ED Nature Watch

[pearl1]

There's a little duck on Peckham Rye pond at the moment that doesn't look like a mallard. It's much smaller and has a whitish head with a darker cap. Does anyone know what it is or is it just a regular juvenile duck?

[Sue]

Do you have a pic?

[BrandNewGuy]

pearl1 Wrote:

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> There's a little duck on Peckham Rye pond at the

> moment that doesn't look like a mallard. It's much

> smaller and has a whitish head with a darker cap.

> Does anyone know what it is or is it just a

> regular juvenile duck?

It'll be a hybrid. Several duck species are very close genetically and can interbreed ? so you can get half-mallard, half-tufted duck offspring etc. Sometimes you'll get a mallard crossed with an escaped farmed mallard, which may have very different characteristics. Promiscuous lot, ducks :-)

[pearl1]

That's interesting. I never would have thought of that! I'll try and take a photo next time I'm there....

[Penguin68]

Now that the weather is finally changing, and before there are any too sharp winds, those who haven't should catch the autumn colour in Court Lane. There are some very fine trees, particularly maples, which are tremendous - but which will have little more now to give, I fear.

[katanita]

Amazing London tree map http://www.london.gov.uk/WHAT-WE-DO/environment/parks-green-spaces-and-biodiversity/trees-and-woodlands/london-tree-map Is it really right that East Dulwich has so many pear trees? I thought some of these were crabapples. Duh.

[cordsm]

What a fantastic map. You're right about the crab apple trees showing up as pear trees though.

[lavender27]

Can anyone tell me what the trees/bushes are with tiny red berries on them, I was led to believe they were poisonous, is this true?

[Sue]

Do you have a photo?

Lots of possibilities!

[DulwichFox]

lavender27 Wrote:

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> Can anyone tell me what the trees/bushes are with

> tiny red berries on them, I was led to believe

> they were poisonous, is this true?

Certainly true that many but not all red berries are poisonous.

Br aware though. some red berries that are a tasty snack for birds, are poisonous to humans.

Probably don't taste too good. Best left well alone.

DulwichFox

[Penguin68]

Do you mean rowan (mountain ash) trees?

[Sue]

I thought that, but I've never seen a Rowan bush (only trees) and their berries are usually orange.

I don't think they are poisonous though, in fact I think you can make jelly from them. Will look it up!

Here you go:

http://britishfood.about.com/od/recipeindex/r/rowanjelly.htm

This recipe does describe Rowan berries as red. Has pics at the end too so you don't poison yourself!

But many other trees/bushes have red berries.

If the berries are very small, Cotoneaster springs to mind.

[Penguin68]

Rowans will certainly grow into trees (as will, e.g. hazel) - but I have what is definitely still a bush, self sown, in my garden. Some species have bright red berries, others do have orange. Rowans are deciduous (I think all of them are) so if the 'bush' is loosing/ has lost its leaves then it may be that, Cotoneasater is evergreen (see illustration)

[Sue]

There are other kinds of Cotoneaster though which have smaller berries?

Eg Cotoneaster horizontealis (I think it is)

ETA: horizontalis

[Suffer-not]

Had a flock of chaffinches in the garden today. First time ever. Anyone else seen some about?

[Jenny1]

I have never seen a flock of chaffinches Suffer-not - that's pretty special. I did notice a pair of them on the trees in our road earlier in the year. Very jealous of your sighting!

[Suffer-not]

Silly me! I double checked in the book and they were in fact goldfinches. Does that make them any less rare in suburban London?

[Jenny1]

Hi Suffer-not. I'm no expert on birds, but I believe both chaffinches and goldfinches do form flocks at certain times of the year. I've never spotted this phenomenon in the East Dulwich area though. What a lovely thing to see!

[BrandNewGuy]

Goldfinches these days are much more common in London than they used to be and will flock in winter. Chaffinches are relatively rare around here, though ? there's a pair or two in and around Dog Kennel Hill Wood and almost certainly a number in Dulwich and Sydenham Woods.

[dazeykat]

Collective noun for goldfinches is 'a charm', which is rather lovely.

[Jenny1]

It's the first year that I've really appreciated the beautiful, delicate winter-flowering cherries in several front gardens in the area. It seems almost miraculous that such fragile blossoms flourish at the darkest time of the year.

[Jenny1]

I saw five bees feeding on the winter-flowering cherry blossom today. I had no idea that bees would be active at this time of year - let alone on a morning after the kind of frost we had last night.

[amac]

Now, that is quite odd. Never seen that

[amac]

Just a bit of a local heads up, for birds the best place locally to view a wide variety of species is actually the River Pool (apologies to those who already know this and have posted about it) at Lower Sydenham. From behind the giant Sainsbury's you can walk all the way to Lewisham almost all off road alongside the river (crossing the south circular in the smelly foot tunnel by Catford Bridge Station (by Halfords). Birds commonly seen here include kingfishers, little egrets, herons, water rail, all three woodpeckers, plus yer usuals. Bullfinches have been seen here too. It is thought that the river (and the Ravensbourne river), which runs from somewhere near Keston to Deptford Creek, forms part of a migration route for birds. Nearby gardens boast coal tits, goldfinches, chaffinches (in good numbers), house sparrows etc. Greenfinches have sadly disappeared, having been really common up until about 2007.

[amac]

HI Lavender27

I think your red berries might well be pyracantha. These are very popular with birds, including winter migrants like waxwings (which do occasionally get spotted in these parts after periods with easterly winds)