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+Please feel free to post records of sightings for locations within the Croydon area on this Wiki. To do so, just click on the arrow next to the 'Edit' button at the top of the page, select 'edit source' and add records to the relevant month using the u8standard format. Please be careful not to delete or edit records already posted. Alternatively, you can email the sightings (with date and location) to johnbirkett(at)hotmail.co.uk. Note that records submitted to this website will be shared with the RSPB Croydon Local Group for use in their survey of birds in Croydon. We may get back to you for more info about records of scarcer species and records of other wildlife as records posted here may also be submitted to the London Natural History Society and the Surrey county bird recorder. Do not post records on this website unless you are happy for them to be shared with the other organisations mentioned here.
Please do not post details of scarce breeding birds (those included in Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, amended 2000) except to alert other observers to the presence somewhere in the borough when it should be shown as Location undisclosed. This includes sightings at a location where a breeding attempt is suspected, not just if nesting is confirmed. Any reports giving a specific location will be removed or modified by the website administrator. We would still like to know of such potential breeding records, so please e-mail them to johnbirkett(at)hotmail.co.uk. If posting records from a private garden include the street name if you wish, but do not give the house number without express permission.
You can use these links to find out more about Birdwatching Sites in Croydon and for information about Ringed Birds.
There is a separate page for recording sightings of species other than birds, eg mammals, dragonflies, butterflies, etc. Click on the link here to access Other Wildlife.
Regular contributors identified below by only initials are - John Birkett (JB), Gill Flinn (GF), Gavin Hawgood (GH), David Hayes (DH), Lucinda Offer (LO), Dave MacMillan (DMac), Jon Shaub (JS) and John Watson (JW).
==Croydon Bird Reports==
The 2022 Croydon Bird Report has been published and an electronic copy can be found on the RSPB Croydon Local Group's website.
Some earlier Bird Reports have also been uploaded to the Group's website and can be found here and then clicking on Bird Reports.
The Croydon Group is always looking for additional people to take part in our ongoing surveys. With previously regular observers dropping out, there are a few gaps to be filled. In particular if you regularly visit South Norwood Lake or Millers Pond please get in touch as full lists from there (about once a month would be fine) will be very useful. johnbirkett(at)hotmail.co.uk
==South Norwood Country Park Reports==
John Hughes has prepared personal reports of birds seen at South Norwood Country Park during 2021 , 2022 and 2023. Sadly, the 2023 report ends in October and it is unlikely that John will be again visiting the country park on a regular basis. I would like to express my personal thanks for everything that John has done over the years, recording the wildlife there and trying to get improvements made to make it better for nature. I cannot thanks him enough and wish him all the best in his 'retirement'.
You can download copies of them from the RSPB Croydon Local Group's website where you will find these reports. You can find them more easily by clicking on 'Bird Reports' Enjoy!
==Photos Request==
If anyone takes photographs of birds in Croydon and is willing to let the RSPB Croydon Local Group use them in their annual report can you please get in touch with John Birkett (johnbirkett(at)hotmail.co.uk)
== August 2024 ==
*15th - Riddlesdown: Buzzard, Kestrel, 2 Stock Dove, Chiffchaff, Blackcap. (JB)
*12th - Whitgift Pond (Mapledale Avenue): 4 Moorhen (1 adult 3 juvenile). (LO)
*9th - South Norwood Country Park: 1 Little Egret, 1 Shoveler (f), 1 Grey Heron, 2 Cormorant, 1 Grey Wagtail, 5 Mute Swan (3 cygnets), 16 Tufted Duck (8 + 4 ducklings), Mallard, Coot, Canada Goose, 2 Lesser Black-Backed Gull, 1 Black-Headed Gull, Chiffchaff. (LO)
*8th - South Norwood Country Park: At least three lesser whitethroat seen together flitting about the scrub between the diagonal path from Harrington Road and the cemetery. A few common whitethroat in with them and in moat field. Still 8 tufted ducklings with mother, nuthatch in the corner Elmers End Rd and cemetery, 2 little egrets, 1 grey heron, 3 swift, goldcrest, green and greater spotted woodpecker. JS
*3rd - Waddon Ponds: 2 Mute Swan, 4 Little Grebe (2 juv), 13 Canada Goose, 1 Herring Gull, 15 Black-Headed Gull, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, House Sparrow, Wren. (LO)
*1st - Wandle Park: 2 Grey Wagtail, Mallard with 2 juv, Chiffchaff, Black-Headed Gull, Moorhen with 2 juv. (Sue Henning)
==July 2024==
*29th - South Norwood Country Park: 2 Mute Swan + 3 young, Greylag Goose, 2 Egyptian Goose, 3 broods of Tufted Duck young: 1, 4 and 8, Little Egret, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Little Grebe, 9 Black-Headed Gull, 3 Lesser Black-Backed Gull, 6 Swift, Sparrowhawk, Jay, Collared Dove, Chiffchaff, Blackcap. (LO)
*28th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): 4 Swifts feeding high over garden. (JB)
*28th - Shirley (Lime Tree Avenue): Sparrowhawk flying very high overhead (14:50). (LO)
*27th - South Norwood Country Park: 2 Mute Swan + 3 young, Greylag Goose, Egyptian Goose, 3 broods of Tufted Duck young; 1, 4 and 7, Cormorant, Little Egret, Little Grebe + 1 young, 5 Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Swift, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Kestrel, 2 Jay, Whitethroat, 5 Reed Warbler. (JAH)
* - Shirley (Devonshire Way): a bit of a mellee today with 14 House Sparrow; 14 Starling; numerous Blue & Great tits; 2 Dunnock ; 2 Goldfinch and a Robin all competing around a seed feeder. Great Spotted Woodpecker feeding, slightly unsually, in the lawn; Herring Gull (over). (KW)
*24th - Shirley (Devonshire Way): female Sparrowhawk weighed down with large prey at 08.00. (KW)
*22nd - South Norwood Lake: 5 Great Crested Grebe (3 chicks). (LO)
*21st - South Norwood Country Park: A few of today's highlights: 2 Mute Swan + 3 young (2 'Eastern' variety, one 'Western' variety), 2 Greylag Goose (first for about seven weeks), Little Egret, two broods of Tufted Duck feeding with independence, Little Grebe with one increasingly independent young, 2 Swift, 7 Reed Warbler, 6 Greenfinch. (JAH)
*19th - South Norwood Country Park: 2 Mute Swan + 5 young, 2 Egyptian Goose + 3 grown young, Shoveler (male), 4 Tufted Duck young, Cormorant, Little Egret, 2 Grey Heron, Little Grebe + 1 young, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 4 Stock Dove, 4 Collared Dove, 4 Swift, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Kestrel, Coal Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Blackcap Whitethroat - 20+ of these three common breeding species, 4 Greenfinch. (JAH) Additional entry: Linnet (f); Reed Warbler still singing in short bursts; 11 Swift at 20.45 (KW).
*17th - Millers Pond: extended evening Swift count which looked like peaking at 5 birds, but briefly saw a screaming party of 9 high over at 21.11. (KW)
* 14th - Shirley (Devonshire Way): 2 Common Buzzard; 2 Goldfinch; 5 Herring Gull; Blue Tit with brood of 6; single Swift. (KW)
* 14th - South Norwood Lake: (07:40-09:45) 27 Canada Goose, 7 Egyptian Goose, 12 Mallard, 4 Tufted Duck (+ 1 with 2 young 2/3 days old), 2 Great Crested Grebe (1 on nest), 1 Grey Heron, 10 Moorhen, 16 Coot, 1 Black-headed Gull, 5 Herring Gull (over), 1 Stock Dove, 2 Collared Dove, c12 Swift, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Song Thrush (2 singing), 4 Blackcap (2 singing), 5 Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrest, 4 Long-tailed Tit, 2 Coal Tit, 1 Nuthatch, 1 Jay, 8 House Sparrow, 6 Goldfinch (JW)
* 14th - Millers Pond: Early morning visit produced 59 Canada Goose; 3 Egyptian Goose; 1 Greylag Goose; 38 adult Mallard; 7 Tufted Duck; 4 Moorhen (including 1 nest sitting and 1 large juvenile); 3 new baby Coot; 4 House Sparrow; 3 Swift over (my unscientific observations this year indicate that this may be close to the entire local population now).
* 13th - Millers Pond: 13 Mallard ducklings at various stages of development; 4 Tufted Duck; 9 Coot; Moorhen; 62 Canada Goose; 2 Egyptian Goose; Greylag Goose; no sign of any Swift activity at all around very recent former colonies in Shirley Way and Bennetts Way. (KW)
* 12th - Shirley (Devonshire Way): Cormorant; Great Tit with brood of 3 advanced fledglings. (KW)
* 11th - Farthing Downs: Yellowhammer, Linnet, Goldfinch and Whitethroat with fledglings in tow, Skylark also present. Kestrel, Dunnock, LBB Gull over, Corvids abundant. Several Starling around, also. Blackcap and Chiffchaff in song. (DH)
* 7th - South Norwood Country Park: Tufted Duck with 1 duckling (only breeds very occasionally here). (DMac)
* 7th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): 1 Kestrel (at 09:25 and 20:15), 1 Buzzard, 5 Jackdaw, 2 Starling. (JB)
* 6th - Waddon Ponds Kingfisher, Grey Heron, 6 Little Grebe (4 chicks), 1 Tufted Duck, 2 Swift. (LO)
* 5th - East Croydon: Peregrine attempting predation of Feral Pigeon. (KW)
* 1st - Waddon Ponds: 30+ Swift (flying overhead), Grey Wagtail, 2 Little Grebe, Coot, Moorhen, Mallard (inc. 8 duckling), 2 Tufted Duck, 2 Mute Swan, 1 Black-Headed Gull (in breeding plumage), Herring Gull, 20+ Starling, Collared Dove, Jay. (LO)
* 1st - Wandle Park: Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Reed Warbler, Grey Heron in tree mobbed by 6 Lesser Black-Backed Gulls, Stock Dove, Moorhen with at least two juv. (Sue Henning)
==Archived Records==
If you have any records that you wish to see added to archived data please contact me. JB
2024
January 2024 - February 2024 - March 2024 - April 2024 - May 2024 - June 2024 - July 2024 - August 2024 - September 2024 - October 2024 - November 2024 - December 2024
2023
January 2023 - February 2023 - March 2023 - April 2023 - May 2023 - June 2023 - July 2023 - August 2023 - September 2023 - October 2023 - November 2023 - December 2023
2022
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2021
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2020
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2019
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2018
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2017
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2016
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2015
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2014
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2013
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*Full Archive