Bird Sightings - May to June 2018
Latest Sightings – May to June 2018
Cormorant: 1 at Rushmere 16 May
Heron: a juvenile at Beverley Brook 12 June
Common Buzzard: regular sightings with a maximum of 4 over Putney Heath (3 heading NE)
15 May
Red Kite: regular sightings with a maximum of 3 over Thatched Cottage 10 May
Peregrine: 1 over Thatched Cottage 22 May
Hobby: 1 over Thatched Cottage 13 and 22 May, 1 chasing a Swallow over Windmill car park 3 June, 1 at Ladies Mile 14 June and 1 on 28 June
Moorhen: A pair with four young at Scio Pond 19 May
Snipe: 1 on Plain 1 May – an illustration of just how wet it had been this spring
Great Black backed Gull: 1 flew over RE playing fields 9 May – an unusual record and certainly at this time of year
Common Tern: 1 flying SW over Plain carrying a fish 20 June, one seen fishing at Queensmere 22 June and another over Plain heading east 24 June. Clearly on commuting duties between the Common’s Ponds and perhaps Richmond Park
Wood Pigeon: 80 gathered on the RE fields 30 May
Swift: First seen over Ladies Mile with two 5 May with up to 50 feeding over Ladies Mile 8 May and 30 over the Plain 8 June (AP) – reasonable numbers but still lower than previous years.
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker: 1 heard nr Ravine Pond 5pm 2 May (LEH)
Skylark: 1 heard on the Plain and then seen later 13 May, singing again on 14th and 18th with two seen 3 June and singing again June 6.
On June 8, at 8.00am, 1 bird flew up from the Plain and headed straight over the Windmill heading due west, with presumably the same bird returning half an hour later from over the Windmill and landing back on the Plain - can only presume it had been for a visit to Richmond Park which may well be the likely origin of these and previous breeding Skylarks on the Common.
Woodlark: 1 briefly heard nr Ladies Mile on the evening of 12 June. If accepted by LNHS, this would be a very significant record not only for Wimbledon Common but for London too – to put in context, Richmond Park had one in 2008 and their last one was in 1967.
Sand Martin: 1 over Thatched Cottage 9 May and 1 heading NE over Putney Heath 15 May
Swallow: just one pair this year with the first youngster leaving the nest on 12 June
Grey Wagtail: a female seen feeding a youngster nr R.E.Memorial 11 May with both adults and juvenile there on 16 May and 3 at Queensmere on 6 June
Garden Warbler: heard singing at the Mounds, Beverley Meads, Triangle and Lades Mile
Blackcap: highest count was for 7 on 12 May at Beverley Meads (SRS)
Whitethroat: one singing at Beverley Meads on 19 June was the first this observer had seen there since 2012
Firecrest: 2 male Firecrest 7 May and one bird in full song on edge of Plain nr Parkside 23 May.
Pied Flycatcher: a female reported from Lower Putney Common.
Goldfinch: at least 2 pairs around the Windmill complex.
Reed Bunting: a male on Plain 13 May and 18 May, singing there 6 June and singing at edge of Plain’s heather patch 24 June.