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.
Thursday, 11 March 2010
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
4, 9 + 10/3/10: More House Sparrow roost counts
Following on from the March 1st Gravel Hill hedge count of 126 individuals, coming home up Thames Rd at dusk enabled me to get counts for previously noted House Sparrow roosts there.
On the 4th there were about 70 birds in the 'double layer' hedge outside 'Imagination', on the east side of Thames Rd, north of Kennet Rd. It was getting quite dark by now and the birds were fairly well settled. So much so that it was almost possible to reach out and touch them .... The lower portion of the hedge is quite dense, with more open outgrowths, and some modest-sized trees behind. The Sparrows were in these more open parts - all the favoured plants being deciduous.
I passed this site slightly earlier on the evenings of the 9th and 10th, when the birds were less settled, and may not all have been back. The counts were 56 and 43 respectively.
On the 9th my route to the Cray took me down Parkside Avenue, where it was noticeable that quite a few Sparrows were taking advantage of older eaves towards the Perry Street roundabout. Coming home that evening, 46 Sparrows were all in the top third of one 18' tree in the vegetated area inside the roundbout. On the 10th they were somewhere down in the low shrubs there.
On the 4th there were about 70 birds in the 'double layer' hedge outside 'Imagination', on the east side of Thames Rd, north of Kennet Rd. It was getting quite dark by now and the birds were fairly well settled. So much so that it was almost possible to reach out and touch them .... The lower portion of the hedge is quite dense, with more open outgrowths, and some modest-sized trees behind. The Sparrows were in these more open parts - all the favoured plants being deciduous.
I passed this site slightly earlier on the evenings of the 9th and 10th, when the birds were less settled, and may not all have been back. The counts were 56 and 43 respectively.
On the 9th my route to the Cray took me down Parkside Avenue, where it was noticeable that quite a few Sparrows were taking advantage of older eaves towards the Perry Street roundabout. Coming home that evening, 46 Sparrows were all in the top third of one 18' tree in the vegetated area inside the roundbout. On the 10th they were somewhere down in the low shrubs there.
4, 9 and 10/3/10: Marshes amalgam - more on flooded field birds
After each of the Riverkeeper sessions I took the opportunity to check out the flooded fields by Bob Dunn Way (they're actually just over the London border in the Borough of Dartford, which is in the county of Kent).
Flooded fields looking north to the Thames. Darent Flood Barrier in left distance. (About half of the total flooded area is pictured here).
The Duck species present were largely the same on all three days, but there were masses of gulls on the latter two dates.
The bigger counts were made on the 10th when I ventured part way up Bob Dunn Way, as well as along the Cray embankment, and was therefore able to survey the whole site.
On this last date there were:
17 Lapwing
circa 32 Teal
15 Gadwall
7 or 8 Shoveler
4 Shelduck
There were also two squat, shortish-billed waders, and a couple of longer-legged ones which had a white belly, a white tail showing in flight, and may have been some kind of Sandpiper (this is where my birding skills start to fall apart).
22 Starlings flew over Bob Dunn Way and a solitary Little Egret was foraging in the large shallow pond south of this highway, before it crosses Dartford Creek and near the end of Sandpit Rd.
Flooded fields looking north to the Thames. Darent Flood Barrier in left distance. (About half of the total flooded area is pictured here).
The Duck species present were largely the same on all three days, but there were masses of gulls on the latter two dates.
The bigger counts were made on the 10th when I ventured part way up Bob Dunn Way, as well as along the Cray embankment, and was therefore able to survey the whole site.
On this last date there were:
17 Lapwing
circa 32 Teal
15 Gadwall
7 or 8 Shoveler
4 Shelduck
There were also two squat, shortish-billed waders, and a couple of longer-legged ones which had a white belly, a white tail showing in flight, and may have been some kind of Sandpiper (this is where my birding skills start to fall apart).
22 Starlings flew over Bob Dunn Way and a solitary Little Egret was foraging in the large shallow pond south of this highway, before it crosses Dartford Creek and near the end of Sandpit Rd.
4, 9 and 10/3/10: Cray and Thames Road wetland work
Out with the Cray Riverkeeper Volunteers (we had a decent splash in the hard copy and on-line News Shopper last week - http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/5032210.THAMES21__The_volunteers_who_don_t_mind_getting_their_feet_wet/ )
On the 4th we were picking litter from the river and banks just downstream of Crayford Town centre.
On the 9th there were only three of us, including 'Boss' Ashe Hurst. We were cutting Common Reed and Great Reedmace in the Thames Rd wetland site.
On the 4th we were picking litter from the river and banks just downstream of Crayford Town centre.
On the 9th there were only three of us, including 'Boss' Ashe Hurst. We were cutting Common Reed and Great Reedmace in the Thames Rd wetland site.
Thames Road wetland panorama This should have been done last year really, not least because the Reedmace seed heads were now disintegrating, and the tiny 'feathered' seed was getting in our hair, up our noses and in our mouths - even when trying to work 'upwind' of the stems! The ground, Teasel and Burdock heads up on the sewer bank have been covered in this 'grey snow' for days now.
Great Reedmace seeding - this stuff has been used in bouyancy devices .....
I also managed to lose my concentration for a fraction of a second, lost my balance and got a load of water down one side of my chest-waders. Fortunately I had fleece-lined footwear with me, so was able to walk home without the wet sock on and without my foot getting frozen.
On the 10th I was the only volunteer to turn out and Ashe had to go into central London to pick up some kit. I spent several hours carting dumped tyres and rubble from the shady side of the sewer pipe bank round to the south-facing Thames Rd side, then digging them into the slope to make reptile cover/basking sites, as pictured below. In the process I inadvertently disturbed a small (less than 1 year old) hibernating Smooth Newt, which I put into one of the tyre set-ups for safety.
Recycling for reptiles - dumped tyres and rubble used to make cover/basking sites. Common Lizards, in particular, like to bask on tyres, as they warm up quickly.
Saturday, 6 March 2010
6/3/10: Erith School to Erith Quarry
22 Starlings over Northumberland Way.
1 Goldfinch in a tall tree in the grounds of my old school - Erith School - on the Ramsden Rd. boundary.
15 House Sparrows seen (and others heard) in the hedge around the school on the Ramsden Rd. corner, and part way along Avenue Rd.
Erith Quarry:
1 Robin
27 Wood Pigeon
Magpie
1 Jay
Blue Tit
Long-tailed Tit
2 Great Tit
Blackbird
Great views of a Kestrel hovering over the site.
2 Foxes.
3 patches of Common Reed (Phragmites australis) on 'dry ground', as above.
Large patch of Fennel plants found.
Some Japanese Knotweed.
Looked at north-west corner this time. Delighted to find another bit of 'heathland' (hurrah).
Several large Gorse - but some have suffered relatively recent and heavy vehicle damage, as in the lower picture.
A number of native Broom plants (above) in several locations nearby.
Also this substantial young Pine that looked self-seeded. Some Poplars. Plus 2 Cotoneaster.
Several clumps of Sedum (probably reflexum) found (pictured above) in the foreground of the following view.
1 Goldfinch in a tall tree in the grounds of my old school - Erith School - on the Ramsden Rd. boundary.
15 House Sparrows seen (and others heard) in the hedge around the school on the Ramsden Rd. corner, and part way along Avenue Rd.
Erith Quarry:
1 Robin
27 Wood Pigeon
Magpie
1 Jay
Blue Tit
Long-tailed Tit
2 Great Tit
Blackbird
Great views of a Kestrel hovering over the site.
2 Foxes.
3 patches of Common Reed (Phragmites australis) on 'dry ground', as above.
Large patch of Fennel plants found.
Some Japanese Knotweed.
Looked at north-west corner this time. Delighted to find another bit of 'heathland' (hurrah).
Several large Gorse - but some have suffered relatively recent and heavy vehicle damage, as in the lower picture.
A number of native Broom plants (above) in several locations nearby.
Also this substantial young Pine that looked self-seeded. Some Poplars. Plus 2 Cotoneaster.
Several clumps of Sedum (probably reflexum) found (pictured above) in the foreground of the following view.
Monday, 1 March 2010
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.
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.
1/3/10: Honeybees and Snowdrops
A sunny day, and two Honeybees, my first of the year, were seen feeding on Snowdrops in my front garden in Barnehurst. They were utilising the recently-opened Galanthus nivalis and apparently ignoring the earlier-flowering G.'Atkinsii' variety behind. The latter had first opened back on February 5th so were, perhaps, past their prime.
There was also a large, unidentified Hoverfly active in the back garden.
On my light, sandy soil, I grow Snowdrops in pots of garden compost sunk in the ground. This makes lifting them to split up while still 'in the green' (before the leaves die down after flowering, the best method), or otherwise moving them around, that much easier. It will also mean that I am not going to lose track of where my recent, fairly expensive acquisitions of a couple of choice double-flowered cultivars are! In my experience it also appears to be the case that Snowdrops flower better when slightly congested.
There was also a large, unidentified Hoverfly active in the back garden.
On my light, sandy soil, I grow Snowdrops in pots of garden compost sunk in the ground. This makes lifting them to split up while still 'in the green' (before the leaves die down after flowering, the best method), or otherwise moving them around, that much easier. It will also mean that I am not going to lose track of where my recent, fairly expensive acquisitions of a couple of choice double-flowered cultivars are! In my experience it also appears to be the case that Snowdrops flower better when slightly congested.
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