ED Nature Watch

[louisemurray]

My pond toads are have a second spawning, there are about 6 in there today, and lots of fresh spawn. A lot of calling over the weekend, lovely to hear

[tarafitness]

Saw a black cap the other day, for the first time ever. Was walking around my favourite part of the park - the lovely path near the skate park with the full tree canopy overhead that makes it dark and welcoming to birds. I heard a beautiful song, and then a little brown bird with a black head flew past me and alighted on the branch of a bush. Really lovely.

Haven't heard the swifts yet, looking forward to that.

[malumbu]

More are overwintering here. Have had a pair in the garden - I spoke about this a few weeks ago here as I had problems identifying at first.

Who has stolen by gold finches by the way?

[Lynne]

Several crab spiders in the lilies.Odd looking things

[sjsl]

So delighted swifts are back, haven't seen/heard them yet myself... found a crab spider in our bluebells last week, dining on a bee, rather gruesome.

[Sue]

Lynne Wrote:

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> Several crab spiders in the lilies.Odd looking

> things

Never heard of crab spiders before!

Looking forward to seeing the swifts again.

Does anybody have them nesting under their eaves?

[sjsl]

I had to look the crab spider up, hadn't seen one before... I think we may have your goldfinches Malumbu, there's a regular flock around our garden near N Dulwich station.

[malumbu]

I'll be out with my net later. Actually understand they are fickle but a few must still be feeding as feed still goes down.

[yeknomyeknom]

We get baked bean spiders. Weird looking things.

[another annie]

Re your goldfinches, that could be us, Malumbo... a pair have started visiting us in Landcroft Road, I had to look them up in my bird book, very exciting! One hangs on the very floppy branches of a tamarix tree eating the bugs in the cuckoo-spit, while the other sits on the fence keeping watch. Made my day, could we share them...?

[Zig-Zag]

Give your goldfinches some niger seed and your garden will fill with goldfinches. Last year I counted more than 20 at one time in my garden squabbling at the feeder!

[Nigello]

Yesterday and the day before I saw a red dragonfly in my front garden on the same bush. I did not expect to see it because I always associated them with areas with water, like a pond or river. It was about 3 inches long and coral red. It may have been a damselfly. Nice to have!

[Sue]

Zig-Zag Wrote:

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> Give your goldfinches some niger seed and your

> garden will fill with goldfinches. Last year I

> counted more than 20 at one time in my garden

> squabbling at the feeder!

Has not worked for me :(

Much Niger seed.

One goldfinch last year (spotted by my partner, not me :( )

[Zig-Zag]

Sorry to hear that Sue. I must have got to them first and bribed them to stay. I'm actually West Dulwich rather than East but this is a far more interesting and active forum!

[Sue]

I do however have a toad!

No idea how it got here!

There have been frogs in the garden for some years, but I've never seen a toad before!

[malumbu]

Nyger/niger feeder in garden last June, they were spooked funnily enough when I put a second one up as it confused their routine. At that point there were too many for one feeder. They are also very wary and clear off into the tree when humans are near. The tits must be feeding fledglings at the moment as they are much braver on their feeder. I've got a pair and sure they will be back in numbers. Had to buy sackfuls of feed last year as going through it so quickly.

Also put a tray under the feeder as they are very messy feeders.

[Sue]

Great photo! Lucky you!

[IlonaM]

My visiting Goldfinches in Underhill seem to like velvety nesting materials as they have been carefully cutting off pieces of one of my silver plants and taking them off!

[sunbob]

I saw a pair of pied wagtails with a young one today. So lovely as I used to see them as a child a few decades ago out in the sticks, but have never seen them up here before!

[Nigello]

Sunbob - where was that.

I saw swifts near to the Dunstan?s/Underhill x-road yesterday.

[sunbob]

It was near Harris boys.

[seenbeen]

Since the lockdown the window cleaner hasn't been and the webs in the corners of my windows catch flies and the birds have been getting the flies and maybe the spiders too!

[Sue]

One poor spider wove a web in the corner of my kitchen window, but the wind the next day demolished it to a sort of linear web rope :(

I don't know what happened to the spider :(

[tiddles]

I saw a damsonfly the other Nigello a thought it was a small dragonfly TIL I saw your post. Found a tiny toad whilst gardening so left that area alone. Several tits visiting my feeders but some new young feline visitors a bit too interested in these so not so many birds as last year. My favourite nature spot is the walk alongside peckham adventure playground - robins, thrushes and blackbird couples whizzing about that lovely canopy.

[frankiebhoy]

Hi we have a pair of goldfinches in our garden fist time.