ponds: (6:30pm-7:00pm) 2-3 pipistrelle 45htz bats feeding above main lake and grass area.(Ernie Thomason)
• 22nd - South Norwood Lake (11am): 2 Comma butterflies feeding on willow catkins (Gavin Hawgood)
• 21nd - Waddon Ponds: (6:30pm-7:00pm) 2-3 pipistrelle 45htz bats feeding above main lake and grass area.(Ernie Thomason)
• 21st- Pollards Hill S.-1 small Tortoishell sunning on garden daffs (MJN)
• 21st - Pittville Gardens, SE25 (7pm): 1 Common Pipistrelle flying along railway embankment (Gavin Hawgood)
• 19th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): male Brimstone along laurel hedge opposite (my usual location for a first of the year) and a 7spot ladybird and bumblebee (presumed buff-tailed) in the garden. (JB)
• 19th - Riddlesdown: Extremely close encounter with a badger. While retying bootlaces and watching a pair of foxes chasing each other, a badger dashed out of the undergrowth and ran about six inches behind me having presumably taken a slight detour to avoid hitting me. (JB)
• 15th - Whitehorse Meadow, SE25 (11am): <50 spawning Common Frogs in small pond (Gavin Hawgood)
• 12th - South Norwood Lake area (10.30am): 1 male Brimstone butterfly (Gavin Hawgood)
• 9th - South Norwood Lake (9am): queen Tree Bee (Bombus hypnorum) nectaring on Willow (Salix caprea) - an early-emerging, new to UK species that has been colonising the south-east, particularly London, in only the last 4 years (Gavin Hawgood)
• 6th - Shirley Park Golf Course : Frog spawn in the pond - probably about enough to fill 2-3 buckets! (John Parish)

February 2011

• 27th - South Norwood Lake: Queen Bombus pratorum (the Early Bumblebee) nectaring on flowering exotic near main entrance (Gavin Hawgood)
• 24th-Old Farleigh Road (14.30)Brimstone (MJN)
• 24th - Ashburton Park: 1 Red Admiral Butterfly (Ernie Thomason)
• 24th - South Norwood CP: Bumblebee (not specifically identified) (JB)
• 24th - Near New Addington: 2 Roe Deer (JB)
• 21st-Old Farleigh Road-2 Roe deer feeding on umbifels in garden.One smaller with budding 2" antlers the larger With c.6" antlers (MJN)
• 16th - Old Farleigh Road (between Selsdon Wood & Golf Club)-3 dead Badgers at various points (MJN)
• 16th - South Norwood Lake (10am) (9degC): Buff-tailed Bumblebee queen nectaring on flowering mahonia sp. (Gavin Hawgood)
• 14th - South Norwood Lake (11am): First for year queen Buff-tailed Bumblebee (B. terrestris)in flight (Gavin Hawgood)

January 2011

• 9th - Coulsdon Common, small moth flying over frosty field (no idea of species); Happy Valley - molehills. (JB)
• 2nd -Old Farleigh Road-Fox at bird table (MJN)