7/8/10: Missing the boat - Wimbledon Common / Putney Heath

I cut the time of my arrival at Wimbledon station a bit fine for walking to the London Natural History Society meeting place up on the Common, and compounded the mistake by walking the wrong way for 15 minutes after too casual a look at my A-Z. Never did find the main party, the site being a lot large than I had imagined, so this turned out to be a rather random solo ramble.

Putney Heath - classic heathland scene with flowering Heather (Calluna vulgaris), and Silver Birch in the distance

Silver Birch with Heather beneath on a damp part of Wimbledon Common

Heathland succesion at the margin of a damp glade - Gorse, Silver Birch and Aspen (or a similar-looking Poplar hybrid) gaining ground amongst Heather

The more notable plants included Tormentil, a Cudweed species, several Meadow Vetchling, a single Agrimony, a couple of ditches in close proximity containing runs of Blackberry with more ferny than usual 'Oregon Thornless' type leaves and a Downy Birch.

Tormentil in a damp glade, a daintier, 4-petalled relative of the ubiquitous Creeping Cinquefoil

The weather was patchy, sometimes rather overcast, so not many butterflies were seen. A Gorse Shield Bug (Piezodorus lituratus) was found. Also several kinds of Odonata. A Migrant Hawker settled on Gorse. A Common Darter was seen. A close view was had of a pair of tandem Ruddy Darters ovipositing amongst grass on a damp pathway. 2 or 3 (Large) Red-eyed Damselflies were utilising an isolated patch of Heather, away from water, with a Gorse plant in it.

I wasn't paying much attention to birds but a Jay was spotted.

Ride through a wooded part of Wimbledon Common

Soil profile exposed by erosion - where usage has 'sunk' the ride trackway. Note thin layer of organic matter over sand studded with bebbles.

As I left the north end of Putney Heath there was a heavy downpour, but I managed to avoid getting too much of a soaking by getting to a sheltered bus stop. Later in the afternoon large amounts of water were noted pouring off the ends of the modern, but badly designed glass roof at the entrance to East Croydon station. Any sensible set-up would be capturing that water for later use.

17/7/10: Lee Valley Park, Amwell - more 'firsts' in Odonata and plants

Up at half past six (groan) to get to St. Margaret's station in Hertfordshire for a London Natural History Society field trip to Amwell in the Lee Valley Park.

Several Skullcap along the canal further confirmed this species' prediliction for such habitats. There was a bit of Help Agrimony and Brandybottle (Nuphar lutea).

Other plants included a first for me - Small Teasel (Dipsacus pilosus), pictured below, of which there were quite a number, also the waterlily Nymphaea alba, a couple of Common Fleabane, a couple of Musk Mallow and a nice patch of Tufted Vetch.

Small Teasel (Dipsacus pilosus), Amwell, Hertfordshire

Butterflies seen around the canal, gravel pits and reserve were:

Green-veined White

Large White

Small White

A few Red Admiral

Speckled Wood

Gatekeeper

Meadow Brown

A single Ringlet

A single Common Blue



Odonata seen were:


Common Blue Damselfly (large numbers)

Azure Damselfly

Several Large Red-eyed Damselfly on water lily pads

A single Small Red-eyed Damselfly ditto (first time I've seen this species - thanks to sharp-eyed leader Roy Woodward for clocking this and getting his telescope on it for us)

Male and female Banded Demoiselles

Several Brown Hawkers

A few Emperor Dragonfly

1 x Four-spotted Chaser Dragonfly (first time I've seen this species)



Birds included:


Close views of a juvenile Green Woodpecker

A Kingfisher

2 Little Egret

Greylag geese

Common Tern

3 Buzzards circling together high overhead

2 Hobby dashing about over distant woodland

1 Kestrel

Great Crested Grebe

A Reed Warbler feeding 2 fledglings

3 Goldfinches feeding on Creeping Thistle seeds

29/5/10: Lee Valley Park - Cheshunt for Cornmill Meadows

A London Natural History Society meeting, primarily for Odonata, starting out at Cheshunt railway station. The weather started out OK, but turned against us, though it did mean that later on the insects we did find stayed put while we got photographs.

Early on we got Common Blue, Blue-tailed and Azure as well as a Large Red-eyed Damselfly, the latter a new species for me.

Having only recently found Yellow Vetchling (Lathyrus aphaca) for the first time, I was pleased to come across a small amount at the outset of this walk.

This male Banded Demoiselle was one of several seen close to water

A Cetti's Warbler was heard. We found a Large Red Damselfly. Spindle, Wayfaring Tree and Guelder Rose have been planted as hedging ,

This male Hairy Dragonfly had been grounded on flowering Spindle by light rain

Tufted Vetch, Bush Vetch and Red Campion were amongst the plants seen

This Perennial Cornflower (Centaurea montana) was a 'garden escape', despite being some distance from any habitation. Several Agrimony were later found.

At the Cornmill Meadow area there was a female Hairy Dragonfly, a Pheasant, a Snipe, Shoveler, a Swallow and a Little Egret. I saw one of what appeared to be two Cuckoos.

A colourful red and black Froghopper on Horseradish was later identified as Cercopis vulnerata.

We tried to make up for the lack of Odonata action by trying to get pictures for identification of the two or maybe three species of Cranefly, but none would settle, despite the conditions.

A short-cut on a public footpath back towards Cheshunt in reality involved a long trek on a very narrow track through a field of wet Rape on horribly sticky clay soil.

Back at the various lakes 60-70 Swifts (more in the distance) and a few House Martins zoomed overhead. A Jay was later seen.