Dec 31
Its been a very mild December.  Ice has covered the ponds on Stave Hill on only a few days and this has quickly melted in the warmth of the morning sun.  So no big changes in the wildlife.  More Black-headed Gulls on the docks and river and large numbers of Tufted Ducks on Surrey Water, but only a few Shoveler in Southwark Park.

The last few days have been a little colder and a few Redwing from Scandinavia have joined the small groups of local Mistle Thrush.  A single cotoneaster tree near Surrey Water has proved particularly attractive with the bolder Mistle Thrush clacking and perching on the outer branches while the shyer Redwing favour the inside of the tree.

Mistle Thrush

Redwing

Stave Hill has again been the star place for wildlife.  The Firecrest have been very active, very vocal and (for Firecrest) very easy to see as they flit through the evergreen bushes and occasionally popping out to the path side and into willow trees.

Firecrest

Firecrest

Firecrest

Firecrest

There has been large numbers of Goldcrest too and big flocks of Long Tailed Tits moving and calling noisily through the trees.  Birds make three main types of noise.  There is the alarm call and contact call made by males and females, and then the song, which is generally only made by the male.  Robins tend to sing all winter, and they even sing at night under street lights and Blackbirds also sing in the dead of night when there are lights nearby.  Wrens also sing in the winter and were traditionally hunted on St Stephens day.  But more suprisingly Song Thrush have started to sing; obviously thinking that spring has already started and the Great spotted Woodpecker has also started to drum.  The mild weather had led to a large number of Chiffchaff deciding to overwinter in Stave Hill together with a smaller number of Blackcaps.  Chiffchaff are insect eaters and normally migrate to Africa in the winter.  But increased numbers have decided to stay and can be seen flitting through the tree tops looking for food making an occasional whooit call.  They should start to sing their unmissable song in March. A very attractive male Teal has also been dropping into Globe and Downtown ponds and a female was seen in Southwark Park.

Chiffchaff

Teal

The Kingfishers are also very active.  On one day one bird had a fish in its beak and was being noisily pursued through the tree tops by the second bird.   Strange to see them so high in the trees.

December is a good time for garden birds.  House Sparrows, once threatened, now seem to do very well on the peninsula. In the garden the next most common bird is the beautiful Goldfinch that visits the seed feeders and aggressively drives other birds off.  Magpie, Blackbird, Dunnock, Robin, Wren, Great Tit and Blue Tit are also common.  Jay, Long tailed tit and Greenfinch pass through occasionally, and lucky gardeners have visits from Great spotted Woodpecker, Goldcrest and Blackcap.

Wren

Long-tailed tit

So a very good end to an excellent year for wildlife in Rotherhithe.  Lets hope the cold snap in January brings in those Waxwings.