ED Nature Watch

[malumbu]

Birds seem to be on a feeding frenzy which I expect is due to fledglings having hatched. Never worked out why they favour one feeder over another, which will switch too. Put a bird bath up on one of the feeder poles which the wood pigeons perch on and crap in! Blue tits, great tits, robin and gold finches. No green finches, long tailed tits, coal tits so far this year, nor woodpeckers, thrushes and jays, which is a shame. Wonder if it is a weather and food availability thing, ie they only come into gardens when food is short in their more natural environment. Occasional doves, and plenty of crows and blackbirds. Green squawky things fortunately stay outside the garden. The football cones over the open feeders seem to have stopped the bally squirrels which is a welcome surprise.

[seenbeen]

Saw a pair of chaffinches by the Fox on the Hill

[mikeb]

Birdsong on Green Dale this morning was amazing, wasn't even spoilt by the Heathrow jets landing overhead.

[louisemurray]

And my toads have finally laid some promising looking spawn. All previous attempts have died and turned white quickly. This is healthy black eggs. Fingers...

[johnie]

The swifts are back in force over Scutari Road

[tiddles]

I have seen the goslings and baby moorhens in PR but no ducklings at all

- are they usually later in the season on or is something amiss?

[cookie]

Saw a Greater Spotted Woodpecker in the back gardens of Fellbrigg/Ulverscroft road yesterday. Lovely to see.

[malumbu]

Yo, my first woodpecker of the year, and for the first time someone pointed out the swifts high overhead. I'm very excited but need to go the Lidl as they are eating the bird food at a great rate (not the swifts or course). Foxes also seem to like it when it falls to the ground.

Fox ate some bred and then shat on it. I thought they normally marked territory by spraying not pooing. Squigy.

[BrandNewGuy]

Mentioned a while ago about the little owls in Peckham Rye Park, but I just heard one calling in a tree at the top end of St Francis Park next to DHFC.

[tiddles]

oo owls!! will go for an evening wander..... still waiting for the ducklings.....

heard a few woodpeckers - both i peckham and brockwell parks

there seems to be loads of robins at the moment - perhaps it is because they are so bold and much easier to spot...

[Asset]

I saw my first green woodpecker recently down Greendale. It was plotted on the ground by the poplar trees in JAGS field and I thought at first it was injured because it was just sitting there. It was fine though as it flapped off after a while. Probably cheesed off with me staring at it ;-)

[Nigello]

I get one or two jays in my garden, eating peanuts or mealworms off the back wall. I've yet to see a woodpecker of any kind though I hear them, as I do an owl near to Goodrich/Dunstans junction.

[David2017]

In Greendale this morning I managed to get a close up look at a butterfly (or possibly moth) of a type I've never seen before and cannot find on butterfly and moth guides on the web. I hope someone can help me identify it. It was sort of medium, or bit on the small, size for a butterfly with wings which were very dark brown and dotted prominently and very beautifully with pink spots. Sounds like I'd been drinking I know but not the case. Can anyone here tell me what it might have been?

[Chris99]

I'm not sure what the butterfly was, but a good way to find out would be to join the Friends of Green Dale / Friends of Dog Kennel Hill wood Spring Walk tomorrow at 2pm. Led by Rachel Dowse of London Wildlife Trust, we're meeting at the picnic benches in Dog Kennel Hill Open Space (next to Sainsbury's) at 1.50pm. It's free and all are welcome.

[Lynne]

The butterfly could be some sort of skipper. A dingy skipper?

[David2017]

Thank you Lynne, I think you're right. It looked more dramatic and stylish to me at the time but I think it must have been either a dingy skipper or more likely a grizzly skipper. Never seen or heard of these creatures before and delighted to have been introduced to one! Thanks also Chris99 I didn't know about the walk.

[Sue]

It's so heart warming to see people discussing butterflies and birds on a London forum xx

ETA: Thanks to Peckhamgatecrasher for starting the thread many moons ago :)

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Aw shucks!

[mikeb]

My wife saw a hedgehog this evening in our garden - first time ever

[Judie]

I have seen a woodpecker on my feeder every day for the past fortnight, he is beautiful

[Peckhampam]

Mistle thrushes in my garden this year

[AylwardS]

Visited the Nature Trail at the Horniman a couple of days back for the first time (I know its been there a while but new to me). Short and nothing amazing this visit but good for a quick half hour in ?woodland?.

Entrance to the start is from London Road - up the steps just after Wood Vale and then through the gate on the left. Check the opening hours on the Horniman website (currently 9-4). You go to the end and return. It?s a ?woodland? path so tree roots, steps and could be muddy in wet weather and no dogs. You never escape the sirens but if you are passing its worth checking out.

[BrandNewGuy]

Stag beetles spotted earlier today on Green Dale fields, so they're out and about for the breeding season. They look fierce but are harmless. They're also pretty crap at flying and walking, so if you see one stranded on a pavement or the road, please pick it up and pop it somewhere safe. They're quite comon round here but nationally they're rare. The larvae feed on dead wood (usually below ground), so if you can leave a small woodpile in the corner of the garden to rot down, the stags will be most grateful :)

[DulwichFox]

I hate Stag Beetles. They are the one creature that REALLY Freaks be out.

Foxy

[BrandNewGuy]

They're pussycats really, Foxy :)