ED Nature Watch

[Sue]

Oh I'm so jealous! My favourite birds!

[Green Goose]

Had a Stock Dove in the garden today. Makes a nice change from the usual wood pigeons. It was on the ground picking up the crumbs from the bird feeder above.

[BrandNewGuy]

There's a little flock of stock doves around JAGS playing fields and the railway lines between East amd North Dulwich. They're like a posh version of the feral/London pigeon :-)

There are also loads of redwings and fieldfares ? and blackbirds, thrushes and more ? coming in from Scandinavia and eastern Europe at the moment. Because of the strong cold north-easterlies, they're heading our way looking for food ? in mild years, they'd be going in the opposite direction.

[BrandNewGuy]

There were 70 redwings (and a few fieldfares) on the fenced off field next to the Green Dale path yesterday afternoon. Reports of large numbers elsewhere nearby:

Dulwich Park: 80 Redwing, 3 Fieldfare

Belair Park: 85 Redwing, 10 Fieldfare

Gallery Rd playing fields: 20 Redwing, 80 Fieldfare

[Sue]

We saw a solitary redwing in Peckham Rye Park on Saturday around midday.

Apparently it's quite unusual to just see one by itself :(

Don't know where its mates were!

[Nigello]

Redwing about a week ago (it took me a while to ID it on Google) near Goodrich School, eating crabapples. Have they all gone now?

[Sue]

Saw two Nuthatches in the woods this afternoon, walking up a tree.

Also heard a woodpecker.

[louisemurray]

Mating toads at the pond in the garden last night. Another 16 or so were dotted about having a grand old time. Slightly later this year than last.

see pic attached.

[Sue]

Great pic!

Toadsporn :))

[Sue]

RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 2018 results - sadly not broken down by region (unless I missed it) but interesting nevertheless:

https://www.rspb.org.uk/globalassets/downloads/biggardenbirdwatch/20172018/326-0647-17-18_bgbw_2018_results_england.pdf

There's a short commentary/explanation here:

https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/results/?utm_source=journey6&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=bgbw2018

[alex_b]

I don't know if this is the right thread but...

I have a robin nesting in the peg bag for my clothes line, I'm happy to leave it there for the time being (until the chicks have fledged) but would appreciate any advice for when to move it on to minimize disturbance for the bird. Hopefully the answer isn't leave it til the end of summer.

[rendelharris]

alex_b Wrote:

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

> I don't know if this is the right thread but...

> I have a robin nesting in the peg bag for my

> clothes line, I'm happy to leave it there for the

> time being (until the chicks have fledged) but

> would appreciate any advice for when to move it on

> to minimize disturbance for the bird. Hopefully

> the answer isn't leave it til the end of summer.

The fledglings will leave the nest approximately 2-3 weeks after hatching, once they're gone the parents will abandon the nest too and you can move it. Envy you, should be fun watching them!

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Can we have ED Robin Cam please, alex_b?

[alex_b]

rendelharris Wrote:

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

>

> The fledglings will leave the nest approximately

> 2-3 weeks after hatching, once they're gone the

> parents will abandon the nest too and you can move

> it. Envy you, should be fun watching them!

Thanks. I?ll keep an eye on the nest and remove it when they?ve gone. They are fun to watch, although it will be nice to be able to get into my shed without a robin flying at my head!

The best isn?t oriented in a good direction for a web cam. I?m putting up some nest boxes and may try to wire them up for later in the year.

[heartblock]

Yellow butterfly in Dulwich Park on Thursday. Brimstone? It was the sunny, warm day this week. Was it a Brimstone or something else (it was medium/large but too far away to see any markings - but very yellow 🙂).

[Sue]

I have seen a few small blue butterflies around recently, including in my garden.

I'm sure somebody can tell me what they are - they're very small and very pretty, and I've never seen them before.

[BrandNewGuy]

They're probably Holly Blue butterflies, which emerge earlier ? and are more common ? than the other blue butterflies.

[Sue]

Thanks, BNG!

[Robert Poste's Child]

In Brockwell Park there's a swan sitting on a nest with seven big blue eggs. It seems completely unfazed by all the interest from passers-by but the park keepers have put up a fence to stop people getting too close.

[Sally Eva]

I saw a Green Woodpecker in Dulwich Park today. I've only ever seen them in Nunhead Cemetery before

[Mrs_B]

we were watching a Green Woodpecker being very busy in a tree overlooking the tyre swing in the playground last week - couldn't make out if it is nesting there or not..

[BrandNewGuy]

Just heard the first swift of the year near Dulwich Hospital. Summer is definitely on the way. Here's how the arrival compares to previous years:

2011 ? May 9

2012 ? May 1

2013 ? May 17

2014 ? May 8

2015 ? May 9

2016 ? May 4

2017 - May 6

2018 ? May 8

[cornelia]

Distraught! Just found about 20 box caterpillars on my very small box hedge (three plants, about 20cm high and 60 long).

My son is now keeping them as pets...

[louisemurray]

Friends in Oakhurst grove have had an invasion too.

[Jenny1]

AHA! Thanks for the news on the swifts BrandNewGuy. I thought I heard one today....I'll now listen out more optimistically.