The
Urban Birder in
BBC’s The One Show’s David Lindo writes for Bird Watching
I
’ve been to some pretty weird places in my search for urban birds, like picking my way across derelict land looking for Northern Wheatears, observing migrants in between supping tea on top storey inner city balconies and even whilst lying in bed overlooking suburban back gardens, but so far nothing had been as challenging as the thought of going birding in Croydon. Now before you start thinking that I have finally hit a birding brick wall, let me quickly state that the reason for my trepidation was not for the potential lack of birds, but for the sheer negative reputation Croydon has. I had to wrestle with my own ingrained prejudices about the place. Was it nothing more than a load of skyscrapers jutting out of bleak rain-stained concrete streets, inhabited by ‘chavs’ who relished hanging around in equally fake looking shopping centres? Is Croydon really in south London or is it a province of Surrey with its own queen? I was confused. Even checking the internet resulted in a website written by a Croydon-based birder deriding the birding opportunities. How much more discouragement did I need? But I now know better. Croydon is like any other large town; it has nice bits and some not so nice bits. It’s an ancient place that was in Surrey until the skyscrapers came in the mid-60s and it became a London borough. The name Croydon derives from the Saxons and is thought to mean either ‘Crooked Valley’ or ‘Saffron Valley’ – which to my mind is what Croydon should have been christened – and there are plenty of birds here too.
However, I did manage to discover a calling and drumming Lesser Spotted Woodpecker – a species that I barely see anywhere these days To prove that point, when I arrived in wonderful Saffron Valley I found I could stroll in minutes from East Croydon Station to the nearest green patch – Park Hill, a small municipal open space. After parking myself on a bench, I was soon enjoying prolonged views of Goldcrest, Great Spotted Woodpecker and a gaudy, vociferous Nuthatch. Unbeknown to me, a Firecrest or two had been lurking there for the previous few days. Giddy from my early brush with nature I was down to earth with a thud as I walked through the town centre. Initially, aside from a few high flying gulls there was nothing on offer other than the obligatory Feral Pigeons. But I have
City list: c230
Croydon
been told that if you are diligent you may see the resident pair of Peregrines flash across the skyline. Last summer there were two pairs of Grey Wagtails and a Black Redstart on territory, plus a reasonable Pied Wagtail roost during the winter. Bright and early the following morning, I wandered around the National Trust Selsdon Wood Nature Reserve. I was lured to this area of suburban woodland and open meadows by the prospect of catching up with Marsh Tit. This reserve is one of the main sites for this ultra scarce species in Surrey, although that day I wasn’t in luck. However, I did manage to discover a calling and drumming Lesser Spotted Woodpecker – a species that I barely see anywhere these days. Many of the familiar woodland birds were quickly added to my tally, including several Great Spotted Woodpeckers and calling Treecreepers. This site has been somewhat under-recorded recently and would definitely benefit from some regular coverage. I was enjoying being a suburban birder, so I made the short drive over to Riddlesdown, an area of downland that is home to several pairs Skylark, Meadow Pipit and Yellowhammer and is one of the few places in Croydon where all three nest. As I stood looking over the gentle valley, I imagined the possibility of seeing raptors coasting by, so a Peregrine that I noticed soaring over my head in the beautiful blue sky came as no surprise. The final part of my whistle-stop introduction to Croydon birding was a trip back into the heart of things with a visit to South Norwood Country Park. Despite being in the middle of an urban area and thus heavily visited, its mix of scrub and wet meadow looked very appealing. With over 170 species recorded to its credit including Long-eared Owl, Great Grey Shrike and Twite, this site is without doubt the hotspot of Croydon. As I watched a male Reed Bunting staking out its territory, a passing local birder told me about the persistence of a Jack Snipe in the wet fields near the lake. The snipe eluded me so instead I had to make do with watching some Shoveler chilling in the company of Canada Geese. I left feeling that the country park would make for a very rewarding patch. No matter what people may say, or what you may have previously thought about the Saffron Valley, it is definitely worth a look. Whether you class it as London or a part of Surrey, with over 150 parks and open spaces in the area most of which are, at best, under-watched, avian riches await those who seek them.
Best site: South Norwood Country Park www.birdwatching.co.uk
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