Tag Archives: Dave Clark

Bird update 2024

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Thanks to Dave Clark and the other Burgess Park bird recorders for this important and fascinating information.

We now have four years of year-long data for the birds in Burgess Park displayed in the table below.

YEAR No. of BIRD SPECIES No. of OBSERVERS DAYS RECORDED
2021 89 23 184
2022 64 23 107
2023 65 26 146
2024 65 16 91

Notably, the number of species seen in the park is remarkably consistent for the last three years but alas, does not approach the bumper year of 2021. This is probably due to observer effort and the increased leisure time which was experienced during that period of post-covid, rather than a loss of species breeding or visiting the park.

A cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) at Eyemouth harbour. Photo by Walter Baxter.
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The lake continues to attract interesting avian visitors with recent sightings of Goosander, Wigeon and Lapwing, whilst across the period shown above, rarities such as Caspian Gull, White-fronted goose and Goldeneye have also been recorded. There are regular sightings of rarer ducks, supplemented by Cormorants and Grebes and over the years seven species of Gulls have been recorded: Black-headed, Lesser and Great Black-backed, Herring, Caspian, Common and Mediterranean alongside Common Tern.

Sedge Warbler. Photo by Andy Vernon, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Amongst the interesting passerines (songbirds) which are generally attracted to the rougher scrubby areas, proximate to the Bridge to Nowhere and behind the school we have seen this year Stonechat, Sedge Warbler, Common Redstart, Yellow Wagtail and Sand Martin amongst the usual African migrants of Reed and Willow Warbler, House Martin and Swift. Sightings of a Hobby was a particular highpoint, a West African bird of prey arriving in Britain in the spring. This bird may have been one of the pair that attempted to breed in the north of the borough. 

Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus). Photo by Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom.
CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

In the proximate previous years West and Central African migrants have included Cuckoo, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Pied and Spotted Flycatcher, Wheatear, Meadow and Tree Pipit; whilst regular migrant breeders are Reed Warbler, Whitethroat, Blackcap and Chiffchaff. Birds of prey, are regularly spotted with local Peregrines, Sparrowhawks and Kestrels supplemented by occasional sightings of Buzzard and Red Kite.

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus). Photo by Mathias Appel, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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The success of some of our more common birds should also be noted with Burgess being one of the few green spots within Southwark that experiences good numbers of House Sparrow and Starling, both unfortunately designated as Red-listed species; i.e.species of high conservation concern.

All known records have been sent to GiGL (Greenspace information for Greater London), BTO (British Trust for Ornithology) and Ebird. Ebird is the easiest way to follow which birds have been seen in the park, check out: https://ebird.org/hotspots (put Burgess Park in the search box).

It would be great if we had more people involved in recording our avian sightings within the park, our knowledge of the continuing erosion of biodiversity is dependent on enthusiastic amateurs using the various Citizen Science platforms that are now available. If you want to get involved, Ebird is again the go-to website whilst closer to home London Birders has a daily wiki-feed; if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the writer at dave@mailbox.co.uk.

Dave Clark 2025

Photo of bird with open beak

Burgess goes wild: Sparrows, Starlings, Whitethroats, Warblers

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From Africa to the Old Kent Road

by Dave Clark, Ornithologist

10 years ago I did some bird surveying for the council at Burgess Park and last week I had a revisit. Wow I was impressed! Blown away by the positive changes that have occurred in the interim. 

photo of plants
Burgess Park meadow

Wildflower and meadow areas buzzing and singing with life, amenity grassland merging seamlessy into nature friendly areas. People working out with butterflies dancing around their feet.  No inaptly named so-called ‘eco-zones’, just a park working with nature.  All this in an urban area close to the centre of London.

The beloved Cockney House Sparrow which has lost 60% of its urban population since the 1970s is thriving here, not just picking up scraps from around the cafe but flitting amongst the meadowlands for live food for their hungry chicks.  

photo of bird on a branch
Whitethroat

I found at least 30 (last time just a pair) and to put this into some kind of context there are no Sparrows in Peckham Rye Park nor Dulwich Park.  Similarly the Starling population, compared to  other local urban spaces, is abundant. This lovable roguish street urchin of a bird, once so common it was deemed a pest, has suffered 66% losses since the mid-70s and is now a red-listed species, i.e. a species of highest conservation concern.

What was really exciting was finding seven different breeding territories of birds that had flown all the way from Africa. Five male Whitethroats busily displaying amongst the meadows and two Reed Warblers, guess where – in the reeds surrounding the lake. Both of these species travel from the Sahel, a region between the Sahara desert and the Savanna, to breed here in the UK. To find them so close to the centre of London is uncommon and a pleasure. The scratching sound of the Whitethroat and the gurgle of the Reed Warbler is deeply resonant of the exoticism of a faraway continent. Their joyous life affirming songs showing that nature can survive despite what obstacles we throw at it.

photo of bird on a reed
Reed Warbler

Well done, you should be proud. Burgess Park is an example of what can be achieved in an urban inner city area when ecological concerns are placed at the forefront of the agenda and not left at the bottom of the priority pile. Nature does not pick nature reserves. Nature is all around and can flourish with some care and attention. Praise should be given to Greg and his gardening team for being a large part of this environmental success despite having only limited resources and despite having to battle the conflicting interests that public parks bring.

So is this just a nature lover banging on …

Er … nope … the maintenance and improvement of the health of urban green spaces is paramount for all of us not just nature. 80% of us live in cities for a start and we also know that access and proximity to nature is beneficial to our physical and mental well being, reduces stress and reduces crime. By making nature more visible and audible the easier it becomes for people to engage with it.  Engagement with nature not only brings joy but also increases our care for our environment.

We can deny nature but we can’t get away from it, it’s the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink. It’s incumbent on all of us to maintain its health.

Well done again!