Snipe, Green Woodpecker and Chiffchaff at Thames Road Wetland

Posted on 10/01/2016 by Chris Rose

Further winter management at Thames Road Wetland yesterday (January 9th) included knife-cutting Reedmace and several square metres of Common Reed from amongst rushes in the west end shallows. The purpose of this was to restore more of the open, shallow muddy foraging habitat for Snipe (Amber listed nationally due to decline in numbers). Indeed one Snipe was flushed at close quarters as I waded into this area to do the work.

Snipe foraging habitat at Thames Road Wetland in winter. (Photo: Chris Rose)

Snipe foraging habitat at Thames Road Wetland in winter. (Photo: Chris Rose)

On the initial walk-around a Chiffchaff was heard calling from further east as I watched another individual foraging towards the south-west corner of the site. A Green Woodpecker was glimpsed briefly in silhouette on the Willows by the Wansunt, just upstream of the wetland, before it flew off with a flash of green to confirm the ID. This is the first I’ve seen here, and I’ve only heard one nearby a couple of times. A few Goldfinches were also around.

A Cetti’s Warbler was heard from two spots on the Cray by By-way 105, south of the western section of the sewer pipe bank and from the vicinity of the old ‘Pallet Yard’, also probably the wetland itself, so it seems like there are at least 3 in the area at present.

At one point around 80 Wood Pigeons flew over the site, spooked off Stanham Farm.

As I left at just gone half past four a Grey Heron flew up off the wetland, having been seen in flight earlier, but lost sight of behind some trees.

Chris Rose, Site Manager

 

Posted in Bird watching, Thames Road Wetland, vegetation management | Leave a comment

FoXXX-rated activity as friendly female re-appears after 5 week ‘absence’

Posted on 08/01/2016 by Chris Rose

I hadn’t seen the very confiding female Fox that has frequented my Barnehurst garden, and spent a lot of time lounging round on the lawn during the summer, since 1st December. Though she had looked in very good condition then, apart from a slightly weepy left eye, I was beginning to think she may have fallen victim to a vehicle collision or been pushed out by a dispersing younger animal. She finally showed up again (in daylight at least) today, though unusually didn’t respond to my presence or whistle. She must have had other things on her mind …..

It began raining, so she curled up on the leeward side of a wall under a large Rhododendron to escape the wet. The face of her skittish partner appeared briefly, but he backed off. Even though I was by now indoors looking out through the window of a darkish room, they still seemed aware that I was there. I went away but came back shortly, by which point he had finally plucked up the courage to join her and had started mating, but they tumbled off a step in the rockery and he wound up getting dragged around backwards by the nether regions. Ouch!

Flashback to lazier summer days for the local female Fox.

Flashback to lazier summer days for the local female Fox.

According to the definitive

http://www.thefoxwebsite.net/

‘The mating season only lasts a few weeks, and during this period female foxes come into heat once. Her “oestrus” is short, only about three days.’ so I was quite lucky to see this behaviour. Also ‘A male and female fox usually pair for life’.

Chris Rose

Posted in Barnehurst, Mammals | 1 Comment

Support Swanscombe Marshes – wildlife walk Sat Jan 30th 2016

Posted on 08/01/2016 by Chris Rose

Join an experienced guide for a free walk across the unique wildlife haven of Swanscombe Marshes – threatened by the proposed London Paramount ‘theme park’. This special winter walk is timed to take in the marshes at dusk, a good time to look for rare birds such as marsh harrier. Learn about wildlife that uses this site throughout the year including birds such as kestrel, lapwing and grey heron. Raven , Bearded Tit, Dartford Warbler and Turnstone are amongst the many less common species seen in recent months. Walk duration approx. 2.5 hours. Sensible footwear necessary, paths may be muddy. We regret that while some paths are level, this walk is not suitable for people with mobility aids. When: 1pm Saturday 30th January 2016. Where: Meet outside the Pier Hotel, Greenhithe DA9 9NN.

For more info:

saveswanscombemarshes@outlook.com

@SaveSwanscombe

www.saveswanscombemarshes.com

Swanscombe marshes/peninsula - reclaimed by nature and now a fantastic home for wildlife. (Google earth image)

Swanscombe marshes/peninsula – reclaimed by nature and now a fantastic home for wildlife. (Google earth image)

Swanscombe Marshes is one of a string of inner Thames Marshland sites under threat from ‘development’ proposals on the south bank of the Thames (Crossness/Erith Marshes, and Crayford Marshes being the others), in this case a gigantic ‘theme park’, supported by the Leader of Bexley Council Teresa O’Neill (Ordering Building Everywhere), who sees it as a magnet that will drag Crossrail further eastwards through Belvedere, Erith and Slade Green, thus allowing her to claim an ‘infrastructure benefit’ from all the extra concrete she and her colleagues want to see poured into Bexley, especially the north of the Borough. Attending this walk will help show such decision makers that there are Bexley residents (and voters!) who prefer the more sustainable and timeless quiet enjoyment of nature to the latest ‘opium of the people’ funfair attractions.

Posted in Bexley Council, Bird watching, development threat, River Thames, Swanscombe marshes, Swanscombe peninsula | 1 Comment

Wildlife events at Woodlands Farm

Posted on 07/01/2016 by Chris Rose

Big Farmland Bird Count, vegetation management and litter clearance on the agenda at Woodlands Farm.

Education Officer Hannah Forshaw education@thewoodlandsfarmtrust.org  writes:

Hello everyone.  I hope you had a good Christmas and Happy 2016!

I have been looking at the diary and I have some dates for wildlife activities over the next month.

Friday 15th January, 10am – Willow dome maintenance.  Time to reweave the willow dome.

Wednesday 27th January, 10am – Bramble Bashing and litter pick in Clothworkers wood.

Monday 8th February, 9.30am – Big Farmland Bird Count.  We did this twice last year in case the weather didn’t work in our favour, so I may possibly add another date this week, but will let you know nearer the time.

I hope you will be able to make these dates and I look forward to seeing you all sometime over the next month.

The Woodlands Farm Trust, 331 Shooters Hill, Welling, Kent. DA16 3RP.

Posted in Bird watching, Litter, Volunteering, Woodlands Farm | Leave a comment

First chilly snap brings Snipe to Thames Road Wetland

Posted on 01/01/2016 by Chris Rose

Although I didn’t get out til gone 10.30 this morning (January 1st), there was a chill in the air that hasn’t featured so far this ‘winter’.

On the way to Thames Road Wetland for a solo work session,  a Song Thrush was singing from trees by the railway opposite Old Manor Way playground. At least 43 House Sparrows were around the margins of Perry Street Farm, which had a good number of Gulls on it, plus some 130 Starlings. Another 80 or so Starlings were swirling around Maiden Lane, though there could have been some double-counting. A Heron was stood on the roof of a house at the junction of Mayplace Avenue and Maiden Lane. 12 House Sparrows were on a house further down the road, several clinging  to the pebble-dashed wall below the eaves.

On arrival at the wetland, whistling could be heard from the direction of the ‘lake’, and sure enough there were 17 Teal swimming around on it. A Wren landed briefly on a pile of pulled Reedmace out in the ‘west pool’, and a Robin was in the reedswamp too. As usual there were a few Long-tailed Tits about.

The site’s first Snipe of the winter was accidentally flushed, calling, from the west end shallows and landed away to the east. Another, possibly the same bird, may have been put up from the Wansunt later on. Perhaps the same bird again was disturbed from the east side of ‘western isle’ late in the afternoon.

A Cetti’s Warbler could be heard calling from south of the sewer pipe bank, and almost immediately after, another from within the wetland itself. A Water Rail squealed from the centre of the site, then rather later from the usual south west corner area. I suspect there are at least two of these hard to see birds present.

Work wise, over 5 hours were spent engaged in  variety of tasks, including cutting an internal access pathway, installing Kingfisher (I hope ….) perches of pollarded Willow branches by the River Wansunt, cutting Common Reed, pulling out more Reedmace and piling this on banks as potential grass snake egg-laying heaps.

Chris Rose, Site Manager

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Bird watching, Environment, Grass Snake, River Wansunt, Thames Road Wetland, vegetation management, Weather | Leave a comment

Bexley Against River Crossings meeting, January 5th Belvedere

Posted on 29/12/2015 by Chris Rose

The next meeting of Bexley Against River Crossings (BARC) will be at The Belvedere Community Centre, Mitchell Close, Belvedere. on Tuesday 5 January at 2.30pm.

Transport for London is conducting yet another consultation:

https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/rivercrossings/east-of-silvertown#Gallions reach and Belvedere river crossings

with a deadline of 12th February. This is all part of the self-reinforcing ‘logic’ of massive population/concrete expansion in east London, supported by Boris Johnson and the Bexley Council ‘leadership’ (which used to be against bridges, but now supports the Belvedere one and is somewhere between fence-sitting and supporting a Gallions Reach bridge), no doubt because TfL believes these bridges will ‘help to stimulate development in the surrounding areas.’ What they fail to point out is that this is the country that proved that if you increase road capacity you increase traffic, with all the downsides of that. Except that TfL and Bexley Council think more traffic, more tarmac and more pollution is a good thing.

The agenda will be sent at a later date, if you have any particular item for inclusion please let Tony Fairbairn know (see below).

Please come along as this will be the last chance to formulate the group’s response to TfL etc and get notifications to residents. If you cannot come along please ask a colleague.

A preliminary date has been set for a public meeting – the evening of Tuesday 26 January – but finding a location that offers value for money is proving difficult, as funds are barely existent.

For further info / agenda proposals / ideas for finding a room that can accommodate up to 50 people please contact Tony Fairbairn tonyfairbairn@btopenworld.com

Posted in Belvedere, Bexley, Bexley Council, River Thames, Thames bridges, Traffic | Leave a comment

Final statutory consultation on sale of 4 green spaces – object by Jan 14th.

Posted on 29/12/2015 by Chris Rose

Bexley Council plans to sell Wilde Rd East, Wilde Rd West, West Street small park, and half of Old Farm Park in Sidcup for development. The final statutory consultation is now open and the Council’s website is now saying the deadline for objections has been extended to 5p.m. 14th January 2016. EVEN IF YOU OBJECTED IN PREVIOUS ‘CONSULTATIONS’, YOU NEED TO OBJECT AGAIN IN THIS FINAL CONSULTATION – see below for how to do it.

The pressure so far has had some effect. At Old Farm Park, the strip along the railway line recommended for inclusion in the Sidcup rail linesides Site of Importance for Nature Conservation has been removed from the area scheduled for sale, something we have been pressing for at ‘Bexley Wildlife. This is a small step in the right direction, but we still want the whole area and the other trees and shrubs saved.

To object to these sales you will need to send an e-mail rather than fill in another online consultation

Please object to the sale of all 4 sites. This is a matter of principle, and if the Council has its way on these another 22 other green spaces will probably be sold as well.  The well organised Old Farm Park Group has drawn up a detailed set of objections regarding poor process, contradictory statements, inadequate consideration of numerous factors and the changing financial picture. Many of the arguments apply to all sites and the document is well worth reading.

3 easy steps to submitting your objection:

  1. Download the Old Farm Park group’s official objections document here.
  2. Send an email to  DOPOSP.Dec15@bexley.gov.uk  , attaching the OFP group’s official objections document.
    Use the subject ‘Objections to the sale of four Bexley open spaces’. In the body of your mail state that the attached document detailing objections to the sale of Old Farm Park accurately reflect your views and that you are objecting to the sale of this site on the basis of all the objections raised in the document. Say that you are also objecting to the sale of Wilde Rd East, Wilde Rd West and West Street small park on the grounds of unclear and conflicting Council statements regarding use of receipts, the mental and physical wellbeing benefits of green spaces and the changed financial situation regarding social care and business rates which demands a proper rethink on the basis of updated information.

The official Council notice does not say that you have to give a name and postal address in your e-mail, but it is probably prudent to do so ………

3. Encourage your friends to object as well.

The public value Bexley's open spaces as something more than a wasted asset to be 'liquidated' in exchange for cash and more concrete.

The public value Bexley’s open spaces as something more than a wasted asset to be ‘liquidated’ in exchange for cash and more concrete.

 

Posted in Bexley Council, Land sales, Old Farm Park, Open spaces, Save Our Green Spaces Campaign | 3 Comments

North Heath House Sparrow count

Posted on 28/12/2015 by Chris Rose

I conducted one of my occasional counts of Sparrows in the hedges around Northumberland Heath recreation ground on the afternoon of 28th December, starting a little after 3 p.m. There were about 79 birds, well below the previous record high for this Borough hot-spot for the species.

On the way there 4 were seen on Coniston Road, 16 on Barnehurst Avenue (most in a couple of large Pyracanthas) and 7 on Brook Street between Erith Rd and Mill Rd.

At 16.15 there were only 3 in the Erith School hedge on Avenue Rd, another site with a relatively high count most of the time,  so they must be roosting somewhere else.

On 29th December there were 9 House Sparrows in a garden hedge on Coniston Road, 2 in Pyracanthas on Barnehurst Av., several calling out of sight on Northumberland Way and 3 in a Peartree Close hedge. 6 were in a thicket in the ‘pocket park’ by No. 72 Colyers Lane and 4 in a hedge at No. 48. There were 40 House Sparrows and 1 Goldcrest in Erith School hedge at around 13.20. 5 or 6 House Sparrows were in bushes in a garden by North Heath pop-in-parlour on Mill Rd., at least 2 in a small dense hedge at No. 304 Bexley Rd. and at least 4 in a tangled Forsythia at the junction of Barnehurst Av. and Colyers Lane.

Chris Rose

Posted in Bird watching, Recording, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

More counting of Crows

Posted on 26/12/2015 by Chris Rose

One hundred and sixty one Carrion Crows flew into Bursted Woods from the east between 15.36 and 16.24 on December 26th 2015, joining 31 others that were already sat in the trees near the railway bridge, making a total of 192. This compares with some 343 Crows counted heading into Bursted Woods from the same direction between 19.03 and 19.59 on the 8th September. It has previously been established that they are coming from the direction of Crayford/Dartford marshes.

On this occasion groups of Crows started sitting around on the roofs of flats over the road from the woods, and coming down onto the grass outside in numbers. Perhaps someone is putting out food, as there were 68 Crows hanging around in the trees on this south east corner of the wood on the afternoon of 18th December.

The numbers of Crows heading over Thames Road Wetland towards Crayford has also fallen off significantly since the autumn. Whilst it would need more than occasional counts to establish a seasonal pattern, it is possible that the time and energy cost of a daily commute to the marshes and back makes the journey a less favourable proposition in the winter. Perhaps the marshes provide less food, or sites further inland are a little warmer and better for foraging once the soil gets wetter.

Do the daytime numbers of Crows at sites such as Danson Park and Footscray Meadows increase appreciably at this time of year?

Chris Rose.

Posted in Barnehurst, Bird watching, Bursted Woods, Crayford Marshes | Leave a comment

FotS holds well-attended Christmas social

Posted on 19/12/2015 by Chris Rose

Friends of the Shuttle, the dynamic local group now doing management work on the River Shuttle and Wyncham Stream, Danson Park lake and in the Danson Park Old English Garden, has as a result gained a lot of new recruits during the year. Consequently there was a strong turnout at their Christmas social in ‘The Black Horse’ in Old Bexley on Friday (18th December).

Ordinarily this is held jointly with the Thames21 River Cray team, but most of its regulars were otherwise engaged on this occasion.

The Christmas cards handed out to volunteers, featuring photographs of FotS at work during 2015 was a nice touch.

Fun and friendliness are very much hallmarks of FotS operations, and new recruits are welcome to get involved with the busy schedule of hands-on conservation events through 2016.  Follow this website’s calendar page for advance details.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment