May 2021

• 31st - Kenley Common: 2 Swallow, 1 Linnet. (Jamie Parkinson - BirdTrack)
• 31st - Kings Wood: 2 Tawny Owl, 30+ Blackbird, 12+ Song Thrush, 10+ Blackcap, 6+ Chiffchaff, 4+ Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Stock Dove, Goldcrest, 3 Nuthatch, 1 Treecreeper. (JB)
• 31st - Riddlesdown: 9 Skylark, 2 Meadow Pipit (1 displaying, 1 carrying food), 5 Linnet, Whitethroat. (JB)
• 30th - Norbury (Pollards Hill South): Goldcrest singing, 2 Jackdaws over west. (MJN)
• 30th - South Norwood Lake:(07:30:09:15) 11 Canada Goose + 5 goslings + 14 Canada Goose over N/NE 08:15, 3 Egyptian Goose, 15 Mallard, 10 Tufted Duck, 2 pair Great Crested Grebe both pairs on nests, 8 Moorhen, 14 Coot, 2 Herring Gull, 1 Stock Dove, 2 Collared Dove, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Song Thrush, 8 Blackcaps, 5 Chiffchaffs, 1 Whitethroat, 2 Long-tailed Tit, 12 House Sparrows, 15 Starlings, 8 Goldfinch, (JW)
• 30th - Happy Valley: 1 Yellowhammer singing, 2 Swallows flying over low. (NH)
• 29th - Norbury (Pollards Hill South): 10+ Long-tailed Tit, Goldcrest singing. (MJN)
• 29th - Park Hill Park: 3 Swifts over, screaming (Alice Stringer)
• 29th - Sanderstead: Breeding Bird Survey: 11 singing Song Thrush, c35 Blackbirds, 4 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 3 Green Woodpeckers, 2 Chiffchaff, 5 Blackcap, 1 Nuthatch, 2 House Sparrows including 1 on The Gruffy (1st one seen here in many years) but none in one of the previous locations. (JB)
• 29th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): 2 Swifts zooming round at rooftop height, Great Tits taking food to young at nest in top of our fence, family party of 5 Goldfinches. (JB)

  

  Swift by Lucinda Offer

• 28th - Norbury (Pollards Hill South): Sparrowhawk, 8 Staring, Blackcap singing. (MJN)
• 28th - South Norwood: 8 Swifts chasing around between the Clocktower and Selhurst Park. (Lucinda Offer - tweet)
• 28th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) (4.45pm): Chiffchaff singing briefly on rlwy land (GH)
• 28th - New Addington (Heneage Crescent): 6 Swifts screaming at rooftop height. (JB)
• 26th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): 2 juv Goldfinch on feeders, 1 local Swift at 21:00. (JB)
• 26th - South Norwood Country Park: Peregrine, Lesser Whitethroat. (JAH)
• 25th - South Norwood (Entrance to Lake grounds opposite Cypress Road (0730) 4 Goldfinch (Alan Simpkins)
• 24th - South Norwood (Cypress Road) at 0630: 2 unidentfied Terns flew over. (Alan Simpkins) Do you have a direction of flight for these birds, Alan? Could they have been heading to/from South Norwood Lake? (admin) Heading north-east in direction of Anerley/Lower end of Crystal Palace Park but no obvious loss of height and soon out of sight behind houses in Auckland Road.
• 24th - South Norwood (Auckland Road): 1240. Juvenile Carrion Crow being fed by adults in front garden (Alan Simpkins).
• 24th - South Norwood Lake: (1230) Canada Geese with 5 goslings. Pair of Jays near Railway Line. (Alan Simpkins)
• 24th - Wandle Park: Reed Warbler still present. (Sue Henning)
• 24th - South Norwood Country Park: Marsh Warbler in full song at 5.45am in willow coppice near platform 2. Sun directly behind prevented detailed view. Not heard or seen again during next hour. Possibly seen off by male blackcap. (JAH)
• 23rd - Wandle Park: Reed Warbler. (Sue Henning)
• 23rd - Near Waddon Ponds: Red Kite. (Peter Roberts by email)
• 23rd - Purley (Lower Barn Road): 18.40 1 male House Sparrow in garden, first since mid 1990's. (NH)
• 23rd - Riddlesdown, Dobbin: 07.00 am. 5 Common Whitethroat, 4 Linnet, 4 Skylark, 1 Meadow Pipit, 1 female Wheatear. (NH).
• 22nd - Addington Hills: 12:45. A flock of 58 Common Swifts was seen flying west at low level over the highest point of the hills. The flock was strung-out and took about 5 minutes to pass completely but all individuals were following very much the same track. (John Parish)
• 22nd - Farthing Downs: Lesser Whitethroat singing. Also Common Whitethroat and Linnet. (Stella Frost by email)
• 20th - Happy Valley: 3.00pm Lesser Whitethroat heard singing by grazing paddock (NH)
• 19th - Selsdon (Birdwood Close): 3 Swallow (very scarce around home), 1 Swift, 1 House Sparrow, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Sparrowhawk, c10 Jackdaw. (Roger Amer by email)
• 19th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): Heard and then (at last) saw 2 Swifts over the garden. (JB)
• 19th - Selsdon Wood: 2.00-3.30 pm 1 Marsh Tit heard then seen feeding in canopy, Treecreeper seen collecting food. (NH)
• 19th - Norbury (Pollards Hill South): 1 Buzzard over W chased by 2 Crows, 3 Swift, juv Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker.(MJN)
• 18th - Farthing Downs: Wheatear. (Stella Frost by email)
• 18th - South Norwood Country Park: Lesser Whitethroat, 27 Whitethroat, 8 Reed Warbler. (JAH)
• 18th - Norbury (Pollards Hill South): 8 Magpies squabbling on lawn with interjections from 2 Carrion Crow??, 1 Swift over, Blackcap singing (MJN)
• 16th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): At long last, first Swift of the year heard (not seen) over the garden. Long overdue. (JB)
• 16th - Shirley (Devonshire Way): 2 Egyptian Goose (over); 9 Canada Goose (over); 4 Herring Gull (over); 2 House Sparrow (m); 2 Long-tailed Tit; Great Spotted Woodpecker. (KW)
• 16th - Lloyd Park: 2 Linnets (in scrub near Cedar School sports pitches). (J.Kirby)
• 16th - South Norwood Country Park: Common Sandpiper (thanks, Sarah), Lesser Whitethroat. (JAH)
• 15th - South Norwood Lake: 5 Canada Goose goslings - I believe they hatched on 2nd May as the nest on the small island contained a lot of broken shells and the goslings were still only about a foot away from the nest. (Alan Simpkins).
• 15th - Shirley (Devonshire Way): Grey Heron (on roof), 3 Mallard, House Martin (low over), House Sparrow, 2 Goldfinch, 2 Long-tailed Tit, 2 Herring Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker. (KW)
• 15th - Millers Pond: 25 Canada Goose with 14 goslings, 8 Mallard with 9 ducklings of various sizes, 10 Tufted Duck, 4 pairs of nesting Coot with 5 young, 3 Moorhen, approx. 40 Feral Pigeon, Chiffchaff singing, 2 Starling, 6 Goldfinch, 4 House Sparrow. (KW)
• 15th - South Croydon allotments, 1215: Hobby (Nigel G Harris)
• 15th - Norbury (Pollards Hill South): 2 Long-tailed tit collecting down feathers from Woodpigeon fight (MJN)
• 14th - Shirley (Devonshire Way): 3 House Sparrow with 3 fledglings, 2 Dunnock with 2 fledglings, Great Spotted Woodpecker, troupe of 10 Magpie. (KW)
• 14th - Purley (Lower Barn Road): 1 male and 1 female Bullfinch on feeder. 09.20 am. (NH)
• 13th - Selsdon: 5 Swifts over Birdwood Close at 16:35 and c20 Jackdaws chasing off a Sparrowhawk at 17:00. (Roger Amer by email)
• 13th - Millers Pond: Mandarin (m); 3 pairs of Canada Goose with 15 young goslings; 2 Egyptian Goose with 3 fully grown goslings; 5 pairs of Tufted Duck. (KW)
• 13th - Shirley (Devonshire Way): 7 House Sparrow (3m, 1 f)) including 3 new fledglings, 8 Starling, 2 Goldfinch feeding on lawn, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Greylag Goose (over), 6 Mallard (over). (KW)
• 12th - Shirley (Devonshire Way): 3 Swift, 5 House Sparrow including 2 fledglings. (KW)
• 12th - South Norwood Country Park: 1 Reed Warbler (Dave Thrussell)
• 13th - Norbury (Pollards Hill South): Juvenile Robin, 2 Goldfinch, 2 Greenfinch on feeder, 6+ house Sparrow inc juvs, 1 Swift over.(MJN)
• 11th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) (10.45am): Whitethroat singing on rlwy land (GH)
• 11th - Shirley (Devonshire Way): Kestrel, 2 House Sparrow, 2 Long-tailed Tit, 2 Swift; Common Buzzard, territorial battles between rival pairs of Dunnocks and Blue Tits really heated up today and then spilled over into the harassment of a fully fledged but juvenile Robin. (KW)

  

  Cygnets at SNCP by Dave MacMillan

• 11th - South Norwood Country Park: Pair Mute Swan with 8 cygnets (2 of which appear to be 'Polish') (DMac, Sarah Woodcock et al (thanks JAH)
• 11th - South Norwood (Cypress Road): At 19:45 a Tawny Owl flew from direction of Beaulieu Heights to gardens behind south side of Auckland Road. (Alan Simpkins)
• 10th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): Sparrowhawk hunting over garden a couple of times during the day. (JB)
• 10th - Shirley (Devonshire Way): 2 House Sparrow; Great Spotted Woodpecker; 4 Starling; 2 Long-tailed Tit. (KW)
• 10th - South Norwood Country Park: 2 Dunnock, male Pheasant, 5 Long Tailed Tit, 4 common Whitethroat, 1 lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Wren, 2 Heron, female Kestrel (Hugo Brailsford + Vicki Gilham)
• 10th - Norbury (Pollards Hill South): 3 Swifts local (MJN)
• 9th - Croydon (Woodmere Avenue football pitches): Red Kite, Lesser Whitethroat (London Bird Club - Steven Robinson) Presumably, Ashburton Playing Fields. (Admin)
• 9th - South Croydon Allotments: 8 Swift. (Nicola Hunt)
• 9th - Selsdon (Birdwood Close): 3 Swifts at 17:25. (Roger Amer by email)
• 9th - Hutchinson's Bank: 2 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 1 Red Kite, 1 Bullfinch, 1 Common Whitethroat, 1 Collared Dove 3.00 to 4.00pm (NH).
• 9th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns): c5 Swifts feeding medium high/locally all day (GH)
• 9th - Riddlesdown: 1 House Martin flying over 7.10am (NH)
• 9th - Shirley (Devonshire Way): Swallow (over - first seen at this location in 45 years of looking); Mallard; House Sparrow. (KW)
• 9th - Norbury (Pollards Hill South): 3 Swift local @18.00. (MJN)
• 8th - Shirley (Devonshire Way): Swift (over); 2 House Martin passed low through garden (the first seen at this precise location since the small colony in the road fizzled out in the late 1980s/early 1990s); Great Spotted Woodpecker; 2 Herring Gull (over); 2 House Sparrows (repeating last year's pattern where a very small number appeared in breeding season, where once, they were omnipresent.). (KW)
• 7th - South Norwood:(Kings Road) 19:00 Mistle Thrush, 19:10 Pied Wagtail(over) (JW)
• 7th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): Sparrowhawk patrolling overhead. (JB)
• 7th - Happy Valley: 2.00 -3.30pm. 20 Swifts feeding and 1 Swallow, 1 Buzzard, 1 Sparrowhawk and 1 Red Kite. (NH)
• 7th - Purley Way playing fields - Buzzard flew over from Roundshaw Downs side mobbed by a crow. Continued east over the adjoining Pampisford Road allotments (Simon Harris)
• 7th - Norbury (Pollards Hill South): 1 Swift N @09.00 (MJN)
• 6th - Location undisclosed: Firecrest present. (Admin)
• 6th - Millers Pond: 5 Egyptian Goose (pair with 3 well grown young), 20+ Canada Goose including a brood of 5 goslings, Moorhen including one young bird, Coot including a brood of 5 chicks and 3 occupied nests, 10 Tufted Duck (5 pairs). (John & Carol Birkett)
• 6th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): Mistle Thrush singing at dawn. (JB)
• 6th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) (7.30pm): pair of Tufted Ducks circling medium high overhead, then NW towards SN Lake (GH)
• 6th - Wandle Park: 10+ Swifts (Sue Henning)
• 6th - Waddon Ponds: 2 Mute Swan with 7 cygnets (Andrew Moncrieff)
• 5th - South Norwood Country Park: 3 Green Woodpecker, 3 Dunnock, male Pheasant, Whitethroat, Blackcap, 2 Swift, Wren + bonus lovely juvenile Robin (Hugo Brailsford + Vicki Gilham)
• 5th - Norbury: First Swift over (5.45pm). One juvenile House Sparrow and one juvenile Robin in garden. (SEC)
• 5th - Norbury: A commotion going on this morning with 2 Crows trying to mob a Magpie. Came out of front door a couple of hours later to find a dead magpie on pavement. (SEC)
• 5th - Riddlesdown: Willow Warbler heard in quarry, 3 Common Whitethroat by Warlingham Court Farm 12.30-1.00pm. (NH)
• 5th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) (11am): Sparrowhawk over & male Kestrel hunting on rlwy land; group of 3 Swifts medium high W (2.30pm) (GH)
• 5th - Wandle Park: Spotted Flycatcher (Sue Henning)
• 3rd - Riddlesdown: Kestrel. (Lucinda Offer by Twitter)

  

  Kestrel by Lucinda Offer

• 3rd - South Norwood Country Park: 4 Greylag goslings, Peregrine, Goldcrest, 5 Reed Warbler, Pied Wagtail. (JAH) 2 Whitethroat, 4 Long Tailed Tit, 2 Blackcap, 2 Dunnock, Swift, female Kestrel perched and scanning for prey (Hugo Brailsford), Wheatear (female) on Arena. (DMac & Sarah Woodcock)
• 2nd - Top of Croham Hurst: Treecreeper making it's progress from uprooted tree roots to branches searching for insects.
• 2nd - Happy Valley: (about midday) Red-legged Partridge in crop field next to pine wood close to road. (J.Shaub)
• 2nd - South Norwood Lake: (about 12.30) Nuthatch in woods flying in and out of ivy covering large tree (nesting ?). 9 Starlings on playing field, Pied Wagtail on cricket pitch. Carrion Crow with stolen egg (small, cream coloured) on playing field. Flock of about 16 Blue Tits in Cypress Road. (Alan Simpkins)
• 1st - Croham Hurst Golf Club. Female Wheatear near 2nd tee, 4 Swallows passing north, 1 Buzzard soaring, Blackcap and Chiffchaff singing.