Whit Monday

Man and dog.

Swan and a Tufted duck.

This and above, swift over the pond.

Sometimes when you're really not in the mood you take a couple of snaps you like and it makes it all worth while...

Dull and overcast. Other sightings: Mute swan over east, 20+ swift circling over pond.

9th May

Mystery bird...

Farm duck with Farm duck x Mallard chicks early in the week.

Mallard.

Another two new ones this morning, a Hobby and a Reed warbler! Both Summer migrants from Africa and good finds in south London. I saw the Hobby fly low and hard heading north through the back of the Triangle and Peter found the Reed warbler singing in the same place the Sedge had been earlier in the week. It was a coldish overcast morning but Blackcaps were out in force with at least a dozen singing males. Two Chiffs (not including a pair nesting by the pond) but only one Willow warbler. Sparrowhawk and Jackdaw on the Triangle. Not sure what is predating the chicks on the pond, but the Farm ducks brood is down from 4 to 1... Peter also saw a female Garden warbler with the male so hopefully they'll breed.

May day weekend.

An artistic view of the Red crested pochard on the pond.

Green trees in Streatham Wood.

The London Natural History Society, looking at a Sparrowhawk on Wandsworth Common.

Three outings this weekend and three firsts. Two firsts for the common and potential first of the year for England. And why after a long cold walk in the rain does the sun come out as soon as you get in?!

The weekend started on Wandsworth Common where Peter White had an organised walk with the London Natural History Society. Brian and I went along. It was a good turn out and our first time on Wandsworth Common. More landscaped than Tooting and it was fairly busy. The highlight of the walk was undoubtedly the cracking views of Spotted flycatcher, over from Africa and a species in serious decline. It has since been reported that this may be the first record in England this year though others may go unreported.

With a view to finding something equally exciting on Tooting Common, I was up at the crack on Sunday only to hear a heavy downpour. So I went to Ikea instead... The rain persisted until the afternoon and welcoming a distraction from self assembly furniture, I took advantage of a lull in the rain to have a scout outside. Pretty wet and quiet, though a few Blackcaps and Chiffs were singing. A Sparrowhawk was chasing parakeets over the Triangle (no sign of the LSW) and a lone Swift drifted over against the cloudy sky (a group was seen over Wandsworth), a first here for the year though. It was generally quiet all over, though I heard my first Whitethroat at the back of the pond. On my way back, I saw a familiar bird, it took a second to register, a pair of Red crested pochard. These birds, once unusual visitors, have settled and become feral, breeding in London. But speaking to Peter later, he told me he'd never seen them on the common.

Getting up this morning to see if they were still there, I bumped into Peter and John on route, who said that though the pochard had gone, they had found a better bird, a singing Sedge warbler! Though singing well in the reeds beside the pond, it was elusive, probably because of the wind. Another new one for the common and for the Recorder too. Brighter than yesterday, Balckcaps and another Swallow flew though, unfortunately, the Egyptian geese now seem to have lost all their chicks...