7/10/10: Crayford Creek exotics and missing Marsh plant

The land-filled 'landward' end of Crayford Marshes, along Crayford Creek, has long been known for its 'exotics'. There are a number of such records in Rodney Burton's 'Flora of the London Area' (published by the London Natural History Society in 1983).

A few more were gleaned today. On a bund of clay-ey spoil by the 'entrance' to the marsh (TQ 53026 75581), were the following garden escapes, all in flower ........

Ice Plant (Sedum spectabile)

and a red-flowered single Dahlia (foreground) with two substantial yellow-flowered Marvel of Peru (Mirabilis jalapa) behind, left.

My actual 'mission' was to search for any remnant of the very rare Marsh Sow-thistle (Sonchus palustris), for which the bank of the Creek was a well-known site. Indeed Burton says that there used to be a 20 yard strip of it. Armed with a grid reference provided by someone who had recorded it there in the past, I checked some tens of metres along the bank either side of the stated location. As thoroughly as I thought prudent, at any rate - given that this involved 'wading' up to my thighs in flattened Phragmites, and a blanket of Cow Parsley, Nettles and decaying Hedge Bindweed, such that I could not see where my feet were going and I was concerned I might disappear down into some hidden, wet and deep ditch. But there was no sign of the Sow-thistle which, it has been alleged, was deliberately destroyed by persons with development proposals in mind.

Former Marsh Sow-thistle site, now a mat of Common Reed and coarse 'weeds'

Mayweeds and Bristly Ox-tongue brighten up landfill capping on Crayford Marshes

Looking across Dartford Creek (the River Darent) towards the flood control barrier near the Thames, showing the flat, open character of the marshes. The low rise on the horizon, in the centre of the picture, is part of Essex, on the north bank.

Further on, the was a small patch of Tansy in the footpath, and a larger one not far from the fence in a neighbouring field. A Little Egret took flight from the Dartford Creek.

Along Moat Lane several Geranium pyrenaicum, Common Toadflax, Spotted Medick and a single White Melilot were seen. There were two Mute Swans on Howbury Grange moat.

Towards dusk now, around 80 Starlings were wheeling over Slade Green station.

13/7/10: Brookweed and Little Grebe amongst new records on Thames Road Wetland

More recording either side of some Cray Riverkeepers work.

On the way down to the Cray an adult Asparagus Beetle was seen on Asparagus in Eversley Avenue, and larvae on Parkside Rd.

A clump of Tansy was noted on the 'rough' off Perry St. roundabout, in the Thames Rd/Gascoyne Drive section, a new record for me here.

22 Starlings were seen on roofs on Barnes Cray Rd.

Dace and Chubb were seen in the River Cray by Footpath 106. Amongst the marginal plants recorded were Branched Bur-reed (Sparganium erectum), Reed Sweet Grass and Reed Canary Grass in flower.

Insects about along FP106 and By-way 105 included a couple of Red Admiral, Gatekeepers, Banded Demoiselles, lots of Blue-tailed Damselflies and also a Large Red Damselfly ovipositing.

Next stop was the Thames Road Wetland (TRW). On the western section of the Sewer Embankment was a Black Knapweed, which I don't recall seeing here before (but I may be wrong - I'm way behind on spreadsheeting my records to make them quickly accessible ..... ). There were Cinnabar Moth caterpillars on Common Ragwort. A Large White Butterfly was seen further along, and 2 adult and 2 juvenile Goldfinches flew onto a shrub.

Black Knapweed and Common Ragwort on the Sewer Embankment by the TRW

The TRW is glimpsed over a clump of the uncommon plant Dittander (Lepidium latifolium), a mass of which were pouring forth their frothy white flowers along the Sewer Embankment

Looking out over the Thames Road Wetland, birds on the 'lake' (the deeper, open water at the eastern end of the flooded area west of the Wansunt) were 2 adult and a couple of juvenile Coot and a new record for me on the site of Little Grebe (Dabchick), of which there were 2 adults and 3 small young.

A couple of the mildew-feeding 22-spot Ladybird species down in the TRW 'bowl' were also a new record here.

At one point I was trying to get close to a flying Dragonfly, in order to get an ID, when it was grabbed from among the Reedmace by a House Sparrow which disappeared into the Thames Rd shrub beds with it.

From this side of the site I was able to pick out 4 Gadwall somewhat hidden on a small grassy 'island'.

Wild Mignonette (Reseda lutea) was in flower on the flat, dry, ground up next to the Thames Rd fence.

Next I checked out that part of the site to the east of the River Wansunt. There were a few Purple Loosestrife in flower here, some Gypsywort and 8 Celery-leaved Crowfoot (Ranunculus sceleratus) in flower in the damp margins of the drying pool.

Dittander is now down in the bowl proper, on a corner of the easternmost pool, next to Branched Bur-reed which only seems to be at this end of the site so far, and is a new record for the 'bowl'.

Branched Bur-reed in flower on the TRW

A further new record for the site was a single Greek Dock which, oddly, was growing in the water.

A Goat's-Rue was also found down in the bowl.


The pool on the eastern fringe of the flooded area, east of the Wansunt, is shallow, its winter extent shown by the thin Rushes in the picture above

In the drying, but still quite damp mud here (with water pooling in old horse hoof-prints), yet another new site record was obtained in the shape of 15 flowering plants of Brookweed (Samolus valerandi). This is a member of the Primula family and has small, white flowers, with notched petals. This is the first time I've come across this species anywhere. It is reported to now have a rather restricted distribution in the UK, so this is a good find.

Brookweed (Samolus valerandi) on the TRW - a species completely new to me

9/5/10: From Sidcup to Hall Place North, via the Shuttle

Long walk back home from a celebratory Bexley Green Party post-election meal in Sidcup High Street. We got badly squeezed almost everywhere - but hey, we've got our first MP.

Some of the 'usual', but less frequent Bexley grass verge suspects along Station Rd - Buck's-horn Plantain, Bird's-foot Trefoil, Self Heal and Spotted Medick.

A Stinking Iris (possibly 'self sown') behind Sidcup station 'up' platform.

Hurst Rd - a Hart's-tongue Fern on Holy Trinity church, Lamorbey, and Thale Cress in the yard.

Field Madder in flower in a verge at the corner of Greenwood Close.

Pleasing sight of a mass of Cuckoo Flower in the lawn of a garden on Hurst Road - such a change from the usual car-parking / standard 'planting' / excessive mowing.

A Greater Celandine in the grounds of Hurst Community Centre.

Bexley Park Wood - good view of a Green Woodpecker. Bush Vetch (below) in flower by the River Shuttle near Parkhill Rd. Also here were Wood Dock and Hedge Woundwort (appears infrequent in the parts of the Borough I've botanised so far).

Bush Vetch (Vicia sepium)

Riverdale Rd alongside the River Shuttle

4 Long-tailed Tits were chasing each other in Riverdale Rd. Alder and a bunch of plants common to the Borough were along the river.

There were Greater Celandine in two gardens on Love Lane, and at least 7 Ranunculus acris - apparently the less common of the three common buttercup species hereabouts - outside the Royal Mail office on Bourne Rd.

At the bottom of the steps down from Bourne Rd to the A2, on the Hall Place side, was a lot of Danish Scurvy Grass. Further along the edge of the A2 were a lot of Geranium pyrenaicum , and a long strip of Tansy - again only occasionally found in these parts - north of the crossing of the River Cray. Also a Fennel.

The scrubland east of the A2 and south of Hall Place and the railway line from Bexley to Crayford - one map I have labels this as 'The Old Orchard'

This red-purple leaved garden cultivar-derived Prunus was just finishing flowering here

4 Rabbits were seen on this site today.

The Common Fumitory had been weeded out of the Hall Place shrub beds by over-zealous gardeners. What harm was it doing? There was a patch of Mouse-ear Hawkweed at the bottom of the Hall place North slope, near the tree line by Bourne Rd.

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.

19/10/09: Eltham verge surprise

Although heavily mown, there was a short 'strip' of Tansy shoots in a grass verge on Glenlea Rd, Eltham. This isn't a common plant in those parts of South East London I've covered to date.

Also present were Buck's-horn Plantain, Spotted Medick, Yarrow and Cow Parsley.

22/9/09: Celery, Sea-blite and Old Father Thames

This post covers observations on Crayford Marshes on a route from Ray Lamb Way, through a path in the industrial estate out the River Darent and up past the flood gate to its confluence with the Thames.

On this occasion I was helping two members of the London Natural History Society, one of whom is a much better botanist than I am, and who had come here specifically to check on the continuing occurrence of various species that are rare within the London boundary for a new publication on the same. My talent, such as it is, is that I have seen enough in the flesh - or books - to be able to pick out from the general mass of vegetation, the odd things that might be more unusual, even if I don't know what they are.

Plants along Ray Lamb Way included this large clump of Tansy, White Melilot, Narrow-leaved Ragwort (Senecio inaequidens), what my learned companion said was Guernsey (not Canadian) Fleabane and False Fox Sedge in a ditch.

Spirit of the marshes - mud and bird footprints


Marsh plants on the river side of the sea wall included this Sea Plantain (above), Sea Aster, Sea Couch, Sea Arrow Grass, Sea Milkwort and Atriplex patula.

One of the plants we were trying to (re-)locate was Annual Sea-blite (Suaeda maritima), which we found (foreground, right) in distinctly pebbly/grainy mud right next to the Darent flood gate.

Here's a closer view - yes, it really was that red-purple in colour. Also in this rather variable area were two Ribbed Melilot, Hoary Mustard and Greater Sea Spurrey. Although largely hidden under a mat of rank grass, I noticed three plants of what we identified as Wild Celery. I also spotted a solitary Small Copper butterfly.

My companions from the London Natural History Society by the footpath bank just north of the flood gate, where there was an array of colour variants of the Sickle Medick x Lucerne hybrid (see separate posting). In the foreground is Goat's-rue. A bit further along were two patches of pink, semi-double-flowered Soapwort.

The River Darent enters the Thames, with Essex beyond. There were half a dozen Lapwings on the mud here, along with Lesser Black-backed and Black-headed Gulls.

Also seen were a male Common Blue and a Red Admiral.

Several plants were found that we could not identify, so samples were taken to run past various specialists.

11/7/09: Barnehurst allotments + Lewisham

Barnehurst: On the allotments, the pregnant Common Lizard, previously seen on the old tyre to the right of the steps from the main path, was now basking a few feet away on a tyre - re-positioned from further down the plot -to the left of the steps. She stayed put even while I spread some compost 18" away.

There were three small-sized Skippers flitting about around the top of the plot feeding on Lavender and Red Clover. Two were positively identified as Essex Skippers.

Two small Black Bindweed plants were noted, along with several Scarlet Pimpernel seedlings. A White Campion was in flower.

Bexleyheath railway line: Two Wild Carrot plants were in flower behind the Bexleyheath 'down' platform. Having caught a fleeting glimpse of what I thought were Caper Spurges (Euphorbia lathyris) on the low bank north of the line between Welling and Falconwood, I was able to concentrate harder today and got a positive ID - despite the speed of the train. There were about half a dozen plants close together, and another couple further along.

There was a large clump of non-native Chrysanthemum maximum in flower on the bank between Charlton junction and Blackheath station. I hadn't notice dthis before. (At least one of the two plants of this species that were behind the 'down' platform at Barnehurst is still there, though these might have been planted a long time ago).

Lewisham: In the Cornmill Gardens area by the River Ravensbourne were a couple of Goat's-rue (Galega officinalis). In a 'wild' zone at the foot of Hilly Fields, by Adelaide Avenue, there were, besides the usual Creeping and Spear Thistles, and Red and White Clovers, several clumps of Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare), which I've previously only seen under cultivation in gardens. Ladywell Fields, to the east of Ladywell station, is taking on a more naturalistic aspect around a new, artificially re-created, meandering river channel - part of a scheme to free the river from the 'straight jacket' it had previously been put into.

See the London Rivers Action Plan:

http://www.therrc.co.uk/lrap.php