ED Nature Watch

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Interesting article if you are into birdwatching:

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2020/mar/25/birdwatching-from-your-garden-the-wildlife-travel-drama-on-your-doorstep

[Sue]

Peckhamgatecrasher Wrote:

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> Interesting article if you are into birdwatching:

>

> https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2020/mar/25/bir

> dwatching-from-your-garden-the-wildlife-travel-dra

> ma-on-your-doorstep

Yes, and just up the road from ED :)

[MarkT]

Yes Sue, those Waxwings are in Perth but we had a small flock a couple of winters ago, stripping rose hips in our garden in East Dulwich

MarkT

[Sue]

I'm so jealous, I get sparrows, blackbirds, collared doves (?) and a robin.

Occasionally a wren and great tits, and my partner saw a goldfinch once.

And that's about it :(

But then according to that article, you have to keep looking up and hope something interesting flies over (of the bird variety, that is)!

[RichH]

...or the bat variety, like the Pipistrelle I saw yesterday evening.

[Sue]

RichH Wrote:

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> ...or the bat variety, like the Pipistrelle I saw

> yesterday evening.

:)

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

I rather think bats are personae non gratae at the moment!

[Sue]

Peckhamgatecrasher Wrote:

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> I rather think bats are personae non gratae at the

> moment!

:)) :)) :))

[louisemurray]

A gang of goldfinches in my garden this morning on Marsden Road

[yeknomyeknom]

Where have all the squirrels gone! I?m near Peckham Rye park and see squirrels in the gardens around anytime I care to look. I haven?t seen one for days! Self isolating squirrels?

[malumbu]

Maybe something to do with the weather and food availability. Squirrels come into our garden from time to time, and try to raid the bird feeders. Then we don't see them for months.

Sadly Louise you seem to have stolen our goldfinches. Had about a dozen last year, now down to 2, after I spent a small fortune on niger/nyger seed. How ungrateful!

[Zig-Zag]

I think you might get the goldfinches back a bit later in the year. Noticed in previous years they seem to disappear but return again when it's warmer!

[civilservant]

wondered about eh squirrels myself but the,n one morning, saw a couple come down from our tree and go out for the day

haven't seen them since but hope they're ok

there used to be dozens of the blighters in the past, but hardly any anymore

[IlonaM]

civilservant Wrote:

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> wondered about eh squirrels myself but the,n one

> morning, saw a couple come down from our tree and

> go out for the day

> haven't seen them since but hope they're ok

> there used to be dozens of the blighters in the

> past, but hardly any anymore

I have quite a few regular visitors in Underhill, but they have reduced over the last week. Might be the chilly weather putting them off.

[malumbu]

I'm also taking the opportunity of upgrading my pond, returning to the original shape using a liner. I'd used a preformed pond a few years ago replacing the earlier home made pond, but it never worked as well. I found frogs and newts as I emptied the old pond, hope they will come back again.

Questions for any experts out there. Can you get rid of duck weed? What are the best pond plants? I've got irises (quite evasive) and a marsh marigold and some oxygenating pond weed.

I'll have some spare established irises to give away post Covid-19 and the preformed pond which I might as a few quid for charity.

[yeknomyeknom]

Usually hear the geese flying over on their way to peckham rye early each morning. This morning, just one solitary bird. Unusual.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Social distancing!

[AC1964]

Re goldfinches. We're at the Dawsons Heights end of Dunstans Road. There are numerous small flocks in the area. Once you recognise the sound they make, you'll hear them constantly flying around.

I spotted a peregrine falcon overhead a few days ago - on a west-to-east glide/shallow stoop . Put a few pigeons into a state of panic...

[AylwardS]

I?ve seen my first peacock butterfly in the last week and signs of nest building.

Time to spend in the garden? This ma have some ideas on what you could do to make your garden more wildlife friendly. You will hopefully see the ?you build it and they come? results in a few weeks.

RSPB Give nature a home in our garden activities

https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/give-nature-a-home-in-your-garden/

Or already getting birds in your garden I found this set of resources for schools taking part in the Big Garden Birdwatch but some of the resources might be of interest even if you have not children to share the birds in your garden with at the moment. https://www.rspb.org.uk/fun-and-learning/for-teachers/schools-birdwatch/resources/

[MarkT]

Malumbu,

"Can you get rid of duck weed?"

If you are starting with the new pond liner, you are in with a chance. You must quarantine all the plants you are transferring. First shake them thoroughly in a bucket of water and any loose duck weed will float out so can scim it off with a net. Hand pick any that is still adhering. When you think the plants are clean, leave them in quarantine for a week or two and check them a couple of times. Even the tiniest duckweed leaves will grow to full size in that time. Do likewise with any mud and water you are transferring.

I have collection of sinks with a variety of plant mixes, and locations. I get frogs in some and newts in others.

I would like to eliminate the surface duckweed (lemna minor) entirely, which I am doing progressively as I clean out any individual sink every few years. However I encourage its relative Lemna trisulca, which is a submerged oxygenator.

MarkT

[LoulaRose]

I saw (what I thought) was a peregrine falcon in Dulwich Woods this morning!

[malumbu]

MarkT Wrote:

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> Malumbu,

> "Can you get rid of duck weed?"

>

> If you are starting with the new pond liner, you are in with a chance. You must quarantine all the plants you are transferring. First shake them thoroughly in a bucket of water and any loose duck weed will float out so can scim it off with a net. Hand pick any that is still adhering. When you think the plants are clean, leave them in

> quarantine for a week or two and check them a couple of times. Even the tiniest duckweed leaves will grow to full size in that time. Do likewise with any mud and water you are transferring.

> MarkT

Thanks Mark, I did my best to remove the duckweed, but did not quarantine plants and now picking the stuff out or skimming with a tea strainer. Probably futile but I seem to have time on my hands. PM me if you want some yellow iris, it spreads quickly so I have a lot to spare. Delivery can wait until times are easier.

[yeknomyeknom]

We saw 5 of these waxwings on the rooftops near peckham rye this morning.

Peckhamgatecrasher Wrote:

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

> Interesting article if you are into birdwatching:

>

> https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2020/mar/25/bir

> dwatching-from-your-garden-the-wildlife-travel-dra

> ma-on-your-doorstep

[Nigello]

I?ve run out of feed. I usually get it from the pound shop near Lidl but I?ve not been out. If anyone has any seed, etc they could let me have then please let me know by PM. Thanks

[PlantPower]

I had a squirrel crash land on my kitchen window from a nearby beech, first time ever. It was mad. Also hearing a lot of bird song in the absence of all the bl@#dy planes on Heathrow flightpath. The silence of the sky above us is a true gift. Normally they start at 6am and fly to midnight. That and the magnolia and camellia are wonderful.