ED Nature Watch

[tiddles]

These are Egyptian geese - been around the eye for several years now 

[Lynne]

I could hear a woodpecker while I was waiting on ED station this morning

[Moovart]

I saw a woodpecker in the trees on the north side of ED station last week while I was waiting on the southbound platform.  Might be the same one.

[malumbu]

We have great spotted woodpeckers in the garden.  Every few years there is a small flock of green woodpeckers.

[Lynne]

Perhaps doesn't count as nature, though it does concern as animal but this morning I was amused to see a cat on a harness and lead walking very sedately alongside it's owner on the pavement at the Elephant and Castle .

[Sue]

49 minutes ago, Lynne said:

Perhaps doesn't count as nature, though it does concern as animal but this morning I was amused to see a cat on a harness and lead walking very sedately alongside it's owner on the pavement at the Elephant and Castle .

Many decades  ago (not in London)  I tried to take my cat for a walk like that.

He didn't like it at all! I never tried again!

[malumbu]

@Mabaker

You were unsuccessful in getting goldfinches

Use a nyge feeder and/or sunflower chip feeder and they will come.  A yellow ribbon may help to attract them.  

https://www.arkwildlife.co.uk/products/all-weather-niger-seed-feeder?variant=44984394711257&country=GB&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17182013905&gclid=CjwKCAiAqKbMBhBmEiwAZ3UboEzcMqK1iuYX51ugogbRvidH8ia8707CSAgSgqes8hdhEG2WNSkG1RoCrr0QAvD_BwE

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Shades of Tony Orlando? 

I expect Sue is an excellent Nyge feeder, btw.

 

[Ryelander]

Finches love seeds as their natural diet! including: Thistle, Dandelion, Groundsel, Teasels, as well as Birch and Alder tree seeds. During the Spring and Summer Finches consume small insects, caterpillars and aphids to feed their chicks and ensure proper development.

[malumbu]

How to you grow these? I've scattered meadow flower seeds many a time, but thistles don't take and I doubt if alder and birch is common round here.  Teasels pop up now and then, but even if they are self seeding usually don't see them the next year.  It was nice seeing the gold finches feeding off these when I do have them.  I do let the dandelions grow but not sure I've seen finches feeding off them.  I understand they are a great source of nectar for bees, butterflies and the like.

On a related subject my lawns have changed greatly over the last couple of decades, warmer wetter winters, springs, earlier springs, droughts in the summer.  Moss and brambles thrive....

[Brian up the hill]

It wasn’t that long ago that Southwark planted a strip of seed bearing plants specifically for birds. It was parallel to Peckham Rye by the Harris Boys’ school. Naturally, it has disappeared courtesy of Gala. 

[Sue]

1 hour ago, malumbu said:

How to you grow these? I've scattered meadow flower seeds many a time, but thistles don't take and I doubt if alder and birch is common round here.  Teasels pop up now and then, but even if they are self seeding usually don't see them the next year.  It was nice seeing the gold finches feeding off these when I do have them.  I do let the dandelions grow but not sure I've seen finches feeding off them.  I understand they are a great source of nectar for bees, butterflies and the like.

On a related subject my lawns have changed greatly over the last couple of decades, warmer wetter winters, springs, earlier springs, droughts in the summer.  Moss and brambles thrive....

I once tried and failed to grow teasels, but they grow like weeds in my daughter's garden, grrrr.

On 09/02/2026 at 17:34, Peckhamgatecrasher said:

Shades of Tony Orlando? 

I expect Sue is an excellent Nyge feeder, btw.

 

I might be if only I could cook 🤣

[Jenijenjen]

Lovely daffodils on Dog Kennel Hill and random but still lovely crocuses on Goose Green. 

[Bumpkin]

Another sparrow hawk visor to our cherry tree at the weekend.  Our robin survived, but we may be a sparrow down.  
 

any thoughts on bird feeders & bird baths with the current bird flu?  I try to wash out the bird bath most days when at home, but not on the 3 days in a row that I’m in the office & the bird feeders rather less regularly. Would it be better not to have at all (as my partner thinks)? 

[Nigello]

Whereabouts was the hawk? 

[AylwardS]

Bumpkin I’d say feed and clean. 

 

The RSPB say garden birds are low risk for avian flu but take precautions and clean feeders and birdbaths regularly. 

 

Birds will be starting to nest soon and food you put out can at least feed the parents so they can feed live food to the young who can’t take seed yet. 

 

It’s reccomended to wear gloves and clean feeders/birdbaths with mild disinfectant weekly. 

[Sue]

37 minutes ago, AylwardS said:

Birds will be starting to nest soon and food you put out can at least feed the parents so they can feed live food to the young who can’t take seed yet. 

Do you mean put out things like live mealworms for the parents to feed to the young?

Or that the parents will eat the food you put out and therefore can save "wild" live food for the young rather than eating it themselves?

On another matter, several weeks ago I moved my bird feeders to another part of my (very small) garden because the area they were in was totally scratched up by pigeons, and I lost several plants I had had for decades and was very fond of 😭

It is now just bare earth with no plants,  and I've got to start again. And block up a fox hole in one corner.

I suspect the foxes are tunnelling beneath the garden, as there are several holes. I hope the ground doesn't suddenly collapse beneath me!

I cleaned everything and put in fresh seed, but so far all that has visited the new area (that I have actually seen)  is one rather fat sparrow.

And a cat. Sitting hopefully beneath the feeders 🤬

No goldfinches (I have a niger seed feeder and have seen the occasional goldfinch in the garden) and no tits, though I've heard both blue tits and great tits nearby. Plus the flock of sparrows who used to come and seem to have deserted the garden.

Hopefully they will find the feeders. I've cut back some of the greenery, which doesn't help, as they have less shelter. 

[dillmeadow]

Dear Nature lovers - advice please. I am being harassed by a neighbour who doesn't like my standard of gardening which she calls 'messy'. (I have rewilded my garden with advice from the London Wildlife Trust and a gardening expert from The Times.) I have twice caught this neighbour and her husband pulling up my plants and damaging my trees. Plus she has photographed my house, and sent a dozen complaints to the Dulwich Estate about my plan to rewild the verge outside my property - approved by the Estate some 4 years ago in line with their stated policy of supporting biodiversity in and around Dulwich.

What can I do to introduce these neighbours  to the benefits to us all of returning a portion of our gardens to nature?

[Sue]

8 minutes ago, dillmeadow said:

Dear Nature lovers - advice please. I am being harassed by a neighbour who doesn't like my standard of gardening which she calls 'messy'. (I have rewilded my garden with advice from the London Wildlife Trust and a gardening expert from The Times.) I have twice caught this neighbour and her husband pulling up my plants and damaging my trees. Plus she has photographed my house, and sent a dozen complaints to the Dulwich Estate about my plan to rewild the verge outside my property - approved by the Estate some 4 years ago in line with their stated policy of supporting biodiversity in and around Dulwich.

What can I do to introduce these neighbours  to the benefits to us all of returning a portion of our gardens to nature?

Sadly I think you will never convince people like this. They think gardens have to be kept chopped back and controlled.

My theory is that this comes from being (or trying to be) controlling in every aspect of their lives, so I doubt if anything you could say or show them would have any effect.

But are they actually coming into your garden or leaning over into it and pulling up/damaging things?

If so, maybe one of our community police people could have a word with them?

[malumbu]

Police, Safer Neighbourhood Team, they deal a lot with disputes.  They will do it nicely.

[Sue]