9/3/11: Two men in a boat

Spent most of the day in a small boat with Eric, 'fishing' for rubbish in the River Cray that could not be safely reached from the bank. It was a small, very stable, but rather 'square' and hard to manouevre craft, so it took us a long time to row slowly from the Riverkeeper's Yard down to the main work site at the old Vitbe Mill Pond, then all the way back again several hours later. There is so little clearance under the Maiden Lane and Thames Road bridges that we had to lie down in the boat and propel ourselves by hand, pushing against the underside of the bridge decks - putting me in mind of the way narrowboat men 'walked' their vessels through narrow canal tunnels.

At the Mill Pond the river splits in two, one branch has a boom across it, and this is where much rubbish and woody debris had accumulated, the other drops over a high weir, with both parts merging into Crayford Creek a little further downstream. It was slow-going work and a total of nearly 20 sacks of rubbish and several large items were removed. There was the usual array of metal drinks cans, glass and plastic bottles. Also lots of small fragments of polystyrene - which were a real pain to pick out of the reeds. This stuff should be banned! The most exotic items were a couple of loo seats, which we were able to get out. Further upriver we noticed a lawnmower on the bottom, which will have to be tackled another day.


On the way down to the river 9 Redwing were seen on Perry St Farm. At Thames Road Wetland a Chiffchaff was calling from somewhere within the Reedmace stands in the morning and 6 Goldfinch were on shrubs on the Sewer Pipe Embankment. At dusk there were a couple of bursts of loudish, scratchy song, which may have been a Cetti's Warbler. A local bird-watcher reported 3 from Crayford Marshes today, and I saw a dark brown bird with a strongly-cocked tail on TRW just before dusk last week.


There was a single Grey Wagtail at the Vitbe Mill Pond. On the surrounding banks were a Pyracantha and a couple of Mahonia aquifolium, none or all of which might conceivably have been self-sown. There was also a modestly-sized Gooseberry plant hard up against the Thames Rd bridge abutment.


On the long row back to the yard a couple of Pike were seen partly out of the water, spawning up against reeds, on By-way 105, and a Song Thrush was singing on the former Samas-Roneo site behind Barnes Cray Rd.

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.

14/2/11: Waxwings in London Borough of Bexley

The London Bird Club wiki was listing Waxwing sightings in Russell Close, Bexleyheath, and at Bourne Mead, opposite the playing fields at Hall Place, during the past couple of days, and I couldn't resist seeing the species in my home Borough after three lots of sightings elsewhere in the capital this winter.

I therefore set off on one of my indirect sorties to Bexleyheath Broadway .......

At Bursted Woods and former the Pitch and Putt course (Barnehurst) were 2 or 3 Redwing, 2 Mistle Thrush, Ring-necked Parakeets, Wood Pigeons, Great Tit, Blue Tit and Carrion Crow.

No sign of Waxwings in Russell Close, but there was a large Cotoneaster stripped of berries, and another still laden over the road.

At Martens Grove (Bexleyheath): 2 or 3 Redwing, 1 Mistle Thrush, 1 Blackbird, 2 male Chaffinch, 8 Goldfinch feeding on the ground, Ring-necked Parakeets, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Robin, Magpie, and Carrion Crows.

Bourne Mead (Crayford) - off Bourne Rd, opposite Hall Place playing fields: great - the Waxwings were still there, camped in a tree above a heavily berry-laden Cotneaster, with individuals intermittently coming down to feed. I counted around 30 birds resplendent in the late afternoon sun and, when they finally flew off south east, beyond railway line, there may have actually been around 40 birds in total. 150 had been reported yesterday.

A serious birder was a few yards the other side of the Cotoneaster, with a large zoon lens on a DSLR. He turned out to be a local chap, but said he hadn't managed to get any particularly good photos.

Hall Place North (Bexleyheath): 22 Redwing, 2 Mistle Thrush, Great Tit, Wood Pigeons. 28 House Sparrows in the hedge of the adjacent school. 18 Ring-necked Parakeets over the north end of Gravel Hill.

29/1/11: Wings of Red, Wax - from Tooting Common to Finsbury Park

An unpleasantly cold LNHS meeting at Tooting Bec Common in search of Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (none found). There had been a report of Waxwings on the Common so we set off to see them first, finding circa 40 Waxwings in the 'triangle' east of Balham station, near the underpass to Cavendish Rd. They were pecking away at something on their Sycamore perching place on the railway embankment, but soon took flight at the approach of a passing train. Amongst other species seen were: 8 Redwing, 1 Sparrowhawk (over), 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Nuthatch and 12 Ring-necked Parakeet. Those on the lake included 4 confiding Egyptian Geese, which were presumably used to being fed, 10 Shoveler, Tufted Duck and 2 Mute Swans.

Quite a lot of Waxwings have been reported from the Islington area lately, so I made my way to the Victoria Line, baled out at Finsbury Park station and crossed the road to the ground of that name. The highlight here was circa 98 Redwings and 95 Starlings feeding together, on the north side slope. Some of the other birds seen were 4 Chaffinch and 2 or 3 Goldfinch, and on the lake - which I hadn't looked at on previous visits - 11 Shoveler, 11 Pochard, 28 Tufted Duck, 2 Cormorant + 1 over, 4 Greylag, 22(+?) Canada Geese and 2 Mute Swan.

Some Finsbury Park lake pictures follow:

2 male and 1 female Pochard (foreground) with 4 male Tufted Duck behind

3 Mallard (male and female in foreground), female Pochard and male and female Tufted Duck

Mute Swan, with a male of each of Tufted, Pochard and Mallard Duck (left to right, behind)

27/1/11: North Heath birds shun cold north wind

Not much showing itself in a grey afternoon, characterised by a cold northerly wind.

Northumberland Heath:

There were 2 Redwings at the school on Brook St, the closest ones I've seen to where I live so far this winter. At North Heath Recreation Ground 10 Wood Pigeons were feeding on the grass. c60 Starlings were intermittently wheeling over the western ('rear') section, and 15 House Sparrows were congregating around a feeder in adjoining garden. 50+ House Sparrows and 2 Blue Tits were in Erith School hedges, along Avenue Rd.

Erith Cemetery (east side):

Very little about. 2 male Chaffinch were seen, around 50 Wood Pigeon which were behaving rather restlessly and frequently taking flight - perhaps scaring off smaller birds in the process - a couple of Blackbirds, 2 Carrion Crows and some Magpies.

19/1/11: North Heath Rec and Erith Cemetery birds include Redwing and Greenfinch

There were 15 Wood Pigeon on North Heath recreation ground, around 60 Starlings - mainly in a large tree, but also on house chimneys and TV aerials - where the gardens of houses on Brook Street form part of the park's boundary, and also at least 8 House Sparrows here.

Further along Brook Street, in the eastern part of Erith Cemetery, there were 6 (and possibly one or two more) Redwing - of which I've seen none so far this winter, except on or by Crayford Marshes and, very pleasingly a group of 12 Greenfinch. The latter most probably make use of the nearby Erith Quarry site, which is now mainly secondary scrub. 14 House Sparrows were utilising a feeder in adjoining garden. There were also 20+ Wood Pigeon, 4 Ring-necked Parakeet, 3 Magpie, 2 Carrion Crow, several Starlings, Blue Tit and a Robin.

17/12/10: No pain, no gain - Bearded Tit on Crayford Marshes

I was perusing the London Bird Club (London Natural History Society, Ornithology Section) Wiki ('Latest news' page)

http://londonbirders.wikia.com/wiki/LatestNews

for the first time in a while yesterday evening, because I fancy seeing my first Waxwings. Sure enough, some had been seen in Old Bexley, also in Bromley.

But what caught my eye were reports of Bearded Tits on Crayford Marshes this week, both by Erith Yacht Club, and also along the Cray by the landfill mound - the latter location being a stone's throw (or three) from Thames Road Wetland ....

Never having seen one of those either, and since they're scarcer in this part of the world at any rate, I ignored the weather forecast and hot (later to become frozen-)footed it down there.

Setting off at 11.15, I took the Colyers Lane route towards Slade Green station. It was overcast, but seemed fairly mild. A couple of Blackbirds, some Starlings and a Collared Dove were seen en route. Another 18 Starlings were along Northend Rd, and 11 more in Barnett Close.

On the recreation ground west of the station 10 Feral Pigeons were feeding on the ground, and a couple of Carrion Crow were seen.

10 Starlings were on a TV aerial at the junction of Howbury Lane and Whitehall Lane, 26 were on aerials on the east side of Slade Green station, mainly on the former pub, about 36 more were on a tall Poplar nearby (some may have moved from one of these locations to the other by now), 38 were seen flying from Howbury Grange west towards the football pitch on the north side of Moat Lane and 24 more were at Howbury Grange itself.

At this end of the Moat Lane footpath were a Song Thrush, a fairly approachable Pied Wagtail, 3 Chaffinches, a Great Tit and a Blue Tit.

A count of Wood Pigeons sitting in the row of large Willows yielded a total of 97, with 8 in small trees further along. 3 male Blackbirds were hanging out together not far beyond.

Three Redwings, my first definite sightings of the year, were in the patch of Hawthorns where Moat Lane rises up to the flood defence embankment on the Darent.

By now it was getting rather colder and it started snowing. Lapwings, Redshank and a handful of Teal were along the river. The ducks seemed to be happy enough ducking under for a 'wash and brush up' in the cold water. 8 Mute Swans evidently saw things rather differently and had decided the best place to be was up on the grassy banks. The eerie calls of waders, piercing the increasingly gloomy conditions, were a potent reminder of just how wild this place once was.

I pressed on past the flood control gate, and the snow was being blown sideways. There was no quick way home from here anyway. The nearer I got to Essex across the big river, the less I could see of it through the streaming white stuff.

50 Lapwing populated the exposed mud where the Darent joins the Thames, along with a lot of Gulls. There were a few Dunlin here too. By now it was getting difficult to focus the bins on account of cold fingers, and problematic with gloves on.

Pressing on towards Erith Saltings, by the Yacht Club, one of the reported Bearded Tit sites, a largish flock of Chaffinches flew up from the rough. There were several Teal and some Wigeon on the water, with Gadwall and Mallard mostly on the mud. A Grey Heron stood sentry. A few Cormorants were in evidence. A single Curlew or maybe Whimbrel (my birding skills are somewhat deficient) was spotted.

Now my feet were really feeling the cold, despite three layers of socks. I set off down Ray Lamb Way, and was rewarded with half a dozen Redwing in trees on the rough verge between the road and houses. In addition, the sun came out. A three-quarter moon appeared, looking unusually large in a blue sky dotted with both grey and white clouds. A small white plane, caught in the sunlight, flew over the moon.

Heading towards Darent industrial estate, the icy conditions, lack of a footpath and heavy-ish traffic created potentially hazardous conditions and I nearly fell too far down the side of a drainage ditch. Just as I got to the first of the buildings, a Green Woodpecker flew over.

I took the footpath which comes back out onto the Darent, a way up stream of the floodgate, then turned right, heading back towards Moat Lane and on to the Cray. I surveyed the view, now lit up in quite the fantastic light of a low winter sun in a clear blue sky, and with the bonus of snow on the ground.

Then there was sun ..... The moon over the QE2 bridge, and Littlebrook power station, looking across Reed bed and the channel of the River Darent from London into Kent.

The view west down Moat Lane, the way I'd come earlier in the day. But now I was heading further south - to the Cray ......

Lapwing dotted the increasing areas of mud on the river bank, and a Fox was seen over on Dartford marsh.

Heading up the footpath flanking the Cray, a flock of around 36 Chaffinches was seen.

Something was noticed in the big embayment of Common Reed on the Dartford side, and after much fiddling about getting my frozen fingers to focus the binoculars, a sighting of one male Reed Bunting became two males and a female.

This was the other area, by the landfill mound, where Bearded Tit had been reported from earlier in the week. But they could have been seen anywhere along this lengthy stretch. For some reason I stayed put. There was a slightly different sort of call. Could that be it (ooops, I hadn't checked what Bearded Tits sound like .....). A heavy-ish movement was seen in the top of some Common Reed. Not, I sensed, the wind-generated sort. I got the bins on the right spot. Shortly, a rear view of something unfamiliar was seen. Two prominent white bands down the back. Again, I wasn't sure what they were supposed to look like from this angle. But it was different. I knew that much. I moved closer. In next to no time I was rewarded with a 3/4 front view of an obliging male Bearded Tit, oblivious to, or unfazed by my presence. And from less than 30 feet away. Fantastic. Moreover it was on the north side of the river, and therefore a legitimate London, and London Borough of Bexley 'tick'. A few yards distant on the other side of the water, and it would have been in Kent. Not to mention hard to see in the gathering gloom.

Reed bed (foreground) where my first ever Bearded Tit was seen this afternoon.

Mission accomplished, but I didn't feel as excited as I would have been if I'd seen one on Thames Road Wetland. But by now it was 15.50, and by the time I got to TRW it was too dingy to see anything much very clearly. There were some calls from the Reedmace/Reed bed, but not being a birder, I had no idea what all of them were .......

Worse than the cold was the walk home. These wellies had been OK on a shorter trek, but they must have a subtle, but untoward effect on leg movement, as the fronts of my thighs were now hurting rather a lot from the unusual strain I presume this had been putting them under. The problem might rule out traipsing around looking for Waxwings tomorrow if I can't find a quick vegan way of keeping my feet both dry and rather warmer! No pain, no gain, as they say .....

11/3/10: Redwings still around

There were 46 Redwings clustered in a few neighbouring trees on the north side of the former Barnehurst Pitch and Putt course, where they were making quite a lot of noise. They flew off to the Bursted Wood margin and later, from the cover of the wood, around 53 were counted foraging on the short grass that characterises much of the site.

By and large the Redwings were spread around the margins of a group of around 60 Starlings, but the latter were far more skittish - the Redwings staying down whenever the Starlings took flight.

1/03/10: Sparrows, Redwings abound on Gravel Hill

Had to go foraging for vegan fodder in Bexleyheath, so went down to the parkland on the east side of Gravel Hill to see what was about before heading home.


Gravel Hill parkland looking east in the evening sun - young Broom plants at the edge of one of the brambly copses, with scattered large trees in the background

Since I got my first proper view of Stock Doves in east London the other week, I've scanned gaggles of Wood Pigeons locally to see if they harbour any. No such luck. The flock of 17 Wood Pigeons feeding in the grass were clearly all just that.

A Green Woodpecker was on the on ground at the margin of the narrow long grass strip at the north west corner of the site at the top of the hill, and two were later seen feeding together on the grass at the bottom of the hill.

A number of thrushes were hopping about down here, and I eventually managed to get reasonably close, though the widely-spaced trees and shortish turf provided little cover. I counted 44 birds and all of those I could get a positive ID on (the light wasn't great by now, and my binoculars aren't very powerful) were Redwings. They'll soon be heading north again, so this may be the last big flock I see before next winter.

As the light faded a Great-spotted Woodpecker swooped into a tall tree, shortly flying off after two other passing birds, but I could only see these in distant silhouette, so don't know what they were.

Other species in evidence were Carrion Crow, Magpie, Blue Tit, Robin and Ring-necked Parakeet.

As dusk fell the House Sparrows in the dense deciduous hedge along Gravel Hill road, bounding St. Columba's School, had settled down enough to allow a reasonably accurate count. I made it 126 individuals.

14/2/10: Birds along the DLR - Devons Rd and All Saints

To get home from the Waterworks Nature Reserve I decided to go to Stratford, take the DLR to Lewisham, and the train from there back to Barnehurst.

I got off at a couple of stations in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in order to see if there was any interesting 'lineside' vegatation (which there wasn't).

However, 13 Linnets settled in a small tree by a scrappy car park behind the Lewisham-bound platform at Devons Rd, and stayed put for quite a while.

At All Saints some small birds were high in some trees a little way away, but remained obscured by lots of branches and unfavourable light. Fancying from glimpses that at least one of them was a Goldfinch, I decided to exit the station and try and get a better look. Persistence was rewarded with 6 Redwings and a slightly larger 'thrush', which I took to be a Song Thrush, feeding on the grass in All Saints (East India Dock Rd.) churchyard on the Montague Place side. There were at least 7 Goldfinches high up in some large London Planes, hanging on and apparently feeding from the globular fruits - something I've not seen before.

Shortly thereafter a good view was had of 11 Goldfinches feeding on the ground in the churchyard, by the base of a tree, whilst there were still at least a few others up in the aforementioned Planes.

Spotted Medick and a Barbarea sp.('Winter Cress') were noted on a mounded 'raised bed' at the junction of East India Dock Rd and Cotton St.

There was a Mute Swan on the water just past Greenwich DLR station.

14/2/10: Valentine's Day bird-watching

Another well-led London Natural History Society bash, this time to the Waterworks Nature Reserve and Golf Course in the Lea Valley

http://www.leevalleypark.org.uk/EN/Default.aspx?n1=3&n2=65&n3=68

the Lea Valley Riding Centre over the road, and Walthamstow Marshes.

The former includes a ring of old filter beds allowed to reach various stages of succession, from largely open water, to increasing amounts of reeds, wet meadow and Willow carr. There is a circular walkway in the middle, ringed by a bird hide 'wall' with lift-up flaps and viewing 'windows' opposite each bed.

Before entering the site proper, two Sparrowhawks were seen overhead, and a Grey Wagtail was by the canal.

On the filter beds, great views were had of Teal (the males have some fantastically cream feathering), Snipe, Shoveler, Little Grebe and Green Sandpiper. A Cetti's Warbler was heard (not that I would have known that's what it was without the leader saying so), ditto Water Rail.

Unprepossessing grass and horse-trampled fields in the Riding Centre were awash with large numbers of Redwing and Fieldfare, also a few Mistle Thrushes. Here we also had good views (through another members' telescope) of a Little Owl well camouflaged in a big old Willow tree and a pair of Stock Doves, both 'firsts' for myself.

Apart from a Kestrel, there wasn't anything of note on Walthamstow Marsh South.

Plant-wise, the stand-out was the large amount of Tansy bordering the canal channel, at both the Filter Beds and Riding School sites.

A worthwhile trip to a location well-served by buses, and a reasonable walk from Clapton railway station.

1/2/2010: Redwings turn over old leaf

Walked through Bursted Wood on my way to Bexleyheath.

At the west end of the wood a distant, and obscured, view was had of about 8 Redwings jumping about and tossing the deep leaf litter around in their search for food. The supplies of berries in trees and shrubs has presumably run out.

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen, along with the usual Great and Blue Tits, Wren, Carrion Crows, Magpie, Wood Pigeons and Ring-necked Parakeets.

11/1/10: Snow Patrol, North Heath

If it's going to be cold, I rather like the snow - makes urban areas look a lot more natural, or at least covers up a multitude of ugly sins perpetrated by the human species, including my pet hate of 'car-parked-over' front gardens.

As is often the case, I took a rather round-about route to the local shops and back, including Northumberland Way, Birling Rd, Ramsden Rd, Buxton Rd, Elm Grove, Lesney Park, Park Crescent, top of Birch Walk, Carlton Rd, Cavendish Av, the alleyway behind Brantwood Av and Brook St. After which I made a circuit of Bursted Woods.

There were good numbers of House Sparrows in Northumberland Way, where a number of properties have older style eaves, also 3 Blackbirds. 3 Collared Doves were seen in this road, and 2 more up to Lesney Park.

14 Starlings were feeding on the grass embankment next to the school on Colyer's Lane, and there were significant numbers along my route. 4 Black-headed Gulls were on roofs in Ramsden Rd. A Great Tit, House Sparrows and a Robin were at the junction of Ramsden Rd and Avenue Rd.

2 Magpies were seen in Park Crescent.

Very large numbers of Wood Pigeons were seen, usually sitting in the crowns of larger trees.

There was a Redwing, 2 Blackbirds and a couple of Grey Squirrels at the top end of Birch Walk. A Fox was seen foraging on the north side of the path.

2 more Redwings (possibly 4 in total) were seen around Brantwood Avenue.

A Pied Wagtail was on the roof of the Nat West bank on the corner of Limewood Rd/Bexley Rd. Another, or possibly the same individual, was later seen foraging on the ground outside a fast food outlet at the junction of Brook St and Mill Rd. There were also 8 Feral Pigeons here.

4 Redwings were in a tree in a garden behind Sussex Rd. They too could have been the same ones seen earlier.

There were several Magpies in Bursted Woods. A couple of Brown Rats were seen, and squabbled briefly. A Wren was foraging on the ground in patches kept free from snow cover by brambles. At the west end of the wood 2 Ring-necked Parakeets were seen, and more than 30 Wood Pigeons took to the air.

A Dunnock was later seen in my back garden.

6 - 9/1/10: Redwings come closer as Fox gets bolder

On the 8th one, possibly two Redwings were in a Sycamore in the next garden west of mine. A Dunnock was in the Forsythia at the top of the garden. The Collared Doves have been conspicuous by their unusually low profile of late, but today one was sat in the large Horse Chestnut just down the hill. Rather worryingly, the binocular view revealed a number of long splits in the bark, which at some points was peeling away very badly in large sections. I wonder if it's the dreaded canker. My ultimate concern is that when big trees like this are taken down around here, they are replaced only with small species, if at all. There is a tall Eucalyptus beyond, and a number of others in the area, but I've looked a few times and the birds don't seem to use them for some reason - even just for perching in.

I heard what I thought might be a Chiff-chaff a little way away, but couldn't see it and am not competent on birdsong yet.

On the 9th 9 Redwings were in a Willow in a back garden of a house on the grassed square off Colyers Lane, near to Erith School's playing field. All of a sudden these and approximately 14 other birds took to the air from more hidden shrubbery, and I'm assuming they were all members of this species.

A Heron flew very low over my head on Northumberland Way, giving an excellent binocular view.

There always seem to be a number of Gulls riding the wind in the vicinity, if for no other reason than they enjoy flying. If I could get my head around identifying them I might be able to add a couple more species to my local list .......

The latest Fox to 'adopt' the back garden has got bolder as it's got colder, and has been out and about in daylight a lot. On the 6th it came round the far end of the compost heap without realising I was there. It stopped in its tracks, but was more intent on watching something in the lower part of the garden than running off, although it eventually thought better of it and retreated. On the 8th it came up the steps past the Holly before noticing I was working by my big greenhouse. This time it stopped momentarily, then decided I was no threat and climbed up behind the cordon fruit trees, snuffling the ground only 6 feet from me before nonchalantly carrying on with its perambulations. I could be wrong, but as far as I've seen, whichever individual has come in over the years has tended to stick to pretty much the same route round the garden at this sort of time of day. This one looks very healthy, although the latest close view did reveal a dark horse-shoe shape on the left flank, which could be down to fighting I guess.

7/1/10: Lengthening bird list is pain in neck

Spent the afternoon wandering round Martens Grove and Barnehurst Golf Course in the snow, and am beginning to think I'm getting a grip on this birdwatching malarky.

It was all very pretty, but I hadn't expected to get so engrossed, so had no gloves which eventually made focussing the binoculars in a hurry and writing notes a bit difficult, as my fingers kept getting rather numb.

Also, standing in a wood and repeatedly tilting ones head back 45 degrees for extended periods of time, so as to try and see the bird you can hear is up in the tree above, but is somehow remaining out of sight despite the lack of leaves, gets a bit uncomfortable. As opposed, say, to staring at the ground looking for obscure plants .........

On the way, 10 (+?) Redwings had shot out of a Holly in a front garden on Barnehurst Rd as I approached. The plant was narrow and only about 12 feet tall. One bird had stayed behind and carried on eating the berries.

A number of 'usual suspect' species were seen at both sites - Wood Pigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Ring-necked Parakeet, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Great Tit and Long-tailed Tit. Plus lots of Grey Squirrels.

The highlights in Martens Grove were:

A Treecreeper. This was spotted near the Stephen Rd. entrance, and good views of it were had working its way up the trunks of mature trees next to gardens on that road. If I've seen this species before it was a very long time ago, and I don't remember doing so. If I have, I doubt it was in the Barnehurst/Bexleyheath area.

Also a Nuthatch calling from the top of a big tree. Had a lot of trouble getting a clear view of this one - and I'm no good at identifying birds from their song yet. This is another species I've not seen in these parts before, at least since I picked up my wildlife recording baton again about 5 years ago - so making use of winter conditions to look out for birds properly is starting to pay dividends.

Martens Grove near the Stephen Rd. entrance

A couple of Oaks still had a lot of leaves attached

Footpath along the north side of Martens Grove

The uncommon Butcher's Broom near houses by the above-mentioned footpath. Possibly a garden escape, this is the only specimen I've found on this site, and the only other 'wild' one I know of in Bexley at present is in Lesnes Abbey Woods

The highlight of Barnehurst Golf Course was the Green Woodpecker that flew up from the rough 'wildlife area' on the north side of the site. A Wren was also feeding on the ground here.

The 'classic' view at the Barnehurst Golf Course site, looking north to the Cedar, Taunton Close and the railway line

Wildlife area looking east towards the Thames and Essex

There are two Gorse bushes here, one in a shady spot, and this superbly dome-shaped specimen out in the open and already in full flower

Gorse (one of my favourite native plants) in flower in the snow

Another indicator of the heathland 'heritage' / potential of the area: these are some of a handful of young Broom plants along the tree line at the foot of the bank to one side of the hole 3/12 fairway

Handsome specimen tree at Barnehurst Golf Course

4 + 5/1/10: More Bexleyheath and Barnehurst birds.

4/1/10

There were 5 House Sparrows in the Rhododendron and Juniper in my garden, a species that although still fairly common in the area tends to be seen on house roofs and guttering.

A wander through Bursted Wood en route to Bexleyheath Broadway didn't turn up much, but the low winter sun certainly highlights the subtle colours of the tree trunks at this time of year. Even the Wood Pigeons, sitting high up in the trees, now looked a more exotic pinky buff in the golden glow.

There were 35 Starlings in a tree between St. Audrey Av. and Francis Av, 10 more in a tree behind the garage at the junction of Francis Av. and Long Lane, and 62 in trees along the boundary of the Bexleyheath School field east of Belvedere Rd. and north of Upland Rd.

13 Wood Pigeons were sat in a modest-sized tree 'behind' 'The Yacht' public House, and east of Hyde Rd.

On the way home a young Fox was seen after dark on the raised grass/shrub bed in the centre of Mason Close, Bexleyheath.

5/1/10

There were 3 Redwings (and probably 6 - others were seen flying away from a distance) using the upper branches of a large Beech at the junction of Barnehurst Av., and Barnehurst Close as a base from which to go to and fro.

24/12/09: Bexleyheath miscellany

5 Long-tailed Tits were seen foraging along the southern margin of Bursted Wood. A Great Tit was along the path between the hospital and the railway. 37 Starlings flew overhead.

There was an adult Rosemary Beetle on a Lavender on Long Lane.

Coral Spot fungus was noted on dead Sycamore by the railway fence just east of Bexleyheath station, where some of the Silver Birches still carried a surprisingly large number of leaves - not only on trees adjacent to street/pathway lights.

2 Pied Wagtails were hopping about on the flat roof and in the gutter of the rear extension of Bar 2, at the junction of Pickford Rd and Crook Log. 2 Redwings, my first of the season, were spotted in a large tree in an adjoining rear garden.

A Greater Celandine was growing by 57 Lion Rd.

7 Euphorbia seedlings, looking like Caper Spurge, E. lathyris, were noticed in a 'building site' of a garden at the junction of Erith Rd and Long Lane.

12 Black-headed Gulls were perched on roof ridges and TV aerials in Rudland Rd.

Around 35 Starlings took to the air near the west end of Merewood Rd, and 13 Ring-necked Parakeets flew over towards Bursted Woods.