January 2021

*31st - Sanderstead (Brian Avenue): 2 female Blackcap in garden. (Mike Dobbs by email)
*31st - Farthing Downs: 1 Buzzard, 7 Long Tailed Tits, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Nuthatch, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, a flock of 9 Goldfinch (one in display flight mode), 3 Greenfinch, a flock of 50+ Redwing, a flock of 36 Jackdaw, 1 Song Thrush in song, 2 Dunnock, 1 Little Owl briefly calling, 1 Chaffinch. (David Hayes by email)
*31st - South Norwood Country Park: Great Black-backed Gull (2 imm) (NGH); Stonechat (2) (reported via NGH)
*31st - Riddlesdown: Warlingham Court Farm area - male Stonechat, 12+ Skylark including a flock of 10, Bullfinch, 1 Common Gull, 1 Pied Wagtail. (J & CEB)
*31st - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) (8.15am): Group of 4 Mallards low over Gdns, Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming, Redwing & Jay calling (GH)
*31st - Norbury (Pollards Hill South): 8+ Redwing, 1 Little Egret over NW (MJN)
*30th - South Norwood Lake 1300-1330 c110 Black Headed Gulls, including at least 2 Common Gulls, 24 Tufted Ducks,4 Cormorants, 2 Pied Wagtails, 3 Mute Swans, 2 Great Crested Grebes and 2 Egyptian Geese.Many signs that spring is on the way; Male Coots and Moorhens are starting to fight and 2 Coots starting to nest build (1 on an aerator). Grebes are swimming alongside one another and head shaking, one in winter plumage and one in spring plumage. Last October's three surviving Egyptian Goslings are now flying and the adult male is chasing them away. (Alan Simpkins).
*30th - South Norwood (Towpath Way) Sparrowhawk, swooped into garden to attack Sparrows and Stock Doves. (Rob Wyllie)
*30th - Croft Road SW16: Sparrowhawk straight through garden, mid morning (possible same one as above) (SEC) Probably different birds, I suspect, rather than one bird roaming round north Croydon? (Admin)
*30th - South Norwood Country Park: 4 Teal (2m&2f), 3 Mistle Thrush, 2 Coal Tit, 2 Chiffchaff, 4 Mute Swans, Little Grebe, Cormorant, 2 Egyptian Geese, Kestrel.(Rob Wyllie)
*30th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): 2m&1f Blackcap in garden. Also 8 Redwing, 7 Blackbird, 2 Stock Dove. Lesser Black-back Gull over. (JB)
*29th - Norbury (Pollards Hill South): 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Blackbird, 1 Chaffinch. (MJN)
*29th - Bethlem Hospital: Little Egret in grounds again. (Moira O'Donnell Tweet)
*29th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): Visits by both male and female Blackcap during the day, 7+ Blackbird, 3 Redwing. (JB)
*29th - Wandle Park (09:30 - 10:15): 12 Mallard, Ring-necked Parakeet, Wren, c15 Redwing, c20 Starling, Pied Wagtail, c10 Goldfinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Chiffchaff, Long-tailed Tit, Black Headed Gull, Herring Gull. (RDHB)
*29th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) (7.45-8.45am): 15 species recorded during the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, incl Kestrel, Song Thrush, Redwing & Greenfinch (GH)
*29th - Riddlesdown: 8 Skylark, 6 Meadow Pipit, 5 Song Thrush singing, 2 Bullfinch, 5 Dunnock, 1 Red Kite south, 1 Buzzard (with missing right wing primaries) 1 Kestrel, 1 Greenfinch wheezing, 1 Chiffchaff. (Derek Kelly)
*28th - Park Hill (Thanescroft Gardens): Sparrowhawk high up,circling and then gliding off east at some speed. (Graham Guerin by email)
*28th - Coulsdon (Bradmore Way): Red Kite over with a probable second bird much higher up. (Phil Thornton by email)
*28th - Riddlesdown 11.15am-12.15pm. 13 Skylark on SWCA. By school 3 Goldcrest and 32 Crows latter feeding on acorns on path. Dobbin 3 Pied Wagtail, 1 Stock Dove and 6 Meadow Pipit (NH)
*28th - Sanderstead (Limpsfield Road): Red Kite near Wentworth Way. (JB)
*28th - Bramley Bank: 3 Goldcrest and mixed tit flock in hedge adjoining Heathfield farm. Red Kite flew over. Greenfinch heard at pond (Jo East)
*28th - Norbury (Pollards Hill South): 8 Redwing, 3 Greenfinch, 1 Jay, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.(MJN)
*28th - Littleheath Wood: Pair of singing Treecreepers by Water Tower, Blackcap giving Subsong Foxearth Path. Sparrowhawk over. (Note: New playing field visible from Conduit Lane is flooded. Worth keeping an eye on!) (Jo East)
*27th - Shirley (Freshfields) (8.30am): Little Egret perched in tree in Bethlem Royal Hospital grounds (see 26th posting) (Sheila Mason per GH)
*27th - Bramley Bank: 2.15-3.00pm. 14 Black-headed Gulls and 4 Stock Dove feeding in adjacent field, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Green Woodpecker, 4 Ring-necked Parakeet, 4 Coal Tit, 1 Wren, 6 Crow, 12 Jackdaw, 1 calling Stock Dove, 10 Redwing. (NH)
*27th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): 2 male Blackcap in garden again. (JB)
*27th - Norbury (Pollards Hill South): 1 Redwing, 2 Long-tailed Tit, 2 Greenfinch, 1 Jay.(MJN)
*26th - Shirley (Freshfields) (4pm): Little Egret flying north at roof height over Freshfields (Sheila Mason per GH)
*26th - Riddlesdown, Dobbin: 2.30 -3.00pm. 2 Jay, 6 Goldfinch, 10 Redwing, 1 Song Thrush singing, 1 Pied Wagtail, 2 Bullfinch, 1 Red Kite. (NH)
*25th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): Male Blackcap on feeders, Siskin over. (JB)
*25th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) (11.45am): Group of 5 Redwings in Gdns lime tree; group of 9 Fieldfares flying medium high towards SNCP (2pm) (GH)
*25th - South Norwood Country Park: 2 Water Rail, Snipe, Stonechat. (JAH)
*25th - Norbury (Pollards Hill South): 1 Blackbird singing @05.30 (MJN)
*24th - Croft Road SW16 : Female Blackcap in garden (1st since 2013) (SEC)
*24th - Norbury (Pollards Hill South): 10+ Redwing, 2 Greenfinch, 2 Chaffinch, 12 Wood pigeon(MJN)
*24th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): 2 male Blackcap in the garden today. (JB)
*24th - South Norwood Country Park: 6 Teal, 5 Pheasant, Little Egret, 2 Snipe, 2 Coal Tit, Grey Wagtail, 4 Siskin. (JAH)
*23rd - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) (8am): unexpected Greenfinch singing ("wheezing") on rlwy land for at least 10mins (GH)
*23rd - Riddlesdown: Male Kestrel just south of car park, male Bullfinch in last enclosure before quarry. (Jo East)
*23rd - South Norwood Country Park: 4 Mute Swan, 2 Greylag Goose, 3 Egyptian Goose, 4 Teal, Shoveler, Cormorant, Little Egret, Kestrel, Jackdaw, 2 Fieldfare, Redwing. (JAH) Stonechat, 2 Green Woodpecker, Little Egret, Kestrel, 1100 (London Birders-Matthew J Bradbury)
*23rd - Norbury (Pollards Hill South): Greenfinch (pair), 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming, 1 Coal Tit, 7 Redwing (MJN)
*22nd - Hamsey Green: Red Kite. (Barbara & Alun Thomas by email)
*22nd - CR2 6 back gardens: 6 Redwing, 10 House Sparrow, Carrion Crown, Woodpigeon, Goldfinch, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Blackbird, (RDHB)
*22nd - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): One of our Song Thrushes has found its voice again. (JB)
*22nd - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) (8am): Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming in Gdns & Mistle Thrush singing on rlwy land (GH)
*21st - Shirley (Freshfields) (3pm): Common Buzzard medium high overhead then dipped out of sight (Sheila Mason per GH)
*19th - Waddon Ponds: (10am) Kingfisher (Andrew Moncrieff)
*18th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): Golden Plover calling over garden at 14:00 heading roughly north. (JB)
*18th - Purley (Lower Barn Road): 3.30pm. 5 Greenfinch in nearby beech, 1 calling Stock Dove. (NH)
*18th - South Norwood Country Park: 4 Teal, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, 5 Siskin. (JAH)
*18th - Whitestone Way: 1 Pied Wagtail. (Rich Castle)
*17th - Riddlesdown: 1 Stonechat (m), 2 Bullfinch, 2 Kestrel, 1 Red Kite, c.40 Redwing. (Derek Kelly)
*17th - Waddon Ponds: Kingfisher, Common Gull, 2 Long-tailed Tit, Blackcap, 4 Little Grebe. (Sue Henning) Adult Yellow-legged Gull. (Moira O'Donnell - Tweet)
*17th - Wandle Park: 2 Grey Wagtail, 2 Stock Doves, 2 Mistle Thrush, 4 Redwing. (Sue Henning)
*17th - Norbury (Pollards Hill South): 20+ Carrion Crow on ONE tree, Chaffinch pr.(MJN)
*16th - Kings Wood]: 142 Redwing in fields at south end. (Brian Thomas by email)
*16th - Norbury (Pollards Hill South): 4 Jay together turning leaf litter, 3 Starling, 7 Herring Gull scouring gardens(MJN)
*15th - South Norwood Lake: Pair of Egyptian Geese with three very curious young. (Lucinda Offer, Tweet)
*15th - Riddlesdown: 2.30 -3.30 pm. 2 Bullfinch, 1 Stock Dove calling, 3 Meadow Pipit by Warlingham Court Farm, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Green Woodpecker, 5 Long-tailed Tit, 3 Redwing, Coal Tit calling, 1 Wren, 1 Pied Wagtail by pond near Tithepit Shaw Lane. (NH)
*15th - Wandle Park: (10am) 2 Stock Dove, 20 Starling, 10 Redwing, 10 Goldfinch, 1 Pied Wagtail (Andrew Moncrieff)
*15th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): Tawny Owl hooting loudly about 01:00. Male Blackcap again. (JB)
*13th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): Male Blackcap in garden again. (JB)
*13th - Sanderstead Plantation: 11.40 am to 12.15 pm. Buzzard seen flying low through the trees 11.47am, 2 blackbird, 3 coal tit calling, 3 Ring-necked Parakeet, 3 Goldcrest, 4 Blue Tit, 2 Great Tit calling, 3 Nuthatch, 5 Long-tailed Tit, 4 Robin, 1 Wren singing, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Magpie, 1 Chaffinch, Redwing, 2 Dunnock singing, 5 Woodpigeon, 1 Green Woodpecker heard nearby. Copthorne Rise Greenfinch calling. (NH)
*12th - New Addington area: Buzzard & Red Kite (Croydon Parks, Woodlands, and Greenspaces Forum)
*12th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): Male Blackcap, 7 Greenfinch in garden. (JB)
*12th - Norbury(Pollards Hill South): 10+ Redwing locally, 1 Green Woodpecker m.on lawn (MJN)
*11th - Purley (Lower Barn Road): Buzzard over at 10:15, Red Kite over at 10:45 flushing 150 Woodpigeons from local wood, Raven over at 16:00. (NH)
*11th - Sanderstead: Buzzard over Sanderstead Pond. (JB)
*11th - Shirley (Freshfields) (10am): Little Egret perched in a tree for at least 5 mins (see same location - 8th) (Sheila Mason per GH)
*11th - Norbury (Pollards Hill South): 8 Redwing locally, 2 Jackdaw over W.(MJN)
*11th - Sanderstead (Lime Meadow Avenue): 2 Red Kites overhead mobbed by a couple of Crows. (Jenny Morgan by email)
*10th - Forestdale (Osward): Female Blackcap in garden. (Mavis Barber by email)
*10th - Shirley (Devonshire Way): Redwing. (KW)
*10th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): Blackcap calling again, Nuthatch. (JB)
*10th - Riddlesdown: 2 Kestrel, 4 Bullfinch, 1 Nuthatch, 1 Chiffchaff, 9 Meadow Pipit, 1 Stonechat (m). (Derek Kelly)
*10th - South Norwood (Cypress Road): (0745) Blackcap singing.(Alan Simpkins)
*10th - Norbury (Pollards Hill South): 30+ Redwing stripped holly bush, 1 Blackbird f, 2 Collared Dove together, 1 Chaffinch f, 1 Greenfinch m. (MJN)
*10th - South Norwood Lake: (1400) 16 (14m, 2f) Mallard (Alan Simpkins)
*10th - South Norwood Country Park: 4 Red-crested Pochard. (JAH)
*9th - Shirley (Devonshire Way): 2 Redwing; mating pair Wood Pigeon taking up where they left off last year. (KW)
*9th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) (2.45pm): female Kestrel hunting, Common Gull flying low W & Stock Dove preening (on rlwy land) (GH)
*9th - South Norwood Country Park: Short-eared Owl drifting over 9.25am (JAH). Seen off by gulls at 0939. Also Chiffchaff (NGH).
*8th - South Norwood Country Park: Nuthatch, Stonechat. (JAH)
*8th - Wandle Park: (10.30am): Grey Wagtail (Andrew Moncrieff)
*8th - Wandle Park: Little Egret in the river, 5 Egyptian Geese, Chiffchaff, 2 Stock Doves, 2 Long-tailed Tits, 10 Redwing, Pied Wagtail. (Sue Henning)
*8th - Shirley (Freshfields) (8.45am): Little Egret perched in a tree for at least 15 mins (Sheila Mason per GH)
*8th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) (8am): Egyptian Goose heard flying/calling low over Gdns (GH)
* 7th - Hutchinsons Bank: 2 Treecreepers. (Jo East by email)
* 7th - Wandle Park: Chiffchaff by the river, 2 Egyptian Geese, Pied Wagtail. (Sue Henning)
*7th - Norbury (Pollards Hill South): Nuthatch calling persistently, Green Woodpecker, 2 Jackdaw over W. (MJN)
*6th - Wandle Park: Grey wagtail along river (Alice Stringer)
* 6th - Hutchinson Bank: Marsh Tit (flew from Hutchinsons onto a feeder in Farleigh Dean Crescent), pr Bullfinch. (Graham Collins and Jovita Kaunang by email)
*6th - Norbury (Pollards Hill South): Chaffinch m, 8 Redwing(MJN)
* 6th - Sanderstead (Lime Meadow Avenue): Grey Wagtail and Marsh Tit. (Jenny Morgan by email) 6th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) (11am): Tawny Owl calling in Warminster Rd (& again at 12.15pm) (GH)
* 6th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): Melting snow. Blackcap calling early morning and a male seen later, Song Thrush in garden until seen off by Blackbirds, Goldcrest singing. (JB)
*5th - Norbury (Pollards Hill South): 1 Green Woodpecker, 10 Redwing.(MJN)
* 4th - Addington Hills: Long-tailed Tits, several Goldcrest, Nuthatch, Blackbirds and Redwing (NH)
*4th - Norbury (Pollards Hill South): Sparrowhawk f.over(MJN)
* 3rd - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) (2.15pm): Green Woodpecker calling briefly on rlwy land (GH)
* 3rd - Farthing Downs: Up to 20 Redwing in loose flock, 3 Fieldfare over, 2 Goldfinch, 1 Chaffinch, 3 Greenfinch, 1 Nuthatch, 2 Pied Wagtail over, a flock of 18 Meadow Pipit on fields adjacent to the Downs, 1 Little Owl called once. (DH)
* 3rd - South Norwood Country Park: Water Rail, Peregrine, Siskin. (JAH)
* 2nd - Croham Hurst: c10 Lesser Redpoll. (Graham A Collins by email)
* 2nd - Riddlesdown: 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, Nuthatch, Bullfinch. (JB) 'Dobbin': 2 Buzzard, 1 Red Kite, 1 Kestrel, 1 Stonechat (m), 6 Bullfinch, 1 Nuthatch. (Derek Kelly)
* 2nd - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): Sparrowhawk over at 11:22, male Blackcap. (JB)
* 2nd - South Norwood Country Park: Little Egret, Stonechat. (JAH)
* 2nd - Wandle Park (10.30am): 2 Grey Wagtail, 1 Pied Wagtail, 2 Redwing (Andrew Moncrieff)
* 2nd - Waddon Ponds (10am): 2 Long-tailed Tits (Andrew Moncrieff)
*2nd - Norbury (Pollards Hill South): pr.Chaffinch.(MJN)
* 1st - South Norwood Country Park: 2 Snipe. (JAH)
* 1st - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): Blackcap calling unseen, 3 Redwing, Nuthatch on feeders, Pied Wagtail over, 20+ Goldfinches. (JB)
* 1st - South Norwood (Towpath Way): Sparrowhawk sitting at the top of my apple tree waiting for the birds to return to my feeders. (Rob Wyllie)
*1st - Norbury (Pollards Hill South): 3 Jay, 4 Collared Dove, pr.Chaffinch.(MJN)