Spring...perhaps

Recent sightings:

Belair Park: 35 Redwing, 55 Fieldare, 1 Mandarin (4/4/13) (DC) 1 Little Owl (7/4/13) (JS)

Crystal Palace Ridge: 6/4/13 PM Robin, Blue tit, Great spotted woodpecker (hammering), Carrion crow, Stock dove, Woodpigeon, Greenfinch, Wren, Goldcrest, Ring necked parakeet, Pied wagtail. Also possible Blackcap + Comma on wing (DG)

Dulwich Park: 28 Redwing (4/4/13) (DC)

East Dulwich: female Blackcap regularly visiting garden feeder in March (MS), Tawny Owl reported in field near Picture Gallery 7/4/13 (JS)

Horniman Gardens Nature Trail: 1 Woodcock flushed 7/4/13 (DB) - From Doug Brooks: "This is only the third one I've seen in 20 years around the Great North Wood. The other two were in Dulwich Upper Wood, with the last one about 5 years ago".

Nunhead Cemetery: highlights 3/4/13 Pair Sparrowhawk mobbed by crows, 2 Goldcrest, 2-3 Song Thrush singing, 1 Stock Dove (PB/LA)

Nunhead Allotments: 1 Meadow Pipit flushed from grassland near allotments 3/4/13 (PB/LA)

One Tree Hill LNR: Blackbird, Robin, Song Thrush, Dunnock, Wren, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed
Tit, Crow, Magpie, Jay, Wood Pig, Ring Necked Para, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Nuthatch, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker + also Treecreeper reported (7/4/13) (DB)

Peckham Rye Park: 1 Mistle thrush, 1 Song thrush, Blackbird, Robin, Wren, Carrion crow, Jay, Magpie, Wood pigeon, Long tailed tit, Coal tit, Great tit, Blue tit, Greenfinch, Goldfinch (6/4/13) (DG)

Sydenham Hill Wood LNR: Mallard on dewy pond, Stock Dove (DB), Kestrels back on clock tower (7/4/13) (JS)

Telegraph Hill Park: highlights 3/4/13 40-50 Chaffinch, high west in small flocks over a period of half an hour from 7.30am (definitely had feel of migrant groups), 3 Coal Tit (2 singing), c 15 House Sparrow, Pair Mistle Thrush (lower), 11 Redwing foraging (lower) (PB/LA)

Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos) Hyde Park, London, today (photo PB)

Passer erroneous

Christmas is out of the way so it's back to work for South London's finest...

Martin and Pete are kicking off the year by Footin' It around the area, stay tuned for more on that as they get desperate and end up walking 3 miles to see a Pied Wagtail...otherwise, business as usual:

Belair Park: Siskins in Alders (3rd) (MS/DC)

Brookmill Park: Blackbird (9), Wren (5), Robin (6), Blue Tit (6), Moorhen (8), Coot (1), Mallard (33), Little Grebe (1), Carrion Crow, Great Tit (3), Dunnock (1), Grey Wagtail (1), Goldcrest (5), Starling (2), Jay (1), Chaffinch (5), Kingfisher (1), Mandarin duck (1) (all 5th) (PB/LA)

REALLY GREAT PHOTO of a Kingfisher, Brookmill Park, Lewisham 5/1/13

Crystal Palace Park (inc. Lake): Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Wren, Dunnock (two males following a female by one of the Sphinxes), Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Redwing (flock of 20), Pied Wagtail, Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Crow, Magpie, Jay, Goldfinch, Greenfinch (female), Chaffinch (female), Woodpigeon, Starling, Cormorant (3 1w), Grey Heron, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Canada Goose, Moorhen, Coot, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Black Headed Gull, Herring Gull, Ring Necked Parakeet (5th) (DB)

Dulwich Park: m/f Teal on lake, 12 Redwing, 32 Goldfinch (5th) (MS) 

Nunhead Cemetery: Blackbird (17), Song Thrush (8 w/7 singing), Dunnock (4), Blue tit (15), Magpie, Carrion Crow, Robin (15), Ring-necked bastard (11), Long-tailed Tit (1), Wren (10), Goldcrest (4), Treecreeper (1), Greenfinch (6), Chaffinch (8), Great Tit (9), Goldfinch (16), Coal Tit (1), Jay (1) (PB/LA)

South Norwood Lake: Little Grebe, Mute Swan, Goldcrest (6th) (DB)

Sydenham Hill Wood: Blackbird, Great tit, Blue tit, Coal tit (vocal), Long-tailed tit, Ring necked paracoot, Stock Dove (notable), Woodpigeon, Mistle Thrush (pair), Song Thrush, Nuthatch (lots of trilling, 3 birds min.), Treecreeper, Wren, Robin, Carrion crow, Magpie, Jay (7th) (DG)

It's a tough call for Bird of the Week, but the pair of Teal that spent a day on Dulwich Park lake are narrowly pipped by the 'sparrow that never was'. A minor local twitch was on the cards for ooh, about 23 minutes, as we pondered a potential Tree Sparrow in our midst. Turned out to be a typo and its townie cousin instead, but that's ok - we love ALL sparrows.

A notable shift in bird behaviour has been apparent this week with many birds now beginning to sing and establish territories. It's interesting to see the sudden appearance of Song Thrush and Coal Tit particularly in the sightings - both regularly heard (if not seen) over the weekend. The change in two weeks is remarkable but birds are finely tuned to the minor changes taking place around us as spring approaches. That's a nice thought isn't it...

Happy New Year all - here's to a great year, good 'migging and maybe a South London special or two - a Pied Fly maybe? Or even another Cuckoo for Sydenham Hill Wood? Who knows...what's on your wish list for 2013?

Thank You: Lisa A, Doug B, Pete B, Dave C, Dan G, Martin S et al.

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!

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!

South London - it gives you 'Wings...

Sightings 3rd - 9th Dec:

Belair Park: c6 Siskin w/ Goldfinch in Alders (3rd) (DC)

Brockley: 2 Waxwing reported on 3rd (not sure where?) (PB)

Brookmill Park (Lewisham): 1 Dunnock, 2 Grey Heron, c20 Mallard, c10 Moorhen, 1 Mandarin duck, c30 Black headed Gull (creek), 2 Grey Wagtail  (1 first winter) c10 Goldfinch, 1 Wren, 1 Kestrel (in flight heading east) (8th) (LA)

Dulwich Park: 15 Redwing (over eastwards in three groups), 1 Redpoll flew over in the opposite direction (6th) (MS)

Nunhead Cemetery: 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Nuthatch, 1 Green Woodpecker (heard), 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 5-6 Goldcrest, c5 Ring-necked Parakeet (9th) (PB/LA)

Nunhead area:  1 Kestrel high NE, possible flock of 8 Waxwings over Haberdasher Aske playing fields SW towards Cemetery/beyond – seen at distance (9th) (PB/LA)

Good to see Kestrels making an appearance again, hadn't seen any for a while. Otherwise a quieter week perhaps, but then many have found themselves coming down with a seasonal bout of Waxwing fever. Luckily the cure was close at hand with the area getting a double whammy of Waxwing action in the last 10 days. True they're just 'off patch' at the moment but we're not picky and a few of us have connected with the little punks in Shirley and Streatham. Needless to say we're all in agreement - absolutely fantastic birds. Just a matter of time before we hit the jackpot closer to home surely?

Enjoy:

(Waxwings, Shirley 1/12/12 - photos by this guy)

Thanks all!

Sightings w/c 12th Nov

Have we missed anything? Let us know.

Dulwich park: 2 Shoveler back on lake (AM on 18th - DC)

New Cross Gate (Telegraph Hill Park): since I'm writing this I'm making the Skylark that flew north over Upper park on 18th our coveted Bird of the Week. Scarcely noted in this area since I've been watching for last 2 years at least and rarer than you might think? A bird out of time and place (PB). Lesser Redpolls over on 14th and 15th (2 south, 1 West) also Buzzard sp. headed high north over on 15th - again, rarely spotted so close in. Upper Park also had 2 Mistle Thrush (resident), 2 Pied Wagtail (over), 1 Coal Tit (15th) and Great Spotted Woodpecker (14th). Lower park: 1 Song Thrush, c18 Blackbird, 3 Greenfinch, c8 Chaffinch, 15+ Goldfinch and 7 Mallard (increase) on pond (all PB/LA)

Nunhead Cemetary: zzz (14th)

Peckham: 7 Fieldfare south over town centre (14^th)

Peckham Rye: 1 Brambling on 13th is a close second Bird of the Week, heard over and alighted in Oak by Sexby Garden (SR), Mute swan over 17th, a first (DC) 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 10+ Goldcrest.

Lots of gulls moving around the area at the moment, Black-headed mostly with Lessers and Herrings too, early morning and pre-roost. Where do they go?!

Pushing out the boundaries (other sightings around town):

The long-staying Spotted Redshank was still at Crayford Ness with Redshanks on the 17th (TS) and a Bar-tailed Godwit was on Dartford Marshes (foreshore?) on the 15th along with the following (sightings by MS):

Sparrowhawk 2
Kestrel 3
Bearded tit 1(h) - nice!
Meadow Pipit 13
Skylark 10
Cetti's Warbler 4
Fieldfare c223
Redwing c60
Kingfisher 1
Little Egret 4
Grey Heron 6
Teal c63
Gadwall 3
Shoveler 1
Pochard 5
Lapwing 12
Redshank 3
Bar-tailed Godwit 1
Green Woodpecker 1

Stay South, you'll love it. Feel free to add sightings below!

Out and about this week: Dave, Martin, Steve, Tom, Pete, Lisa - nice one.