Wandsworth Common Siskins

Short trip out with the family. Siskins calling from the railway line just north of the North Pond, 6 Shoveler, 2 Egyptian Goose plus Canucks, Tufties, Mallard, Coot Moorhen.

All quiet on Wandsworth Common

Quick trip out with the boys. Not much around: around 20 Mallard and only 4 Tufties.

Wandsworth Common

Two trips today, both with the kids. Total of 5-6 Chiffchaff across the site, 3, maybe 4, Blackcap, 1 Willow Warbler (in a different place from last week so maybe a different bird), 14 Tufties, mostly paired up, 2 Egyptian Geese.

Wandsworth Common

2 Willow Warbler singing by the top pond plus all the usuals singing.

Wandsworth Common

2 Pied Wag on N Common, 2 Egy Geese on N pond (no chicks), c12 Tufties, 2 Canucks, Mallard, Blackcap singing from near railway bridge but just a brief snatch and v noisy, Dunnock, Robin.

Wandsworth Common

I've spent more time on the Wandle this year so this is my first visit to the Common for about a month - even then just as a family outing. Rewarded by absolutely zilch. No Shoveler left, still c18 Tufties (none of which appear to be paired up yet) and 1 Egyptian Goose.

Poc Harder

No sign of yesterday's Pochard. 7 Stock Dove (on the north bit of the Common where they're not that regular), about 10 Tufties and a few Shoveler still left though.

Thrush Invasion

My first actual birding trip to Wandsworth Common this year (rather than taking the kids out for a walk). As usual the north bit of the common (above Windmill Road) is pretty quiet, but as I get to the trees a bushes at the edge of the road a couple of Redwing fly over and land in the trees.

The bushes in the new estate reveal a Goldcrest while a quick scan of the playing fields on the other side of the estate though produces a massive flock of thrushes: 260+ Redwing, 16 Fieldfare and a few Mistle Thrushes.

The ponds have Shoveler and a local rarity: Pochard. A really smart male. When I first visited Wandsworth Common there was a female Pochard on the same ponds for about 10 days so I though they were regular winter visitors, but this is the first one I've seen here since 2006. The rest of the Common produces a Coal Tit, a couple of Great Spotted Woodpecker(both spp in The Scope) and a flock of 6 Lesser Redpoll in the birches alongside the houses on the west side of the Common. A good morning and a 2010 patch list of 43spp.

Wandsworth Common Siskins

I’m a few days into my two weeks paternity leave and most days I take my eldest boy, (aged 14 months) out for a walk (well, mainly a push) while my partner looks after the new one . The walks tend to be to one of my two very local patches: Wandsworth Common or the mouth of the River Wandle. Both have a playground en route and between Billy’s sleeping and feeding times, and time spent at the playgrounds, I usually get about 10 minutes birding to either scan the ponds on Wandsworth Common or the mouth of the River Wandle and the Thames foreshore. Both also have good numbers of pigeons which the boy finds hilariously funny. Today it’s Wandsworth Common.

Much warmer than the last week, but the ponds on the Common are still partially iced over. These hold the highest count of Shoveler I've had this winter (19) along with 8 Tufties, c40 Mallard and 3 Mute Swans (adult pair with just one of last years chicks, I guess the rest have been taken out by dogs a and/or foxes).

Also around the ponds is a mixed flock of Goldfinch and Siskin with at least 3 Siskin including a nice bright male. Siskins have been present every winter since I started watching the site and the trees around the northernmost pond are one of their favourite places. The Siskins are a year tick (somehow its always nicer to get year ticks on the local patch).