Brockwell Park is a 50.8 hectare[1] (125.53 acres) park located between Brixton, Herne Hill and Tulse Hill, bordered by Brixton Water Lane, Norwood Road, Tulse Hill (Road), and Dulwich Road in South London.[2]
The park commands views of the skyline of the city and Central London. At the top of the hill within the park stands Brockwell Hall.
Though an attractive park with a variety of habitats, due to its location it has a high density of dog walkers and people wanting to enjoy its features and has loud music events several times a year. Therefore rarer migrants don't stick around as there are no fenced-off areas or isolated spots protected from dog walkers as are found in migrant hotspots like Regent's Park, Wanstead Flats and to a lesser degree Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens. I have seen Common Redstart and Whinchat here but they were very nervous and were gone in minutes, but in 2019 a Whinchat was more relaxed in the new wild flower meadow which has a fence round it and no direct public access.
Species[]
Mute Swan (bred for first time in 2017), Canada Goose, Egyptian Goose (hasn't bred till 2019), Mallard, Tufted Duck, Common Scoter, Little Grebe, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Red Kite, Common Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Hobby, Peregrine, Water Rail, Moorhen, Coot, Black-headed Gull, Lesser-black Backed Gull, Herring Gull, Common Tern, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Ring-necked Parakeet (autumn roost of about 150 birds 20/09/17), Little Owl, Common Swift, Kingfisher, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (once), Swallow, House Martin (viz migration of over 250 Swallow/House Martins between 4:30 - 6:30 on 20/09/17), Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Common Redstart (twice), Whinchat (twice), Ring Ouzel (once), Song Thrush (once not resident?), Redwing, Fieldfare, Mistle Thrush, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Brambling, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Lesser Redpoll, Pied Flycatcher, Spotted Flycatcher
Little Owl (a local whose house backs onto park said about 2015 in summer he heard 4 birds calling from different areas simultaneously at night - suggests parents and young), Kestrel very infrequent juvenile for a few weeks September 2017 (I'm told they used to breed in the spire of Trinity Church overlooking the park that was probably back in the 1980s though not sure), House Sparrow (about 10 pairs breed in the park and several pairs on houses around the park, up to 50 birds have been counted in winter), Nuthatch (breed), Jackdaw 8th April 2018 - 4 seen highest count since counting began, 1 carrying nest material, species not seen here regularly for many years, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Goldcrest, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Brambling (female 11 Apri 2018), Whinchat, Common Redstart, Ring Ouzel (April 2013 at the Bowling Green), Redwing, Meadow Pipit, Peregrine Falcon, Kestrel, Hobby, Sparrowhawk, Swift, Swallow, House Martin, Kingfisher for couple of weeks in winter 2017 I'm told was a first!?, 2 Water Rail calling and visible winter 2017, 4 Common Scoter on Sunday 8th April 2018 (believe it, or not - it was dull, overcast and drizzly and in a split second 4 jet black ducks flew low straight over west at 16:30, they were Scoters, more credibility: as there was serious influx all over London on this day and on the Monday, 39 at Crayford Marshes and 12 at Staines Res - Brockwell Park lies somewhere in between!)
Ferals/Escapees: One day in April 18 a Black Swan. Lanner Falcon - at a country fair in 2000 falconer released a Lanner and the bird basically just flew off and didn't come back - it didn't even circle.
2019: 7th May 19 - f Whinchat all afternoon 2nd record since 2015. 10th May - Common Buzzard over at 12:30. 20th June - Red Kite over at 6pm
30th June - Egyptian Geese had 4 gosling taken away from the Lido as a nuisance but adults couldn't be caught. Probably first time they have produced young here - but not 100% sure.
2nd Sept - pr Lesser Redpoll very briefly landed then away (I only saw crimson breast colors briefly as birds flew away quickly).
8th Sept - 3 Spotted Flycatcher feeding up for 2 hours+, 3 Chiffchaff, 20 House Sparrows, 2 Jackdaw.
12th Sept - 2 Spotted Flycatcher still after 5 days and viz mig of Swallows few House Martins about 100. 13th September - 1 Spotted Flycatcher left, total present 6 days
23rd Sept - Collared Dove straight through (1st I've seen in 4 years) not resident, 50 House Martin, 1 Swallow, f Sparrowhawk, 5 House Sparrows, Grey Heron, Cormorant.
2020:
I have become a bit peeved with Brockwell Park as the park authorities should set aside a bird area but management is not thinking about this.
Last year in May a Whinchat stayed for a day on the fence posts by the BMX track, there were brambles that gave cover, this year the brambles were cut to the ground and no Whinchat!
8th September: Last year on this day I came across 3 Spotted Flycatchers feeding in lime trees up on the hill behind the hall. Next day 2 were left and had relocated to a large dead tree by the BMX track and 6 days latter 1 was still feeding in and around this dead tree. This year what have park management done? Cut the dead tree to a stump. This tree often had birds in it. This year on the day I was lucky to see a Pied Flycatcher on a dead branch of a live tree here, before it disappeared into the tree and wasn't seen again.
9th September: I returned again hoping to see a Flycatcher but no luck. Instead, around the ponds I saw 2 Chiffchaff, a Whitethroat popped its head out of a tall shrub and wasn't seen again and 15 Goldfinch, 5 Greenfinch and a couple of Chaffinch flew around the trees.
Cutting down the dead tree was an ignorant blunder and the council need to set aside an area by the BMX track for migrating birds.
(Michael Mac)
2025
February: Seen in the Walled Garden - great tits, chaffinches, wrens, long-tailed tits, goldfinches, greenfinches, robins, magpies, wood pigeons, feral pigeons and a jay.
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