May has brought a wealth of migrants to South West London, probably the most warblers I ever observed and the air is filled with Swifts in higher numbers than previous years. Would be interested to know if this is a more general uptick in the UK?
On my regular cycle along the Thames yesterday I was chuffed to add a singing male Whitethroat to my list - holding territory next to the Wandsworth Waste Recycling Centre. This site is becoming a bit of a hotspot in recent months and I harbour hopes of finding some Black Redstart nearby in the coming months. The usual pair of Grey Wagtails are very active at the moment down there.
As I watched the river a Common Sandpiper zipped eastwards - there are quite a few along the Thames at this time of year. Finally, just as I was leaving a nice Arctic Tern hawked overhead before flying off high to the North. This is a great London tick, the bird was quite distinctive with longer tail streamers and the call reasonably different from the Common Terns I observe around Barnes Wetland Centre regularly. A nice Great Black Backed Gull sat calmly on the Putney barges.
Finally, an evening stroll brought me my Clapham bird of the year. A lone male Reed Warbler babbling away in the tiny reed bed in Mount Pond. This reed bed was only planted two years ago after the pond was drained to provide more habitat for wildlife. I hope he manages to pull in a mate and breeding Reed Warbler on Clapham Common would be quite an occurance. Mount Pond has come up trumps so far this year, but the earlier pair of Reed Buntings haven't hung around.
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