23 March, Spring is here.

First of the year, a Chiffchaff.

What can I say...

A singing Wren, silhouetted in Graveney Wood.

Great spotted woodpecker, Graveney Wood.

Moving and decorating has been consuming a lot of time and until this morning it has been mainly overcast and drizzly. It was pretty quiet walking through Graveney Wood, though a Wren was giving it full welly with the singing and a Green woodpecker was feeding on the ground in the middle of the running track. Two Great spots were seen again, one feeding and flitting between the trees very low to the ground. A pair of Long-tailed tits were looking for a nest site as a Sparrowhawk was seen gliding over the trees. Remembering sparrows, over 12 House sparrows were seen around Furzedown on the way over to the common. But the highlight of the morning's walk was 1+ Chiffchaffs beside the pond, the first of the Spring migrants seen this year.

How does a little bird fly so far? Chiffchaffs, named after their song are tiny, around the size of a Blue tit. They are usually one of the first migrants to arrive, coming from Europe and West Africa, though a number do winter over and there was one in the garden in December. One bird was feeding in the bushes beside the reeds on the pond and the same or another was heard calling not very far away. Also beside the pond, 4 Redwings dropped in to the trees, though the group of 60 seem to have moved on. A Pied wagtail flew over N and a Song thrush was singing from the top of the dead tree. Mistle thrushes again beside the running track and another pair of Long-tailed tits were looking for a nest in the birches. A Great spot was heard drumming from the island on the pond and 6+ Dunnocks were flying around.

On the way to B&Q, a Sparrowhawk was seen buzzing around just above the trees at the junction of Trinity and Burntwood roads, Wandsworth Common.

First day of Spring

Everybody's favourite, the Robins, all seem to be doing well by the pond.

Two tone trees after rain on the common.

The ubiquitous Black kite, Karachi, Pakistan.

Believe it or not, but after nearly a month in Pakistan it was great to get back to the common. Officially, the Winter has now gone and Spring is here, though you would ever had noticed on Saturday morning but this is England.

Pakistan was work but I did get a mornings birding in the Margalla hills at the edge of Islamabad. Using binoculars, as my 70-200 lens was broken, I was able to identify more species than usual and saw one of my favourite birds. A Lemon-rumped warbler, closely related and almost identical to the more familiar Pallas' warbler. I have yet to add up the species tally and Margalla is a terrific place for birds. The foot hills to the Himalayas, they rise up on the edge of the Pakistani capital to several thousand feet and birds are everywhere. Three species of Bulbul, notably Himalayan, and Grey hooded warbler were some of the most audibly abundant species. The Grey hooded warblers may migrate through, as back in November 2008, only a couple were seen. Hume's warblers were also seen in the car park to the Jinnah Supermarket and our guest house garden. Other favourites were a stunning looking Chestnut thrush, a chestnut bodied, grey headed Blackbird, Rusty tailed flycatcher and a Fulvous breasted woodpecker, which was probably the rarest bird.

Though not quite as exotic, a Goldcrest was calling in the grounds of the school (Graveney), the first since before the start of the winter and a good bird to start the walk with. It seems the general view that the winter was terrible for Goldcrests. Being Spring, March 20th is officially the first day of the new season, the Wrens, Dunnocks and Robin's were all actively singing. Blackbirds, Wrens and Long-tailed tits were all seen in pairs with nesting material. The woodpeckers were generally quiet, though a pair of Great spots were seen in Graveney Wood and a Green was heard. Another Great spot was drumming on the pond island, no Lesser spots unfortunately.

Peter White, who was also doing the rounds said he had heard from a fisherman by the pond, that a Water rail and been seen on the pond's edge a few weeks ago. Peter also hadn't seen the Lesser spots for a bit. The Redwings were still around, a group of 60+ along Doctor Johnson's avenue. They were extremely noisy and preparing for the off. There are also one or two Mistle thrushes down by the car park and Pochard on the pond is of note. Otherwise it was pretty quiet, the migrants have still to come...