April Bird Survey

We had a rain-free but quiet morning (30 April) for our monthly bird survey, rather like last month. Most of the usual birds were seen or heard but in fewer numbers. We heard the Great Spotted Woodpecker only once, heard only one Blackcap (we had seen Blackcaps on separate occasions earlier in the month in the wood/Eastern Rd area) and saw only one Goldfinch. We also had the feeling that we were constantly just missing birds, that they had been there behind our backs but flown just before we turned around! Of course the fact that the trees and bushes are now in full bloom provides them with much more cover. It is notable also that far fewer Great Tits were heard, whereas since the New Year their calls have been coming at us in quadrophonic sound. The highest number of birds seen in one place was a flock of nine starlings, but this is well down on the numbers that we were seeing in the main winter months.

Great Tits - the male has a broader black stripe down the breast

All this can be put down mainly to the ongoing breeding season and indeed we saw both a Starling and a Blue Tit carrying insects in their bills presumably to feed the fledglings in their nests. On the plus side, quite a few Blue Tits were seen and heard in different places as we walked around and a fair number of Wrens were heard with their piercing song. It was nice also to see a Long-tailed Tit in the garden next to the Bothy - an unmistakable bird simply because its tail is indeed long in relation to its body size. On the other side of the Bothy, we witnessed a fierce skirmish between a very dark brown female blackbird and a male. Needless to say, the female won the day - they are aggressive defenders of territory, especially at this time of year. The female always provides a visual reminder that Blackbirds belong to the Thrush family, although their speckled breasts don't stand out as strongly as the Song or Mistle Thrush.

In lulls between bird sightings, we did see an Orange Tip butterfly and a probable Holly Blue, though it was fluttering so fast we can't be sure. But enough of biodiversity. We demand better weather and more birds!

Dawn Chorus Walk: 26 April

It was still dark when I arrived at the Bothy at 5am, but the birds were already tweeting the good news to each other. Not only was dawn about to break, but a group of humans was gathering below to listen to their song. Chris McGaw of the Lewisham Rivers and People Project was already there (as befits a leader) and eventually another six people materialised out of the gloom. Some of them were even awake. This was not a bad total considering the lousy weather in the days leading up to the walk.

As it happened, we were lucky. Apart from a couple of brief showers, the rain held off and Chris led us around both Hilly Fields and Brockley Cemetery, using his excellent birdsong ID skills to provide a running commentary. In Hilly Fields, we saw and/or heard: Great Tits, Blue Tits, Blackbirds, Robins, Wrens, Blackcaps, Goldfinches, Chaffinches, Crows, Woodpigeons, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Magpie, a House Sparrow and a Ring-necked Parakeet.

The highlight for me was the superb views of the male Woodpecker in a tree next to the tennis courts. We could clearly see all the colours of its plumage and its vigorous movements around the tree trunk, climbing down backwards at one point. It was also good to see and hear the reappearance of Goldfinches in the trees around Prendergast School after a few weeks of absence (no doubt, due to the mating season).

After crossing Adelaide Avenue, we came across a pair of Mistle Thrushes - one quite young - on a lawn belonging to the Ivy Road flats. Again, we had really good views of them and of the young one in particular who didn't quite know what to make of all the attention.

We arrived at the gates of Brockley Cemetery at 6.25 am, well before official opening time, but our leader magicked a key out of his trouser pocket and let us in via the Lodge garden. As you might expect, it was pretty quiet - apart from the birds. During our walkabout, we saw and/or heard a very vocal Song Thrush, a Chiffchaff, a Dunnock, Long-tailed Tits, a Greenfinch, a Green Woodpecker, a Jay and a Goldcrest in addition to some of the species already seen in Hilly Fields. And a couple of members of the group caught a brief glimpse of a Sparrowhawk as it flew across the path behind us in the Wilderness Area.

We had good views in particular of the Chiffchaff and the Goldcrest, although as the latter was high in a tree, we couldn't really see its striking black and yellow crown. The Goldcrest is the UK's smallest bird, approx 9 cm long and 4.5-7.0 g. in weight.

After that, it was time to head home after thanking Chris for leading the walk and sharing his knowledge and experience. I had almost reached my street when the rain started bucketing down again. But was I downhearted? No. Just in need of strong coffee and lots of it.

Dawn Chorus Walk: 4 May
And if you missed our walk, Chris McGaw is leading another Dawn Chorus Walk on Friday 4 May - this time along the Riverview Walk which follows the Pool and Ravensbourne rivers. Meet at 5.00 am outside the Sainsbury Savacentre at Bell Green. More details in the Lewisham Rivers and People programme here: http://natureconservationlewisham.co.uk/rivers-people/

Dawn Chorus Walk

Once again we are holding a dawn chorus walk for those who would like to learn about and enjoy the natural music of the birds while the city is still quiet. This years walk:

• will be held on Thursday 26 April, starting at 5 am 
• will be led by Chris McGaw of the Lewisham Rivers and People Project
• will cover not only Hilly Fields but the nearby Brockley and Ladywell Cemetery (which is a Borough Grade 1 nature conservation site)

Please meet outside the Bothy next to the bowling green (see the map opposite). We expect to finish by 7.00/7.30 am.

If anyone wishes to join the Brockley & Ladywell Cemetery part of the walk only, please be at the gates on the corner of Brockley Road/Ivy Road (opposite the Coral bookmaker) at 6.15 am which is the estimated time of our arrival there.

March Bird Survey

Our latest bird survey of Hilly Fields took place on Friday 30 March. It was a lovely warm sunny morning but in general bird numbers were down. The Black-headed and Common Gulls which were very much in evidence in February have all departed, although this is a seasonal change to be expected. The Common Gulls will have gone up north to breed while the Black-headed Gulls are likely to have headed out towards coastal areas. The reduced number of other birds is probably linked to the onset of the breeding season.

We saw or heard Great Tits, Blue Tits, Robins, Carrion Crows, House Sparrows,  Wrens, Starlings, Wood Pigeons, Jays (2) and one each of Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Magpie, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Ring-necked Parakeet and Chiffchaff. It was great to hear the Chiffchaff singing in the little wood. A number of these do over-winter in the UK, but this bird - like the two which Sue heard last autumn - was probably a resting migrant as they've been arriving back in the UK since early March The song of the Chiffchaff is easy to identify once heard - a succession of between 8-14 staccato notes. If you're unfamiliar with it, try listening to this recording and then let us know if you hear the song in the park.

It wasn't surprising to hear only one Parakeet as their breeding season starts earlier than most. The count which took place at the Hither Green Cemetery roost on 1 April was well down on previous quarterly counts - a sign that the females are staying on their nests to incubate the eggs. We heard only one solitary Goldfinch (no sign of the usual flock of 16 or so which frequents upper Eastern Road and the trees around the school building), while the highest number of Starlings seen was 5 compared to 80 counted during the RSPB Big Birdwatch event on 29 January. However, if you have binoculars or can get close enough, the Starling has a fine iridescent plumage at this time of year.

The Mistle Thrush was absent altogether, surprisingly. I paid several visits to Hilly Fields in the first half of the month and saw it on each occasion, singing its beautiful dreamy song from the top of a tall tree. I also heard the Great Spotted Woodpecker drilling (and several other people have mentioned hearing it) and on one occasion tracked it to the wood where it was sitting high in a tree preening itself. Lets hope that both these birds have found suitable companions and are in the process of multiplying!

Project Parakeet

We've all seen and heard the pesky parakeets that swoop and screech over our green spaces and gardens. With their bright green plumage and long tails, they are an exotic and perhaps attractive sight at first, even if their squawking and squealing takes some getting used to. But they are an invasive species and not generally regarded as a welcome addition to our natural environment.

In fact, such has been the concern about the growing numbers of these birds and their potential impact on other birds and on agriculture that Imperial College has launched Project Parakeet which is now in its third year and aims to assess:

• the size, distribution and predicted growth of the population

• the ecological impact on UK biodiversity

• the economic impact on UK agri-ecosystems

To estimate numbers and growth, the Project holds quarterly counts at several well-known roosts in the London area. One of the biggest roosts is at Hither Green cemetery where several thousand parakeets from all over the SE London area spend the night. By all accounts, the arrival at dusk of so many of these birds is a quite amazing spectacle. The next count is being held on the evening of 1 April and volunteers are being called for to assist with the count at Hither Green. Volunteers are asked to arrive at 7.00 pm and it is expected that the count will end at 8.15 pm approx.

If you're interested in helping, take a look at their website: http://www.projectparakeet.co.uk/. You can contact the organisers at: parakeet@imperial.ac.uk <parakeet@imperial.ac.uk>

Incidentally, Project Parakeet uses the name Rose-Ringed Parakeet for these birds (as does Wikipedia). The RSPB, the BTO and most birders I know call them Ring-Necked Parakeets. But what's in a name? They're the same noisy beast. 

Leap Day Survey

Our February survey took place on a leap day (29th) though I'm sure to the birds it was just another morning and a mild one at that. A total of 22 species were seen or heard which is a good tally and includes a Dunnock heard singing in the trees bordering the south-east field, a fine pair of Mistle Thrushes in the wood and, for the first time this winter, a Redwing in the trees on Eastern Road. Yes - just one. For some reason, Redwings have given Hilly Fields a miss this year despite being seen in such nearby places as Brockley Cemetery, Brookmill Park, Ladywell Fields and Greenwich Park (450+ recorded there on 10 February).

What we do get on Hilly Fields are Common Gulls which are not always found in other local gull hotspots. Close examination of the flock on the north field around the cricket pitch revealed 10 Common and 28 Black-headed Gulls - a few of the latter actually sporting the "black head" (strictly speaking, dark brown) which develops in the spring and summer.

There were fewer Starlings than on Big Birdwatch day (30 compared to 80 then) and fewer Goldfinches (4 compared to the usual 16+). However, a healthy number of Chaffinches were around and a trio of Greenfinches were sitting in the Eastern Rd trees which they often frequent. Above the path that borders the east field, a Magpie was diligently building a new nest - a reminder that the main breeding season is almost upon us.

On the birds of prey front, Sue spotted a male Kestrel on 7 February perched on a ledge on the western side of Prendergast School, while Lawrence reports the following: "Today 23rd Feb 2012 we saw a pair of Sparrowhawks perch in a sycamore tree at the end of our garden between Wickham Rd and Breakspears, they sat apart for a while until a Jay attacked one and this revealed the other in the tree behind as they went for the Jay, didn't get it. Fantastic!" The Sparrowhawks may well be part of the family that nested in Brockley Cemetery last year. It's good to know that they're still around, though perhaps not so good for other birds!

Male kestrel

Sparrowhawk

Big Birdwatch Report

Nearly 30 adults and 19 children attended this year's RSPB Big Birdwatch event on Hilly Fields - a good turn-out considering it was a cloudy and cold Sunday morning. Illustrated sheets of the most common birds were handed out and people set off to scour the park in search of them. Some of the children who came along stayed at base camp (outside the Bothy) to make bird feeders and lard and seed balls with heart-warming enthusiasm.

The final tally of species seen was 21 which equals last year's total. The species seen are almost identical as well, except that Chaffinches were seen this year but no Redwings. The 2012 list which will be sent to the RSPB and to BirdTrack is as follows:

Blackbird - 5
Black-headed gull - 14
Blue tit - 4
Carrion Crow - 3
Chaffinch - 5
Common gull - 10
Feral pigeon - 5
Great tit - 3
Greenfinch - 4
Goldfinch - 6
Great spotted woodpecker - 1
House sparrow - 16
Jay - 3
Long-tailed tit - 3
Magpie - 4
Mistle thrush - 2
Ring-necked parakeet - 6
Robin - 3
Starling - 80
Wood pigeon - 5
Wren - 2

Well done to the person who spotted 5 Herring Gulls flying over the park, but we've checked the RSPB website and "flyovers" cannot be counted. The birds have got to be in the garden or in the park. Sorry but rules is rules!  The trouble with birds is that they will fly around and thus double counting - which could mask a decline in bird population levels - is always a risk; hence the other rule about only recording the maximum number of each species that you see at any one time.

Many thanks to all who came along. Thanks also to Rachel of the Hilly Fields User Group who organised this event and Judith from Glendale for her assistance.

NB. After review of the lists submitted, we added 1 Dunnock and 1 Pied Wagtail to the list above making a grand total of 23 species.