21/2/2011: Northumberland (Heath ....) / Erith - golden Gorse and booming bird

There was a Common Gull on North Heath Recreation Ground.

In Erith Cemetery (east side) were circa 40 Redwing making quite a lot of noise, but being quite skittish, 5 Chaffinch, 2 Greenfinch, 2 Magpie, 2 Blue Tit, 1 Great Tit, Blackbird and lots of Wood Pigeon. There were about 70 Starlings in Poplars between the cemetery and Carlton Rd.

I went a little further up Brook Street to Hollyhill Open Space, first because I could hear a Song Thrush there, and second, because I wanted to check whether the Gorse were wild single-flowered plants, or the double-flowered cultivar which I'd previously found the ones by Gravel Hill at Hall Place North to be.

The Song Thrush was singing from a copse at the foot of Hollyhill, but I couldn't get a visual on it. The song was echo-ing within the valley, making it sound very loud indeed, and even more difficult to get a precise fix on the bird's location. There's a good chance it was the same individual heard singing from the Brook Street allotment site recently.

The Gorse, in a stony, apparently weeded 'shrub bed' was all single-flowered, and had recovered from the burning a couple of years ago. At this time of year the way huge numbers of Common Stork's-bill carpet the ground really stands out, and I was able to spot some of the Bird's-foot (Ornithopus perpusillus), which I knew was also listed as being present on the site. Both the latter species are classed as 'notable' for London.

The site as a whole is decribed as 'former heathland' in the 2004 draft 'Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation in Bexley', which raises questions and possibilities in respect of the Council's existing and re-written Heathland Biodiversity Action Plan. This talks about increasing the amount of heathland in the Borough, but in immediate practical terms, or any site-specific prescription for future action, fails to look beyond extending that within Lesnes Abbey Wood.

Edge of the Gorse bed on Hollyhill Open Space, looking south across the eastern section of Erith Cemetery. The three blocks of flats in the right distance are near the southern end of Brook Street.

Looking east-south-east over the Gorse bed at Hollyhill Open Space, across the land-filled and re-greened Erith Quarry site to the right beyond the houses. There's a glimpse of the River Thames in the distance, just left of centre, whilst the church spire in the centre of the picture is that of Christ Church, Erith.

7/1/11: Erith Cemetery flora and avifauna

Went into Erith Cemetery on Brook Street for the first time, on this occasion the eastern side.

The flora was to some extent typical of the dry, sandy soil in this part of Bexley Borough. There was a huge amount of Common Stork's-bill (Erodium cicutarium), a small amount of Bird's-foot (Ornithopus perpusillus), Sheep's Sorrel, Parsley Piert sp., quite a lot of Mouse-ear Hawkweed, Henbit Deadnettle and a lot of Sedum acre and Sedum (probably) album, the latter two presumably escaped out of the gravel on top of some of the graves.

3 Goldfinch were seen, circa 44 Starlings in Poplars between here and Carlton Rd., Blackbird, Blue Tit, Great Tit, House Sparrows, Carrion Crow and about 25 Wood Pigeons.

On leaving, House Sparrows were heard in bushes in the western section.

Towards dusk about 34 House Sparrows were counted flitting into shrubbery by the car park in Northumberland Heath recreation ground.

17/7/10: Southwark's London Bridge back streets

After today's LNHS meeting, I walked from Liverpool Street station to London Bridge, then botanised some of Southwark's back streets hereabouts.

Species on a vacant lot on Newcomen St., opposite Kipling St., included three dead Papaver rhoeas, several young Verbascum - and one in flower, identified as thapsus - Black Horehound, Prickly Lettuce, Buddleia, Great Willowherb, Black Medick and a Tree of Heaven sapling.

Guy Street Park (Guy Street/Weston Street junction) plants included Pellitory-of-the-Wall, Yarrow, Ribwort Plantain, several Buck's-horn Plantain, Common Mallow, Dwarf Mallow, White Clover, White Bryony and Lesser Swine Cress. Adult Rosemary Beetles were on planted Rosemary in a shrub bed.

Those in Leathermarket gardens, a little further down the road, included some of the above, plus 5 Common Stork's-bill, Bristly Ox-tongue, Common Cat's-ear, Pineapple Mayweed, 2 Ox-eye Daisies, Field Bindweed, Mugwort, Knotted Hedge Parsley and Annual Mercury.

There were several Black Nighshade in Tanner Street park, and several Tree of Heaven seedlings.

On Morocco Street were several Shaggy Soldier in the crack between the foot of the wall of newish flats and the pavement, along with the following :-

Eleven Wall Lettuce (above) in a squalid space between buildings

This Nicotiana likewise (garden escape)

This Tomato plant in the street gutter

And this Tagetes (marigold) seedling, also in the crack between the foot of the wall of newish flats and the pavement

A vacant lot car park on St. Thomas St, between Snowsfields and Fenning St, by London Bridge station, yielded the fruiting Deadly Nightshade pictured above, and a small Common Fleabane (which doesn't seem at all common in London) just about in flower - in both cases these were only my second records for the capital. Also Woody Nightshade, 3 Tree of Heaven saplings, Herb Robert and Hoary Willowherb.

The growing Shard looms over London Bridge and its plants.

11/4/10: Some west London wildflowers

Some notes from the journey to, and a long wander after, a London Natural History Society meeting:

Three, possibly 4 Mahonia aquifolium seen by the railway between Queenstown Road and west of Isleworth station.

Hounslow - A White Bryony in a front garden in Station Rd. Sun Spurge and Hemlock in a garden on Hibernia Rd., and several Greater Celandine and Geranium rotundifolium on a vacant lot at the Staines Rd end of this street.

Bridge Rd - Ivy-leaved Speedwell, Black Horehound, Spotted Medick.

Twickenham Rd. - Green Alkanet and Dandelion pictured enlivening a street corner:



Syon Park - lots of Tansy along a fence line, Ox-eye Daisy and Sorrel by the roadway from the Park Rd. entrance. A few Crow Garlic and Pellitory-of-the-Wall by the lane leading to the eastern London Rd. entrance.

This large Barbarea sp. at the foot of a London Rd. street tree. There were also several Sun Spurge here:


Bank with a large population of Common Stork's-bill (Erodium cicutarium), north side of West Rd., just east of Syon Lane:



Closer view of one of the plants:

On a somewhat bare, slightly-raised, roadside bed just past Harlequin Av. were Buck's-horn Plantain and Danish Scurvy Grass - the latter pictured here:

10/10/09: Southwark and Lambeth's progressive parks and planting

I was pleased to see good use being made of both native and 'garden' plants in the parks that I came across on my back-streets walk from London Bridge to Waterloo station, and in general the more relaxed, less formal styles of planting being adopted.

Red Cross Park on Redcross Way has a nice pond, a wildflower mini-meadow under development, and some 'European new wave' type plantings of perennials and grasses.


I saw one of the species of Darter dragonfly on this boardwalk by the pond, but couldn't get close enough for a certain ID as to which one.

Native water plants here include Marsh Marigold (centre top) and Bogbean - which will have beautifully fringed white flowers (the thing that looks a bit like a Broad Bean plant, bottom).

A number of seedlings of Meadowsweet and of the non-native ornamental grass Stipa tenuissima had 'escaped' into the crack between the pavement and the outside face of the garden's boundary wall.

Mint St park had varous formal elements like the clipped Box in the foreground and stepped grass area beyond.

The flower beds had an eclectic mix of garden ornamentals like Lavender, Cotton Lavender, Sage, Rosemary, hardy Geraniums, Asters and Japanese Anemone and natives such as Teasel and Common St. John's-wort, plus self-sowing garden herbs like Lemon Balm and Borage.

There was a single Common Stork's-bill in some thin gravel.

Further on it was good to see street trees in what might be considered less promising locations.

Tree close to railway viaduct on Burrell St.

Junction of Chancel St and Treveris St.

An example of the welcome new idea of growing food round blocks of flats.

I would rather see areas of grass like this - frequently mown to within an inch of its life - formally or guerilla-gardened than 'sanitise' brownfield sites, since the latter can be much more valuable for wildlife.

There was a stand of Bracken in a park on Ufford St.

Waterloo Rd park, Lambeth, at the junction of Waterloo Rd and Baylis Rd. The large plant on the right is Thorn Apple (Datura stramonium) , an introduced 'weed' from central and south America in the Potato family which, being highly poisonous, was presumably not planted here deliberately.

The garden plant Rudbekia laciniata under Silver Birch.

One end of the park has a stream with water plants such as Water Mint. The other had the cut-down remains of a man-made meadow, with what looked like a very similar mix to the one at Hall Place, Bexley, namely species such as Bird's-foot Trefoil, Black Knapweed, Ox-eye Daisy, Lady's Bedstraw and Sainfoin. There was also the remains of some kind of Primula, plus Red Clover, Hemlock, Wild Carrot, Musk Mallow, Hop and a single plant of Gorse.

Man-made meadow in Waterloo Rd. park - the yellow of Lady's Bedstraw in the foreground, looking towards Waterloo terminus station.

20/9/09: Lesnes Abbey woods to Northumberland Heath - via Belvedere and Brook Street

More botanising along Bexley's highways and byways by means of another circuitous route home.

1 x Peacock butterfly on Buddleia in the Lesnes Abbey formal garden.

Several patches of Common Stork's-bill on shallow bank to west of store yard behind Visitor Centre.

Lots of Greater Celandine in flower along the Woolwich Rd margin of Lesnes Abbey Wood, from opposite houses No 99A/B to 105. Perennial Sow-thistle in garden of 270A. Adult Rosemary Beetle on Rosemary.

Buck's-horn Plantain and Spotted Medick in short grass just west of the top of New Rd.

Sheep's Sorrel in a garden in Burcharbro Rd and 4 escaped Feverfew by the pavement also.

Mouse-ear Hawkweed, White Campion and Greater Celandine in various gardens on Bedonwell Rd. Also this rather magnificent ivy-festooned Robinia pseudoacacia 'Frisia', something of a suburban tree that looks out of place in a rural setting, but I rather like it in the 'right' place:

Ivy-leaved Toadflax, Corydalis lutea, Black Horehound, Green Alkanet and also seedlings of Greater Celandine in Nuxley Rd, Belvedere, with more Mouse-ear Hawkweed and some Self Heal in grass at the junction with Grosvenor Rd. Yet more Mouse-ear Hawkweed in All Saints churchyard at the junction with Woolwich Rd/Erith Rd.

On the bank below the flats at the top (north end) of Brook St were Sheep's Sorrel, Gorse, Rosemary plants infested with Rosemary Beetle, a few patches of Sedum acre and Field Madder and several Dwarf Mallow.

Nothing of botanical note by the Streamway stream.

The Mouse-ear Hawkweed, Self Heal and Germander Speedwell, immediatly next to the Brook St retaining wall of the graveyard on the west side of the road, were all still present.

There was a 4 foot square patch of Common Calamint - with relatively large flowers - in short grass by the north east gate to Brook Street recreation ground.

24/6/09: Of Swallows and several new species

My trip from Barnehurst to Bexleyheath started well with 4 Swallows sitting on telephone wires near the junction of Thirlmere and Grasmere Roads.

A Comma butterfly was seen on each side of the former pitch and putt course.

Cutting through the eastern edge of Bursted Wood, there was a rustling in the undergrowth that didn't sound like Blackbird foraging. In fact it was two Wood Mice.

The Asparagus by a garage in Lavernock Rd, near the rear of the hospital site, was now sporting Asparagus Beetle larvae.

There was a good display of Common Mallow in an alleyway at the Long Lane end of Francis Av.

Common Mallow

Being a horticulturalist, as well as a 'botanist', I noted with interest that a specimen of the recently-discovered Woollemi Pine, a 'living fossil' from Australia, was on sale in the garden shop on the corner of Heversham Rd.

http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/science/wollemi_pine

A new species in Bexley for me was Catmint (Nepeta cataria), with white, purple-spotted flowers, growing by the exit of the Texaco garage opposite 'The Yacht' public house on Long Lane.

http://www.homeopathyandmore.com/med_images/CATARIA_NEPETA.jpg

Greater Celandine and Asparagus occur around 'The Yacht' car park.

A seedling of a grey-leaved Verbascum was growing in a crevice by a junction box at the corner of Long Land and Rydal drive.

There was interest in the 'open plan' gardens round the estate on Bristow Rd, near the end of Franklin Rd., as a new location for Common Stork's-bill (Erodium cicutarium) was discovered, hard up against the back end of someone's garage. Unfortunately the nine or so plants were now shaded and the flowers all closed.

Common Stork's-bill

Other plants here included Spotted Medick, Common Cat's-ear, Yarrow and, making a striking and attractive contrast in flower colour, Self Heal and Bird's-foot Trefoil.

There were at least three plants of Salsify (Tragopogon porrifolius) visible through the fence of Uplands Primary School on Church Rd, a species which I've seen become quite invasive by means of seed on a Bristol allotment site.

Lots of Buck's-horn Plantain was to be found in the grass bank behind the Marriott Hotel on Albion Rd (another candidate for a more relazed mowing regime). There were around 14 plants of Swine Cress (Coronopus squamatus), which has slightly heart-shaped fruits with a pointed projection, along the path edge here, and just around the corner on Gravel Hill, two plants of Lesser Swine Cress (Coronopus didymus) which has grape-shaped fruits.

Swine Cress

Lesser Swine Cress

A Hop plant and Traveller's Joy (Clematis vitalba) were growing ove the hedge by the side of the hotel on Gravel Hill.

There was a good selection of plants around the former Woolwich Building Society offices at the junction of Erith Rd and Watling St, including several Perforate St. John's-wort, Black Horehound and Mouse-ear Hawkweed.

A new Bexley Borough species for me here was the attractively silvery Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), the aromatic nature of which led to it being used to repel fleas and moths. It is an ingredient in the liquor absinthe, and in the Middle Ages was used to flavour Mead.

Wormwood

There were three Hemlock plants, another new Bexley record for me - in borders of what looked like imported soil - at 68 Erith Rd.

I'd first spotted Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca) in a scrap of green between two 'car-parked' gardens along this section of Erith Rd (south of Mayplace Rd East/West) a couple of years ago, and was pleased to see it's still hanging on. Despite supposedly being a fairly common plant, I've only ever seen the odd specimen here and there.

Tufted Vetch

A flock of about 11 Starlings was seen once back on Grasmere Rd., and another of around 20Ring-necked Parakeets

The best 'spot' of the day was undoubtedly a Pyramidal Orchid (see separate post).