Wandsworth Common

Wandsworth Common

Wandsworth Common is a fairly typical London Park, around a mile long and 0.3 miles wide. It is cut by a number of roads and a railway line and contains new-build housing, sports facilities and a restaurant.

The main habitat is grassland (regularly mown) interspersed with trees. There is a also a complex of very small ponds.

The common has a pretty limited number of species. In summer it supports 3-5 singing Chiffchaffs, 1 (sometimes 2) singing Willow Warbler, 2-4 singing Blackcaps, and occasional Whitethroat (so far one singing male every other year). Other breeding birds include: Mute Swan,

Woodpeckers do not breed but Great Spotted Woodpecker are regularly seen during post-breeding dispersal.

Hard winter weather increases the number of duck with additional Tufted and Pochard being joined (in very hard weather) by Shoveler.

Kestrels are usually the only birds of prey, although Sparrowhawks are an occasional fly-over.

My 2006 year list stands at 48 species.