Migrantapalooza!

Recent sightings:

Centre for Wildlife Gardening (East Dulwich): 1 Willow Warbler singing (23rd) (DG)

Crystal Palace: 2 Swift over (25th) (SR) also 1 Firecrest on ridge, 6 Swallow over (16th) (PB/DG)

Dulwich Park: still good numbers of Willow warblers - particularly around lake (at least 10), 1 Chiffchaff Am. Garden, 2 singing elsewhere, M+F Blackcap Am. Garden, 2 m Great Spotted Woodpecker, 4+ Song Thrush, 1 Mistle Thrush (17th) (PB) + pair of Sparrowhawks pm (CK) Red Kite flew over mid-week (MS)

Dulwich Upper Wood: Willow Warbler still vocal this morning, House Martin over (23rd) (DB)

Hilly Fields (Lewisham): Swift over 0830 (24th) (LA)

One Tree Hill LNR (Honor Oak): Garden Warbler in Blackthorn at top of hill with mixed warbler flock (29th) (DG)

Garden Warbler (Sylvia borin) One Tree Hill LNR, London, 29/4/13 (D Greenwood)

SE27: Red Kite over @ 18:17 heading North-West. Slow and relaxed flight, not high. This is a garden first & a London first for me! (23rd)  Also 1 Whitethroat in back garden on 26th (tick-fest!) (JS)


South Norwood CP: 2 Tree Pipit (27th) (GH/SR) Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Kestrel present (25th) (MS) Also, Blackcap, Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat and Chiffchaff were joined by singles of Willow Warbler and Reed Warbler on 29th.  Plus 2 Linnet and pair of Egyptian Geese on lake (MS)

Sydenham Hill Wood (Cox's Walk): 2 Kestrel by church, 1 m Blackcap brambles behind church, 2 Jay over, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Mistle Thrush, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Treecreeper with nest material at top end (17th') Also  1 female Tawny Owl calling from high up over steps leading to Upper Cox's Walk from footbridge, 1 Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap (DG, DC, ET)

Firecrest (above and below) (Regulus ignicapilla) Crystal Palace Park Ridge (16/4/13)

Sparrowhawk (Accipter nisus) Camberwell Old Cemetery, 29/4/14)

Finally, please check out this excellent essay by Dan, featured in The Earthlines Review, on one of our favourite green spaces.

Thanks all.

Words by Pete, all photos by Daniel Greenwood.

A golden Goose...

First things first, some sightings from last week and a real South London MEGA sitting pretty in South Norwood for a few days at least:

Brookmill Park (Lewisham): 1 Little Grebe, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Grey Wagtail, Goldcrest, Greenfinch, 2 Cormorant (over) Sparrowhawk (Deptford) (16th) (LA)

Camberwell Old Cemetery: 1 Waxwing over (12^th) (MS) Green Woodpecker (New Cem) (WW)

Horniman Gardens: Sparrowhawk (13^th) (DG)

Nunhead Cemetery: 7 Goldcrest, several Redwing over W (12^th) (MS)

Peckham Rye: 20 Lapwing over W (12^th), 5 more SW (13^th) + Coal Tit, fem Sparrowhawk (all MS) Grey Wagtail by lake (WW)

South Norwood Lake: adult female GOOSANDER (13^th-16^th at least?) (GH)

Sydenham Hill Wood: Jackdaw (notable) flying E (16th) (DG)

Congrats to Gavin for turning up a fine female Goosander on South Norwood Lake last Thursday, your Bird of the Week prize has been wrested free from Martin's Lapwings. With no sizeable water-bodies in the area (perhaps with the exception of Burgess Park) a top-notch migrant sawbill is a great score and a first ever record for the lake apparently. Let's face it, last month we threw a party when a Shoveler turned up in Dulwich, so Goosander is an all-night rave:

Mergus merganser 
(not the Norwood bird by the way, but any excuse to admire a redhead...)

South London - it gives you 'Wings (Pt 2)...:Lapwings. Vanellus vanellus. Always nice to see these, but only seen on seasonal passage round these parts especially in periods of freezing weather. The little movement last week coincided with birds elsewhere in London.

Little Grebe a nice find in Brookmill Park too (thanks Lisa). I think this bird popped up on London Birders recently, it's always interesting what that tiny thread of green space turns up.

Thanks all...stay tuned for a write up of the first annual SoLomig Christmas bash to Sheppey. A top day out, and yes, Dave kept his clothes on...

(Words/Photos by Pete)

This blog is done by a friendly bunch of birders from South London who get out and about whenever they can. We really love our parks and green spaces and all those weeds coming through the cracks. We always love to hear about new sightings...or old ones...or wildly speculative ones, so feel free to drop us a line below. Or get in touch at southlondonbirds@gmail.com if you want to gossip, bitch or help us find a sodding Firecrest...Thanks!