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...

24 April 2010.

Robin.

Best shot of the Garden warbler.

Mallards sitting out on the edge of the pitches.

Blackcap singing beside the lido.

Mystery bird.

A first Swallow drifted low across the Triangle and the singing Garden warbler has returned to the pond for it's fourth year, I think. Blackcaps are singing everywhere and several encouraging results with the Robins and two new additions to the list were the highlights of a brief but productive walk this morning.

Looking for the Green and Lesser spotted woodpeckers in the woods surrounding the Triangle I saw my first Swallow of the year drift through the willows. A Jackdaw was calling in the old trees and a Chiffchaff and Willow warbler were singing side by side in Streatham Wood. Over head were three Shoveler (lido) and two Grey herons with one one the pond. Blackcap were singing beside the lido, Cafe wood and the pond. Three females were seen and a bold male was seen sitting out on a bush on the path beside Cafe wood. Why are they called after the male and not Browncap after the female?

As predicted the singing Garden warbler has returned to the pond. Moving around the eastern wooded area. This same bird has reportedly been coming back to the same spot for the previous three years. Unfortunately, the trusting Egyptian geese seem to have lost another chick.

>4 House martins and a Sparrowhawk over Clalpham Common.

17-18 April.

Sunset over the pond.

A Chiffchaff feathering the nest.

Green woodpecker, oh if it was sharp...

Greylag on the pond.

Trees beside the pond. Canon have generously lent me a lens to experiment with. Above: an architectural lens gives an unusual perspective on a wooded area and also of the pond.

With the current work load, visits to the common haven't been as frequent as desired, but brief walks on Saturday and Sunday were rewarding with sightings again of all three woodpeckers and warblers over from Africa. It is a great time of year with nesting birds, beautiful blue skies and the flowers and blossom coming into bloom.

The Triangle seems to be the area for the woodpeckers at the moment with cracking views of all three species and Blackcap and Chiffchaff were singing beside the railway line. Song thrushes are also more evident, being seen on both sides of the tracks...

Five Greylag stopped briefly on the pond on Saturday before heading off and a young Grey heron was in the reeds, another flew over as did five Herring gulls. The Egyptian geese have four chicks, they had five to start with but one was apparently killed by a dog. The male swan is very aggressive, the female is on a nest and the Canada geese are getting it. A pair of Chiffchaffs seem to be nesting very close to the path by the pond and a male Blackcap was singing his heart out, drawing in a female that was seen close by. All the birds are very active at the moment, courting, feeding young or nest building. The Robins have paired off and have become secretive conversely the Dunnocks, usually more skulking are singing out in the open in good numbers. Willow warblers were heard singing by the pond, in Streatham wood and also in Graveney wood.

List additions:

52. Willow warbler
53. Blackcap

14 April, Kensington Gardens, looking for owls.

Friend and colleague Cavan helped me find the owls and sent over this sequence of pictures of a Sparrowhawk taking a Starling under pressure from a crow. It came down low over our heads before taking it's prey about 20 metres from us. Pretty dramatic stuff and far superior to my efforts. In the middle photo you can see the Starling clearly and blood coming from its face. Pretty gory...

One of the adults having a scratch.

Two of the four owlets.

Having heard so much about the Tawny owls in Kensington Gardens and the owlets, I finally succumbed and paid a visit. Combining it with work, the paper seems to be increasingly fond of all things avian, it seemed a fair shout to give it a punt. I had pretty good directions and after about 15 minutes I found one of the adults and not long after four of the chicks. Glad I didn't leave it any longer to visit as the leaves on the trees (no pun intended) were growing by the minute and surely it will soon be difficult to locate them. It was a glorious afternoon and while watching the owls, Cavan spotted a Treecreeper on a near by tree and as mentioned above, a Sparrowhawk took a Starling very close by.

11 April 2010.

Lesser spotted woodpecker.

Great spotted woodpecker.

A singing Dunnock by the pond.

The first Robin I photographed on the Common. Not seen for some time but recognised by the feather scarring around the eye.

In an attempt to make up for missing out on the glorious weather on Saturday, an early start was had on the Sunday. Not as sunny or warm, though it did brighten later with the highlight of two additions to the list. A male Blackcap was heard singing beside the railway line over on the Balham side and this is after a Willow warbler heard singing by the pond during a brief excursion last week.

Most of the walk around was occupied with photographing the woodpeckers, Great and a Lesser spotted again. At least one Green was heard but seen only briefly in Streatham Wood. Also seen there was Peter White, who had had a couple of Blackcaps and reported a friend as having seen a Firecrest over between Cafe Wood and Dr Johnson's Avenue at the start of the weekend.

Half a dozen Chiffchaffs were heard singing, from all areas and I found and old friend by the pond. Otherwise, all was pretty much as normal. Peter also noted that the owls seemed to have gone, which is apparently normal, as the seem to disappear to breed and return again in September...