May 2024

*30th - Sanderstead Plantation: Sparrowhawk over mobbed by 4 parakeets. (JB)
*29th - Shirley (Devonshire Way): 2 Sparrowhawk; 2 Grey Heron; 3 Herring Gull; 10 Starling; Swift. (KW)
*27th - Shirley (Devonshire Way): Common Buzzard; 5 Herring Gull; 4 Swift; 2 Swallow over at 08.45 then another an hour later; 3 Mallard (over). (KW)
*26th - Shirley (Devonshire Way): Common Buzzard; Red Kite; Great Spotted Woodpecker; 2 Egyptian Goose, passing through; 3 Herring Gull; single Swift; newly fledged broods of Coal and Blue tits. Otherwise the skies were very quiet. (KW)
*25th - Coombe Wood: Grey Heron, Mallard, Moorhen, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Blackcap, Goldcrest. (L Offer)
*24th - Shirley (Devonshire Way): 2 Common Buzzard; Red Kite; Great Spotted Woodpecker; Herring Gull (on roof); House Sparrow; 6 Starling; Swift; Goldfinch. (KW)
*23rd - Millers Pond: 4 Tufted Duck; 2 Egyptian Goose with 3 large goslings; Canada Goose with single gosling; 7 Coot with 4 young of varying ages; 2 Moorhen. Walk in surrounding area failed to find any Swift activity in colonies around Bennetts Way and Shirley Way, though screaming pair seen late, engaged in courting activity, high over Bridle Road; several House Sparrow colonies; Chiffchaff; Jay; 4 Great Spotted Woodpecker including pair feeding very vocal chicks at nest site. (KW)
*23rd - Shirley (Devonshire Way): Common Buzzard; Great Spotted Woodpecker; single Swift over late. (KW)
*21st - South Norwood Country Park: Pair Mute Swan with 8 cygnets, also 2 Egyptian Goose + 3 goslings, Little Grebe, male Shoveler (unusual here at this time of year). (DMac)
*20th - Riddlesdown: Yellowhammer at Warlingham Court Farm area - first here for some years. (JB and Sue H)
*20th - Farthing Downs: 4 Rook, Yellowhammer, Skylark, Linnet, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 1 Sparrowhawk, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, C Whitethroat, GS Woodpecker, 3 Swift overhead, 1 Swallow, 1 Bullfinch. (DH) Also 1 Red Kite, several Swallows heading north, 2 singing Yellowhammers and at least one other seen. (JB and Sue H)
*20th - Old Coulsdon (Tollers Lane): Hobby flying fairly low towards New Hill at 12.30 (Stella Frost)
*20th - Kings Wood: 3+ Tawny Owls, Marsh Tit singing. (JB and Sue H)
*20th - South Norwood Country Park: Pair of Mute Swan with 8 cygnets (some potentially Polish morph), pair Egyptian Geese with three young. (JB and Sue H)
*20th - Coombe Wood: Sparrowhawk over. (JB and Sue H)
*20th - Location undisclosed: Singing Firecrest (JB and Sue H)
*20th - Location undisclosed: Peregrine at potential nest site (subsequently shown to have three eggs here). (JB and Sue H)
*19th - Central Croydon (south end of Park Lane): Red Kite, 2 Swift. (L Offer)
*19th - Kenley Common: 3 Linnet (including 1 juv), 1 Common Whitethroat. (Derek Kelly)
*18th - Shirley (Devonshire Way): 2 Swift screaming high over. (KW)
*14th - South Croydon (Whitgift Avenue): Wood Warbler singing. (Birdguides/London Bird Club)
*12th - New Hill by Tollers Lane: Garden Warbler (Stella Frost)
*12th - Stambourne Woodland Walk: Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch (heard), Blackcap, Collared Dove. (L Offer)
*12th - Beaulieu Heights: Goldcrest, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Stock Dove.
*12th - South Norwood Lake: 4 Great Crested Grebe (1 adult, 2 juv, 1 chick), 8 Egyptian Goose, Canada Goose, Coot, Moorhen, 5 Tufted Duck, Mallard, Stock Dove, Goldfinch, Dunnock, Blackcap, Chiffchaff. (L Offer)
*12th - Grangewood Park: Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Coal Tit, House Sparrow, Jay, Great Spotted Woodpecker (heard). (L Offer)
*12th - Whitehorse Meadow: House Sparrow (flock dust bathing), Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Golffinch, Starling. (L Offer)
*12th - Thornton Heath High Street (15:50): 4+ Swift flying over (L Offer)
*10th - Wandle Park: Reed Warbler. (Sue Henning)
*9th - South Norwood Country Park: Cuckoo calling at 9.30am as it made its way northwards. 2 Mute Swan (female on nest), 6 Greylag Goose, 2 Egyptian Goose + 3 young, male Shoveler, Little Grebe, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull, Kestrel, 5 Reed Warbler, 11+ Common Whitethroat. (JAH)
*8th - South Norwood (Towpath Way): 3 Swifts screeching overhead 8:00am first of the year ( Rob Wyllie)
*8th - Norwood Junction station: 4+ Swift. (Jon Shaub)
*7th - Waddon Ponds: Cormorant (juvenile), 2 Grey Wagtail (1 juvenile), 2 Mute Swan, 3 Little Grebe, Coot, Moorhen, 2 Egyptian Goose, 2 Canada Goose, Mallard, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jay, Jackdaw, Collared Dove, Stock Dove, Herring Gull. (L Offer)
*7th - Wandle Park: Red Kite (13:33) (flying high over), 5 Mallard, 2 Moorhen, Blackcap (f), Starling. (L Offer)
*7th - South Norwood Lake: 6 Great Crested Grebe (pair, 2 juveniles, 2 new chicks), 8 Egyptian Goose (6 chicks), Canada Goose, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Moorhen, Coot, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Jay. (L Offer)
*7th - Location undisclosed: Pair of Peregrines. (Various observers)
*7th - Croham Hurst: Tawny Owl hooting before dawn. Raven heard. (JB)
*4th - Sanderstead Plantation: Two Tawny Owls before dawn; one kewicking, one hooting. (JB)
*4th - Selsdon Park: Two Tawny Owls before dawn; one kewicking, one hooting. (JB)
*4th - Sanderstead Pond: Pair of Canada Geese have reappeared after a long absence. (JB)
*3rd - Coulsdon flyover: 2 Rooks. (David Hayes)
*3rd - Wandle Park: Grey Wagtail, 2 Egyptian Geese. (Sue Henning)
*2nd - West Croydon station: 2 Collared Doves and a very vocal Blackcap. (John Boorman)