30 December

Huge pull up of the Lesser spotted woodpecker

Little owl high in a tree and a crop of the same photo below

Trees and a very small Starling

Robin

Mute swan on ice

HOT NEWS, well hottish. Not the weather, it has rained without remorse for two days. What is news are the sightings of a Lesser spotted woodpecker and Little owl. Britain's smallest woodpecker and smallest owl both on the common is a fantastic surprise. The 'Lesser spot' is an increasingly rare bird nationally and is in steep decline. The BBC reported in 2005 that this diminutive woodpecker's numbers had fallen by 80% in the preceding 30 years. It has also been given Red Status by the RSPB, its highest conservation priority. The Little owl is not as scarce but is a rare thing in Tooting.

Observing the 'Lesser spot' was the common's bird recorder, Mr Peter White. A find in itself as the recorder explained that this is one of the common's speciality birds as well as another, the Little owl, kindly suggesting a likely tree to look in. Helpfully, Little owls are diurnal and like to warm themselves in the sun. (It was Brian who found it using some characteristic lateral thinking.) The tame Robins by the pond are fairing well and seem unperturbed by people and dogs in the main and are eating the food that's being put out, sharing it with the pigeons, Moorhens and some of the geese.

Windy and cloudy on the 27th, frosty, bright and clear on the 28th. Pond: Shoveler numbers on up to 12 on the 28th, Black headed gull 130+, 2 Common gull and 2 Herring gull over, 8 Redwing over (NW) 27th, 20+ over (N) 28th, 1 male Chaffinch. 6 Robins, 2 Wren and a Dunnock. Song thrush on the 28th. Furzedown: 6 Fieldfare over 27th, 6+ House sparrow (not counting garden), fox on the bowling green. Graveney wood: 16 Blueter, 12 Greater, 2+ Long tailed tits, 5 Blackbird, 3 wren and a male Sparrow hawk. Great spotted and Green woodpeckers, Nuthatch and another male Chaffinch also seen around and double figures of Blueters and Greaters. Little owl takes the list total to 49.

23 December

A very frosty morning and the pond was mostly frozen over. This didn't seem to bother the Shoveler too much (now up to seven) as they seemed to feed in ever increasing circles. I took a little seed for the Robins and was disappointed not to see my friend, the particularly tame Robin. I hope the cold hasn't had him or her... The rest of the Robins seemed to be in their usual positions. I counted six around the pond last Friday and I found five today. Got a new species today, Redwing (eight flew over around 11. am), this takes us up to 47.

17th December

I couldn't resist getting up and looking for the Robins this morning. It is a bit of a cliche but thought a Robin in the snow had to be done. There wasn't that much snow that settled but there was enough and a couple of snow showers added to a good morning. As well as the Robins I spent some time trying to photograph some of the other birds around the pond and to my surprise a walker fed the heron (5 Pilchards) and said he'd been doing so everyday for over two years...

No new species to add to the list but of note were: 2 Great-spotted woodpeckers, Sparrowhawk, 12 Long-tailed tits, 4 Shoveler, 2 Common gull, 45+ Black-headed gull, 6 Goldfinch, Greenfinch.

16th and 17th December

It has been very cold these past two days and there was a frost yesterday morning which remained until mid morning, there were a couple of snow showers later in the day but it didn't settle. It is due to snow again tomorrow, fingers crossed. I have been trying to get some decent photos of the bold Robins beside the pond. Both are very tame with one particularly brave. Sometimes coming too close to the lens for me to focus. While there, I had a little look around the pond. A Grey heron has been present and the Shoveler are now up to three, Black headed gull numbers have also increased to between 45-50 today.

12th December

I have been away for the past few weeks in Sri Lanka and today was the first stroll around the common. The weather has turned and it is definately colder. As for the birds, there were lots of Great Tits, Blue Tits and two groups of Long tailed tits. There are several tame Robins beside the pond, they are one of my favourite birds to photograph, probably because they are so bold and hence the number of photos above. I have also posted a couple of photos which sum up the sort of morning it was. There were eight Cormorant perched in trees above the pond (yesterday) and a lone Shoveler which is a new one to the list as was a Common gull. Brian said he had already seen the Shoveler and also a Song thrush, so that's three all told taking the list to 46 species. There were also 30 Black Headed gulls on the pond. Walking back towards Clairview road there was a group of three very active Great spotted woodpeckers.