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.