Black Caps and White Blossom

Wrens, Robins, Goldfinches and Great Tits were all singing or calling at the lower Vicar's Hill entrance when we arrived for our monthly survey on 28 April. Much the same as last month except that as we moved deeper into the park, we heard two new songs. Every spring, Hilly Fields welcomes two migrant warblers from North Africa: the Blackcap and the Chiffchaff who fly thousands of miles to breed in our cooler climate. The Blackcap's song - which we heard in brief bursts on upper Eastern Road - is usually described as 'fluting' but it has a scratchy undertow and an insistent quality. It's hard to find a good film recording, but the clip below does at least show the simple beauty of this bird with its silver-grey breast and black 'cap'. Not to be outdone, the female has a lovely chestnut brown cap.

In this location, we saw a Dunnock singing, heard a Greenfinch sneering and watched two Blackbirds building a nest. A Wren was pouring out its song from a bare tree, its stumpy tail upturned as usual. On the south slope, Starlings were digging for invertebrates in the grassland - their glossy plumage and bright yellow bills a sign that they too are enjoying the breeding season. The staccato song of the Chiffchaff was heard briefly in the bothy area where we also heard very clearly the laughing call of the Green Woodpecker. This bird has either become a regular visitor or is nesting in or around the park.

By the end of our survey, we had seen or heard 23 species - a very healthy total. By far the most numerous bird was the Starling with a flock of 20, followed by 9 Robins, 7 Woodpigeon, 6 Wrens, 4 each of Goldfinch and Great Tit, 3 each of Blackbird and Parakeet, 2 each of Blue Tit, Crow, Feral Pigeon, House Sparrow, Magpie and Mistle Thrush and 1 each of Blackcap, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Collared Dove, Dunnock, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Greenfinch, Green Woodpecker  and Song Thrush.

Meanwhile it's a 'white-out' in certain parts of the park as cow parsley blooms and the white blossom appears on the orchard trees, on the hawthorns and on the candle like flower spikes of the horse chestnut. The magical month of May is upon us!

Cow Parsley

Apple blossom

The 'May blossom' on the hawthorn

Horse chestnut 'candles'

Dawn and Daylight Music

It was cloudy and a little chilly on 29 March when Judith and I carried out the monthly bird survey. Our avian chums were not showing themselves much at first, but were literally singing their hearts out as we're now well into the mating season. Blackbirds, Robins and Wrens led the chorus, while Great Tits and Blue Tits called repeatedly in the background and a trio of Greenfinches sneered at us. We saw evidence of House Sparrows and Magpies nest building, but the Gulls who've spent the winter here have gone away now to make babies elsewhere. A Mistle Thrush sang over by Montague Avenue, while another one gobbled berries in the north field Whitebeam tree. And a brave Pied Wagtail hopped about on the bowling green lawn despite the presence of a Glendale operative mowing the grass.

Lots going on, but the best was yet to come. Somewhere around the little wood or the trees at the top of Eastern Road, a Green Woodpecker called several times. The call is like a shrill repeated laugh and is known to birders as the 'yaffle' (hence Professor Yaffle in Bagpuss). There is a perfect rendition of it about 28 seconds into the video clip below. On this occasion, we couldn't see the bird, but Green Woodpeckers have a striking combination of green plumage (over pale breast), red cap and black 'mask' like a harlequin. They don't drum like the Great Spotted Woodpecker, but have long pointed bills for digging ants out of ant hills and can often be seen on grassland feeding on invertebrates in the soil. They breed in the Brockley and Ladywell cemeteries and are known to be occasional visitors to Hilly Fields.

And just as we were about to pack up, we heard and then saw a Song Thrush, perched in a tree on the Veda Road border, singing each phrase several times. It is said to have over a hundred different phrases in its repertoire. The final tally was 19 species: 8 Blackbirds, Great Tits, Woodpigeons and Wrens, 7 Blue Tits, Robins and Starlings, 4 House Sparrows, 3 Crows, Goldfinches, Greenfinches and Ring-necked Parakeets, 2 Dunnocks, Magpies and Mistle Thrushes and 1 Chaffinch, Green Woodpecker, Pied Wagtail and Song Thrush.

As if that wasn't enough, I was back on Hilly Fields the next morning at 6am for the Friends of Hilly Fields annual Dawn Chorus walk along with a dozen other light sleepers. The weather was fine, there were clear views of lovely Lewisham and a brightening sky behind Shooters Hill where the sun started to rise about twenty minutes later. We walked around the park hearing many of the same birds from the day before - Blackbirds, Robins, Wrens and Great Tits in particular. On the lane above Eastern Road, we heard from the Three Finches: a brief burst of Goldfinch song, the descending trill of a Chaffinch and the sneer of a Greenfinch. And by the playground we were treated to the sight and sound of a Mistle Thrush singing from the top of a tree as they often do.

After that we crossed Adelaide Avenue and cut through St Cyprian's Path to the Brockley and Ladywell cemeteries where Mike Guilfoyle of the Friends was waiting to admit us. It was broad daylight by now and a fine sunny morning. The cemeteries were a little quieter than expected and Phil, who does monthly bird surveys of the site, suspected that a Sparrowhawk was around causing the birds to keep schtum. Nevertheless, we heard the laughing call of a Green Woodpecker frequently along the route and towards the end some of us heard a brief burst of melody from a Song Thrush and the staccato song of a Chiffchaff - a migrant warbler which arrives every spring from the Med and North Africa. And then we were back at the cemetery gates again and it was time to disperse. But the music goes on every day.

March Survey and Dawn Chorus Walk

Spring is here and that was evident from the birdsong on 30 March when Sue and I did our monthly survey. Great Tits were calling incessantly, Wrens and Robins burst into song with great frequency and Blackbirds and Blue Tits joined the chorus. In the little wood, the effect was almost orchestral. There was also much chasing between branches. Things were not quite so harmonious on upper Eastern Road where a very noisy battle was taking place - no doubt over territory or a nest - between two Mistle Thrushes, a Magpie and a Crow. Eventually it settled down, but the Mistle Thrushes remained on the alert.

 The gulls that have been wintering in the park are gone - another obvious sign of spring. On the bowling green, we spied a Pied Wagtail prospecting for worms while in one of the plane trees above the green, a pair of Crows were repairing last year's nest and settling into it. By this time, cloud and strong winds were building up and after checking that at least some House Sparrows were hopping about in the Cliffview hedge, we legged it to the cafe. Our final list totaled 21 species: 11 Robins, 7 Woodpigeons, at least 6 Wrens. 5 each of Blackbird, Great Tit and Starling, 3 House Sparrows, 2 each of Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Crow, Long-tailed Tit and Mistle Thrush, 1 each of Dunnock (singing), Feral Pigeon, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Greenfinch, Jay, Magpie, Pied Wagtail and Ring-necked Parakeet.

Crows nest above the bowling green

Next day we were back again at 6am for the Dawn Chorus Walk which covered both Hilly Fields and the Brockley and Ladywell cemeteries. The attendance was good - over 20 people turned up - and the birds were singing lustily as on the previous day. However, the 42 mph winds which had been blowing all night had still not abated and this made it a little difficult at times to hear even the well-known songbirds such as Blackbird, Robin and Wren, especially for some of the enthusiastic beginners with us. However, we persevered, had very good views of a pair of Mistle Thrushes, heard the 'laugh' or 'yaffle' of a Green Woodpecker and some of us heard the song of a late rising Chaffinch. The Goldfinches disgraced themselves by staying in 'bed' - wherever that was.

Dawn on Hilly Fields [Photo: Annie Cole]

In the cemeteries, it was calmer and quieter. We heard a Song Thrush singing from some distance away, then heard a Chiffchaff singing and tracked it down so that some of the group could actually see it. Chiffchaffs are warblers named after their staccato song, migrants from Africa and the Med which come here to breed in the spring. By now it was full daylight and within a few minutes we were lucky enough to see three Jays and catch brief glimpses of a Sparrowhawk and of the elusive Goldcrest which is Britain's smallest bird.  After that, everybody went home or off to work!

Daylight in the B&L Cemeteries [Photo: Rachel Mooney]

21 species were seen or heard: Blackbird, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Crow, Dunnock, Feral Pigeon. Goldcrest, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Green Woodpecker, Jay, Magpie, Mistle Thrush, Ring-necked Parakeet, Robin, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Woodpigeon, Wren. Many thanks to all who made the effort to come along, to the Friends of Hilly Fields and Brockley Central for publicising the event and to Mike Guilfoyle of the Friends of Brockley and Ladywell Cemeteries who made possible our access.

Gulls Galore

Sue and I did our monthly bird survey a tad early on 19 November, but were rewarded by variety if not overwhelmed by numbers. Following our usual route from the lower Vicars Hill entrance, we moved slowly along the Veda Rd border through the little wood to upper Eastern Road. En route, we saw and heard Robins, Great Tits and Blue Tits, heard a brief outburst of Wren song and glimpsed a Jay. On Eastern Rd, Sue heard the laugh (or 'yaffle') of a Green Woodpecker without seeing it, I saw a Wren skulking in the undergrowth and caught a brief blue and pink flash of male Chaffinch which we heard calling later. The most reliable presence on Eastern Rd, however, is the family or commune of Blackbirds which appears to be five strong and includes at least one juvenile. I have a feeling that they've nested in the thick bushes along there in past years if not this year and obviously enjoy the red hawberries in autumn.

Spot the female Blackbird...

Around the corner in the trees behind the tennis courts were at least half a dozen Goldfinches tweeting to each other, but the real hotspot was the slope east of the school where we saw Long-tailed Tits and Starlings in the trees and a Pied Wagtail down on the path that leads up from Adelaide Ave. A wander over to the Montague Ave side proved fruitless - we've seen Redwings there in past winters but no sightings so far despite thousands arriving elsewhere in recent weeks from Scandinavia.

Starling in flight

On the playing fields on the north side of the park, a flock of gulls were pecking at the ground. Close examination revealed 7 Black-headed Gulls and 3 Common Gulls - names which are somewhat misleading. During the breeding season (spring and summer), the Black-headed Gull has a dark chocolate-brown head which from a distance looks black. By autumn, this has reduced to a dark spot behind the eye. And the Common Gull is actually far less common than the Black-headed or the Herring Gull. However the Little Gull is the littlest gull and the Lesser Black-backed and Greater Black-backed Gulls are accurately named too. I won't mention the other 5 species of gull found in the UK. No wonder people just call them sea gulls.

Left: Common Gull, yellow legs and bill, holds itself more erect, slightly larger. 

Right: Black-headed Gull, red legs and bill, black spot behind the eye, slightly smaller.

After that, we found 8 House Sparrows in their usual place the Cliffview hedge. And that was it apart from the birds I haven't mentioned: 11 Feral Pigeons, 5 Woodpigeons, 5 Magpies (more than usual), 3 Crows,  2 Ring-necked Parakeets and 1 Greenfinch. And on her way out of the park, Sue heard the call of a Great Spotted Woodpecker - bringing out total to a very healthy 22 species. Are we getting more bird species in Hilly Fields or are we just getting better at seeing and hearing them? Both I hope. 

Dawn Chorus Walk 2014

This year's dawn chorus walk on 2 April was blessed with good weather and plenty of birdsong. Sixteen people came along as we walked around the green border of Hilly Fields (seeing the sunrise over lovely Lewisham), through the nature reserve and the upper part of Eastern Road, then down St Cyprian's Passage to the Brockley & Ladywell cemeteries. On Hilly Fields as expected, we heard plenty of Great Tits calling and Robins and Wrens singing, but also the newly arrived Chiffchaffs sending out their sharp, insistent song. And of course we heard the Blackbird which starts singing in the 'darkest hour' before dawn. On top of the hill, a Redwing was seen in the trees, a late-stayer as most of its fellows have returned to Scandinavia. And in front of the school, not only did we see Long-tailed Tits and Starlings but the youngest member of our party was able to show us some excellent pictures of them from her Ladybird Book of Birds.

In the cemeteries, the highlight was undoubtedly the Green Woodpecker which was heard almost as soon as we entered. Eventually we found it high in the branches of a tree and I think most people caught at least a glimpse of it. But if it wasn't easy to see, it's laughing call (known as  a 'yaffle' to birders) was very distinct. And amazingly, its cousin a Great Spotted Woodpecker then landed on the same tree, briefly turning it into Woodpecker Central. Further on we heard (and briefly saw) a Song Thrush, again high in a tree, repeating each song phrase several times over as they famously do. We also heard a Greenfinch sneering and, inevitably, a Ring-necked Parakeet.

'There it is!' Spotting the Green Woodpecker...

And here's what it looked like from below...

...and what it looks like close-up [Stock Photo]

In all, we saw and/or heard 19 species on our walk: Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Robin, Wren, Chiffchaff, Woodpigeon, House Sparrow, Redwing, Crow, Blackbird, Magpie, Starling, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Song Thrush, Greenfinch, Ring-necked Parakeet and a Mistle Thrush heard singing near the playground as we walked back through Hilly Fields. A good haul and I'm glad that everyone seemed to enjoy the walk. Thanks to Rachel from the Friends of Hilly Fields for publicising it and thanks to the FoBLC and Mike Guilfoyle for enabling early access to the cemeteries.

If you would like a second chance to join a local dawn chorus walk, Lawrence is organising one along the River Pool on Thursday April 17th at 6am, meet outside the Sydenham Sainsbury Savacentre. The River Pool between Bell Green and Catford is one of the natural glories of Lewisham. If we are very lucky, we may catch a glimpse of a Kingfisher or Sparrowhawk, but we should certainly hear Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, probably a Song Thrush and many other birds. Check here for more details.

River Pool

Last Days of Summer

August 28th was a fine sunny day for our monthly survey but the birds weren't coming out to play. We heard more than we saw and our final tally was only boosted to 13 species by the screeching of an unseen Jay and the brief glimpse of a Green Woodpecker which was probably visiting from Brockley & Ladywell cemeteries. Great Tits and Blue Tits were fairly active in the trees and small flocks of Crows, Magpies and Woodpigeons followed us about the park. The good news is that Robins are singing again after their summer moult when they retreat into the undergrowth and sulk. We estimated that we'd seen or heard 7 in total on our rounds.

We saw only one Blackbird which is unusual and heard the occasional Goldfinch. Three House Sparrows, two Ring-necked Parakeets and a Feral Pigeon made up the total. The week before, Sue had seen even fewer birds but had at least the excitement of watching a Sparrowhawk being chased by a Crow! Before going for a coffee at the cafe, we took a look at a recently vacated Robin's nest just inside the bothy gates which Lee the park keeper had pointed out to us - a cup nest created in thick ivy against a wall. I wonder how many chicks were born here and how many survived?

Elsewhere in Lewisham, a few Swallows have been seen which means they're probably starting to think about heading south. And in other news, blackberries are ripening again after having had just the right amount of sunshine and rainfall in the last few weeks. I haven't sampled the Hilly Fields crop, but tried some at the RSPB Rainham reserve in Essex and they were delicious. On the park grassland, buttercups have given way to swathes of little dandelion-like flowers. These have been identified for me by Nick Bertrand (ace Creekside Centre botanist) as Autumn Hawkbit. Taken together, all these signs can mean only one thing. The last days of summer are upon us.

Postscript 3rd September: heard a Chiffchaff singing again on Eastern Road this morning. I mentioned last month that a pair of Chiffchaffs had produced at least one youngster on Hilly Fields this summer. It's possible that they could overwinter here, but more likely that they'll be off back to the Med in 2-3 weeks time. And who can blame them?

October Bird Survey

The last day of October was overcast and windy with rain showers also forecast. These are not the sort of conditions which entice birds out into the open, particularly when there's still plenty of dense foliage for them to shelter in. My expectations were low therefore as I trudged up Vicars Hill towards the park. On meeting Terry, however, who joined me for this month's survey, I discovered that he'd had already seen a flock of Long-tailed Tits, a Goldcrest and a Great Spotted Woodpecker all in the Eastern Road area! By the end of our walkabout,we'd clocked a healthy total of 18 different species. The Goldcrest, which I saw later in the garden area was hanging out with the Long-tailed Tits. It is officially Britain's smallest bird and has a quiet high-pitched call. The yellow and black striped head crest (from which it gets its name) is difficult to see from the ground and I'm not sure I would have recognised it without Terry's expert eye. This is only the second time that we Bird Champions have seen one on Hilly Fields, the last being in March 2009. Here's a cute little clip from You Tube:

The other significant feature of our survey was the return of the gulls which are moving back into the city now that the temperature is dropping. Small in number at present - 9 Black-headed Gulls and 2 Common Gulls waddling around next to the cricket pitch - but more will follow. The Starlings are also back - we counted 13 noisily convening in one of the trees on the Northern field - but again more will turn up as the autumn and winter progresses. We counted 80 during the RSPB Birdwatch event last January. Here's a pic of them dropping in to join a gull on the grass.

Also seen or heard: several Robins calling in different places, one briefly singing; 2 Jays in trees between the wood and the orchard; 3 Feral Pigeons, 8 Wood Pigeons; 2 Blackbirds, one a black-billed juvenile; 5 Crows and 1 Magpie (for sorrow); small numbers of Great Tits and Blue Tits calling in various locations; 2 Goldfinches and, in the Cliffview back gardens hedge, the usual family of 4 House Sparrows, males outnumbering female by 3:1; and a solitary Ring-necked Parakeet.

PS. Shortly after posting the above, Sue told me she had seen earlier this week "a Sparrowhawk going from HF across Vicars Hill, a Peregrine Falcon going the other way over Algiers Road and a Green Woodpecker on an ash tree near the garden/bothy on Hilly Fields". This is the first Green Woodpecker that we have spotted on Hilly Fields though they can be found quite often in Brockley and Ladywell cemeteries.