April 2023

*30th - Happy Valley: 1 Yellowhammer singing in valley bottom, Whitethroat. (NH)
*30th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): Sparrowhawk circling over. (JB)
*30th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) (4.45pm): group of at least 5 Swifts circling very high over Goat House Bridge area (GH)
*30th - South Norwood Lake: (07:05:08:45) 15 Canada Goose (1 on nest), 2 Egyptian Goose, 14 Mallard, 18 Tufted Duck (9m/9f), 4 Great Crested Grebe (1 on nest), 1 Cormorant, 10 Moorhen, 17 Coot (2 on nests), 2 imm Herring Gull (over), 5 Stock Dove, 4 Collared Dove, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 House Martins over lake for 5 mins, 1 Pied Wagtail (bowling green), 2 Song Thrush, 5 Blackcap, 7 Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrest , 4 Long-Tailed Tit (2 feeding young at 1 nest site), 1 Coal Tit, 2 Nuthatch, 1 Jay, 6 House Sparrow, 2 Goldfinch (JW)
*30th - South Norwood Country Park: 2 Mute Swan, 8 Greylag Goose + 3 young, 2 Egyptian Goose + 5 young, 4 Canada Goose young, Cormorant, 4 Little Grebe, 2 Great Crested Grebe, Lesser Black-backed Gull, 16 Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, 5 Reed Warbler. (JAH) 
*29th - South Croydon Allotments: singing and visual of Whitethroat (NH)
*29th - Riddlesdown: Red Kite over. (Purley Birds)
*29th - South Norwood (Penge Rd area) (c12 noon): 3 Swifts through medium high, 2 >W, 1>E (JW/GH)
*28th - Purley: Hoopoe in a private garden. No further info. (per Surrey VC WhatsApp Group)
*27th - Beddington Farmlands: White Stork heading SE potentially into Croydon. (Jack Bartley)
*26th - South Norwood Lake: 1 Great Crested Grebe chick has hatched so far, 2 adult Great Crested Grebes, Swallow, Dunnock. (L Offer)
*26th - Kings Wood: 1 Wood Warbler, 1 Willow Warbler, 2+ Treecreeper. (JB et al)
*26th - South Croydon (Ellenbridge Way): Kestrel. (Judith Johnson)
*25th - Riddlesdown: Including part of BBS count. Singing Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Bullfinch, Swallow heading north, 3+ Song Thrush, good number of singing Chiffchaff and Blackcap, several Skylark. (JB)
*25th - Kings Wood: Part of BBS count. 1 Stock Dove singing, 4 Great Spotted Woodpeckers drumming, 2 Goldcrest singing, 4+ Song Thrush. (JB)
*25th - Sanderstead: Chiffchaff singing near Sanderstead Pond, Pied Wagtail on cricket pitch. (JB)
*25th - Shirley (Devonshire Way): Swallow circling the house (first time I have ever witnessed this and a very welcome sight too); 5 House Sparrow (4m); 2 Goldfinch; pair of Coal Tit nestbuilding; 3 Starling feeding on lawn. (KW)
*25th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) (12pm): Buzzard flying/gliding very high overhead NE - SW, followed at 12.30pm by a (prob) female Sparrowhawk very high overhead, being mobbed by a Herring Gull, then rapidly W (GH)
*24th - South Norwood Lake (lakeside only)(09.25-10.20): 30 species, incl - c15 Canada Goose, 2 Egyptian Goose, c12 Mallard, 7 Tufted Duck (5m/2f), 2 Great Crested Grebe (on nest), 1 Cormorant, c15 Moorhen, c12 Coot (1 on nest), 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 Herring Gull, 1 Collared Dove, 2 Dunnock (singing), 2 Song Thrush (singing), 2 Blackcap (singing), 3 Chiffchaff (singing), 1 Nuthatch (singing), 6 House Sparrow, 2 Chaffinch (singing), 1 Greenfinch, 4 Goldfinch (singing) (GH)
*23rd - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) (3.15pm): Cormorant circling high overhead, then flew E (GH)
*23rd - Location undisclosed: Black Redstart singing, Peregrine circling around. (Admin)
*23rd - Wandle Park: Common Sandpiper flew from river onto the much depleted pond. 2 singing Blackcaps, at least two pairs of Stock Dove. Just one Moorhen and no Grey Wagtails. (JB)
*23rd - Waddon Ponds: Mute Swan pair appear to have recently built a new nest right next to the main path. Male Blackcap, singing Chiffchaff.
*23rd - South Norwood Country Park: 2 Mute Swan, 6 Greylag Goose, 6 Egyptian Goose + 5 goslings, two large Mallard broods have been reduced to just 3 & 2, 3 Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, 4 Lesser Black-backed Gull, Kestrel, Willow Warbler, 3 Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler (between platforms 1 & 2), Reed Warbler (big reed bed) + Chiffchaff and Blackcap in double figures. (JAH)
*21st - Central Croydon (Fairfield Halls): 2 Mallard flew over (11:10am) (L Offer)
*21st - Croham Hurst Golf Club, pm. Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler heard singing. Two Buzzards over Royal Russell. (RDHB).
*19th - South Norwood ( Towpath Way ) Blackcap singing over the railway.( Rob Wyllie).
*19th - South Norwood Country Park: Tawny Owl(m), Swallow, Whitethroat. (JAH)
*16th - Farthing Downs: 1 Buzzard, 1 Red Kite, Goldfinch, Linnet present in reduced numbers this year. Long Tailed Tit, 1 Nuthatch, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Raven distantly cronking. Skylark watch: 4 individuals present, 3 males and 1 female. No breeding activity detected but 2 individuals kept close together so probably a pair. (DH)
*16th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): Buzzard over at 14:30, then thermalled up before flying off to west. Chiffchaff singing briefly mid-afternoon. (JB)
*16th - Addiscombe: An incredible 91 House Sparrows counted during a BBS count this morning. With others away from the route, I must have seen/heard 100+ House Sparrows in the 1Km square centred on the site of the former home of Eliza Phillips, one of the founding mothers of the RSPB. (JB)
*15th - Sanderstead Pond: 1 Moorhen, 1 Chaffinch (m), 2 Goldfinch. (L Offer)
*15th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) (4.30pm): Buzzard spiralling/gliding high NE (GH)
*15th - Sanderstead: Osprey drifted west at 15:30, seen from Barnfield Road. (JB)
*15th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): Raven heard cronking in the distance. (JB)
*15th - Addiscombe Railway Park: 3 blackcaps singing (Alice King) 
*14th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) (1pm): Cormorant circling medium high, then W towards SNL; Chiffchaff & Blackcap singing intermittently, plus Green Woodpecker heard earlier (GH)
*13th - Sanderstead Pond: Coot. (Steve Fowles)
*13th - South Norwood Country Park: 1 Buzzard (NH)
*13th - New Addington (tram stop): 2 Goldfinch, 2 Collared Dove, 4 Starling. (L Offer)
*13th - Lloyd Park: Mistle Thrush, c.20 Stock Dove feeding on wet grass. (L Offer)
*13th - Addington Hills: Buzzard, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker (I think both male), Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Wren, Chiffchaff, Herring Gull, Robin, Long-Tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Blackbird, Magpie, Parakeet, Wood Pigeon. (L Offer)
*13th - Hutchinson's Bank: 2 Buzzard, Chiffchaff, Great Spotted Woodpecker. (L Offer)
*12th - South Norwood Country Park: Snipe, Tawny Owl, Willow Warbler. (JAH)
*11th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) (11.30am): Grey Heron flying low E towards SNCP (GH)
*11th - South Norwood Country Park: Little Egret, Common Buzzard, Snipe. (JAH)
*11th - St Andrews Rd, Coulsdon. 1 Buzzard circling overhead, a little further down a small community of House Sparrow persists. (DH)
*10th - Lloyd Park: Blackcap (m), Kestrel, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker (mating), Green Woodpecker (heard a lot but not seen), Treecreeper, 3 Greenfinch, Long-Tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Robin, House Sparrow, Magpie, Starling, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Wood Pigeon, Feral Pigeon, Parakeet. (L Offer)
*10th - St Andrews Rd, Coulsdon. 1 Sparrowhawk overhead, 2 Green finch calling from trees adjacent to nearby railway line. (DH) 
*10th - Farthing Downs: 4 Skylark in song, 3 Linnet, several Yellowhammer calling, 1 Red Kite overhead, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap in song, 2 Nuthatch, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker. (DH)
*10th - South Norwood Country Park: Grasshopper Warbler still present this morning. (Jon Shaub)
*9th - Betts Mead: 3-3.30pm 2 Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Green woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, 2 Jay, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blue tit, Dunnock, Wren, Blackbird, female Sparrowhawk, Stock Dove. (NH)
*9th - Norbury (Pollards Hill South): Blackcap singing in the garden, Chiffchaff singing nearby most a.m.(MJN)
*9th - Dollypers Hill: 2.30pm, Jay, 2 Chiffchaff. (NH)
*9th - South Norwood Country Park: Grasshopper Warbler reeling 6.15-6.30am in first copse along Moat Field path; seen briefly, 13 Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, 17 Blackcap. (JAH) Grasshopper Warbler still reeling late afternoon and a Snipe present. (Jon Shaub)
*8th - SE19 Upper Norwood Recreation Ground 0910: Osprey circling over (Will Rose via Nigel G Harris)
*8th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): Chiffchaff singing. (JB)
*8th - Norbury (Pollards Hill South):Blackcap singing in the garden (MJN)
*7th - Shirley (Devonshire Way): 2 Common Buzzard; Red Kite, Pheasant (f) (on roof), Jackdaw nestbuilding. (KW)
*7th - Park Hill Park: 4 chiffchaffs singing (Alice King) 
*7th - Wandle Park: Goldcrest, 3 Stock Dove, Canada Goose flying low over park. (Sue Henning)
*7th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) (2.15pm): Buzzard circling/drifting high S over SNCP area; plus Sparrowhawk circling/displaying (?) very high over rlwy land (GH)
*7th - Sanderstead (Blacksmiths Hill): Sparrowhawk over. (JB)
*7th - Sanderstead Pond: The pair of Canada Geese has returned, about a month later than usual. (JB)
*7th - Kings Wood: Several Nuthatch, Song Thrush singing, Mistle Thrush calling, Marsh Tit. (JB)
*7th - Riddlesdown: Several Skylarks around despite dogs not being able to read the notices (some of which have been torn down) and tell their owners they should be on leads and not running all over the fields. (JB)
*6th - Shirley (Devonshire Way): Red Kite being mobbed by Jackdaws (at around 11.00), Great Tit, Wren, Blackbird all involved in nest building activity. (KW)
*6th - South Norwood Country Park: 2 Teal, 2 Red Kite circling fairly low over lake 9am, Willow Warbler. (JAH)
*6th - South Norwood: Red Kite flew E to W roughly between SNCP and SNL at 11:55. (GH)
*5th - South Norwood Country Park: Redwing: (Jon Shaub)
*5th- South Norwood (Towpath Way) Coal Tit on garden feeders, Chiffchaff singing in next garden, Blackcap singing over the railway. (Rob Wyllie)
*5th - South Norwood (Kings Road): 08:50. Kestrel, singing Chiffchaff, (JW)
*4th - Farthing Downs: 4 Skylark singing. Unfortunately, also a drone being flown and multiple dogs off leads. (DH)
*4th - South Norwood Country Park: 8 Egyptian goslings. Also 2 people fishing at different points around the lake. (Jon Shaub)
*4th - Selsdon Wood: Tawny Owl and Chiffchaff at 7pm. (Roger Amer)
*4th - Beddington Farmlands: Great White Egret heading southeast and 18 Mediterranean Gulls heading east - both species potentially entering Croydon airspace. (Info from Surrey VC WhatsApp group)
*3rd - Purley (Lower Barn Road): Chiffchaff singing in woods (NH). 
*3rd - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) (12.45pm): Buzzard circling/gliding high E-W over rlwy land (GH)
*3rd - South Norwood Country Park: 2 Mute Swan, 13 Greylag Goose, 3 Egyptian Goose + 8 goslings, 4 Teal, Cormorant, Little Egret, 2 Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Water Rail, 3 Snipe, Kestrel, Willow Warbler, 4 Blackcap. (JAH) 
*2nd - Wandle Park: Chiffchaff, Stock Dove, Grey Wagtail. (Sue Henning)
*2nd - South Norwood Country Park: 2 Mute Swan, 6 Greylag Goose, 3 Egyptian Goose, 4 Teal, 3 Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Water Rail, Snipe, Swallow, 3 Willow Warbler, 3 Redwing. (JAH)
*1st - Coombe Wood: Grey Heron (by pond and in tree) (L Offer)
*1st - Addington Hills: Buzzard (flying low & landing in trees), Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Canada Geese (flew over), Jay, Parakeet, Magpie, Crow, Long-Tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit. (L Offer)
*1st - Lloyd Park: Peregrine, Kestrel, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, House Sparrow, Long Tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Song Thrush, Chiffchaff, Blackbird, Herring Gull, Jay, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Magpie, Grey Heron (flying over), Starling, Wood Pigeon, Robin, Parakeet. (L Offer)
*1st - Riddlesdown: 11.30 am. 5 Canada geese flew over towards Foxley Wood then flew back (NH)
*1st - Riddlesdown area: 2 probable Common Cranes heading SW (towards Coulsdon!) around 11am. (Gill Flinn)
*1st - Coulsdon: Common Crane reported circling over at 11am before heading west. (Roger Browne)