Can anyone give a confident identification of the bird that's been mimicking a car alarm on Westwood Park for the last week? From the silhouette and size it looks like a starling, and the range of noises it's been making are consistent with a starling's voice. It's been in the area between the junction with Tewkesbury Avenue, the Horniman Gardens and the nature trail.
It probably is a starling, as they are excellent mimics. There was one near Catford Station that did a mean impression of a phone ringing.
Is that what it is?! For such a small thing it makes a big noise and has woken me up around 4am for the last couple of weeks
Could also be a song thrush
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguid...ndex.aspx; there has been one singing (very much like a car alarm in some of the repetitive phrases) consistently for several weeks near the Horniman triangle area and i've occasionally seen it perched high in tall trees (they like a high spot to sing from) around Sydenham Rise/Hill.
It certainly is loud, but rather musical in a way. I think the head shape was more like a starling's, slightly pointed rather than rounded like a thrush, but I don't know really. Hope to get a better view of it.