ED Nature Watch

[Sue]

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,1533238

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?20,1544552

[red devil]

Observed after putting out some stale bread in the garden:

The Pigeons chase the Magpies away;

The Squirrels chase the Pigeons away;

The Magpies chase the Squirrels away;

The Crows chase them all away...

[Penguin68]

Has anyone noticed that there seem to be a very fine collection of berries/ rose hips etc. this year in and around Dulwich? Driving recently I passed brilliant displays down road after road in front gardens. Old wives tales suggest that if the berries are 'better' than usual, this portends a hard winter (with the idea, I think, that nature is thus providing for wild life in hard times, though how that would work beats me).

Anyhow - it will be interesting to see if the old wives are right!

[ianr]

I've just noticed this from the London Wildlife Trust at http://www.wildlondon.org.uk/events/2015/11/13/londons-urban-wildlife-free-talk-peckham.

London's urban wildlife - free talk in Peckham (Library)

Fri, 05/02/2016 - 11:00am - 12:30pm

[Sue]

Thanks ianr, that's a shame, I won't be able to make it, would have liked to go.

I saw a wren in my garden yesterday - only the third time I have seen one here since 1991!

That's not to say they're not around of course, probably hiding :) This one was quite boldly walking/hopping along the top of my fence before going into the ivy :)

[Jenny1]

Saw my first swifts of the year yesterday. Wheeling and screeching high over East Dulwich. Very welcome summer visitors.

[BrandNewGuy]

Snap! Always a wonderful sight and sound. They've been very consistent in arrival time over the last couple of years ? May 9th amd May 8th in 2015 and 2014.

[Nigello]

Goldfinches on Goodrich Road, near to Friern Road. Perhaps this is not so amazing, but I haven't seen them around this area before.

[Jenny1]

That's interesting about the consistency of the arrival dates BrandNewGuy. Good to know that, even in uncertain times, you can count on a swift.

I've noticed more goldfinches this year Nigello. But I think it's always amazing to see them. To my eyes they look almost like tropical birds.

[fruityloops]

Tropical. Like those noisy green Parakeets

[Charlie Smith]

I saw what appeared to be House Martins or Swifts above my garden this morning just for a couple of moments. Maybe summer really is on the way.

Regards

Councillor Charlie Smith

East Dulwich Ward Member

[minder]

Anyone know what this bird is called? Is it a heron?

Was walking slowly amongst the bushes around a park pond.

[Jenny1]

Hi minder

That's certainly not a heron. I'm no expert, but it looks like some kind of black duck to me.

[minder]

It was much taller, had longer legs and slower than a normal duck. It then stared at me intently so I left it as it might have had babies nearby!

[steveo]

Did it look like this?

[ianr]

Could it be an Indian Runner duck? They come in many shades, including black. "A bowling pin on feet. And they're always in a hurry." according to http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/Ducks/Runners/BRKRunners.html.

[fruityloops]

minder Wrote:

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

> Anyone know what this bird is called? Is it a

> heron?

>

> Was walking slowly amongst the bushes around a

> park pond.

brilliant.

[Penguin68]

https://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fusercontent1.hubstatic.com%2F9243844_f260.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fhubpages.com%2Fanimals%2Fpopulardomesticducks&docid=gj-BZu7yDFTg_M&tbnid=xnCC4_Oed6TBqM%3A&w=260&h=260&bih=913&biw=1638&ved=0ahUKEwiix8ePjcXMAhWIKcAKHYmlCHcQMwglKAgwCA&iact=mrc&uact=8

or

https://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.timeshighereducation.com%2FPictures%2Fweb%2Ff%2Fv%2Fw%2Fduck_0_450.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.timeshighereducation.com%2Ffeatures%2Foff-piste-learning-how-to-keep-ducks%2F2002262.article&docid=1Hq_gVaSNSwJRM&tbnid=YQ0fIJsUaguOMM%3A&w=450&h=300&bih=913&biw=1638&ved=0ahUKEwiix8ePjcXMAhWIKcAKHYmlCHcQMwgnKAowCg&iact=mrc&uact=8

[minder]

Spot on ianr, it prob is an Indian runner duck.

[Sue]

A whole flock (?) of sparrows has descended on my garden in the last couple of days.

I'm not quite sure why!

[Jenny1]

Congratulations on the sparrows Sue! We see far too few of them these days. Who'd have thought they'd become so embattled as a species? I'm sure there are plenty of us old enough to remember them in vast numbers.

[Nigello]

I saw my first Jersey tiger moth, which are usually around towards the end of summer (late August/early September). What could it mean.....?

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/0_%C3%89caille_chin%C3%A9e_-_Euplagia_quadripunctaria_-_Havr%C3%A9,_Begique_(3).JPG

[Sue]

Jenny1 Wrote:

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

> Congratulations on the sparrows Sue! We see far

> too few of them these days. Who'd have thought

> they'd become so embattled as a species? I'm sure

> there are plenty of us old enough to remember them

> in vast numbers.

Yep.

I usually have a few around, but these are relatively huge numbers!

They've been tapdancing in my guttering (which has no water in) and congregating in my bamboo :) One of them tapdancing had a bamboo leaf in its mouth. All very strange.

And amongst them yesterday was what seemed to be a young goldfinch, so after years of doggedly putting out niger/nyger/nyjer seed for them, at last I have attracted - one :))

[DulwichFox]

Nigello Wrote:

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

> I saw my first Jersey tiger moth, which are

> usually around towards the end of summer (late

> August/early September). What could it mean.....?

>

> https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9

> 8/0_%C3%89caille_chin%C3%A9e_-_Euplagia_quadripunc

> taria_-_Havr%C3%A9,_Begique_(3).JPG

Thanks for that Nigello.. I always see those in my garden and on my old patio doors.

Had no idea what they were called. Hope they like my NEW patio doors..

Foxy.

[DulwichFox]

The loss of the Sparrow in London has been a bit of a mystery to experts..

.. but the loss of waste land and concequently nesting sites and lack of natural food (indects) in gardens which

many of them have been paved over has made the problem worse.

Sadly I do not think we will ever see sparrows in thelarge numbers we were once accustomed to..

DulwichFox.