May 2022

*31st - Norwood Grove: Stock Dove, Greenfinch, Coal Tit, Pied Wagtail and Grey Wagtail (latter flying over). (NH)
*31st - Farthing Downs: 14 Swift above post 5 17.30 (SF)
*31st - Happy Valley: 5 Swift, Sparrowhawk (SF)
*31st - Shirley (Devonshire Way): Grey Heron in garden being mobbed by resident Carrion Crows. (KW)
*29th - Farthing Downs: Fledged Linnets (SF)
*29th - New Hill: Mistle Thrush back at nest site and 4 Swift flying over screaming (SF)
*29th - Kenley Common: Treecreeper singing (do not often hear them singing) (NH)
*29th - Happy Valley: Lesser Whitethroat singing. (NH)
*29th - Norbury (Pollards Hill South): 4 Swift together (probably local), 4 juvenile Goldfinch, 2 juv Greenfinch, 6 juv Great Tit on feeders. Pair, Great Spotted Woodpecker with 1 juv, 1 Stock Dove (MJN)
*28th - Riddlesdown: Tawny Owl chick perched by bridleway near entrance to Riddlesdown school at 20:15. (John Patterson)
*28th - Shirley (Devonshire Way): 2 Swift; 2 Greylag Goose (over); Common Buzzard; 6 Goldfinch very active (4 taking moss off of a rooftop); House Sparrow. (KW)
*28th - 19:55. CR2 6 overhead. Hobby. (RBHB)
*28th - Shirley (Freshfields) (10.30am): Little Egret flew low S to N over houses (Sheila Mason per GH)
*27th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns): Sparrowhawk low E over Gdns, 2 screaming Swifts low overhead, small group of Canada Geese &, separately, 1 Greylag calling very low overhead, Grey Heron (perched on a Gdns rooftop) being constantly mobbed for 10 mins by a raucous 30+ (thirty) Carrion Crows & 4 Magpies, before being forced to fly off N (GH)
*27th - South Norwood Lake: 3 swifts flew over around 16:00. Swooped low over water once to catch insects. (L Offer)
*27th - South Croydon station: 3 swallows flew over at 10:15. (L Offer)
*27th - Grangewood Park: Greater spotted woodpecker adult feeding a chick at a nest in a tree (L Offer)
*26th - Heathfield: Swallow around farm buildings. (Peter Phillips)
*26th - Shirley (Devonshire Way): 2 Swift; constant Goldfinch chatter overhead, all day; House Sparrow. (KW)
*25th - Croydon Big Day: 62 species over 15 hours and over a dozen sites. Highlights include Peregrine, Red Kite, Buzzard, Cetti's Warbler, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Reed Warbler, Grey Wagtail and a Swallow. (JB)
*25th - Shirley (Devonshire Way): 2 Swift over at 17.00; 5 at 20.30; Common Buzzard being mobbed by crow at 20.48. (KW)
*25th - Addington Village: Red Kite flying overhead in the afternoon. (Sam Davenport)
*24th - Farthing Downs: Lesser Whitethroat singing 09.48 nearest post number 5. 80+ Starlings 11.30 near fence north of car park (SF)
*24th - Shirley (Devonshire Way): 3 Swift high over. (KW)
*24th - Farthing Downs to New Hill: Over 30 species including singing Lesser Whitethroat, 6 Whitethroat, several Chaffinch and Linnet, 3 Skylark, 3 Yellowhammer, Stock Dove and Bullfinch heard from wood, Kestrel and 2 Buzzard being mobbed, 3 Swift over, 2 Bullfinch New Hill, Green Woodpecker and Great Spotted Woodpecker, good number of Greenfinch singing in Old Coulsdon (SF)
*23rd - South Norwood (Norwood Junction Station) (10:20) 6 screaming Swifts (JW)
*23rd - Millers Pond: 5 Tufted Duck; 2 broods of 11 Canada goslings; 6 Egyptian Goose (4 fully grown young); 4 adult Moorhen; 12 adult Coot with 10 young; juvenile Herring Gull; 2 Swift high overhead; trees very alive with the sound of newly fledged Starling; Blue Tit & House Sparrow. (KW)
*22nd - Shirley (Midholm Rd/Bennetts Avenue): screaming party of 6 Swift at 10.30; 5 more high over Devonshire Way at 20.30. (KW)
*22nd - Farthing Downs: early walk to check if Farthing Down Lesser Whitethroat moved to Riddlesdown but still singing until helicopter over (SF)
*22nd - Old Coulsdon; 3 Swift screeching between roofs at junction of the Crossways and Thornton Crescent (SF)
*22nd - South Norwood Country Park: 2 Swan + 2 young, 5 Greylag Goose + 7 young, 3 Egyptian Goose + 3 young, 4 Little Grebe, Lesser Black-backed Gull, 2 Swift, 2 Kestrel, Jackdaw, Cetti's Warbler, 6 Reed Warbler. (JAH) Male Swan trying to drown greylag gosling. Greylags putting some effort into stopping it. Gosling did look like it escaped onto dense part of island. Pretty brutal to watch. J.Shaub
*22nd - Riddlesdown: Lesser Whitethroat heard singing 08.00 am (NH)
*21st - Heavers Meadow: Red Kite over. (ValB tweet)
*21st - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) (9.25pm): Grey Heron heard flight-calling over Gdns (GH)
*21st - Farthing Downs: Lesser Whitethroat seen and heard, despite being close to 40 noisy Starling, 6 Yellowhammer, 6 Linnet, 1 Green Woodpecker, 7 Swift across area, Kestrel and Stock Dove heard from woods and fledged Long Tailed Tits. Also several Starling in New Hill and behind Chaldon Way (SF)
*21st - Addington: Nuthatches spotted nesting in woodland, at the same site they have been observed using for the last two years. (Sam Davenport)
*20th - Caterham Valley; Just outside Croydon but of interest House Martins are back at previous nest site (SF)
*20th - South Norwood Country Park: Garden Warbler in full song along Seasonal Path at 6.50am. (JAH)
*20th - Purley (Lower Barn Road): Fledged starling (arguing) and great tits (begging). Great Spotted Woodpecker picking off box bush caterpillars (though it won't save the box bush). (NH)
*19th - Addington Village: Buzzard soaring and being mobbed by crow. (Sam Davenport)
*19th - South Croydon Allotments - 1 grey Wagtail flew over and local swifts flying low around houses. (NH)
*19th - Farthing Downs 6.50pm: Lesser Whitethroat day 11 (SF)
*18th - Farthing Downs 7.15pm: No Lesser Whitethroat but Little Owl calling instead (SF)
*18th - Central Croydon, Park Lane area: 17:20 - pair of Red Kites flying roughly East to West, circling high over town centre for a few minutes. (L Offer)
*18th - South Norwood Lake: (07:15-09:15) 12 Canada Goose + total of 13 goslings, 5 Egyptian Geese, 12 Mallard, 11 Tufted Duck (7m/4f), 5 Great Created Grebe (1 pair at nest, 1 pair with 2/3young on back), 1 Cormorant (over), 10 Moorhen, 13 Coot, 1 Herring Gull, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 3 Stock Dove, 4 Collared Dove, 8 Swift round Lake, 1 Green Woodpecker, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Blackcap, 1 Coal Tit, 2 Jay, c20 Starling, 8 House Sparrow, 10 Goldfinch (JW)
*Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): Tawny Owl hooting around 22:30. (C E Birkett)
*17th - Devilsden Wood: 3 Buzzard overhead, 1 Treecreeper, 2 Nuthatch, 1 Stock Dove 'singing'. (DH)
*17th - Farthing Downs: Lesser Whitethroat still in same bush, Amazing Male Yellowhammers chasing each other by fence 4/5, 2 Whitethroat, 1 Skylark, few Linnet, Several Starling 30+, 1 Lesser Black Back Gull, Green Woodpecker heard, Song Thrush feeding young (SF) Additional to SFs sightings: 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 adult Mistle Thrush (perhaps on a mission from New Hill), 3 Goldfinch, 2 Greenfinch, 1 f Chaffinch, 1 Swallow, great to have seen that many Starling! (DH)
*17th - Wandle Park: 1 adult and 2 young Moorhen, 2 adult and 1 young Long-tailed Tit, Stock Dove singing. (JB)
*17th - Waddon Ponds: Pair Mute Swan with 6 cygnets, only 1 Canada Goose, 1 Egyptian Goose, 3 Little Grebe. (JB)
*17th - Addington Village: Buzzard circling and soaring overhead circa midday. Kestrel perching on church tower in the afternoon. Long Tailed Tits and Robin spotted in garden (Sam Davenport)
*16th - Purley Oaks centre: Grey Wagtail. (Purley Birds tweet)
*16th - South Norwood Country Park: 2 Mute Swan with 2 'normal' cygnets (DMac and Sarah Woodcock)
*15th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) (1pm): 6 Swifts feeding high overhead, Blackcap & Chiffchaff singing; (5.30pm): Green Woodpecker calling (GH)
*15th-Pollards Hill South-Hobby over W (High).2 Stock Dove pr.Great spotted Woodpecker on seed feeder.First of this years juvs. (2xGreat tit} MJN
*14th - Farthing Downs: Lesser Whitethroat still in same place as Tuesday (SF)
*14th - South Norwood: (Towpath Way) Red Kite over drifting east 1838hrs. (Rob Wyllie)
*14th - Wandle Park: 1 Swift, Moorhen and 4 chicks, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail. (Sue Henning)
*13th - Norbury (Pollards Hill South): First Swift of the year. (MJN)
*13th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): 7 Swifts screaming around rooftops. (JB)
*13th - Kings Wood: Marsh Tit singing, 3 Tawny Owls calling - 2 males and a juvenile. (JB)
*13th - Riddlesdown: 10+ Skylark, 6+ Whitethroat, Garden Warbler singing, Meadow Pipit with food, pair Linnet. Swallow over in the evening and 3 Goldcrest singing in Ainsley Berry Shaw. (JB)
*13th - Sanderstead Plantation: Mistle Thrush
*13th - South Croydon Allotments: 10 swifts calling and feeding high above allotment. (NH)
*13th - Farthing Downs: 6.30pm 7 Swift over (SF)
*13th - Old Coulsdon The Crossways; Pair Swifts above (SF)
*13th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) (10.30am): 3 seemingly local Swifts feeding low overhead & Blackcap, Chiffchaff (2), Song Thrush, Blackbird, Goldfinch & Greenfinch all in full song (GH)
*12th - Farthing Downs: 3 Yellowhammer full song, Whitethroat displaying, 2 Skylark, 8 Linnet, 1 Kestrel, 1 Swallow and the New Hill family of Mistle Thrush in Cowslip Field leading up to Downs. 2 Whitethroat in New Hill (SF)
*12th - Thornton Heath (Headcorn Road): Swifts returned today. (per Mick Russell)
*12th - Selsdon (Birdwood Close): 3 Swifts over, first of year. (Roger Amer)
*12th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): Today the crows alerted me to a passing Buzzard. (JB)
*12th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) (12.30pm): 1 Swift rapidly through low W, 2 Chiffchaffs & 1 Blackcap singing (5.30pm): 5 Swifts feeding very high W, 3 House Martins low S over Gdns (GH)
*12th - Shirley (Devonshire Way): 3 Swift low-ish over at 08.45 (my first this year) ; further bird at 12.10. (KW)
*11th - Shirley (Bennetts Way): Swifts heard. (Paula Moeckli)
*11th - Millers Pond: 5 Tufted Duck; 6 Coot chicks visible; 2 Moorhen chicks; 9 Canada goslings; 3 Mallard ducklings. With 19 adult Mallards present and some of the drakes now losing their breeding plumage, this looks like a very low return, compared to some years. Possibly something to do with the unphased-by-human-presence vixen patrolling the pond edge, together with the visible presence of rats, magpies, the odd heron and constant dogs, one of which recently maimed an adult Mute Swan. Also, very odd sight of a brutal stacked threesome with 2 Khaki Campbell ducks riding and attempting to drown Mallard drake, while themselves simultaneously being ridden and savagely pecked by a Coot. (KW)
*11th - Shirley (Devonshire Way): 2 Goldfinch; 2 House Sparrow; 2 Swallow (low over at 19.30). (KW)
*11th - Coulsdon South Station; 1 Swift (SF).
*11th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): 09:35. While sorting out bins, 2 crows alerted me to a raptor and eventually a Red Kite drifted slowly into view, then a Swift flew underneath it and shortly afterwards 2 Swallows flew through. (JB)
*11th - South Norwood Country Park: 2 Swift. (JAH)
*10th - Sanderstead: Sparrowhawk over Waitrose. (Steve Fowles)
*10th - Millers Pond: 4 broods of Coot totalling 11 chicks at various stages of development; 5 adult Moorhen with 3 chicks; 2 Mallard broods with 4 ducklings between them; 25 Canada Goose with 11 Goslings; 6 Egyptian Goose; 2 Tufted Duck; no sign of the Swifts and House Martins that used to frequent this area. (KW)
*10th - South Norwood Lake: 2 Mallard ducklings and 3 young Moorhens. Still 2 Coots and a Great Crested Grebe on nests. Young Egyptian Geese now flying over lake. (Alan Simpkins)
*10th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) (4pm): a single Swift, followed rapidly by 2 House Martins straight through medium high; Sparrowhawk (prob m) circling high overhead (GH)
*9th - Addiscombe: Swift. (Stephanie Offer)
*9th - Norbury (Croft Road); 2 Swifts. (Sue Collins)
*9th - Farthing Downs: Thank you DH, early walk located Lesser Whitethroat in bushes nearer Downs Road on left from car park direction, 4 Yellowhammer singing including 1 near Woodplace area, 4 Whitethroat but also 1 in New Hill and 1 by Ditches Lane Pond Happy Valley (2 very vocal Buzzards as well above pond) 4 Swallow Farthing Downs with another 1 on the wire Woodplace area, 3/4 Skylark, 4 Linnet, several Starling and Blackcap, 1 Green Woodpecker. 1 Mistle Thrush New Hill, 1 Stock Dove in the woods and several Songthrush singing across whole area (SF)
*9th - Shirley (Devonshire Way): 2 Goldfinch; 3 Mallard; Grey Heron (low over); 2 Herring Gull circling & calling; 8 Canada Goose over late. (KW)
*9th - Farthing Downs: 4 Skylark, 6 Linnet, 3 singing Yellowhammer, 2 Goldfinch, 1 Bullfinch, several Chiffchaff and Blackcap, 3 Whitethroat, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Little Owl calling (on the East boundary), 1 Kestrel, 2 Buzzard, 5 Starling maybe more. (DH)
*9th - Addington Village: Kestrel observed perching on church tower several times over the last few days. Red Kite spotted flying over the park at 7pm approx. (Sam Davenport)
*8th - Shirley (Devonshire Way): Red Kite; Common Buzzard mobbed by Jackdaws; 4 Herring Gull; 2 Goldfinch; constant Starling activity overhead. (KW)
*8th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) (7.30am): Whitethroat singing briefly & faintly at bottom of garden (GH)
*7th - South Norwood Country Park: 27 Whitethroat. (JAH)
*7th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns)(1pm): female Kestrel hovering over rlwy land for 5 mins (3pm): Green Woodpecker calling in Gdns (GH)
*7th - Farthing Downs: Chorus of Skylark 1, Whitethroat 3, Yellowhammer 2 and Linnet several and then male Wheatear 6pm, same spot, same bird from Thursday? (SF)
*7th - Happy Valley: 1 Whitethroat (SF)
*7th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): Alerted by crows to a Red Kite flying over. (JB)
*7th - Wandle Park: Whinchat, 2 Grey Wagtail, Sparrowhawk over. (Sue Henning)
*6th - Heathfield: Swallows feeding over the pond. (Lucinda Offer, tweet)
*6th - Sanderstead (Beechwood Road): At least 2, possibly as many as 4, Red Kites high over going NW. (Mike Earp)
*6th - Location undisclosed: Hobby. (Sue Henning)
*6th - South Norwood Lake: (07:15:09:15) 14 Canada Goose + 2 broods of 8 & 5, 5 Egyptian Goose, 12 Mallard, 10 Tufted Duck (6m/4f), 2 pairs Great Crested Grebe, 1 Cormorant, 14 Coot + 1 brood of 5, 10 Moorhen, 4ad/1imm Herring Gull, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 5 Stock Dove, 2 Collared Dove, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Dunnock (singing), 2 Song Thrush, 5 Blackcap, 4 Chiffchaff, 5 Long-tailed Tit (+family party of 7), 1 Coal Tit, 2 Jay, 8 House Sparrow, 3 Chaffinch (singing), 6 Goldfinch (JW)
*6th – Selsdon: Heron heading towards King’s Wood/Selsdon Park. (Roger Amer)
*6th – Selsdon Wood: Tawny Owl calling at 8:30pm. (Roger Amer)
*6th – Sanderstead: Egyptian Goose in Montana Close. (per Roger Amer)
*5th – Selsdon: 2 Red Kite heading towards King’s Wood at 7pm. (Roger Amer)
*5th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): Male Sparrowhawk circling low over garden. (JB)
*5th - South Norwood Lake: (1230) All 8 Canada Goose goslings now six days old and swimming/feeding well. 2 Cormorants, both catching fish. 4 or 5 Swallows over lake. (Alan Simpkins)
*5th - New Hill: Mistle Thrush family same spot (SF)
*5th - Farthing Downs: TWO Wheatear, one of each, 3pm again, same place white chalk patch where bushes removed. 5 Whitethroat, 3 Yellowhammer, 8 plus Linnet, 3 Swallow over. Also 1 Yellowhammer near Ditches Lane Pond (SF)
*5th - Coulsdon (no specific location): 1 or 2 Whinchat reported on BirdTrack from Birdguides, with no observer name. If anyone has information about this please let us know (Admin)
*4th - New Hill: 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Bullfinch calling but not observed, 1 Green Woodpecker, at least 6 Goldfinch in various spots, Blackcap and Chiffchaff, several Starling. (DH)
*4th - South Norwood Lake: (1230) Coot with 5 newly hatched chicks. Moorhen still has 2 chicks which are growing well. Unable to count Canada goose chicks as they kept pushing under adults wings. Great spotted woodpecker in tree by lake. Also Wren, 5 Herring Gulls and 2 Cormorant, one youngster with cream chest and 1 adult. Usually gone by May. (Alan Simpkins)
*3rd - Location undisclosed: Black Redstart singing, Peregrine. (admin)
*3rd - Farthing Downs: 2 Skylark, neither in the enclosure, 4 Whitethroat, 2 alarm calling, 2 in song, 3 Yellowhammer, several Chiffchaff and Blackcap, 2 Swallow over, 5 or 6 Starling, 1 Green Woodpecker heard, 5 or 6 Linnet. No Lesser Whitethroat heard so far this year. (DH)
*2nd - Park Hill (08:30): A flock of 5 - 6 Canada Geese flying S to N at about tree-top height seen passing about 500m to the west from Chepstow Rise. (John Parish)
*2nd - Shirley (Devonshire Way): flight of 13 Herring Gull; 2 House Sparrow; constant Starling activity overhead and on the ground; several Feral Pigeon display flying overhead; 3 Mallard; flight of noisy Canada Goose over at 20.56. (KW)
*2nd - Waddon Ponds: female mallard still with 13 ducklings, another female mallard with about 8 ducklings, several coot families with chicks & several still sitting on nests, a moorhen pair with at least 1 chick, mute swan sitting on nest with partner nearby, 2 little grebes, 2 Canada geese, 2 Egyptian geese, around 6 other mallards, 10+ starlings (L Offer)
*2nd - Rowdown Wood: Sparrowhawk perched in tree until seen off by 2 noisy parakeets, single Swallow over (part of a small movement observed on adjacent Layhams Farm, where there were also at least 14 Skylarks and a singing Lesser Whitethroat). (JB)
*2nd - South Norwood Country Park: 2 Lesser Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler singing and eventually showing Platform 2. (You were right, NH!) (JAH)
*1st - South Norwood Lake: (0730) Red Kite over SW > NE. (1300) 8 Canada Goose goslings (Hatched Thursday or Friday 28-29/4), Starlings nesting in roof of house in Auckland Road (Alan Simpkins)
*1st - South Norwood Country Park: 2 Mute Swan, 11 Greylag + 2 broods of 4 & 3, 4 Egyptian Goose + brood of 4, Little Egret, 4 Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull, Cetti's Warbler, 5 Reed Warbler. (JAH)