ED Nature Watch

[Gesundheit]

Saw a pheasant in Peckham Rye park a few days ago in the gated area opposite the park office. Apparently he's been spotted a few times but doubt it's quiet enough for him to stick around.

[BrandNewGuy]

Saw a peregrine falcon flying over Green Dale fields last weekend. Someone else saw one yesterday. You can tell when a sparrowhawk or peregrine is in the vicinity as all the other birds shut up immediately :-)

[rendelharris]

Nigello Wrote:

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> Small butterflies (moths?) at ground level on

> Wimbledon Common yesterday - anyone know which

> kind they could have been?

Meadow Browns are very common on London grasslands and, as the name suggests, could easily be taken for moths.

[Mystic Mog]

Just watched a lovely fat woody wallowing in the birdbath, his mate went the full hog and took his dip in the dogs paddling pool! Happy days! ☺

[ianr]

London Wildlife Trust / Friends of Dog Kennel Hill Wood / Friends of Green Dale are advertising their spring walk, tomorrow (Sunday) at 10am, at http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?6,1811053.

[precious star]

It is 'world earth day today', so its important to keep reminding ourselves that every little thing we can do to help nature/ and environment is a step forward to improving our own lives too. With the decline of so many creatures like hedgehogs 36.5 million now down to only 1.55 million, 'world earth day' is happening all over the world to make everyone more aware of how we can all make a change, no matter how small. Xx

[nunhead_man]

Sparrow hawk - female in our garden this am - buzzed one of our cats and sent sparrows on our feeders in all directions!

[BrandNewGuy]

Great spring walk on Green Dale and through Dog Kennel Hill Wood this morning, led by Daniel Greenwood of the London Wildlife Trust. The good news is that the whitethroats are back from Africa ? and even better news is that we heard a lesser whitethroat too. That's a first for me around here.

[Sue]

:)

[KirstyH]

Goldcrest in Peckham Rye Japanese Gardens yesterday - really close-up view, lovely.

[Sue]

Baby moorhens in Dulwich Park :)

[ianr]

Sunday 7 May is International Dawn Chorus Day, http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08pdfyw. Please ensure that all your local avians are aware of this.

[BrandNewGuy]

... And there's going to be a dawn chorus walk on Green Dale fields on Sunday from 4.30am :-) I'll post full details in 'What's On...' tomorrow.

[Jenny1]

Think I just heard a swift. Did I dream it, or are they back?

[Jenny1]

Definite swift sighting. Five wheeling low over Mr Liu Chinese Restaurant! I guess the cloud cover brings them down. They ARE back. Will set the official 'return of swifts to ED 2017' date as May 6th - unless anyone can report an earlier sighting.

[uncleglen]

goldfinches in my garden eating the seeds from the dandelion clocks that I've been remiss in removing- and may very well let them grow now (however, if the goldfinches eat the seeds there won't be many dandelions ...). The clever birds push the stalk down with their foot and then eat the seeds and the fluffy bit blows away

[BrandNewGuy]

Jenny1 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Definite swift sighting. Five wheeling low over Mr

> Liu Chinese Restaurant! I guess the cloud cover

> brings them down. They ARE back. Will set the

> official 'return of swifts to ED 2017' date as May

> 6th - unless anyone can report an earlier

> sighting.

Yes indeed :-) Just heard their 'scream' near Dulwich Hospital. Here are the return dates as reported here for the last seven years:

2011 ? May 9

2012 ? May 1

2013 ? May 17

2014 ? May 8

2015 ? May 9

2016 ? May 4

2017 - May 6

I checked the weather for 2013 and it turns out there were persistent cold northerlies throughout the end of April and early May, which must have held them back. Not unlike the last couple of weeks this year, but it's great to have them back.

[BrandNewGuy]

Had an enjoyable dawn chorus walk around Green Dale fields this morning. Many thanks to all who came and listened. We heard and/or saw robin, blackbird, wren, great tit, blue tit, goldfinch, chiffchaff, blackcap, song thrush, mistle thrush, carrion crow, herring gull, greenfinch, wood pigeon, dunnock, ring-necked parakeet, magpie, house sparrow and possibly more, though I'm rather tired...

[sjsl]

Listened to BBC R4 Dawn Chorus last night, a lovely idea... I was also delighted to see the swifts were back yesterday, especially reading the article in the Guardian that said London hadn't had them for ten years https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/may/05/common-swift-silent-summer-birds-habitat-loss-farming#comment-98011472

[BrandNewGuy]

Yes, I don't know where he got that idea from. Their numbers are down, but they're not out...

[Sue]

Sorry to miss your dawn chorus walk, BNG.

We did one last year in Horniman Gardens, but afraid this year bed won :))

[BrandNewGuy]

Just seen a peregrine falcon flying over ED station heading Peckham-wards. Watch out,lazy pigeons :-)

[Jenny1]

That's very interesting BrandNewGuy. Do you see many peregrine falcons in the area?

I meant to say thank you very much for collating the dates of the arrival of the swifts. It astonishes me how punctual they are. I suppose they must be sensitive to day length? Though some of their wintering grounds won't have much yearly variation in hours of daylight. But I believe some migrate from as far as South Africa? Almost unbelievable. I understand it was a great conundrum to Victorian naturalists as to where they went in the winter.

As to what people say about reduced numbers. Yes - I've noticed that too. Let's just hope the decline can be reversed. Is lack of nesting sites the main problem? The loss of the old hospital onion towers probably removed one site.

[Lynne]

A bat flying low last night

[Nigello]

Where was the bat? I have yet to see one anywhere in and around SE22/15/21 but would love to.