15/1/11: Birds of eastern Bexleyheath

First up, Martens Grove:

1 Green Woodpecker - my first record of this species here, feeding in a grassy glade with Pigeons, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker - later heard drumming, 3 Goldfinch, 1 male Chaffinch, 1 Wren, 22+ Woodpigeon, several Ring-necked Parakeet, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Magpie, Carrion Crow and Robin.

Then round the corner to Shenstone Park and the 'pinched off' north-east 'enclave' of Hall Place North just over the main road:

Here the birds included 2 Mistle Thrush, 1 Wren and Ring-necked Parakeets.

Across a short section of footpath and I was into Hall Place North 'proper':

Of note were 1 Green Woodpecker, and four separate groups Ring-necked Parakeets heading west over Gravel Hill approaching dusk - totalling circa 43 birds.

There appeared to be no House Sparrows in the school playing field hedge on Gravel Hill, but there was a lot of chirruping from evergreen shrubs by the Council multi-storey car-park on Albion Rd - perhaps they decamp here in the winter for more protection?

29/7/10: Broadway, Hall Place North, Shenstone Park and Martens Grove

Late decision to go into Bexleyheath, so left home in a rush forgetting to take mobile phone (aka digital camera) with me, hence the lack of pictures in this posting.

There were about 50 Starlings on the roof of The Mall on the Broadway.

At Hall Place North a (probable Hawker) Dragonfly circled round several times, but was against the light and would not settle for identification.

There were groups of juvenile Blue Tits and a couple of definite Greenfinches (which flew off in a flock of 12 birds which may have been con-specifics).

A Red-tailed Bee and a Carder Bee were feeding on one of the Bird's-foot Trefoil patches in the close-mown turf. There were quite a number of Red Tails on the good stand of Black Knapweed that was flowering in one of the unmown areas.

Butterflies were few in number, with only a white, a Meadow Brown or two and a Gatekeeper seen.

Clematis vitalba was in the Old Road/London Rd triangle where the Gas Holders are, and Ash was becoming prevalent here.

Moving into Shenstone Park, which I haven't been through since my running days back in the 80's, I suspect, were a lot of the usual plants of mown and unmown grass for this neck of the woods. The large number of Limes and Ash were notable features, and I was interested to see a couple of Walnut trees and some nice 'specimen' Hornbeams.

Green Woodpeckers were heard and seen - there may have been 2 or 3 different individuals.

Heading into Martens Grove a number of Elm were noted and a good view of a Wren was had. Field Maple, Hornbeam and a Beech were noted. There was a run of Swine Cress (Coronopus squamatus) by the path near the St Stephen's Rd entrance.

13 Starlings were over the south end of Barnehurst Rd, and 35(+) over the junction of Bexley Rd and Brook St.

A result of this peregrination is that I have identified 3 more areas that look promising for White-letter Hairstreak butterflies, though it's getting a bit late in the season now to have the best chance of checking for presence.