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.

Sightings w/c 5th Nov

Staying South:

Dulwich Park: bird of the week goes to Shoveler with a pair on the lake (9th) and one on Belair Park lake (7th). Also 4 Lesser Redpoll calling over and alighting briefly on birches (11th). Plus Sparrowhawk, Green Woodpecker, Mistle Thrush, Goldcrest.

New Cross Gate: 1 Redwing SW over station (9th) 

Peckham Rye Common: 1 Fieldfare (6th) and 1 Common Gull, c50 Starling.

Sydenham Hill Wood: Coal tit 7+, Goldcrest c18, Magpie 7, Jay 6, Carrion Crow 3, Green Woodpecker 2, GSW 4, Long-tailed tit c27, Great tit 12+, Blue tit 11+,  Sparrowhawk 2/3, Nuthatch 5, Robin, Wren, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Ring-necked parakeet, Dunnock (all 8th)

Telegraph Hill Park lower: 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Mistle Thrush (5th) 

Around town:

There was a Chiffchaff singing at Camley Street Natural Park (Kings Cross) early on Friday morning - not something you often hear in November in the middle of London. Any thoughts why this might be?! Several Fieldfare were near New Addington (Croydon) on 6th with 2 Kestrels and a Common Buzzard. There were two more Common Buzzards over Saltbox Hill (Biggin Hill Airfield) on the 8th.

Probable juvenile Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) with heavy moult on primaries? Hutchinson's Bank nr New Addington, 6/11/12. Photo (PB)

Sightings by Dave, Martin, Daniel, Lisa, Pete. Thanks all!

South London: Where the birds are?

Apologies for the lack of updates recently, no excuses save the usual. So what has south London's premier crew of  part time birders been up to these last few months? Well to a man, we've been busy not seeing much of anything really. Except Goldcrests, if there's one thing we can do, it's them. Oh and Jays. Lots of jays.

So summer slipped by and the late season migration brought a scattering of birds to the area. Hobbies made their annual appearance through the latter half of September, seen well in Brockley, Sydenham Hill Wood and the Forest Hill area. South Norwood had Whinchat and a good smattering of common warblers. Of the latter, chiffs were common and there were a good few willows too, including one at the LWT Centre for Wildlife Gardening in Peckham. Common Whitethroat and Spotted Flycatcher popped up at Nunhead Cemetery finally and that's about as much as I can remember. A lot of time was spent casting envious glances across the river. Wanstead birders have stepped it up a notch it seems, well played to them, there's is a truly eye-watering list.

But with summer gone and autumn blurring into winter, it's been marginally better. An autumn viz mig session at Dulwich golf course, a week or two back, bought streams of woodies going west and small numbers of Redwing. Siskin and Lesser Redpoll have moved in again, both seen on numerous occasions in Dulwich Park w/c 22nd October. Chaffinch numbers are up, along with previously mentioned goldcrests but has anyone found a Firecrest yet? Nope. Of Ring Ouzels there was lots of banter and wishful thinking but save a bird reported in Brockwell Park, no one hit the jackpot.

We might bemoan our luck at times but despite south London coming off as the poorer cousin of the North and East, maybe it's worth considering the differences in the habitats on offer. This is a beautiful, green pocket of the capital and I wouldn't live anywhere else, but with patches largely dominated by ancient/secondary woodland and tightly managed suburban parks, there is little room for areas of grassy scrub or water. In terms of bird diversity, that means we might fall a bit short. Still, to see owls and birds of prey alongside dozens of other species within a short walk of home is a privilege in a city like this. Now, back to work. Stay tuned.