Below are the Commons’ significant sightings reported to the Ranger’s Office via the wildlife recording e-mail or the WPCC website recording form at WPCC Nature Notes webpage.

For rare or unusual sightings, reports will need to be accompanied by a photograph or sound file if possible. If you are sending a file with your report, please submit via the wildlife recording e-mail

In all instances, please include the date, time and location – for location you can give a description, use a Lat/Long co-ordinate or Ordnance Survey grid reference, or What3Words.

Putney Heath quadrant locations are based on being north (N) or south (S) of Inner Park Ride and east (E) or west (W) of Ladies Mile.

eBird users: Users of eBird will be pleased to know I am now collecting reports and sightings from the Wimbledon Common and Putney Heath ‘hotspots’.

A request: Please, if possible, report all observations of the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) colony around The Green, Wimbledon Village which is near Rushmere Pond.

Merlin smartphone app users: Please be aware the popular smartphone app is reporting false positives for Common Redstart and Iberian Chiffchaff, which on observation and sound file review were identified as Common Chiffchaff.

International Dawn Chorus Day Bird Walk: There are still places available for the Dawn Chorus Bird Walk on Sunday 4 May - book your place here:  Eventbrite 

Les Evans-Hill
Editor – Nature Notes Newsletter

Birds

Bird Walk 19 April 2025: The following 37 species were recorded during the Commons’ organised bird walk on 19 April: Canada Goose; Greylag Goose; Mute Swan; Egyptian Goose; Mandarin Duck; Mallard; Feral Pigeon; Common Wood Pigeon; Common Moorhen; Eurasian Coot; European Herring Gull; Great Cormorant; Grey Heron; Common Buzzard; Great Spotted Woodpecker; Common Kestrel; Eurasian Jay; Eurasian Magpie; Western Jackdaw; Carrion Crow; Eurasian Blue Tit; Great Tit; Long-tailed Tit; Common Chiffchaff; Eurasian Blackcap; Garden Warbler; Common Whitethroat; Common Firecrest; Goldcrest; Eurasian Wren; Eurasian Nuthatch; Song Thrush; Common Blackbird; European Robin; Dunnock; Eurasian Chaffinch; European Goldfinch.

April 2025

Greylag Goose (Anser anser): 29 April, 3 flying over the Large Mound (LE-H).

Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus): 14 April, male, Roehampton Ride (Lucie, per AE-H).

Common Swift (Apus apus): 28 April, 2 on Rushmere (JO). 29 April, high and headed north over ladies Mile, Putney Heath (LE-H).

Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus): 29 April, heard calling London Scottish Golf Club (per CC).

Stock Dove (Columba oenas): Virtually daily. A breeding pair seem to have taken residence in the Kestrel box in Putney Heath SE quadrant (LE-H).

Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis): 22 April, calling on Bluegate (LE-H). 28 April, Bluegate (JO).

Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos): 27 April, Bluegate (JM).

Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo): 30 April, 4 over the Large Mound, Putney Heath (LE-H).

Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus): Virtually daily, over Putney Heath; 3 April, Kingsmere (LE-H). 28 April, Wimbledon Common (JO).

Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo): Virtually daily, with a max of 6 circling over on 8 April, Putney Heath (LE-H). 3 April, displaying over Jerry’s Hill (JW).

Tawny Owl (Stryx aluco): Male calling most nights, Putney Heath (LE-H).

Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica): 2 April, 1 over Putney Heath (LE-H). 7 April, Ranger’s Office (AE-H). 14 April, 2 over Rushmere Pond (JO).

Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus): 10 April, 1 male singing, Inner Park Ride (LE-H).

Common Chiffchaff (P. collybita): Virtually daily.

Eurasian Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla): Virtually daily.

Garden Warbler (S. borin): First record on 19 April, Putney Heath (LE-H). 26 April, Wimbledon Common (JO). 28 April, the Large Mound and Putney Heath (LE-H).

Lesser Whitethroat (Curruca curruca): 28-30 April, singing and showing on Putney Heath SW quadrant (LE-H).

Common Whitethroat (C. communis): 22 April, Wimbledon Common (JO). 19-30 April, the Large Mound, Putney Heath (LE-H).

Common Firecrest (Regulus ignicapella): 10, 18 & 30 April, near Parkside, Putney Heath; 28 April, Gravel Pit (LE-H). 26 & 30 April, adjacent to Windmill Road, Wimbledon Common (JO).

Goldcrest (R. regulus): Virtually daily (LE-H).

Eurasian Treecreeper (Certhia familiaris): 8 April, Wimbledon Common (JO).

Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris): Mostly over the Meadow (LE-H).

Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus): Virtually daily.

Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea): 14 April, Queensmere Pond (SM).

Eurasian Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs): Males singing virtually daily (LE-H).

Butterflies

Brimstone (Gonopteryx rhamni): 4 April, Putney Lower Common (KB). 3 & 7-8 & 28 April, Putney Heath (LE-H).

Comma (Polygonia c-album): 1, 2, 6 & 9 April, Putney Lower Common (KB). 3 April, Jubilee Ride (LE-H). 7, 10 & 28 April, Putney Heath (LE-H).

Green-veined White (Pieris napi): 6 & 9 April, Putney Lower Common (KB). 3, 8 ,10 & 28 April, Putney Heath (LE-H).

Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus): 7 & 28 April, Putney Heath (LE-H).

Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines): 7 & 28 April, Putney Heath (LE-H). 9 April, Putney Lower Common (KB).

Peacock (Aglais io): 2 & 6 April, Putney Lower Common (KB). 3 April, Jubilee Ride; 7-10, 19, 22 & 28 April, Putney Heath (LE-H).

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta): 22 April, Putney Heath (LE-H).

Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas): 29 April, the Large Mound and the Meadow (LE-H).

Small White (Pieris rapae): 8, 10, 22 & 28-29 April, Putney Heath (LE-H).

Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria): 1 & 4 April, Putney Lower Common (KB). 10, 19, 22 & 28-29 April, Putney Heath (LE-H).

Moths

Unless stated, observations are from the Nature Notes editor’s Putney Heath garden moth trap:

Blossom Underwing (Orthosia miniosa): 6 April (LE-H).

Chocolate-tip (Clostera curtula): 6 & 18 April (LE-H).

Cinnabar (Tyria jacobaeae): 19 & 29 April, The Ranger’s Office (AU/AE-H).

Common Heath (Ematurga atomaria): 28-30 April, a day-flyer wherever there is heath (LE-H).

Emperor Moth (Saturnia pavonia): 16, 19 & 28-29 April, male day-flyer, Putney Heath SW quadrant (LE-H).

Green Longhorn (Adela reaumurella): 8 April, Putney Heath SW quadrant; 10 April (LE-H).

Jersey Mocha (Cyclophora ruficiliaria): 13, 17-18 & 29 April (LE-H).

Lead-coloured Drab (Orthosia populeti): 1 & 7 April (LE-H).

Light Orange Underwing (Archiearis notha): 7 April (LE-H).

Mocha (Cyclophora annularia): 20 April (LE-H).

Orange Underwing (Archiearis parthenias): 7 April (LE-H).

Plumed Bagworm (Epichnopterix plumella): 28-29 April, Putney Heath (LE-H).

Sallow Longhorn (Adela cuprella): 6 April, 4 males over Sallow, Roehampton Ride (LE-H).

Seraphim (Lobophora halterata): 18 & 29 April (LE-H).

Speckled Grass-miner (Elachista rufocinerea): 14 April (LE-H).

Reptiles

Common Lizard (Zootoca vivipara): 28 April, Putney Heath SW quadrant (LE-H).

True Flies

Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax): Virtually daily, Putney Heath (LE-H).

Dark-edged Bee-fly (Bombilyus major): 1-4, 7- April, Putney Heath (LE-H).

Johann’s Bibio (Bibio johannis): 7 April, Putney Heath (LE-H).

Shieldbug Fly (Phasia hemiptera): 7 April, Putney Heath (LE-H).

St. Mark’s Fly (Bibio marci): 28 April, Putney Heath (LE-H).

Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax): Virtually daily, Putney Heath (LE-H).

Recorders

With thanks to:

AU – Adrian Upton
*AE-H – Angela Evans-Hill
*CC – Colin Cooper
JM – John Meredith
JO – James Owen
JW – Jan Wilczur
KB – Kate Bradley
LE-H – Les Evans-Hill
*SM – Sarah Murton

*WPCC staff