ED Nature Watch

[first mate]

Aren't females normally the larger? As the RichH says, he'll get eaten soon.

FWIW I think I can see two spiders, one slightly larger to the left, the other a but smaller on right and guessing that is the male. They have similar markings but cannot count all the legs.

[Sue]

Ah! Is what I saw as one big spider actually two spiders expletive deleted ing?

[RichH]

first mate is correct. The female (left) is larger than the male (right). When I looked back a couple of minutes later the male had vanished. A web of intrigue? I fear the worst but hope he just scuttled off to try his luck somewhere else :))

[Nigello]

Spotted in Sexby Gardens two mornigns ago - female pheasant

In wildlife garden this AM, Peckham Rye - moorhen flying pretty high up into a tree, perhaps for berries - about 20 feet up. Never seen that before.

[legalalien]

The entire woodpigeon population of South London is busy scoffing crabapples from the Hubei crab apple tree behind my house. I saw very few last year, so pleased to see them back - my dog has other ideas. Occasionally the parakeets try and take over the tree - which I'm not so keen on - the pigeons eat the fruit whole, the parakeets peck the fruit to pieces and make a horrible mess everywhere.

[Nigello]

Yes, they like the crabapples near me and are very largely silent, unlike the green flying devils! I saw two dunnocks out back the other day but have not seen a jay, blackbird or finch for months.

[malumbu]

I had a bumper crab apple crop last year, but bugger all this, and I am surrounded by apple trees in neighbouring gardens full of apples. It's been a weird year for nature.

The odd wasp and bug would eat the crab apples, but green squawky things didn't. They matured in August, all three crab apples.

Odd fruit, make some jars of crab apple jelly but not a lot more to do with them.

[sunbob]

I saw the pheasant in PRP too. Any ideas as to why this species would suddenly show up? Never seen one here before and that's in almost 20 years.

[BrandNewGuy]

Pheasants have been seen on and off near railway lines, eg Green Dale - they use the green embankments as 'corridors' - but PRP is a long way from a railway line. Maybe the shooting fraternity have been stocking the park with pheasant pullets and are planning an autumn shoot or two... anyone fancy being a beater?

[Jenijenjen]

Previous sightings of pheasants in the area

https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,246908,2009583#msg-2009583

https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,1800927,page=1

And there?s a photo of the current beauty here

[Lynne]

I've still got some tadpoles in my pond. I assume they're never going to develop now?

[BrandNewGuy]

Not necessarily. Autumn tadpoles can effectively 'hibernate' at the bottom of ponds and complete their development the following spring.

[Lynne]

Thanks, BrandNewGuy. They're in quite a small container at the moment. I was wondering about transferring them to the bigger pond in case this container freezes in the winter.

[Brian up the hill]

A book has been published about the Great North Wood, the largest fragments of which remaining are Sydenham Hill Wood and Dulwich Wood. Anyone who knows and loves these woods might well be interested in reading this fascinating account of how important they are and have been, to London.

https://sandstonepress.com/books/the-wood-that-built-london

[Sue]

Thank you for that, it's on my Christmas list!

[BrandNewGuy]

There's a talk and a book signing with the author at Dulwich Books, Croxted Rd tomorrow evening:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-great-north-wood-c-j-schuler-tickets-183512760607

[heartblock]

Ohh I want that book, thank you.

[Sue]

BrandNewGuy Wrote:

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

> There's a talk and a book signing with the author

> at Dulwich Books, Croxted Rd tomorrow evening:

> https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-great-north-woo

> d-c-j-schuler-tickets-183512760607

Thanks BNG, sadly it's sold out! Excellent that so many people are interested, though!

[IlonaM]

Had a visit from a Sparrowhawk this morning. Disturbed by a commotion in the garden and later saw feathers but no pigeon, so hopefully it escaped. Two magpies tried to bully the Sparrowhawk off the fence and it moved to the planter. It stayed for a little while. Haven't seen one so close before - 4-5 m from window.

[Nigello]

Where are you in, IlonaM? They say raptors can be seen over Peckham Rye and on Dawson's Hill but I have yet to see one. (A jay did pop in to my garden yesterday, though.)

[IlonaM]

I'm towards the South Circular end of Underhill Rd on the Horniman/Wood Vale side of the road. I've semi-seen/been aware of a raptor attack once before but disturbed it thus saving the pigeon! I get lots of magpies and jays in the garden and there are crows about as well.

[Moovart]

A Charm of Goldfinches in the garden eating seeds from verbena bonariensis. I've only seen these three times in my life and all in the last few years

[Nigello]

I saw about a dozen parakeets buzzing/strafing a heron on one side, with a crow doing likewise on the other, about 150 feet up near to Village Square (!) I had seen a crow doing the same to a heron seated high up in a tree in Peckham Rye, near the lake. Don't they get on or could it have been staking out nests, etc?

[Sue]

Moovart Wrote:

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

> A Charm of Goldfinches in the garden eating seeds

> from verbena bonariensis. I've only seen these

> three times in my life and all in the last few

> years

Lucky you ❤️

[louisemurray]

A tawny owl is regularly visiting Marsden Road. It sounds like it is hunting in the Wildlife Garden Centre - good luck to it. I'd be surprised if there are any rodents left in there after my cat has brought in so many wood mice.