5/3/11: Richmond and Barnes: Fallow Deer, birds and heathland

Off to Richmond Park today for a London Natural History Society meeting about the ecology of the Fallow Deer in the park.

There were 2 Jays at Barnehurst station. From there I went to North Sheen station.

In the environs of the Sheen Gate at the park were 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Mistle Thrush, 13 Redwings, Ring-necked Parakeets and a large number of Jackdaws. On the nearby Adams Pond were- 5m + 3f Mandarin Duck, 2 Egyptian Geese, 2m + 1f Tufted Duck, Common Gulls and Black-headed Gulls.

The leader gave us lots of interesting facts about the Fallow Deer, which he has studied for several years, on a tour of their favourite locations, including one of the prime rutting areas, and showed examples of antlers at different ages. The Red Deer were also seen at fairly close quarters.

LNHS members watch Fallow Deer at Richmond Park

After the meeting I went off on one of my long, roundabout walks back to another railway station. Not far from Richmond Park, on Priory Lane, I found a colony of the plant Claytonia perfoliata spreading out from under a garden fence and slightly overhanging the pavement - only my second record of the species in London.

On Barnes Common (the section south-west of Barnes station) were 1 Jay, Great Tit, Blue Tits, Long-tailed Tit, Robin, Wood Pigeon and Magpie. On a retaining wall by Barnes Station were several Hart's-tongue Fern and some Ivy-leaved Toadflax, and by the station approach lane were a number of Greater Celandine.

Along Rocks Lane things got more heathy, with old ant hills - often with Sheep's Sorrel and in one case a couple of Birdsfoot - and Broom plants. Further up the road, near Old Barnes Cemetery, were several Gorse in flower and lots of Silver Birch.

Old ant hill on Barnes Common, with two types of Moss

Gorse in flower on Barnes Common

At St. Mary Barnes Church there were several Greater Celandine.

On Barnes Green pond were (the now near-obligatory for certain parts of the capital) 2 Egyptian Geese, 2 Greylag, 2 white domestic geese, 7 Canada Geese, c25 Tufted Duck, lots of Mallard, 4 Coot, 1 Moorhen and, on the banks, feral Pigeons.

I then made my way to Barnes Bridge station via a quick look at the Thames as it began to get dark.

20/11/10: (On the way to) Richmond Park

Up early to get over to Richmond for the LNHS Ecology and Entomology field trip in Richmond Park, looking for invertebrates under dead wood.

On the way to Barnehurst station, 23 Ring-necked Parakeets were seen flying north-east.

On a wall by a noticeboard in Terrace Gardens on Richmond Hill, I found my first specimens of Rusty-back Fern in London, a total of 24 plants.

Rusty-back Fern or Scaly Spleenwort (Asplenium ceterach or Ceterach officinarum) , Terrace Garden, Richmond, south-west London, growing with Hart's-tongue Fern

There was a good turnout of 11 members and the legendary Dingo the dog. I didn't make notes on the invertebrates found.

LNHS members studying invertebrates associated with dead wood. Dingo isn't very interested .....

Richmond Park panorama, with anthills in the foreground

Sulphur Tuft fungus (Hypholoma fasciculare)

There were a number of Jackdaws around and a Common Toad was found under one of the logs lifted up. Sheep's-sorrel was most prominent on top of anthills. Other small plants included Common Stork's-bill, Parsley Piert and, at one location, what I think was quite a lot of Bird's-foot (Ornithopus perpusillus).