Nathalie

On a grey summer morning

2011-07-27T22:00:00.000+01:00

I had checked the tide tables and decided that this morning was the best to go and have an early walk by the Thames. So it proved. Nothing much by some other patches standards, but I was treated to 2 rare sights on mine:

The wader I tend to find the most, a Redshank at the edge of the water:

A female Mallard with 4 ducklings:

Best luck to her, she looked pretty attentive, but the odds are against her. 2 years ago one managed to raise 9 to adulthood, so you never know...

Storks in Normandy

2011-07-18T20:15:00.000+01:00

A month ago I went to visit my family back in Normandy and one afternoon, with my parents, we went to visit some of the White Stork nests that they know of in the Marais du Cotentin et du Bessin. Out of the 4 nests we checked, 3 had young in them but the fourth one, high up in a tree, had been partially destroyed.

We had some nice views of an adult looking for food in a field.

The first nest we saw, with 2 young in it, probably belonged to the adult above.

Second nest:

If you look closely at the young's leg, you'll notice it is wearing a colour ring.
If you look at the leaves, you'll also notice that it was really windy...

By the time, we got to the next nest, conditions were pretty dire and birds were barely visible. Quite an impressive nest though!

(click on any photo for a bigger version or to get you to the set which has a few more photos).
I chose and processed the photos while on the ferry back to the UK, but within a few days drama at the peregrines nest grabbed all my attention and I am now finally slowly catching up.
White storks are a bird I remember going to see in Alsace as a kid in 1976 during a family holiday, as the reintroduction programme was starting. It even was one of my younger brother's first words :) I never imagined then that they'd settle within an hour's drive of my parents.

Winter Thrushes are not only for Winter sometimes

2011-04-25T16:30:00.003+01:00

What I had been hoping for back in February has happened :

Mistle Thrush are breeding in Margravine Cemetery!

I barely saw them in between, which is amazing considering how noisy and bold they can be, so I was thinking that they might have tried outside of the cemetery as I would see them quite often fly North, towards the Tube line.
Then about a week ago I heard their distinctive rattle a few times while walking through. Unfortunately I was so incapacitated at the time that walking on the rough ground looking for them was out of the question but I promised myself that as soon as I could I'd go looking for them. So Saturday morning Operation Mistle Thrush was put into gear and within 5 minutes, with a bit of luck, I located the nest with one of the birds on it. Happy time! Then yesterday I saw one of the birds bring food to 2 chicks.

Other birds not quite so far advanced in the breeding process are our local Peregrines, they started incubating 3 eggs about a week ago. I have started another blog to follow their progress: FaBPeregrines.

They're at it for another year

2011-04-06T20:15:00.002+01:00

Yes, the Canada Geese have started nesting again on the wharf by the supermarket in Fulham Sands End. However, this year they have changed their spot. Nest is made up of coiled rope, worn out bag and a bicycle saddle, and some down... 4th year of trying at least, maybe it'll be the right one... Best of luck!

Nice surprise!

2011-03-11T20:40:00.001Z

During a break at the allotment this afternoon, I went to check the 'Nature area'. I was initially looking for Blackcaps, but this up in a tree was a very nice surprise instead:

I had been looking for some elsewhere in the park without luck so far, in relatively quieter parts, by the Thames, but this is so close to one of West London's busiest roads, Fulham Palace Road, it surprised me.
A pity the light was terrible and the angles difficult...

A gull with a bone to pick

2011-03-10T20:15:00.002Z

At the supermarket yesterday I was taking photos of a Common Gull hoping to read its metal ring (unfortunately it was presenting the closure part) when I noticed the Herring Gull YW3T from last week.

I then noticed a Common Gull had found itself a (chicken?) bone to nibble on but it turned out I wasn't the only one to have noticed:

Where is my bone?

A pair of Greylags followed by 3 others flying over the Thames were the surprise visitors at the supermarket yesterday, as well as a pair of Coots, which I rarely see there.
Numbers of Black-headed Gulls have continued to dwindle with only 70 of them on the wharf at high tide and I am looking forward to concentrate my attention to these little guys once they're gone:

They've started being very active and vocal again. One male was calling under the eaves of one of the apartment blocks, a new site for this year as far as I am aware.

2 for the price of 1

2011-03-08T19:13:00.001Z

Like I do every week when I go to the supermarket, especially at high tide, I checked for rings on gulls' legs. In particular, I was hoping to see the semi-regular one, white A6LK, which I had last seen on 8th December. And bingo! at the end of the scan, when I thought all hope was gone, there it was:

I proceeded to take a few more photos, including this one. I am not entirely sure what is so attractive about this bush but a few gulls went and ate a few leaves off it.

Then on the panel with a few others (there was an exceptionally high number of them that day):

If you look closely at the one ready to land, you can glimpse an orange ring, and there it is, obvious once the bird had landed.

For once, the ring was very easy to read: YW3.T. I got the info back overnight: this Herring Gull was ringed at Pitsea Landfill site in November and mine was the first reading since. Map here.

Is that profile good for you?

I'm hoping that, like A6LK, it'll stick around and I can follow its progress from time to time.

Winter thrushes

2011-02-09T20:40:00.001Z

Yes, I know, it's been a very long time since my last post. Not the best of months those past few ones... So I'm going to try and do a few catch-up posts.
We've never had this winter the numbers of Redwings we had the previous one. I think the most I've seen at once were 30-35, twice, around the new year, whereas we had over 50 well into March last year. And since mid-January we've had about 3 knocking about, feeding on the ground since all the berries were gone a long time ago. Being so few, they are a lot trickier to find...

Not the best of photos, that bird was way too fast and this was the only passable one I managed, but I like how the light is making its legs look almost translucent

The bonus this year has been a pair of Mistle Thrush since mid January. Mistle Thrushes usually only pass by, are harassed by the local Jays and Magpies, and move on. But, this time, one month on, they're still here, usually to be found together in the same area. I have seen behaviour that looked like courtship once and another time it looked like they might be building a nest. So I'm crossing all I can, it would be a first...

I never thought of Redwings as being particularly small but this one really does next to a Mistle Thrush...

I am giving flickr a try for my photos, you can see a few more of these birds here.

2 hours by the Thames

2010-09-16T18:55:00.002+01:00

I went for a walk by the Thames between 10 & 12 this morning. I estimated this would be optimal for the tide, it was going down and started to reveal the foreshore which tends to be when the birds are at their most active. It wasn't however the ducks and waders feast I had been hoping for. None of the Starlings, Crows or Gulls materialised into something more important, but nevermind ;) I discovered that the part of Thames Path which had been closed earlier this year was finally reopened, and in time too! Brilliant, no more walking through the back streets and losing sight of the birds on the foreshore!
I saw:

Black-headed Gulls: about 150. Including the Finnish CC1H ringed one in almost the exact same spot (about 2m away)
Herring Gull: 4, including a pair in courtship display - I really thought they were starting to create a nest on the shore at some point. Weird at this time of year I would have thought...
Lesser Black-backed Gull: 1 family with 2 begging juveniles, and at least 2 more adults and 2 juveniles
Common Gull: 1
Mallard: 46
Tufted Duck: 10, including the female and 2 youngsters I have seen every time of late
Mute Swan: 1
Grey Heron: 1
Cormorant: 21, most of them on the wharf, but a few fishing (when not disturbed by passing boats)
Grey Wagtail: 1
Starlings: a flock of about 50 flitting between the shore and the bridge
Canada Goose: 4, including the usual Greylag hybrid
Ring-necked Parakeet: 6 on Hammersmith Bridge. I don't recall seeing them on the bridge before, it almost look like they were trying to dislodge some of the pigeons...
and the Egyptian Goose family :)

Initially, I only had one of the youngsters by the bridge, on its lonesome, going up and down, calling for the rest of the family. Then, much later on, I had the rest of the family.

The ringed 'normal coloured' adult. I am still trying to get the first 2 digits, but either the angle is wrong, or there's mud on the ring... I'll get there one day, I hope.

The rest of the family, with the pale adult and the other 3 youngsters. 2 of them have pretty much reached adult size and feathering, but the 'little one' at the back is still playing catch-up.

A view from above.

You can see here how far behind it is compared to its sibling, still all fluffed up on its beck and back...

There you can see pretty well the lump on its lower beak which has been visible since it is was a small gosling. I am no expert, but my theory is that it's a thyroid problem. If you have another idea, I'd welcome your thoughts.

White CC1H

2010-09-07T13:09:00.000+01:00

A quick update on one of the colour ringed gulls from my previous post, white CC1H. It was ringed in Finland, as an adult, in 2000, making it at least 10 years old. Not much of a wonder the ring was in the state it was...

My name is Nathalie and I'm addicted to reading bird rings

2010-09-05T16:30:00.001+01:00

My apologies... Another post mostly about colour-ringed gulls...

I was doing my patch walk by the Thames yesterday as I often do on a Saturday morning and getting increasingly annoyed by 2 guys in kayaks. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, but they kept on getting close to shore or alighting at the pier and pontoon. It was close to high tide and then birds have very little space to go to, which is good for me if I want to check for rings, but not that good as a lot of the birds just bugger off to the Wetland Centre. I had just got to Crabtree Wharf before them and had (thankfully) just finished counting the cormorants there (21) when one of the kayaks decided to hold onto the Wharf and all the cormorants and most of the gulls flew away. Nearly all the cormorants ended up going to the Wetland Centre, the gulls landed on the river but some came back. I locked onto a preening Black-headed Gull with a red ring. I didn't even need to check my notes this time to know I had already seen it as it has a pretty memorable code: A1 :)

I saw this gull in pretty much the same spot on 22 September 2009 and had a reply the same day form the ringer, Frank Majoor, that the bird had "been ringed as a first winter bird in November 2006 in Hilversum, a town in the Netherlands, some 30 km south-east of Amsterdam and 25 km north of Utrecht, according to Wikipedia". This makes it a 4 year old bird.

While I was taking photos, a 'friend' arrived saying "See, I've got a ring too!" and, yes, it had... Slightly broken, but still legible, and not one I had seen before: white CC1H. Checking the colour-ringing site told me afterwards that this bird should be from Finland. I have reported it, I'll blog the result if and when I get it.

Then I noticed that there was 1 Cormorant left and recognised it immediately. Unfortunately not because it had a ring but because it has some netting around its neck. I saw it a few times last year around October and November but had not seen it since and was beginning to wonder.

If you compare the photos with last year's you can see the netting is pretty much unchanged, that's sturdy stuff :(

Doesn't look too comfortable swallowing...

More photos of the gulls, as well as 2 oldish Tufted Ducklings, the first I have seen on the river, in my gallery.

How amazing is that?

2010-07-26T13:45:00.000+01:00

The Black-headed have been back for a little while now, their numbers on the foreshore between Crabtree Wharf and Hammersmith Bridge are almost at winter level already. And there are a lot more juveniles this year than last. But what I'd really like is a Med(iterranean) Gull, so I keep on scanning. I mentioned it to Louis in Chiswick yesterday and he texted me that he had just seen one by the Eyot. By then, it was a bit too late for me to go and check, but, early this morning, instead of going to the allotment I went to search for a Med Gull. No such luck. But, as I was scanning the gulls I noticed that one had a colour ring, so I grabbed my camera and tried a few shots. At last, it got closer and presented the right profile: white UYC on right leg.

At home, I checked my records and realised I had seen this bird before, as I was off-patch, in Ladbroke Grove, last February. There is a bridge over the canal, with a Sainsbury's on one side, it was on a building on the other side:

I did at the time report my sighting via the BTO website after I had no reply contacting the marker directly (as recommended). From what I gather, this bird has probably been rung in Denmark, but it's been almost 6 months now and I have not had any reply. I shall try again with this second sighting, and we'll see how that goes...

Mystery Duck

2010-07-10T20:08:00.001+01:00

I know it's been a long time since my last post, I pretty much haven't had the time, and once you've let it go, it can be hard to get back. One of the things that has kept me busy is my allotment, and it's coming back from there this morning via the Thames Patch that I spotted this duck among the Mallards by Crabtree Wharf. My first impression was "Oh, one of those weird mallards..." but after closer inspection I am not convinced. For a start, it's smaller, about 3/4 size of a Mallard as seen on the last photo when it decided to have a go at one. Then its eyes are red, more like a Pochard than a Mallard. But it has the shimmering green of a Mallard on its neck. A hybrid of some kind? I let you judge for yourself, and if you have any idea, feel free to comment :)

Update 12 July: This is a Chestnut Teal. Another escapee. Thank you 'Anonymous'!

Quite cute, whatever it is, I think.

A6LK still there and a pigeon

2010-05-26T20:55:00.001+01:00

This week, the Herring Gull with ring A6LK was at the supermarket again. Here it is with a friend.

I am still learning about gulls, but, somehow, it looks like a female to me, some je-ne-sais-quoi... One thing for sure, next to the other one, some of its feathers are well worn out, but it appears moulting may have started as some others appear brand new.

There was another ringed bird on the wharf today. I don't know if it was lost and was just resting, it stuck like a sore thumb among the feral pigeons and was not really interacting with them. There is a white pigeon in that flock but, even at a distance, I could tell it was different. Closer, I could see it has a green ring on one of its legs, but I couldn't read it.

I have tried to find out what breed it is, without success, but I have to say this is a pretty little thing compared to a lot of those fancy pigeons I have just had to look at during my search...

Very low tide

2010-05-25T20:15:00.003+01:00

Yesterday early morning, I stopped by the Thames at Crabtree Wharf on my way to the allotment and noticed that the tide was extremely, so the plan was to come back this morning, hoping for interesting birds attracted by the extra mud uncovered.

Well, the tide was definitely very low, and still going down. In fact it was even lower than when Thames21 organised the Low Tide Events earlier this year. But the birds were not really there.

Apart from a group of 10 Mute Swans (and there were a further 3 towards Hammersmith Bridge), All 'wading' birds turned into pigeons or starlings

It exposed some structures I don't recall seeing before.

The best was when I got to the Riverside Studios: House Sparrow chicks!

They use the bushes/trees that grow on the wall lining the Thames.

House Sparrow doing cute

A6LK

2010-05-23T20:25:00.004+01:00

About 10 days ago, scanning the gulls for rings before doing the supermarket run, I spotted this young Herring Gull sporting a fairly mud-caked white ring. After much effort and the bird turning round to offer less better views of the ring, I finally managed to read it as A8LK.
I reported it almost as soon as I came home and had a lovely reply a few days later. This bird had been rescued as an orphan from Worthing and released early August last year from East Sussex. It has been seen along the Thames in London at various times during the winter. I didn't see it this week, maybe it has moved along or I'll see it again next week, we'll see...

A short ad break

2010-05-21T19:58:00.002+01:00

I have been asked by Frédéric Malher, the main author, to let you know of the release on 15th April of "Oiseaux nicheurs de Paris : Un atlas urbain" (Paris nesting birds: an urban atlas). I know it's been over a month but I waited until it was available at amazon.co.uk (you can also get it slightly cheaper at amazon.fr). It is now also available at NHBS.

The main part is made up of articles about the 60 bird species nesting in "Paris intra-muros" (inside the Périphérique, 18km East-West, 9.5 North-South), with map, history, comparison with other cities and a summary in English.
But there are also overview chapters about the history and the various environments, more or less natural, of Paris, a list of all species observed since 1950 as well as a summary of the status of 100 species observed in Paris since 2000.
(Adapted from his announcement on his blog where you can also see photos of 2 pages).
Like many people, I didn't think Paris had much more to offer than pigeons and sparrows until a while back the Urban Birder mentioned on his blog going to Paris, asking for pointers. This piqued my curiosity and this is when I discovered Frédéric's blog and the mailing list he had started, ornitho_urbaine. Even though the mailing list is about urban birding anywhere, it is mostly about Paris and I have discovered a richness I never imagined. It almost makes me want to go there, and I don't particularly like Paris...

Kestrel among the tombstones

2010-04-16T19:58:00.004+01:00

On my way to the shops via Margravine Cemetery 2 afternoons ago, I was walking via the grass as mostly usual when I noticed at the edge of, but slightly out, a big group of pigeons another bird which I took initially for one of those weird colour pigeons. We don't have many in the cemetery, most are fairly classic, but we still have a few like this one:

But something did not feel quite right so I put my bins onto it: a Kestrel! on the ground in the cemetery! never happened to me before... I do see them from time to time hover around or passing by, but this, never.

It initially flew to the cut down tree of paradise but didn't stay there long as it was chased away by one of the Jays. I had actually wondered about the Jays earlier that day thinking that I had not seen them for a while, so now I have a hint as to where they may be nesting. It then went on to sit on a tombstone.

then another:

where it proceeded to scratch an itch:

It then flew back on various trees above the pigeon flock. A few times it flew into the pigeon flock who took barely any notice of it. Following some suggestion of weird matings on the Londonbirders mailing list my mind wondered for a nanosecond whether it was after that afore featured pigeon which was in the middle of it...

It then flew from tree to tree, panicking some small birds on the way, but, unfortunately, I had to leave and leave it to it. I'll never know but the next day I found a dead young black bird missing its head...

For more photos, go to my album or click on any of the photos.

The geese are at it again...

2010-04-08T18:25:00.000+01:00

At about the same time last year a pair of Canada Geese started nesting on the Wharf by the supermarket in Sands End (not far from Wandsworth Bridge). They had failed in the same spot the previous year, they failed last year. What will happen this year? We'll see...

The goose was helpfully off the eggs for me to take a photo, it was back on them soon after :)

Lonsdale Reservoir last Sunday

2010-03-28T17:30:00.000+01:00

I have been so busy and/or tired this week that I am only just managing to get this out now. I went to Lonsdale Reservoir last Sunday and, at last, mission Little Grebe was successful with a pair by the reed bed at one end of the reservoir :) #39 for the year.

I had barely started going round that a jogger asked me if I'd seen the owl, then by the tree I met some people who'd come specially to see it, so it's become a local celebrity it seems :)

Nearby I heard a Chiffchaff, then another on the other side which I spotted briefly. #40. The male Kestrel was sitting in a tree, I didn't spot its mate. Jackdaws, Stock Doves, but no Egyptian Geese.
A crow was picking up nesting material on the path, and another one was making a strange noise I don't recall hearing before:

Crow

On the water, there were still a few Common and Black-headed Gulls, but not that many. I couldn't see any Shovelers, but there were still some Tufted Ducks, Teals and Pochards. There had been mention on the Londonbirders wiki of likely unclipped Mandarins so I has a good look for them. Finally found them, and they gave me the run-around initially, moving from one side to the other, hiding behind the vegetation, but I think I finally got photos showing full winged birds. #41

Last visit I had done, over a month ago, a pair of Grey Herons had started building a nest on one of the rafts. They were still there:

This time, from the other side, I noticed that there was a second one, much lower one, on another raft:

Back closer to the nest, I was busy photographing the Mandarins when I heard noise from the herons' nest: the other had arrived for an exchange, the end of which I managed to video:

Nesting Grey Herons

Now that I have a bike, it will hopefully be less than a month before my next visit, with not having to spend 1hr30 just to get there and back anymore...

a slice of mandarin

2010-03-16T20:30:00.003Z

Last Saturday, on my way to watch a friend race on the river, I spotted this female Mandarin among the barges at Furnival Gardens. I don't know if it is the same one I saw in February, and mentioned in this post, but, if not, it's her body double. I took photos on my way back home, on my way there the branch she's perched on was at water level.

I had previously seen her (difficult to imagine that there are that many of them lurking about around Fulham) in February, preening on the foreshore.

I like how the water appears to be boiling around her, but also how clear it was.

The difference between her two wings is fairly obvious this way.

For bigger versions and more photos click on the photos above or go to my gallery.

between you and me and a packet of crisps

2010-03-12T19:55:00.003Z

I went by the Thames yesterday afternoon, more to stretch my legs than anything, but, you never know, my luck of the previous day could have continued. No such luck, and unlikely as the Thames was chock-a-block with rowing boats, I assume it was the Junior Head of the River or something.
Unsurprisingly, there wasn't much out there, though a good quantity of Black-headed Gulls were congregating by Hammersmith Bridge. A pair of Gadwalls were a surprise, I barely saw any all winter, and, now, barely any other duck, and there they were!
Then this pair of geese arrived. I'd seen them before, pretty sure, as I was cleaning up the foreshore slightly further south last week. One, I assume the female, a classic Canada Goose, the other one of those Canada x Greylag hybrids which pop up from time to time. I tried to ignore them, but they kept on passing by, and then the hybrid one started honking. I couldn't resist any longer and got my camera out.

"Hey you! Stop taking photos!"

"And a packet of crisps swims by..."

"What sweet music we make"

"Bye!"

of boats, ducks and gulls

2010-03-10T21:00:00.003Z

It was a bit strange by the Thames when I did the weekly shopping trip today. First, it was freezing cold but for a few seconds it felt like I was by the Mississippi when this boat sailed by:

It is called The Elizabethan, and is apparently a perfect replica of an 1890s Mississippi Stern-wheeled Paddle Steamer. "The Elizabethan is one of the largest vessels on the Thames for private charter, with an enviable reputation for excellent cuisine and service."

Second, there seemed to be more big gulls than in recent times, mostly Herring Gulls, but also 3 Great Black-backed Gulls. Considering I've hardly ever seen one there, seeing 3 at once was quite something, especially as 2 of them were engaged in loud courtship behaviour.

Lastly, there was a duck I wouldn't mind for my patch, a Pintail. Minding its own business on its lonesome.

For bigger versions, and more photos, click on one of the photos above or go here.

To finish, some gulls, just because. This pair was involved in a lot of courtship while I was there. I assume it's the male at the back and the female at the front, she somehow has a bit more of a feminine look to her. I quite like the composition of this photo but it doesn't show how hard they had to work to stay put against the wind.

A younger one on one of the numerous bicycles to be found on the foreshore unfortunately.

I quite like juvenile and 1st winter plumages, the only reason why I'm adding this one.

of birds and bees

2010-03-05T20:20:00.002Z

I have finally processed some of the photos of Redwings in Margravine Cemetery I took on a sunny 17th January.

After 2 months 1/2, nearly 3 now, of their presence, I shall miss the little fellows when they leave. It's been difficult to find them the past 2 days. I would initially find a few up in a tree, sometime singing, then a few more, and then they would finally end up on the ground looking for worms. That part they prefer, between Barons Court and Queens Club, will seem empty.

I felt very much under the weather today, but it looked so nice that I went and spent an hour in Margravine Cemetery. Primarily to check on the Redwings, then on the Great Spotted Woodpeckers. I haven't found yet if and where they've decided to nest this year, but they gave me fantastic views today. I even had them both in the same tree for a few minutes. First the male:

Then the female. First in a fairly classic pose:

Then a more unusual angle:

Then, I think I have been spotted:

That didn't distract her from finding food:

Even trying her best Blue Tit impression:

Lastly, the sunshine on the crocuses, now in full bloom:

And on one of those crocuses, a bumblebee, covered in pollen! I actually saw 2 today.

bits and pieces

2010-02-17T17:33:00.003Z

Wednesday means it's supermarket day, and means checking on the House Sparrows out there. I was getting increasingly worried as I couldn't see/hear the nice little flock that was in the bushes by the car park. I couldn't either find them by their nesting site, yet the catkins they loved last year are almost ready. Today, I finally saw a male peer through those bushes and call. It then flew off and initially looked like it was flying to the houses on the other side of the roundabout when he suddenly made a sharp angle and descended in the 'wasteland' that's between the car park and the derelict warehouses. When I got closer I could indeed hear sparrows in there, but the vegetation was just too dense. However, looking for them, I found a pair of Foxes having a nap in the sunshine.

Its left eye appears to be crying, but it looked otherwise in good health. I miss the time when we used to see them in the back gardens (2004 & 2005 (when we had a litter of 4 cubs)).

The past few weeks, I have noted aMoorhen which must have been from a very late brood last year as the red mask is barely developed, though I admit it's not that obvious on the photos at this size. I would have thought that last year's birds would have fully developed to adulthood by now.

Lastly, I have plugged them before, but it is now even more important than before: if during the months of February to July you see Peregrine activity around tall buildings in your area, please contact the London Peregrine Partnership.

Sometimes...

2010-02-14T19:48:00.004Z

..you find what you have been looking for, albeit not where you are looking for it, and/or when you are looking for it...
It can be difficult to say why one likes some birds more than others sometimes, but little grebes are amongst those for me. It's not a bird I see often on my patch, as a matter of fact I was quite surprised when I saw one a few times last year. I went to the Wetland Centre about 10 days ago and among others I was really hoping to see one, almost failed but was thrilled to find one towards the end of my visit.
When I discovered the Lonsdale Reservoir, one of the things that attracted me in coming back was the fact that I saw 3 of them there on my first visit. I have been 3 times this year and have yet to see one. I was really hoping yesterday since one had been reported during the week, but to no avail. And if was even more frustrating that someone else reported one later in the day...
This morning, I was doing a Thames21 cleanup at Kew Bridge. When I arrived the first thing I noticed, actually no, the second thing, as the first one was a grey heron by one of the yellow cages, were 2 smallish birds under the bridge. "no, can't be!", check with my bins, and "yes, it is!" Big grin :)

Earlier, on my way to the tube via Margravine Cemetery, as I was getting closer, once again, there was no missing the Redwings as they were chattering at the top of various trees. I didn't have time to stop and count them but, on my way back a few hours later, they were busy feeding on the ground and I counted 54 of them. They have now been around for over 2 months ;)

first signs of spring for 2010

2010-02-08T20:48:00.002Z

The almost obligatory snowdrop photos... I went into Margravine Cemetery yesterday afternoon to photograph flowers. After all, I started this blog 3 years ago initially to record the passing of seasons. I noticed the first snowdrops about to flower on 25th January, which is 12 days later than last year.

Somehow the carpet doesn't seem as thick as in years past.

A few crocuses have also started flowering, and I managed to find some that were not damaged by the squirrels, who seem to be very fond of them. Unfortunately, I didn't note when I started seeing them appear last year, but I have an entry for 19th January 2008 reading " I also noticed that more crocus flowers had opened" which means that they are also slightly late.

We'll see if I get violets (one of my favourite flowers) on my birthday this year. I could just about guess buds on the ones most likely to flower first.

I had not gone into the cemetery to see the Redwings but I just couldn't miss them. For the second day running, they were at top of trees and very vocal. I managed to count 59 then. Then, on my way out I noticed that most had flown to the ground to feed. They were everywhere! I then managed to count 63, but I probably missed a few hidden behind gravestones and trees or still in trees, so I'd estimate them to be around 80.

They've been around since 12 December, only a few days and it'll be 2 months, numbers fluctuating but with a minimum of 20 every time I checked up on them. They're still as skittish as when they first arrived, but hiding behind a grave stone I managed to take some closer photos of this one by the old chapel of rest.

They've been a welcome addition to the cemetery this winter, especially as I never managed to find any goldcrests which is a shame after the 3 we had last winter.

contrasts

2010-02-07T18:22:00.003Z

I spotted another one of these by Wandsworth Bridge about 10 days ago. I don't know how long it's been there, as I do scan those buildings from time to time but had not noticed it previously. That makes it my fourth for London. I wonder how effective they are, but, more importantly, how effective they are at keeping real flesh and blood peregrines away. If so, it could explain the lack of sightings in that area, especially as it is certainly not lacking in pigeons...

In contrast, this photo taken a few days later of a proper killing machine. I wouldn't want to be a pigeon under that gaze...

Has anyone lost a Mandarin?

2010-02-03T17:20:00.003Z

When I went to the supermarket earlier today, I had the surprise to find on the foreshore this duck. A pretty little thing really, a female Wood Duck I am pretty sure. EDIT: it's a Mandarin... Not a bird I encounter every day on the Thames...

It was associating with the few Mallards around, but seemed rather lost. I heard her calling at one point.

She was also very skittish, always swimming away when she could see me above the parapet It stood at some point on the leaf litter and I couldn't see any ring, but I didn't have much time for it as she quickly ran away back to the water.
Looking at some of the photos, could her right wing be clipped?

Lonsdale Reservoir, 31 January

2010-02-01T19:15:00.000Z

I left home early this morning to visit the Lonsdale Reservoir again. Glorious clear blue sky, and it was pretty chilly, but I wasn't quite expecting the reservoir to be partially covered in ice.

First of all, the owl was in the same place and easily visible even from the Thames Path. From there, I managed to find an angle to view that hole I mentioned in my previous post, and, unfortunately, it had been wishful thinking on my part. Nevermind...

Gratuitous shot of a sleepy owl

In the next tree, a pair of Egyptian Geese was very noisy. I noticed one of them had a metal ring on its right leg, so I tried to photograph it and got a much better result than I had thought initially. A quick search told me that I am probably missing 2 digits, so I'll have to try and get the rest of it at another visit.

Almost as soon as I came off the Thames Path and entered the wooded area, after 2 wrens had crossed the path in front of me, my attention was caught by another bird arriving very fast through the trees. It landed in one of the trees bordering the path and was immediately mobbed by a few crows and flew back in the direction of the reservoir: a Sparrowhawk! Brilliant! Year tick #36.
Further on, a pair of Jackdaws were having a go at a Kestrel, just like my previous visit, but, unlike then, it was a female.
Few birds were on the reservoir, but up to about 10 Coots, a pair of Mute Swans (year tick #37), 7 Shovelers and 2 Tufted Ducks were sharing the small portion of open water. Up to around 110 Black-headed Gulls congregated on the ice in a fairly tight area, a lot of them preening. There were 5 Common Gulls among them, and just as I was leaving I noticed a Herring Gull ( year tick #38).

Only 3 additions to the year list, but a very enjoyable walk. And I managed to avoid the mad robin again, which is no bad thing...

A few more photos in my Lonsdale Reservoir album.

Lonsdale Reservoir - first visits

2010-01-30T19:00:00.000Z

I discovered this reservoir in Barnes by accident last year on my way to a Thames21 cleanup by Barnes Bridge. I visited it twice last year, loved it and decided to add it as a second patch. Last Sunday was my fourth visit, my third had been on previous weekend when the reservoir was actually still frozen and the few birds on there were just a few gulls. It also started raining buckets just as I entered the area making scanning the trees rather difficult. Still, I had managed 23 species, but I failed to find the pair of Jackdaws I had since on previous visits, or heard during the cleanups on the foreshore. No such problem this time, I found them almost immediately, very busy mobbing a male Kestrel. It was probably the one I had photographed back in November as it was sitting in a tree above the path.

Kestrel looking straight at the camera
For a bigger version and 2 more photos, click on photo.

On the same tree were a few Stock Doves, another bird I don't get to see on my Fulham patch. It's the same thing for Collared Doves which I saw in my previous visits last year, but I couldn't find any this time.

The reservoir itself had a lot more birds than on my 1st visit (not difficult): a few Shovelers, Tufted Ducks, Mallards and 1 Pochard, Coots & Moorhens, Gulls of the Common & Black-headed variety and 1 Lesser Black-Backed, 2 Grey Herons. But, as hard as I tried, I couldn't find any Little Grebe (apparently they haven't come back since the big freeze).

I am used to seeing Egyptian Geese on the foreshore, so it threw me up slightly when on my first visit I saw 2 up in a tree. They were surrounded by Ring-Necked Parakeets making quite a racket as per usual.

Makes you wonder if this photo was really taken in the UK...

If I had paid more attention to reports of Egyptian Geese I probably would have noticed a few of those were of birds in trees and I wouldn't have been quite so surprised... This photo was taken back in November but I saw a pair in the same tree at my first visit this year. The second visit, it was another tree, but was it the same pair?

When I got about 2/3 round, I met with another birder coming in the other direction. He asked me "Have you seen the owl?" "No, where?" He tells me where, it was around the area when I'd seen the Jackdaws and Kestrel shenanigans, which had obviously distracted me. I wasn't surprised, it had looked good to me and I had checked some of the holes, but obviously not enough of them. I walked a bit further and from the other side saw what could be an owl in that tree & took a photo. When I got to the tree in question I tried to find the hole but just couldn't get an angle on it. I went round the tree and found this one, asleep:

I think no more of the other one until I get home and look at the photo on the computer. Is it just me, or can you see 2 eyes and a beak?

Furthermore, I chatted later that day with someone who'd been to the reservoir and had seen 2 of them earlier in the week. My plan is to go there again early tomorrow morning and have another good look for them. As well as for the grebes.

Total for this year is #35 so far.

Snow on the foreshore

2010-01-16T22:15:00.001Z

I made a quick visit to the Thames on Sunday (10th) and ended up in the same quandary as with the Lapwings, with Shovelers. At Crabtree Wharf I could see at least 3 in the 'pools' south of my patch. I waited a while but none came closer, once again I decided to mull it over.
I had no intention to go to the river again on Monday but, after running some errands, decided to make a detour. I was by the 'wasteland' observing a Lapwing on the shore by Hammersmith Bridge when I heard 'tweep tweep'. I didn't take me long to locate a Chiffchaff in one of these bushes that grows on the wall of the Thames. Kerching, #47. With Goldcrest and Blackcap this winter, these bushes and small trees along the path are proving to be a semi goldmine. It didn't last long, people walked by and it left. I went back towards Crabtree Wharf, it felt relatively mild that afternoon, but you never know. Once again, there were Shovelers just outside my patch, but getting closer. I would still check by the Wharf, and who just landed in the water? a pair of Shovelers! re-kerching, #48 and a patch tick. They were gone before I had finished noting it down, it was a case of "blink and you'll miss it!".

Having checked tide times this time, I had decided to go by the Thames early on Wednesday (13th). When I got up and saw the blanket of snow, I almost didn't go out, but I love snow, I love the cold and so I decided to brave it. It was still snowing by the time I got to Crabtree Wharf, and the tide having been down for a while, even the foreshore had a blanket of snow.
View to the South:

View to the North (you can just about make out Hammersmith Bridge in the distance):

As I mentioned previously, part of the Thames Path is closed:

Very few birds around, sunrise had only just been, but some were starting to arrive, like this Grey Heron.

or this Gadwall, who didn't seem too bothered by the snow on its back:

or these Egyptian Geese (4 in total), a somewhat incongruous sight in the snow, but it didn't seem to bother them really:

or this Fieldfare, briefly on the foreshore:

By Hammersmith Bridge, more snow on the foreshore, and some Teals and Mallards, feeding as they usually do at the edge of the water:

and a Shoveler! There were 3 of them, this male and a pair closer to the bridge.

For a moment, it followed the Teals, but then broke off and continued on its way.

I went home.

Interlude

2010-01-13T20:35:00.000Z

Exotic bird in exotic tree...

I have been meaning to take one such photo for a long time, but whenever I see one in this tree I don't have my camera with me. I have never seen any other bird eating those seed pods from the Indian Bean Tree in Margravine Cemetery, but the Parakeets appear to really like them. I love watching them grabbing then opening the pods, then systematically extracting the seeds.
The photo is unfortunately a bit washed out as I was still fine tuning the settings when it got spooked by a passing pigeon...

But I was so happy I'd finally got a photo, I thought I'd share it anyway, as an interlude from all these snow pictures. But don't worry, more of these to come at some point later (hopefully).

Has anyone else seen any other bird eating these? If not, at least it's one food source they're not in competition with our native birds.

They're coming thick and fast!

2010-01-12T18:47:00.005Z

Everything is relative obviously, my patch is never going to set world records, but it's been a nice few days... I was on 43 at the time of my last post, I am now on 48, including 2 patch ticks!
As planned, I went to the Thames early on Friday, to discover that it was high tide (my fault, I should have checked) and that part of the path has been closed off while the Environment Agency does some remedial work apparently. I can still see the whole foreshore but it forces me to go via the back street and walk by the ginkgo trees, 2 of which are female and had tons of fruit this year. One advantage at least of the cold is that the smell is reduced... Whatever you do never stand downwind of a fruiting gingko (unless you have no sense of smell)!
I could hear the House Sparrows from way back, always a reassuring sound. I think they may be roosting in the ivy growing on the wall of Rainville Court, or it's a staging post, but, in any case, I saw 4 of them go from one to the other as I was approaching.
Few birds around on the river, a Shelduck a few Gadwalls, Teals and Tufted Ducks, 2 Pied & 1 Grey Wagtails milling around on or near Crabtree beach. For an exotic touch, 4 Egyptian Geese turned up, 1 of the pale head variety. Different year, different times... Last year it took forever before I saw one of those of the river, this year I see them pretty much every time. Same thing with Kestrels. Funny. Actually, I could see a Kestrel perched in a tree on the other side of the river.
A Great Crested Grebe turned up, making it #44 for the year.
I was thinking it was time to go, nothing else was really going to turn up, when I saw lots of birds lift up by the Wetland Centre. Initially thought it was the crows but as soon as I had them in my bins it was obvious it was Lapwings! Possibly about 50 of them. I'd been waiting for something like this forever... Some people go on about flocks of Starlings, Knots, Geese, you name it, for me lapwings do it. I don't know if it's because it was a common sight where I grew up (Normandy countryside) but that's how it is. They followed the river south until slightly before the bend where they flew back inland & I lost them behind the trees. At no point were they on my patch. There has been a fair amount of discussion this month on the londonbirders mailing list regarding which birds to count or not. The rule chosen in the end was "either you or the bird has to be on the patch" but I am in favour of "the bird has to be on or over the patch', which is what how I have counted birds sofar, and had decided to stick to my rule. So I was in a bit of a quandary: "do I count them or not?" Plus it would be a patch tick, but a patch tick not on patch proper somehow didn't sound right. I decided to mull it over and decide later.
I made a quick visit in the afternoon at low tide, as I'd forgotten my rule of not going by the river on sunny winter days, all I get is a headache. I did indeed get one of those, got totally blinded by the sun reflecting on the water, but I also got #45 in the shape of 4 Coots. Coots are actually less common on this stretch of the river than Moorhens, so it was nice and provided some light relief.

I decided to give the Thames a miss on Saturday morning, in part as I needed to help TOH, but I did a quick visit mid-afternoon. I had just arrived and was doing a first scan of the foreshore, when I heard a tweet. Lifted my bins. YES! There on the foreshore, on patch, proper!

A Lapwing doing patch proper (Counting Coots ™)
(I was probably just as excited as he was a few days beforehand)

Quandary over for now. #46.
It flew off, but then it, or another one, landed on the mud even closer, giving me a chance for more photos, and then it flew off (again).

To be continued...

Patch tick!

2010-01-07T18:34:00.000Z

Sorry I have neglected this blog once again, but it's been a tad mad around here. I also, foolishly, decided to have a 'net detox over Christmas, which meant it took me ages to catch up afterwards. I have been out lots however, in part to just escape it all, and from 1st January to kick start my patch list. I started with a 2 hour walk in Margravine Cemetery where I managed to find all residents apart from Wren and Greenfinch. I did see a Greenfinch later that day but it took a few more days before I managed to find a Wren. I also managed to find the Coal Tit which was nice as I had not seen it for a while, and I found it in the exact conifer I'd been hoping to find it. And the Redwings were still there, or at least some were, as on New Year's Eve I saw at least 80 of them advancing on the grass like an army, which was quite impressive as the cemetery is not that big!
An unexpected tick by the cemetery that day was a Common Gull, standing on the Woodpecker's aerial on the estate, i.e. the one the Great Spotted Woodpecker drums on in the Spring becoming the talk of the neighbourhood.
The female Peregrine made an appearance around lunchtime, sunning herself, making it 21 for that day. Until the Greenfinch which made it 22 for the first day, on a par with last year albeit with a few different birds.

The next day, being a Saturday morning, I did my usual Thames Path walk and added a few more birds to make it 35 with most of the usual suspects. The most notable thing was that I saw a third adult Great Black-Backed Gull as well as the usual pair, which are currently very busy courting, or at least I assume that's what all this 'barking' is about. A few days previously I could hear them, but just couldn't locate them, until I looked on top of Harrods Depository: they were on top of the flagpoles!

On Sunday 3rd, I was checking if Redwings were still around in the cemetery, and they were making it the start of their 4th week, when 2 Egyptian Geese flew over, a first for me in Margravine, & making it #36.

An early morning visit to the Thames on Tuesday morning allowed me to add Shelduck with one feeding by Crabtree Wharf, not unusual at this time of year, but not that frequent either. Nothing else out of the ordinary, except maybe a few more Gadwalls than previously this winter. I have unfortunately not been able to go and check again since then, but I'm hoping to early tomorrow. We'll see. I finally added Wren for this year as I was almost home, making it #41.

Then yesterday, we were promised some more snow, so I thought I'd go and get some milk before then, and check Margravine Cemetery at the same time. Got to Barons Court having found a few Redwings. I was trying to check them from a distance so as not to disturb them, I shouldn't have bothered, dog walkers do it anyway. The corner shop didn't have any milk so I backtracked and crossed the cemetery again to go to Fulham Palace Road. As I was about half way through, I heard an unusual sound high above in a tree: a Fieldfare! At long last! A patch tick! Grabbed my camera, tried some record shots, but conditions were appalling, and it was just starting to snow quite heavily. Thankfully, it flew over to another tree closer to me, where I managed some slightly better shots.

I also decided to take a record-video. Pretty crappy quality and I wouldn't have bothered putting it up if it wasn't for the goldfinch behind:

Fieldfare & goldfinch in the snow from Nathalie Mahieu on Vimeo.

I have seen them do it between themselves too, is it threat or courtship? But, in this case, it made me think of these passers by in the background who make faces at the camera when someone is interviewed or talking in the foreground. Might be just me, but I find it funny...

That was #42, and #43 came today in the shape of a Kestrel hovering over the hospital.
A pity the Skylark I saw on the foreshore by the supermarket this afternoon wasn't on my patch, but it was nice nevertheless...

Season's Greetings!

2009-12-22T17:48:00.001Z

I'm off to France tomorrow, leaving the house in the cat's capable paws, and wish you all a very nice Christmas!

Nathalie

(This little chap posed for me last year in Margravine Cemetery in mid-afternoon winter sunshine, a magical moment)

It's happened again!

2009-12-20T16:20:00.002Z

2 mornings in a row I was by the Thames early morning to see if the cold weather snap had brought up anything interesting, and to put it bluntly it had been pretty boring. Yesterday there was even a total lack of big gulls, apart from Great Black Backed. Not even the regular Lesser Black-Backed.
This morning I didn't go because I was due at 11 by Barnes Bridge for another Thames 21 cleanup. Guess what? 2 Red-breasted Mergansers were reported on the river this morning, seen from the Wetland Centre. Just like the day they reported the Egret, can't remember where I was that day but it wasn't around. One day...

Still, when I came back from Barnes Bridge, I had a very quick look in Margravine Cemetery, and spotted the Redwings again, about 35 of them. Most (at least 23) were going through the leaf litter, as thankfully the staff haven't taken all those away, but some were also eating berries on the shrubs. And as a bonus I had a Mistle Thrush, pretty much in the exact same spot as Monday morning :)

Redwings again

2009-12-19T18:50:00.002Z

8 days on and the redwings are still in Margravine Cemetery. I estimated at least 25 of them yesterday afternoon, but I had a definite 19 on the ground in my bins at one point. And having watched them fly around the cemetery for a few days, I am now pretty convinced that I had caught a glimpse of some of them on the Saturday on my way to the shops before they'd disappear behind buildings.
A combination of the fact that there are not quite as many berries at the top now, them maybe getting a little bit more used to passers by, some sunshine, and I finally managed some much nicer photos of 1 of them:

For more photos of this bird, click on the photo above, or here.

I have also tried to take photos of them amongst the graves, as I try with any bird in the cemetery as much as possible, as this makes it more location-specific. Unfortunately, more often than not, this is all I get, if I get anything:

I did manage however to get a few with graves in the background.

Redwing trying to blend in by doing a robin impersonation...

To finish, one of our near-obese squirrels, but even with their extra fat they appear to be feeling the cold too, I spotted one taking bark off branches to add to its nest:

Redwings!

2009-12-16T21:30:00.001Z

It may not be that big a deal elsewhere, but I've seen Redwings in Margravine Cemetery for 4 days now. Considering I'd never seen more than 1 individual at a time before, and that I'd never found them again the next day, it is a big deal to me.
I was busy on Sunday with cooking and baking and didn't intend to go out check the birds. But I needed more baking supplies and a quick trip to Chiswick had to be done. On my way to the tube, I thought I'd check the shrubs I'd been keeping an eye on the past few weeks as it was totally covered with berries. So far all I'd seen there were woodpigeons, blackbirds and chaffinches but this time there were this shapes in the foliage at the top, too big for chaffinch, too small for blackbird, so I got my small bins out: redwings, 2, maybe 3 of them! And they were still there when I came back an hour or so later, but by then the light was pretty bad and the cemetery was going to close.
So, bright and early on Monday morning, I was out in the cemetery. It wasn't too bright yet, hence the photos below are not the best quality, especially as they're flighty little buggers and I couldn't get too close. I initially spotted 1 or 2 on the shrub and then turned left: there were at least a dozen on the ground by the memorial wall!

Yum, juicy earthworm! If there is one thing Margravine Cemetery is rich of, it is earthworms, which is probably why there are always lots of blackbirds around, but also why there is a lot of this pretty much every where:

I wish the redwings were a bit less shy, more like this individual, which, even though it wouldn't let me get too close, at least it is in the middle outer reaches, which give much nicer photos

than this, high up in the canopy against a white sky...

But beggars can't be choosers I guess...
On Tuesday, I didn't have much time, but managed to spot 7 of them around the shrub. Today, however, I took a bit more time at the beginning of the afternoon, in the 'snowstorm'. No sooner had I spotted a few on the ground that they took off, leaf-blowing was starting and the guy was getting close. I followed them from tree to tree and counted up to 19 in 1 and 2 in another at one end of the cemetery. Got my camera out of my bag, but by the time I had it out, a small tractor was entering the cemetery and they took flight, back to where we came. So I followed, spotting 22 Goldfinch in a birch (I think) on the way. Relocated a few in the shrub, but then the leaf-blower arrived under there and they took off again... This time, I went back home.

The Love Birds

2009-11-30T19:20:00.000Z

It is not often that I get to take photos of the Peregrines at that angle, but with this morning's strong North Easterlies they had elected to perch on the South facing face. I had actually been rather surprised to see the female plucking a prey around 8 this morning as I don't often get to see them in these conditions, but pleasantly so. After a while, the male also came to eat and then joined her on the next perch.

I took this photo on my way to the shop as they were gazing at each other, the male on the left, the female on the right. He then did a bit of preening. I find it amazing how far back he sits and how much of a finely tuned equilibrium exercise it looks like.

And to finish, a fine example of what I call her double-D breast, makes me think of a Victorian matron, especially with that peregrine haughty air ;)

Breakfast was good!

Cormorant update

2009-11-17T18:09:00.002Z

Yesterday, I spotted the cormorant entangled in netting for the first time since my post about it on 18 October. I was starting to wonder if something had happened to it, but it appeared in excellent shape, preening at Crabtree Wharf.

Charlie, part 2

2009-11-17T17:35:00.001Z

The following photos I took on Sunday morning show better what I mean about her colouring.
All neat and majestic, before she started preening:

and after, getting all fluffed up:

I just love these headless shots, but, also, look at those claws...

For more photos, click on any of the above photos (which will also give you a slightly bigger version) or here to go my photo album.

Watching her yesterday, I was thinking that honey would be a good way to describe her chest and throat colouring. Maybe because I had just used honey for cooking, who knows...

Note also, how she sits sort of sideways on her perch, the male prefers to sit right back with its back to the wall. Talking of the male, I haven't yet figured out a name for him. I call him Mr Charlie or Charlie's mate, but he surely deserves a name of his own (I know my other half has taken my surname, but that is not for everybody). I have been thinking lately of William or Morris because of the local William Morris connection, but it somehow doesn't fit. If you have any suggestion, please feel free...

Finally, while I am here talking about peregrines, let me plug the London Peregrine Partnership' website. Their objective is to ensure the protection and breeding success of Peregrine Falcons nesting within the London area. Well worth a visit if you want to learn more about peregrines.

Charlie

2009-11-14T17:40:00.000Z

With the gale force winds and torrential rain predicted for this morning, I wasn't actually really expecting to see the peregrines on the hospital this morning. But at 8:30 there they were. I knew that someone who moved a few months ago to the area was very keen to see them, but so far it had been like a curse: if they were around, he wasn't... Finally though there were chances he'd be around this morning so I texted him and we arranged to meet in the cemetery. As I was getting there the male flew off... Then, as I was waiting, the female had a stretch, had a poo, and I thought the curse would still be as this is often the precursor to her leaving, but she repositioned herself, did some preening, and was still there when he arrived. Just as I was taking this photo:

She's gorgeous, isn't she?...

The curse had been lifted :) We had wonderful views of her perched, then she left for about 10 minutes and we had good views of her flying. The cherry on the cake: just as we were leaving, I turned round one last time and the male had just arrived.

Charlie is the name I have given her, it's a lot shorter in every day life to say than the peregrine on the hospital. Why Charlie? Well, at first I wasn't entirely sure she was a female, though that was my first impression, so I needed a name that could be used for both sexes. Then I tried to find a name that reflected the building she was on, Charing Cross Hospital, and based her name on the first 4 letters. As it happens, I am not the only one, if I remember correctly the rescued injured youngster from Derby was named Cathy after Cathedral this summer. As it also happens, Charlie appears to be a popular name for peregrines, I know of another 2, a male in France and a female in Worcester. Lastly, another reason why I like that name is Charlie Brown, since she was a youngster at the time and looked very brown, and still does in a way. Brown is not quite the right word anymore, but someone described her as tawny last week which I find very fitting. It is not that obvious on the photo but her chest is very rosy whereas the male's is almost pure white. This makes them easy to identify at a distance.

Gulls shenanigans and variations

2009-11-12T17:25:00.001Z

About 2 weeks ago (it was 10 days when I started this post), as we were arriving in Whitby, North Yorkshire (I shall hopefully post a few photos of that weekend one day soon), someone posted on the Londonbirders wiki that there had been a Caspian Gull just south of my patch. I'll pass on the fact that it was reported in Hammersmith, it's a weird thing that even though we are in Fulham around here our postcode is Hammersmith, and that the pub's name was slightly wrong. As a matter of fact, Hammersmith has a fair few river-side pubs, I think Fulham has only one (though it has a restaurant with the River Café). The problem is that so many Caspian Gulls were reported there at some point that all reports are viewed with much incredulity. Still, I'll give the person the benefit of the doubt, not least because I'd love to have one on my patch, and if it means I work harder at it, all the better for it. In fact it gave me a patch tick on Saturday when I saw a Little Grebe on the Thames, when, feeling slightly under the weather with sinusitis, I may not have gone out that morning. Considering only a few years ago a gull was either 'une mouette' or 'un goéland', and the need to avoid tripping on false friends such as a French Laughing Gull (Mouette Rieuse) is not an English Laughing Gull (I think people might look at me funny if I said I've seen 200 Laughing Gulls on the Thames...), I am on a steep learning curve. One of the things I have learned so far is that they're very variable even within a species, which sure doesn't help.

I went to check on the river on Wednesday afternoon on my way back from running errands, tide was very high and I don't think I saw any big gulls that day, just lots of Black-headed. I went to check again on Friday morning and the situation was fairly different as the tide was going down and had already uncovered part of the foreshore.

Just south of Crabtree Wharf, up to about 30 Cormorants were fishing in a line, until one of those rowing coach motor boats passed a bit too close too quickly. But in the meantime they looked quite comical in a lots of mini-Nessies kind of way:

Light wasn't too good, so the following photos are not the best.

At first comparing the bird on the left to the one on the right, it appeared to have a much paler head:

On closer inspection though, the bird appears paler overall and I don't think its beak could be called parallel...:

Still, from a distance, it does look rather different.

Then there is this other one at the bottom of the photo. Its most striking feature is its very black-looking eye, like it's got make-up (very goth looking), which makes me wonder about Yellow-Legged Gull.

Quite pretty at a distance in a Common Gull kind of way

In the end, probably just a question of variations.

For example: 3 Herring Gulls, 3 different levels of streaking:

Finally, on a lighter note:
Take one pair of Herring Gulls:

Take a fairly standard looking Lesser Black-Backed Gull:

Add one of the Herring Gulls from the above pair::

"Can we make some sweet music?"

"Hey you! I've seen you!"

Not something I remember witnessing on my patch before. By and large these 2 species tend to keep to themselves. But what chance do I have if even they can't make out who's who...?

my patch

2009-10-18T17:20:00.001+01:00

My apologies for the silence of late. It's not that I haven't been out and about, but that I have been too otherwise busy to write about it. Not helped by the fact that the laptop I use sometimes to do that while relaxing on the sofa in the evening won't boot up at the moment...

As I was doing another one of those foreshore cleanups with Thames21 this morning, right at the south edge of the Thames part of my patch, I thought I'd take some photos from that angle.

That the whole length of it starting from Crabtree Wharf, where Cormorants and Gulls like to stay at high tide, but also where Starlings and Ringed-Neck Parakeets are roosting/nesting in the pillars(?). The River Café is after that first tall building with the semi-circular roof.

Then you have the boat pier where Black-Headed Gulls like to stand on the ramp, and Mallards like to have a nap at high tide.

Up to Hammersmith Bridge, and, as you can see, on a Sunday morning, the river can get rather busy... and as if there had not been enough disturbance with us cleaning up, there was also a whole flotilla of these brightly coloured canoes and kayaks on the river.

On my way back, I noticed this Cormorant which I had seen previously (7th October). It is unfortunately recognisable because it has caught its neck in some kind of wide mesh plastic netting:

I don't think it is finding it too comfortable:

I'll see how it develops if I can. Yesterday, via @stuhar on twitter, I saw this set of photos of albatross chicks on Midway Atoll, dead with bellies full of plastic trash. These are very disturbing photos, and if they are not an eye opener for some, I don't know what will... As I tweeted then: "This is one of the reasons I volunteer with @thames21 to remove some of it from the foreshore." These and the photos above.

I'll finish on a much lighter note. I doubt these 2 young Swans are siblings given the moulting difference. No adult were in sight. Can they pair up this young? Once again, I'll see how this develop if it does.

I'm on a roll...

2009-09-24T21:25:00.001+01:00

Unfortunately, it was not on my patch, but very nice nevertheless. Thursday, early afternoon, usually only means weekly shopping, and today was no exception. After shopping, I went to check what was on the shore as tide was low, before going to have a look at the sparrows. I had been taking photos of a Herring Gull, its very whitish eye with a black ring (or at least it appeared so in the light, was fascinating me. This bird arrived from the left, I thought wagtail as I often see some there, but it was silent. It landed on a stone/concrete block and modelled some litter. A Wheatear. I'd only seen them at the Wetland Centre until now. Nice. It disappeared towards the Counting Coots patch, but not before I had managed some shots, not brilliant ones but at least my camera was vaguely set right.

It doesn't rain, it pours!

2009-09-23T19:00:00.002+01:00

Within a few minutes of posting the previous entry, I had an email from Frank Majoor, the ringer of 'Red A1'. It had been ringed as a first winter bird in November 2006 in Hilversum, a town in the Netherlands, some 30 km south-east of Amsterdam and 25 km north of Utrecht, according to Wikipedia.

He also updated me on a Common Gull I had spotted at the supermarket on 21st February 2008. I thought I had blogged about it at the time, but it doesn't look like it after all. It was still a juvenile and had been ringed in November 2007 in Amsterdam. It was spotted back in Amsterdam a month later, which goes some way to explain why I didn't see it again then.

This is a photo I had taken at the time, with my crappy camera phone through the binoculars, and the reason why, since, I have taken my proper camera with me when I go and do the weekly shopping.

Much impressed at the speedy reply!

Speedy reply from some londonbirders too after I asked there for confirmation yesterday, and so I can update my patchlist to 59, because this morning I had another tick. It doesn't rain, it pours :) I had been counting the tits in a mixed flock of Long-tailed and Blue as they were passing through the back gardens and heard an unusual call for the area a few minutes later: a Coal Tit on an aerial right in front was making it #59. Can't have everything though, it was gone before I could grab my camera.

Gulls Gulls Gulls

2009-09-22T18:00:00.003+01:00

I decided to go have have an early morning look at the Thames this morning, and good decision it was too!
First, on the boat pier, I checked the legs of the black-headed gulls as I usually do on the off-chance that one has a rind, and, for the first time, bingo!

A quick search once home told me that it should have been rung in the Netherlands. I have contacted the ringer/coordinator; hopefully, I'll get more info soon.

Sadly, as I was taking these photos, a dead juvenile Herring or Lesser Black-Backed Gull passed by with the tide.

Further along, by Crabtree Wharf, I'm hoping that this is a Yellow-Legged Gull as this would be a patch tick for me. It was roughly a shade of grey darker than a Herring Gull and way lighter than a Lesser Black-Backed on the same pontoon. Bright yellow legs, pale eyes with red orbital ring, fine markings around the eyes.

As it flew off, I managed this blurry flight shot:

I noticed afterwards that the afore-mentioned Lesser Black-Blacked on the same pontoon had a weird beak, I think the tip of the upper part might be broken:

And to continue on the injury theme, nearby, this (I think) Lesser Black-Backed juvenile might have looked OK on its right-hand side:

but something looked wrong with its left eye, and it was limping on its left leg, though I could not see any obvious sign of injury:

[Clicking on most of the photos should give you bigger versions]

peregrines are back (briefly)

2009-09-20T16:59:00.002+01:00

As soon as I stepped outside at 7:20 yesterday morning to do a patch walk I glimpse what looked like a peregrine flying along the north side of the hospital. It was rather unexpected as I had not seen the pair on their usual perches over the past 2 weeks. Not that I really expected them to while we had the easterly winds (which are a blessing as they bring a temporary stop to the planes flying above us on their way to Heathrow, but they also mean no peregrines at the spots I can easily see from home). As soon as I reached Fulham Palace Road, they were unmissable on the parapet of the top floor balcony, above the main entrance.

The male is on the left, and the female on the right tucking in what looked like a pigeon.
I kept on checking on them while on the Thames Path whenever I could get a line of sight, and one hour later the female appeared to have finished her meal and was sitting slightly below the parapet.

On my way back at 10, I noticed the male was eating on the parapet:

and the female looked utterly stuffed:

Last Saturday, I had gone to Westminster in the hope to see the pair there and thought initially that I was going to come back empty handed. After an initial fruitless check, I went to the middle of Westminster Bridge and had a look around. Just gulls, and a kestrel mobbed by magpies and crows by a building near Charing Cross Station, until I picked up a peregrine crossing the river, only to fly into the sun on the other side where I lost it. Didn't see it cross back, but I thought I'd have a last look before leaving, and where before there was none, there was one, having a scratch and a preen:

It went for a quick fly round and settled back on the same spot:

8 for effort, nil for result

2009-09-18T13:27:00.000+01:00

I guess it's time I do a final update on the moorhens. My last post was on Wednesday 2nd September. I went to check on them on the following Friday morning, and, for the 30 minutes I was around, one of the parents was on the nest, and not moving. The following day, I detoured before doing my patch check, and, once again, one of the parents was on the nest. It was visibly agitated, and within 5 minutes of me being there got up and went to check on the side of the tyre where I think one chick had fallen down. As it was up, another chick started going down:

and ended up on the mud as it was low tide. It did venture in the bit of water on the left of the photo, but the parent did push it back onto relatively safer ground and cleaned it up.

I could see one dead chick and one egg still in the nest. I stayed watching for a while, and nothing much changed, but I had to go. I checked again the next 2 mornings, but could only ever found 1 of the parents. I glimpsed the other one once from a distance on the raft of rubbish on the other side of the boat, but could not see if it had any chick in tow. Then, on Wednesday, at high tide, I found both birds preening on their favourite spot below the back of the boat. I think it's fairly safe to assume that they've sadly failed again.

At least, not all birds have failed in that area, the pair of swans nesting on the floating platform among the boats had one cygnet.
From this on 10 June:

to this on 27th June:

to this on 30th August:

A mallard also managed to raise 9 young to adult size in the area, which I think is no mean feat.

Having a nap on 3rd August in the swans' nesting platform

preparing for winter

2009-09-13T18:52:00.003+01:00

This morning, after checking on the sparrows at Abbey Gardens, I went for a game of hide and seek with the juvenile woodpigeons in Margravine Cemetery.
Yesterday, on the way back from shopping I counted 10 grazing with a few adults. I had thought that 4 last week or so was a lot, so, 10 at once was rather unbelievable.

Unfortunately, today, they were not in one big easy herd, hiding either among the graves or the trees, but I still found a group of 4 juveniles with 1 adult. No idea why they have done so well this year, but they certainly have...In the middle of all this, I could hear Jays. I saw 3 at once at some point last week in the cemetery after a period of not seeing any. I was taking photos of 1, when, unfortunately, my mobile rang, and the bird flew as I was answering it. I still managed to notice that it was not alone, joining 3 others at least in a tree. I wonder how long families stay together?

As I was trying to relocate them, I heard a rustle in a holly and saw this squirrel coming out with a branch full of berries and then crossing the path:

One by one, it would pick the berries, check them out: and then bury them:

4 peregrines

2009-09-08T20:20:00.016+01:00

2 Saturdays ago, I went to check on the Peregrines in Westminster early in the morning again. It was nice and quiet out there until the hordes of tourists started descending...
I did not find them initially, as it happens I was looking at the wrong face at the time. I was looking at a young Woodpigeon feasting on fruit in a small tree when I picked up a bird coming from behind the tower, gaining speed and a little bit of altitude. I saw it make a half-hearted effort at a pigeon, then it finished its circle and disappeared behind the tower again. As it didn't reappear, I went to look on the other side and found this one preening. It obligingly showed me its leg, but no obvious sign of a ring on there.

As this one was sitting there doing nothing much, I tried locating the other one, and managed to find it twice, but only for very fleeting moments. In the meantime, the first one had relocated, on a wing... :

It's only when I got quite far away that the angle allowed me to see both on the same face, and, from their size difference, I'd say that the one above is the female, but I'll have to go and check on them again. Such a shame ;)

I had never until now looked that closely at the sculptures/gargoyles on Westminster Abbey, but I thoroughly recommend using binoculars, however weird it may look, to have a look at them. Here's a lovely doggy for example.

Later that day, I also saw the pair near home on the hospital, as they'd returned a few days previously from one of their 'vacations. They were sat there for most of the afternoon. Which means that I had seen 4 Peregrines that day, which, as far as I can remember, has not happened to me often before, and they were families then. Nice :)

Hatchlings in a tyre!!!!

2009-09-02T18:36:00.001+01:00

I had some errands to run in Hammersmith and went to check on the Moorhens on my way back. The parent on the nest seemed a bit restless, calling occasionally, and I was pretty sure I could hear some light 'pips'. The moorhen moved and, Yes!, 2 chicks, one of which must have hatched fairly recently as it was still wet:

I probably won't be able to check on them tomorrow, but I shall try on Friday morning.

Nesting in a tyre [part 4 I think]

2009-08-30T19:59:00.004+01:00

For those of you still following the moorhens nesting in a tyre saga.
I went to check on them this afternoon and one of them was on the nest. As you can see, they have build it up so much now that there is barely any room for the incubating bird. Exchanges must be interesting...

You can also see how worn out the feathers are, exhausting job this reproducing lark...

It looks like the mud/silt between the barge and the wall has also been building up. One of the birds has been leaving tracks like these, and they're light little things, I dread to think how deep we would sink ;)

By my reckoning, the eggs should be hatching at some point this week, if they do. I'll try and have a look if I find a minute.

Patch walk

2009-08-24T21:30:00.001+01:00

On Saturday morning I went for a 2h15 walk around my patch as it would be almost low tide.
But, first, I'll give an update on the moorhens. Well, one of them was on the nest, but the nest is now so built up that there is barely any room left for the incubating bird. They were now on day 12 to 14, so there should be 7-10 days left.
It was a nice morning, if a bit chilly at first.
In Frank Banfield Park, which is one of the 'parks' in the borough that have received the Green Flag Award, for the second week in a row I heard a wagtail and found 1 adult Pied Wagtail with 4 juveniles:

I also hear a Great Spotted Woodpecker calling, the first time ever there. I guess all this is a sign that last year's redevelopment was not such a bad thing, but I would be a lot happier if I could see and hear more Sparrows there. I wonder if the new ones I have been finding lately on the Thames Path are migrants from that group.

By Hammersmith Bridge, once again, there were lots of Startlings, they were flying between the bridge and the shore, some were bathing, other were feeding. Further along, I stood for a while observing a little group 'playing turnstone' and picking up small shellfish (I initially thought these might be baby mussels, but after finding those clams by Putney Bridge, I am not so sure anymore). It was amazing how they were opening their beak in order to overturn the stones, so I thought I'd try and film them. Unfortunately, they took fright when they heard me. I managed however to take this photo of a group that had similarly been spooked by something (but not me, honest) by Crabtree Wharf. It is nice to see them in good numbers.

I counted over 200 Black Headed Gulls, 52 Mallards, 43 Canada Geese (including one of the regular ones, white UVY), 1 Egyptian Goose, 16 Cormorants, 1 Grey Heron, Crows, Ring Necked Parakeets.
I also had the first Teals of the summer, with 3 females, a sure sign it is coming to an and, and 1 lonely female Tufted Duck.

Big gull wise, I saw 1 Great Black Backed fly over, a few Herring Gulls, at least 4 adults and 1 sub adult, and Lesser Black Backed, again at least 4 adults, 1 first summer and one juvenile. That juvenile was begging from one of its parents

and begging again, and again, and again...

Lots of young gulls of various ages, but I am still rather baffled by them so I won't venture too categorically, Still, I think this is a second summer Lesser Black Backed, which I somehow find quite attractive:

Finally, I found House Sparrows in 2 spots, both groups with a few youngsters. It is unfortunately difficult to count them precisely, but there were at least a dozen in the second group. I was trying to take photos of them which was easier said than done as they were hiding in a bush:

when I noticed this gorgeous long haired cat. Either they know it and know they have nothing to fear, or they hadn't seen it, since none were alarm calling, not even the robin also in the same bush.

Peregrinations

2009-08-23T16:07:00.002+01:00

'My' peregrines having deserted me again at the moment and being in need of a fix, last Saturday morning (15th) I headed for Westminster to try and locate at least one from the pair there. Seriously, tide was high that morning and I did not see much point in doing my usual patch walk, so I thought I'd go and check on the House of Parliament birds. I was told a few weeks ago that one of them had a ring and I had been twice already to see if I could locate them. It had not taken me very long to find where most (all?) their favourite perches were, but, so far I had not seen any.
It was to be 3rd time lucky, one of them was on one of those spots:

I think I have been spotted:

It could give a run for their money to my usual pair, it barely moved for the whole hour and a bit I stayed there, except for a small spot of preening, which exposed a nice bit of heart-shaped spot on one of its cheeks, not very dissimilar in fact to the female I have photographed lots (such as on this photo:

I think I have been spotted again, yet I thought I was quite hidden by a tree (but, obviously, by symmetry, if I have line of sight to it, it should also have to me):

Yesterday, I went to the RSPB London peregrines at the Tate. I had been meaning to go since it started but I had not managed to find time to go during the week until now, and I couldn't be sure I would in the next 3 weeks.
So having a 2 1/2 hours gap in the afternoon, I hopped on a Tube train to Mansion House and fought my way through the hordes of tourists on the Millennium Bridge to get there. And I was not disappointed. Not only did I have a fantastic conversation with one of the volunteers where I learned plenty more, but one of the birds was present. I spotted one as I was getting near the watch point through my binoculars, with difficulties as it was near the edge and the sun was right in my eyes, but by the time I got to the scopes it had gone. Only to reappear a little while later, heralded by all the other birds flying all over the place all of a sudden. It then gained some altitude over the river, tried its luck with probably a pigeon, missed, and then gained so much more altitude that we lost it. I was considering going when it came back and landed in a spot much more suitable for photos, though, as luck had it, it was presenting its back to the scopes. You can just about guess its head as it is preening in the first photo, the other one being another one of those headless shots...

After a few more glances through the scopes, I said my goodbyes and left.

Clean-up

2009-08-21T20:05:00.001+01:00

I'm knackered... 2 cleanups with Thames21 in as many days, plus the walk there and back today have done me in!
Yesterday was by Bishops Park from Putney Bridge towards Fulham Football Club and about 100 people turned up for it. I didn't find anything exciting, just endless cotton buds, plastic bottle caps, fabric and sanitary towels, and one syringe with needle, after a chat with someone who'd remarked he'd not found one of those on the foreshore around there for years, he'd jinxed it! What amazed me was the number of clams (or suchlike), I'd never seen those in such numbers on the foreshore before, and shrimps. It would have been more enjoyable without the twat on a yacht on the other side of the river blasting music... Still, there was one funny moment when 4 birds came up with the tide following each other, at first I thought 4 mallards, but the first one looked odd for a mallard, and rightly so, it was a great crested grebe. It dived, the mallards continued and picked up behind when it reappeared...
Today was still in Fulham, from the corner of Hurlingham Park towards Wandsworth Bridge, Below is a photo of the first portion.

As often, there were big cages like the one in the middle of the photo in which to put the bags with the small stuff and the bulkier stuff. They are then picked up by the Port of London Authority at hide tide. This portion did not have much in big items, the one you can see on the left hand side was a wheelchair, and there was also a full upright hoover complete with accessories, a desk, a shopping trolley. I didn't go any further than that first cage, there was enough there to keep me busy, again cotton buds and bottle caps, but also straws and bar wrappers. I also found 2 more syringes, and I wasn't the only one, this was apparently exceptional for the Thames foreshore, these are more often found on canals and rivers such as the Wandle which might be the reason why. I heard a gun was found further on, it's the second one found at clean-ups I have been to.

Setting up

the Health and Safety talk

Flash mob the foreshore

2009-08-17T17:43:00.003+01:00

I was looking forward to Thames21's announcement last week of the locations for their Flash mob the foreshore event this week, and was not disappointed: 2 of the clean-ups are happening in Fulham. On Thursday, it will be by Bishops Park, on Friday by Hurlingham Park, for more details such as time, location, click on the link above.
I should be there with my bucket for both, and thoroughly recommends it, as it's great fun, an excellent excuse to be out and get muddy, and it's good for the environment and the birds in particular.

Nesting in a tyre...[part 3]

2009-08-12T19:57:00.003+01:00

Since my last update on the moorhens nesting in a tyre, I have continued to keep an eye on them whenever I could. Before going to Normandy, I increased my visits as I thought they were due since incubation is meant to be about 3 weeks but, up to the 28th, they were still sitting on their nest. I witnessed a nest exchange and am pretty sure I saw 5 eggs.
I went to check on them almost after coming back and, finally, there was no one on the nest, but there were 2 eggs, and I could only see 1 adult around. On a further visit, I could still only find 1 adult and there was now 1 egg in the nest. Last Sunday morning, I finally saw both adults and no young, so they had definitely failed. There was 1 egg in the nest.
I passed by today at lunchtime and, guess what? They're back at it! Attempt #3 (at least), we'll see how this one goes...

Normandy

2009-08-10T20:44:00.002+01:00

My apologies for the radio silence of late... About 10 days ago I went to spend a few days at my parents in Normandy. Afternoon ferry from Portsmouth to Ouistreham. I killed the first 2 hours by inputting the peregrines' diary in my pda; doing it in small batches while watching TV usually, I didn't realise it was this time consuming, but it was a really useful way to kill 2 hours. It was quite windy and I was rather surprised that the decks were even open, but I managed to find myself a sunny and fairly sheltered spot and watched the clouds pass by while scanning for gannets. My patience was rewarded with 3 individuals, including a juvenile, but a some distance. After going back in for a cup of tea, I discovered that the wind must have increased enough for them to close access to the upper decks, and I understood why when trying to get to the front of the boat, the wind was indeed very strong. But it was well worth it, as, right above my head, was a gannet, riding the wind... I grabbed my camera as quickly as I could and took a few photos, with great difficulties. I can't unfortunately show you any of them, and I may never know if it was all worth it, as I managed to misplace the card while at my parents in my efforts to try and read it. Kicking myself! Especially as later on I filmed another one flying above the waves and diving, presumably to fish...
Arrival was at high tide. Somehow, I think all my previous arrivals lately were at low tide, and I wasn't quite expecting the hordes of gulls, mostly black headed gulls, with a few herring gulls, to descend on the water was we were turning round, especially as I couldn't really see many as we were approaching. With the sunset upon a leaden sky and water the colour of emerald, it was magical.
Then it rained. Welcome home!!!

On the first day, we went to theParc Naturel Regional des Marais du Cotentin et du Bessin (created 1991) to try and find Storks. When I was a kid, we used to travel the width of France to Alsace to see storks, now they're almost on my parents' doorstep. It was not the best of time to go and see them, as most will be leaving on their migration soon, to Spain apparently [though some are now staying all year round], but one was having a nap on the first nest we looked at:

This is the same nest featured in these photos I took in May 2004. The other nest we looked at was empty, but a little further away, we were looking a some young Cormorants, Grey Herons, Little Egrets and Lapwings when this individual arrived:

and landed in a field with cows [you cannot do much more Normandy than that ;) ]

At my parents', it was really nice to hear sounds I haven't been hearing much in London the past years. Up to 2 years ago, I would stand on the balcony in the evenings and watch the Housemartins hunt insects with the Swifts above. Not so this year, and I haven't seen much activity at the last remaining nest I know of on my patch since I saw it being repaired. So it was really heart warming to hear some for a few days. One thing my parents have been really happy about this year is that Swallows have finally nested again in their outbuilidings for the first time in years. As we would be eating dinner I could see them preening on the wires outside the house:

In my parents' LPO l'Oiseau magazine there was an article about the Bessin, following Obama's visit to the area for D-Day celebrations, making the point that it is due to the D-Day landing that this part of the Normandy coastline is fairly unspoiled, which does make sense. It mentioned several Peregrine pairs nesting on the cliffs, so I thought I'd go and check one where I used to go fossil hunting as a teenager. It was fun going down memory lane, and the cliff, and I saw lots of gulls, wagtails, and some very pretty wild orchids, but no peregrine.

Finally, if someone could help me identify this moth on a glass panel of my parents' conservatorym I have drawn a blank so far. I think it must have been newly emerged, so bright are the colours and undamaged it appears:
Update 12 Aug.: thanks to fst0pped it has been id's as Guernsey Underwing (Polyphaenis sericata).

staying put

2009-07-26T18:10:00.001+01:00

I often 'complain' that 'my' Peregrines are masters at doing nothing, staying in the same spot for hours seemingly doing nothing, except for a spot of preening or paint (as a case in point, I spotted them on the same perches all afternoon today, from 14:30 until now), but they are real light weight compared to these 3:

I wonder how long these have been there, as I haven't been able to find anything about them, and how long they'll work.
Searching for them, I notice they cost around £25, and for a microsecond I fancied getting one to get rid of my pigeon problem...

Growing up

2009-07-23T18:43:00.003+01:00

A young Greenfinch on my window feeder a little while earlier:

And a young Herring Gull begging one of its parents earlier near the supermarket when I did the weekly shopping:

Gulls and the City...

2009-07-22T17:49:00.002+01:00

I took the following photos over a month ago and have been thinking of writing this post ever since, but time passed and I never did. Until Frédéric Malher started a Concours de la "Photo la plus ornitho-urbaine" on his blog les oiseaux en ville. I know... it's all in French, but basically it's a competition for the most urban bird photo, which reminded me of them.

I had gone to check if there were Peregrines at the Tate Modern. I saw signs of them but no bird. On the Millennium Bridge, I noticed gulls such as this Lesser Black backed preening itself on a support, so I indulged in some close-up photos (which I might one day get round to put in my gallery).

An obviously well used spot...
Then, on the other side a juvenile (I presume Herring Gull - do tell me if I'm wrong) with buildings in the background:

And another juvenile (or maybe the same one relocated) with an unmistakably urban background, the Gherkin and lots of building cranes:

As I was walking past St Paul's Cathedral, I had noticed Lesser Black Backed perched on statues, which reminded me of Whitby and Captain Cook's head (do they have any respect?...). It's only when I got to the Bridge that I realised why: there was at least one chick there, when an adult went on the ledge to feed it: hat grey blob in the insert and to the left of the adult on the statue in the second photo. Unfortunately the best I could do as, when one gets closer, one loses the view onto the ledge.

ants

2009-07-22T12:14:00.000+01:00

While preparing breakfast yesterday morning I noticed unusually high bird activity at the back of the house. What I noticed first was the blackbirds, there were like 8 of them on the big roof, then the tits, the finches, crows, magpies, even the wren I am convinced is nesting somewhere around (sounding the alarm multiple times a day) was joining in. It didn't last very long, soon the tits and finches were on the feeders at the front, but it had me puzzled, that is until I went out at the beginning of the afternoon and saw the path leading to the cemetery covered in ants, including a few winged ones. It was Flying Ants Day!
On a patch of grass where I went to, 2 magpies were busy feasting on ants. However, every few minutes they were flying off to shake them off as ants were crawling all over their body. It was quite hilarious, I thought...
When I came back, most of the ants had disappeared from the path, and everything was pretty quiet.

Murder...

2009-07-20T19:39:00.000+01:00

Last Thursday, the 'promised' rain from 5pm had not materialised, my other half had gone to his more or less monthly dc4420 (aka Defcon London) meetings, so I decided to go to the Wetland Centre, as they open late on Thursdays during the summer.
On the way there, in the Piccadilly tube train about half way between Barons Court and Hammersmith, I noticed a Kestrel hovering around the A4 between the Ark and Linacre Court. Maybe it is one of the ones I saw a while back? No way of knowing, really, and I haven't seen any other since.

It had been quite a while since my last visit, actually my only visit this year when my sister visited in March, and there were a few changes (the recycled sculptures and the Bat house mostly) but on the whole it was pretty much the same. My first port of call was the Observatory and I immediately saw a Common Tern chick fed by one of its parents in one of the rafts on the main lake. A fair few ducks, coots and moorhens, some Cormorants, some Lapwings, including young ones, a family of Swans, the usual at this time of year. What struck me though was that the hirundines did not seem to be quite as numerous as in previous years.
I then made my way to the Peacock Tower, while the Starlings were starting to arrive. Just as I got into one of the hides, I noticed some commotion: a Lesser Black Backed Gull had caught one of the numerous ducklings or moorhen or coot chicks. One second something black was struggling in its beak, the second later it had been swallowed, hence the title of this post. Life and death in action...
At the Peacock Tower. 2 Little Ringed Plovers were spending a lot of energy trying to get a pair of Crows away from one of those wire covers. I'm pretty sure I saw one of them doing the pretending to be injured trick, but those crows were obstinate. Though, the count of LRPs had not changed the next day, so they got away 'empty-handed'.
As the sun set, light was really eerie, the main reason why I like those late opening evenings. I tried to take a few photos, but none of them did any justice to it, but, to be fair, I didn't try that hard :)
The photo above was taken from the Observatory around 8pm. You'll have to take my word for it that the black spot in the middle at the bottom is a Great Crested Grebe with a chick on it back... Difficult to believe from this photo that on my way back about an hour later I would get totally soaked as the heavens opened as I stepped off the bus. Still, I was grinning as I got home, I love summer rain for some reason...

Normal situation resumed

2009-07-12T17:42:00.007+01:00

The Falcons War in the end was rather brief, probably with a bit of (unwitting) help from the humans, as on Wednesday and Thursday there were men on the roof and chimney doing maintenance. I haven't seen the Kestrels since. Surprisingly, the Peregrines were occasionally there at the same time as the men above, which is something I had not seen before.
The Peregrines are now back, and back to their old routine of doing pretty much nothing for hours, in between bouts of preening, and eating. I witnessed the male eating something, probably pigeon, but if you think otherwise from the photos below, let me know... It was quite substantial but I didn't manage to get a proper angle on it.

For more photos of the peregrines, I have now added a selection of the 2009 photos in my album. You can find them there.

Relay, Moorhen style

2009-07-07T19:18:00.001+01:00

Today, I had to run an errand and thought I'd make a detour to check on the Moorhens in their tyre. I'd checked on them on Saturday morning and they were still there, patiently incubating their eggs. Tide was very high, the highest I've seen for a while, but the tyre was still above water, indicating that, in this respect at least, their choice is not as loony as it may seems. One was on the nest and the other one was busy collecting extra nesting material. When I arrived, it was blades of grass, but you can see that they can get creative with man-made material:

This was hard work! :)

There was a lot of such man-made material on the river, some of it collecting in the usual spot by Hammersmith Bridge. There, making the most of the flotsam, were a Pied Wagtail with 3 young, and very briefly a Grey Wagtail with one young. Further, by Crabtree Wharf, I could hear the sparrows from quite a distance. I'd only ever seen a max of 3 there, but, this time, there were at least 5 young as well, which was good to see, though it would be better and easier if they were not hiding so much.

On the falcons front, it's been quiet today as far as I have been able to observe. A peregrine present early in the morning and a kestrel later. In fact, there was more activity from the crows and the pigeons...

Falcons war, part 1?

2009-07-06T17:18:00.005+01:00

As I thought...
I went to check shortly before lunchtime on my way to the shops and noticed 2 Kestrels on the hospital. On my way back, there were some more and I could see that there were actually 5 of them... At one point, 2 were perched and 3 were flying around. Than one split off and went in the direction of the Tube lines (District and Piccadilly between Hammersmith and Barons Court) which might actually be an explanation as to their presence since that's about 10 seconds away for them.

After lunch, I checked and immediately noticed that a Peregrine was on one of their favourite perches. I quickly grabbed my camera and took this photo:

You'll have to believe me that the blobs are what I say they are...

Once I got a better angle, I could see 3 Kestrels at the top. The wind got so strong that they appeared to lose their footing and one went down to the other below and the other one started flying around. Then I think another one arrived from somewhere and, suddenly, there were 3 of them flying around, being noisy as well, and they started mobbing the male peregrine, who flew away pursued by 2 of them. Unfortunately, trees and buildings prevented me to see any further. But 20 minutes later, I could see it had returned and at least 1 kestrel was on top.

I shall now go and check the situation while it's not raining...

There may be trouble ahead...

2009-07-05T18:25:00.001+01:00

With the easterlies we had the past 2 weeks the peregrines have deserted their favourite perches, as they usually do in these circumstances. It appears that they don't like having the wind blowing in their faces if they can help it... But I still check the hospital to see if they are around.
Friday afternoon, we were coming back from Hammersmith when I noticed a shape on one of the perches. It felt too small to be one of its usual occupants, but I did not have either binoculars or camera with me to make sure. I picked those up and rushed back and took these photos:

I think I have been spotted...

Let's have a stretch...

Now, I could count the number of times I had seen a kestrel around here this year on one hand, actually just 2 fingers... But the second time was the previous day when I had seen a spot emerging from the direction of the Wetland Centre and getting bigger, flying and hovering, and then spending a fair amount of time around the hospital.

At the beginning of this afternoon, I was in Margravine Cemetery (trying without success to locate the crickets/grasshoppers/whatever I could hear in the grass) when my attention got caught by birds flying around the hospital. Some were pigeons, but some were not: 2 Kestrels! Again? and 1 more? When they settled I took a few photos, even though the angles at which I had to take them mean they're not too great:

The same one after it had turned on its spot.

And the second one.

Then the second one flew away and I lost it for a while, but when I found it again, I then noticed another 2 higher up:

Yes, there are 3 on this photo, the 3rd one is hiding behind the aerial pole.

Another angle, and there you can see the third one (but not the first one...)

I had to get to the shop and when I came back the first 2 had moved next to each other:

You can still see the 3rd one above.

Now, lots of ifs I know, but if they intend to stay around and if the peregrines come back, there may be trouble ahead...

Jays

2009-06-30T17:35:00.020+01:00

Last Friday (if you recall, otherwise scroll down a little to Friday's post) I noticed that our local Jays had fledged maybe one or two young, and, given how awkward they were at landing/managing the aerials, they probably had just fledged that morning. On Saturday morning, on my way to the shops via Margravine Cemetery, one of them almost flew into me... I really didn't have much time to check as we were off to a wedding shortly thereafter, but they were so out in the open that I could see 4 young without much difficulty.
On Sunday morning I decided to go 'Jay hunting'. I couldn't find them at first but as I go closer to Barons Court I heard an unmistakable horrible sound and there they were. They were very mobile, going from tree to tree, from tree to ground, from ground to tree, but by being slightly ahead of them (sometimes) and sitting down by a tree or grave I managed a fair amount of photos, a selection of which are below. I tried to make the most of it as, even though our local Jays are not too shy, they had still been pretty elusive. I hope you don't get an indigestion...

We are in a graveyard after all...

I think that the following 2 photos are of one of the adults, redder and fuller crown, and somehow the 'blue' feathers don't look as pristine:

One of the youngsters begging one of its parents for food. Unfortunately, I only managed one very blurry photo of one being fed :(

"What am I meant to do with that?" (a leaf)

Thank you for your patience!

Don't forget water...

2009-06-30T16:05:00.004+01:00

We are not the only ones feeling the heat at the moment... I took this photo of a juvenile Starling on the bathroom windowsill earlier today, panting:

It had just been drinking from the water dish I leave for them there. Don't forget to do the same, they need it now more than ever...
And. obviously, if you have pets, don't forget them either (though our cat doesn't seem to be wanting to drink more than usual) :)

They're back!

2009-06-29T18:53:00.002+01:00

This was taken on Saturday during my patch walk on one of their favourite spots at high tide. They were not the first ones I'd seen though as there were already a dozen on Thursday, resting on the shore at low tide with the Canadas.
Still, looking at last year's notes, I saw about 50 on 20th June then, so they're not that early.
Next the swifts and autumn will definitely be on its way...

Nesting in a tyre (part 2)

2009-06-26T16:17:00.005+01:00

I had checked on the moorhens last Saturday morning and one of them was on the nest in the tyre and there were plenty of feet marks in the mud underneath indicating a lot of ins and outs.
But this is the view that greeted me yesterday:

An empty nest where the original one was, and a moorhen in another tyre further along the side of the barge:

I can only imagine that something happened with the first nest/clutch, and they're having to start all over again...

We'll see how it goes :)

On a different front, our local Jays have successfully fledged at least 1, maybe 2 young, probably this morning. It was quite funny watching them trying to negotiate the TV aerials ;) While drinking my morning coffee on the sofa I could see Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jay & Blackbird vying for space on an aerial (where did they go before TV?!). Good way to start the day!

Nesting in a tyre...

2009-06-16T19:00:00.000+01:00

On the subject of interesting nests, a pair of moorhens in Hammersmith are doing a nice piece of double recycling. If you click on any of the photos below, you should be directed to the picasa album with a location map which might give you a better idea of where they are. There is a small green called Furnival Gardens not far from Hammersmith Bridge. Opposite, you have a group of boats/barges moored. And, inside a tyre tied to the side of one of the barges, a pair of moorhens are nesting:

And closer:

I have to admit that I may have missed them if I had not seen one jumping off during a nest exchange... Hopefully, they'll do better than the trolley coots slightly down river. I have yet to find where the moorhens on my patch near Crabtree Wharf are nesting (and they must have done last year as they had a juvenile with them for a while).

bugs!

2009-06-12T18:13:00.000+01:00

It has all gone rather quiet on the mealworm front, definitively not the frenzy it had been at times recently, with mostly just the woodpecker and some great tits picking them for their second brood(s). Seeds, peanuts and fat are going quite fast though.
One of the reasons might be that a lot of tree leaves are covered in small green flies (if anyone can tell me what they are... Every year when we first moved in they infested our living room in the evenings for a while)

The slightest disturbance and they fly off, I learned very quickly to be very careful when taking the photos above... I have seen some of the young blue and great tits flutter among the leaves and then all they have to do is open their beak, gobble and start again. Juicy! Easy meal! :)

Last Saturday morning, I went for a walk in Margravine Cemetery and I ended up admiring for a while one lime tree which had started flowering, pondering, as I do every year at this time, on cultural differences. You see, in France, lime herbal tea (tilleul) is probably the most common herbal tea you'll find, and it surprised me when I arrived in the UK 16 years ago that I couldn't find any anywhere. For me, the smell of lime flowers means 2 things: illness and school holidays. Illness, because it would be the beverage of choice when in bed with the flu for example. School holidays, because towards the end of June (which is when summer holidays start in France) my Dad would cut a few branches from our lime trees and we would pick the flowers and leave them to dry up in the attic or the hay loft for another year supply of tea. But I digress. I noticed then what I was pretty sure were Harlequin ladybird larvae, which proved to be indeed the case. 'Good' numbers of them in fact, and a few pupae as well. I have now reported them to the Harlequin Ladybird Survey. I don't think I have seen a 'classic' ladybird around home for about 2 years now. But, at least, we seem to have good numbers of another native ladybird, the orange ladybird.

On that same tree, I also found 2 of these, which I hope I have correctly identified as Forest Bug nymph(Pentatoma rufipes):

There were also lots of bumblebees, 2 or 3 different species, but I didn't manage to get any decent photo.

Finally, last week, I found this moth on our bedroom curtain, which (once again) I hope to have correctly id'd as a Brown Plume Moth . My knowledge of moths is rather limited and I'd never heard of plume moths before (and my other half admitted when he saw this photo on my screen to have thought it was some kind of dady-long-legs) but I thought it was rather intriguing.

Bento is back!

2009-06-08T19:55:00.001+01:00

Last year, we had a real character among the great tits coming for mealworms. We'd nicknamed it Bento, for a fairly obvious reason, clearly visible on the photo below, taken as he was visiting one of the feeders (before customisation): the feather at the edge of its left wing was bent.

But it was also recognisable by its character, very confident, forward, demanding... He was always very quick to let me know I was late in refilling the feeders. I'll never forget (well I might, but it'll take some time), one day I was at the sink when I saw it appear and then hover in front of me looking me straight in the eyes while calling loudly. I obeyed pronto! He managed to have 2 broods, so I guess his approach worked.

This year, we were wondering if we would see him again. Early on, there was this one, nicknamed Thumper by my other half, as it would often arrive on the feeder rather heavily, with a big thump, and being generally a bit of a bully to the other birds. But nothing decisive.

Them, last Wednesday, I was on the balcony taking photos of the passionflower which had started flowering, and chatting with a neighbour, when I heard a light metallic sound and my neighbour said "Don't move, a bird has landed right above you". I move very slowly, and this great tit was on the flue, less than a metre from me...

You may notice the small feather sticking out? on its left wing? I actually got to get an even better look on Friday afternoon and the feather at the edge is missing... My other half was working at home and to give him some peace and quiet I had removed the feeder in the front room and put mealworms on the window sill by my desk, giving me very clear and closer views. That evening, I texted the neighbour I share the mealworm feeding with about it, and she replied immediately "Funny you should mention Bento, I saw one today reminded me very much of him". She feeds the robins by throwing mealworms on the ground [when they don't come and help themselved in her kitchen], and it would come and pick them up in front of them, and more than one at a time (which most tits don't). I saw him take 5, almost 6, albeit rather small ones, at once, quite a feat! He now takes 2 of the big ones almost every time. To finish, this morning, I had not even finished putting the feeder back on its hooks after refilling that it had already landed on it...

I think, odds are it is the same bird. And I am very pleased it's back :) On its second brood already more than likely, all the fledged young great tits have been fairly independent for a while now.

What did I do in May? (Part 2)

2009-06-03T16:26:00.009+01:00

I did spend some time trying to find the great spotted woodpeckers'nest. I had been looking for their new nest for a while, but without result. As it happens, I was looking in the wrong place...
On 13th May, I was awaken shortly before 6 by a call I had not heard in the back gardens for a long time. I quickly got up and checked: yes, a woodpecker was on the suet cake feeder on the balcony. Considering last year they had only visited when feeding their chicks, I think it is fair to assume that their chick(s) had hatched, which means that they should fledge about now.
After that first visit, at least the male became a daily visitor, initially only to the fat feeder, but then it discovered there were mealworms on offer... It initially couldn't figure out the feeder, but would take some from the dishes I also leave for them, one under the feeder and one on our bathroom window sill. The following 2 photos were taken on 27th May (through the window) and as you can see the hard work has been taking its toll, it was looking rather bedraggled (though still quite handsome imo):

(I have seen it take up to 10 at once)

Then a few days ago, it finally figured out how to get mealworms out of the feeder. Initially, only from the left hand side, but then also from the right hand side like on the photo below:

It is quite comical at times watching it as it often drops a few on a window sill below, to the delights of the tits who pick them up while their access to the feeder is blocked! [though I have seen one at least lose patience and get in on the other side]

Now, the nest. Since we could hear the chicks from a fair distance away last year I thought that I'd find it by listening carefully. I looked in the most remote parts, where I had seen them calling, getting insects (at one point I spotted the male pecking at the ground, which looked odd until I looked more closely once it had gone: it was an old tree stump), drumming... Nothing. Then, on 24th, a neighbour mentioned that she'd heard a strange call, repetitive, sounding like the woodpecker chicks last year while passing in the cemetery. In a spot I had not really checked as it is in a rather busy area. But almost as soon as I got there, the male arrived with food and 'directed' me the nest. No wonder I had not found it by sound, I had to be right in line with it to hear anything, and the hole being quite high, and probably the chicks quite low down, the sound was, albeit unmistakable, quite faint.

As of this lunchtime, the chick(s) was/were still in the nest; I managed to catch one just as Dad arrived with food:

What did I do in May?

2009-05-30T17:48:00.007+01:00

I can't believe May is already over... It feels like a lot of my time has been spent feeding the birds, and watching their antics. Probably with reason, as at the beginning of the month is when I started ordering 1 kg mealworm every week, as chicks started hatching in the blue and great tits' nests. I share them, and seeds, with a neighbour (it saves shipping cost and stuff is fresher that way) who also feeds robins and blackbirds. When I started feeding mealworms 2 years ago, my first order was for a tub of 120g and little did I know what I was letting myself in for... I was mostly then feeding 1 family of blue tits (the 'flue tits') on the balcony [I blogged about then (here]. Unfortunately, this is South exposed with no shade and, on sunny days, the mealworms would just fry there (and wasps were also helping themselves) so I started putting another dish at the front of the house and we put a webcam onto it which caught the tits, but also starlings and magpies who would just hoover the whole lot in seconds.
Last year, I started putting the mealworms in a window feeder. I had got this Droll Yankees window feeder in the photo below, though you may notice that it has been customised... It had been fine while it was only the tits coming, but, as soon as the starlings fledged, they would just gobble the whole lot in seconds. Now I am all for helping them as well but, since I couldn't trust them to leave any for others, I had to restrict them. I initially closed the gap but then the blue tits could not get in, which surprised me since the great tits had no problem, and some starlings still could as well. So I started putting a chicken wire screen so as to block the front access, leaving just 2 smallish gaps at the sides. The tits took to it immediately which was great, and most starlings were defeated. Success!

This year, we have been feeding at least 3 families of Great Tits and 2 of Blue Tits (determined from the directions in which they were going back). In the photos above and below you can see one of our blue tits, nicknamed Punky, as it is getting to the gap and about to leave with the prize! I don't know what it is about blue tits, but every year we have at least one Punky/Scruffy (we have at least 2 this year) whereas the Great Tits seem to manage to 'keep their hair on'... I am not sure when the Great Tits fledged as the parents kept them in the Cemetery at first, but it was before the Blue Tits, the 'flue tits' fledgeing on the 20th May. I was unfortunately too busy that day to take photos :(

The starlings haven't tried yet this year, but their chicks have only started coming out in the past few days, and they have concentrated so far on the fat feeders on the balcony. They have also taken some of the occasional few I leave in a dish on the bathroom window sill which is where I photographed this youngster on Wednesday 27th (through the window):

To be continued...

Whitby, 23-25 April 2009

2009-05-25T15:05:00.008+01:00

On 23rd April, we went to Whitby for the Whitby Gothic Weekend as we do twice a year. While my other half is busy making the live music side of the festival run smoothly, I spend some of that time wandering round, having a look at rocks and birds. I have had the photos ready for this post for a very long time, but I just haven't got round to writing the words around them. A mixture of catching the 'Whitby lurgy' initially and catching up afterwards and being otherwise busy (partially by the birds around here as their chicks hatch then fledge). It won't be as developed as it may have been, but I'd better bite the bullet and get it over and done with, so I can get on with more recent stuff!
Until last October, I had never been to the other side of that jetty at the back of this photo, having only been on the beach on the North side. Very different, as one side is a sandy beach, the other a shale beach with lots of fossils and mussel beds.

One of the things I like about Whitby is how close, compared to home, you can get to the gulls in town (pretty much exclusively Herring Gulls as far as I could tell). I love how this photo of a gull looking up at me turned up:

I can indulge in taking close up portraits like this one (I used this not quie as close one as my screen backdrop for a long time):

The other thing I like about Whitby are the turnstones, not that I was expecting any this time. This one was picking up crumbs and chips by the bandstand:

I went to the other side of the jetty on the Saturday morning. It was packed with Herring Gulls, a few of which I noticed fishing starfish like this one:

There were also a fair few Oystercatchers, a group of Kittiwakes, either nicely packed on the beach or noisily circling in front of the cliff, 3 Bar-tailed Godwits. I also spotted a Hermit Crab, an ammonite and a group of kids on a fossil hunt (they sort of put a stop to mine, that and the fact that the cliff seemed to be crumbling where I'd been shortly after I'd been there).

Plenty more photos to be seen here.
And if you are that way inclined, photos of the bands playing at the festival are there.

20 April 2009

2009-04-20T21:12:00.002+01:00

I went to the Thames this morning. On my way there I heard a familiar sound I had not heard for a little while, lifted my head and saw a peregrine, probably a female, being harassed by a mob of crows. I unfortunately lost them behind buildings but I guess they chased it away.
Tide was going up and the shore was empty at Hammersmith Bridge apart from a few pigeons, and something I had never seen before: a magpie, collecting algae and mud, I guess as nesting material. I also saw a few more birds, fortunately, between there and Crabtree Wharf:

mallard: 16
Canada goose: 3 + 2 flying over
lesser black-backed gull: a pair
black headed gull:2
herring gull: about 7 of various ages
house martin: just the one
coot; 2
moorhen: 2
tufted duck: 8 males and 8 females
great crested grebe: 1 fishing, quite close to the path
house sparrow: at least 2 in the usual bush
parakeet: a pair being intimate on the pontoon
starling: one had twigs in its beak

19 April 2009

2009-04-19T19:59:00.000+01:00

I went to the Thames this morning. On my way there I heard a familiar sound, lifted my head and saw a peregrine, probably a female, being harassed by a mob of crows. I unfortunately lost them behind buildings but I guess they chased it away.
Tide was going up and the shore was empty at Hammersmith Bridge apart from a few pigeons, and something I had never seen before: a magpie, collecting algae and mud, I guess as nesting material. I also saw a few more birds, fortunately, between there and Crabtree Wharf:

mallard: 16
Canada goose: 3 + 2 flying over
lesser black-backed gull: a pair
black headed gull:2
herring gull: about 7 of various ages
house martin: just the one
coot; 2
moorhen: 2
tufted duck: 8 males and 8 females
great crested grebe: 1 fishing, quite close to the path
house sparrow: at least 2 in the usual bush
parakeet: a pair being intimate on the pontoon
starling: one had twigs in its beak

16 April 2009

2009-04-16T21:42:00.001+01:00

The Canada geese are still nesting on the pontoon by the supermarket. There was also a singing pied wagtail, a pair of dunnocks picking up crumbs on the path (a lot of people appear to be eating their lunch on the benches there), a moorhen and at least 3 house sparrows.

10 April 2009

2009-04-10T19:52:00.001+01:00

I needed some fresh air so I went out mid afternoon towards the Thames. Plus the tide was high and the cloud cover low, so I was hoping for either tern or hirundines to get my patch list going again, but I got a bit more than I bargained for.. .As I was walking past Hammersmith Embankment, I noticed a big plume of smoke coming from Hammersmith Broadway. Still, I continued but decided to go towards Hammersmith Bridge instead than Crabtree Wharf. Shortly afterwards, I finally spotted #52 for this year, with 3 housemartins quite low above Hammersmith Embankment and the river. Which means that I have now reached last year's total ;)

I then detoured via Hammersmith Broadway and found out the top of the building was on fire. What amused me was that some pigeons were still on top of the building, maybe 20m from the smoke, and still very busy with courtship displays...

9 April 2009

2009-04-09T19:50:00.000+01:00

I did my weekly shopping today, and a coot might have finally explained to me the moorhen behaviour I have been witnessing as one was doing exactly the same thing, but it was occasionally pecking at bits and pieces that were coming its way. It still seemed a lot of effort for not much reward...

A pair of Canada geese have started nesting on the pontoon, in the same spot where they failed last year. We'll how it goes this year...

I also saw my first Egyptian Geese for this year with the pair below. Strangely enough, I used to see them quite regularly on my patch last year, but not this one...

8 April 2009

2009-04-08T20:42:00.001+01:00

I passed by the Thames this afternoon while running errands. Tide was full, and guess what? There was a moorhen furiously 'pedalling' against the tide... Fairly few birds otherwise, I had been hoping for some sand- or house-martins, or even a tern to revive my patch list, but no... Nice view however of a kestrel over the river which I picked up in front of Harrods Repository and lost over the Wetland Centre. 2 tufted ducks, 8 mallards, 2 coots, 4 Canada Geese, 1 cormorant, 2 parakeets and a few starlings were the only other birds.

In Margravine cemetery, the magnolia has now lost a lot of its flowers, it's like it has snowed underneath...

6 April 2009

2009-04-06T20:23:00.001+01:00

mating parakeets from Nathalie Mahieu on Vimeo.
I have finally put online the clip I took of the parakeets mating on 17 March. I was not expecting it to last this long... so please excuse the wobbliness at times when I got tired of holding the camera.
Since, I have barely seen them, though I can still hear some pass over or settle on other trees.

4 April 2009

2009-04-04T20:15:00.001+01:00

I didn't feel like going to the Thames this morning, but I went and spent an hour wandering in Margravine Cemetery in the afternoon. For a while I watched this robin catching worms:

This was happening by the magnolia, the flowers of which have now started to fade:

Then I observed this crow which, after trying to extract marrow from a big bone, started hoovering insects which were hovering right above the grass:

Then I sat by a grave on which I had seen a honey bee yesterday in the hope to take a photo of one. I saw a few bumble bees, hover flies (or at least I think so, my insect id skills are not terribly developed), but no honey bee. So I amused myself taking macro photos of the flowers instead, such as the one above. I'd be interested in those flowers too if I was an insect I think...
Then, as I was almost home, I noticed a lot of insects around one of the bushes in the car park, and, among them, this honey bee (or at least I hope, it's been years since I've seen one):

1 April 2009

2009-04-01T20:18:00.000+01:00

I passed by the Thames while running some errands. Tide was very low, some of the lowest I have seen, though it was even lower yesterday as I was walking a dog with a friend,
Still a few birds:

mallard: 14
gadwall: 16
tufted duck: 20
teal: 2
moorhen
coot: 3
cormorant: 2
black-headed gull: 20-30, mostly 1st years, only one had a black head
lesser black-backed gull: 1 pair
Canada goose: 14, mostly of them resting on the shore (now that the gulls are gone, it's nice and quiet. ;) )

I saw 4 (3 males & 1 female) house sparrows in the bush by Crabtree Wharf; I usually only hear them, but today the female, especially, gave me some good views. No colour ring on any of them.

30 March 2009

2009-03-30T20:06:00.000+01:00

I have found another nest of long-tailed tits in Margravine Cemetery. And, once again, it is in an area of high traffic, i.e. near the entrance by Barons Court. I'd heard a pair in the area a few times but thought they might be nesting on the other side.

In the meantime, the great spotted woodpecker continues to drum all over the place, including the aerials (until crows or magpie chase it from them...)

29 March 2009

2009-03-29T21:44:00.000+01:00

You will have seen this photo already if you follow me on twitter. It was taken shortly before the Boat race, at high tide. I assume it is the same one I have seen doing the same thing, i.e. going against the tide going nowhere, if not backwards, on previous occasions. It even had a youngster in tow at Christmas, twice the fun! Must be damn fit!

28 March 2009

2009-03-28T21:34:00.000Z

I went and checked the Thames part of my patch this morning. Tide was low and there weren't very many birds:

mallard: 24
gadwall: 16
teal: 12
tufted duck: 15
moorhen: 3
coot: 3 (2 of them fighting it seemed)
lesser black-backed gull: 1 adult
great crested grebe: 1 adult asleep on the water
herring gull: 1 3rd winter(?)
black-headed gull: 3 first year
pied wagtail
cormorant

There was a fairly strong northerly wind, and, at some point, I was treated to a minute or 2 of a female peregrine in stationary flight against it. Awesome!

22 March 2009

2009-03-22T22:15:00.000Z

This morning, with my sister, we went and saw the fish outside of Charing Cross Hospital. Most people visiting her are amazed at how big her goldfish (Maurice) is, so I thought I'd show her some really big ones so she can tell her visitors it's not that big really :)
I quite like going to look at them from time to time, I tend to make the slight detour if I am passing nearby, I find it very relaxing.
The two papyrus plants, one of which I successfully cloned a few years back from a broken stem, are not looking very healthy,which is a shame.

In the afternoon, after a big meal, we simply laid on the grass in Margravine Cemetery, taking the sunshine, listening to the birds, watching the squirrels. Protected from the chilly westerly wind, it was lovely.

20 March 2009

2009-03-20T20:21:00.004Z

With my sister over from France and the weather looking nice, we decided to go and spend the afternoon at the Wetland Centre. It is my first visit this year, probably the first year I wait so long to go there. When we crossed Hammersmith Bridge on the bus, tide was quite low and it was immediately obvious that the black headed gulls are pretty much all gone from there as well.
We spent most of our time in the captive birds part of the reserve, in part as I wanted to see the Demoiselle Cranes which I had not seen yet since they arrived back in November (I think), and take photos of them for my parents who are cranes 'fans'. Not as exciting obviously as when a common crane flew over their house a few weeks ago as they were gardening (they're quite on the outside of their migration route through France, but occasionally one of them strays a bit from the path), but quite nice nevertheless.

It was grooming time, it seems, a constant throughout our visit. This mandarin duck in the same pen was no exception:

I was reminded reading ShySongbird's blog a few weeks ago that, when I was a youngster, I did not seem to have a roll of film without a black swan on it. I'll have to have a look one day to see if my memory is playing tricks with me, but in the meantime, here are some more:

It was grooming time for them as well...

18 March 2009

2009-03-18T22:19:00.001Z

As I will be picking up my sister at the Eurostar at the time I do the weekly shopping, I went today instead. First thing I noticed was the almost total lack of black headed gulls, except for a dead one on the pontoon. Not too many other birds there except for some young big gulls, 3 greylag and 2 Canada Geese, the usual mallards, a grey heron fishing and a singing grey wagtail. I noticed at least 8 sparrows feeding on the catkins, but I don't think they were too impressed with the 2 gardeners leaf-blowing 'their' gardens. I certainly wasn't.
I was trying to photograph a cormorant in flight (practice hopefully making perfect) when my eye caught a commotion slightly higher and further: one, then 2, crow was harassing a peregrine, probably a male given the size difference, chasing it from the Battersea direction further West into Fulham.

17 March 2009

2009-03-17T22:06:00.001Z

I spent more than 5 minutes watching this pair mating this morning in Margravine Cemetery. Certainly no quicky :)

Otherwise, there were lots of singing robins, great tits, blackbirds, goldfinch, as well as a pair of chaffinches, a few greenfinches, and the great spotted woodpecker was drumming.

I don't know if it's my memory playing tricks, but there seems to be much more violets this year. Small carpets everywhere.

The magnolia is finally in full bloom.

14 March 2009

2009-03-14T22:12:00.000Z

I have been suffering all week of a head cold which manifested itself mostly by 'cant-be-ask-itis' and I almost couldn't be asked to go and check my patch this morning. As it happened, I had a nice walk and forgot my headache for 2 hours. Lots of birds were singing, with a dunnock to start with in my street. I could hear the sparrows by Frank Banfield Park as soon as I had crossed Fulham Palace Road, and they seemed to be making a lot of noise for the 3 I managed to spot.
When I reached Hammersmith Bridge, tide was low, and since there were also far less rowers, there were a lot more birds:

starling: a few flocks, some of them bathing
mallard: 16
teal:74
tufted duck: 10
gadwall: 25
shelduck
black-headed gull: lots, very mobile
common gull: 2 adults and 1 1stW
lesser black-backed gull: 1 pair (no streaking left)
great black-backed gull: 2 (I think 1 3rd and 1 1st winter), one of them had a fish head, stolen by a carrion crow
another young gull I am not too sure about
pied wagtail: 3
grey wagtail: 2
cormorant: 2 on the foreshore, 4 on the pontoon; there also seemed to be a lot of them high up in the air
moorhen: 2
coot: 3
sparrow: heard in the usual bush

Later on, I noticed that leaves are just starting to unfurl on the pink chestnut tree in Margravine Cemetery, and spotted a mistle thrush right at the top of the black poplar.

13 March 2009

2009-03-13T22:25:00.000Z

One more for the patchlist competition: kestrel!
I was in Margravine Cemetery trying to locate the drumming woodpecker and looking at a pair of canoodling parakeets when I spotted one to the North in stationary flight. It probably was just outside my patch then. I bent to grab my camera and it was gone, but a commotion above Barons Court told me the crows had spotted it and I watched as one chased it away above the A4. I was still wondering if I should count it or not an hour or so later when, looking at a flock of 8 goldfinches, I spotted in the background, and on patch, a crow chasing a kestrel...

11 March 2009

2009-03-11T22:05:00.000Z

Since I saw one of these, a 16-Spot orange ladybird (Halyzia sedecimguttata), on 1st March, which is when I took the photo above, I have spotted plenty more. I counted at least 36 on the same tree, but I have also seen clusters of them on other trees, on the bottom side of branches mostly. They're apparently to be seen from April, so they are a bit early if that's the case.

Lots of birds singing or busy nest building in the cemetery today. A pair of magpies is building a nest in a holly tree, probably one of the lowest magpie nests I have ever seen. A pair of robins were courting in the hedge by the entrance, I witnessed a food exchange,
The crocuses are pretty much finished, and finally there is an 'explosion' of soft pink on the magnolia!

I have not seen last year's partially leucistic young crow for a while, but, today, as I was getting to Barons Court tube station, I spotted a very similar one flying above the tube lines. I'd say, it's probably the same one, it has just relocated and appeared to have found a mate. Not bad for the 'runt'.

Finally, I love this photo of a chaffinch I took as it was eating prunus/cherry blossom. It has almost a menacing look, with a ciggy in its beak, imo. Or, it looks just stupid!

7 March 2009

2009-03-07T21:42:00.001Z

I had forgotten that there were boat races today on the river, plus the tide had already fairly risen when I got to Hammersmith Bridge, so there were few birds there. In particular, probably my lowest duck count ever with 4 mallards, and even they were right at the Bridge so very close to be outside my patch. There were a few black headed gulls, a good half of them now with black heads, I counted 58 by the bridge and 62 on the pontoon, with a few in between. Gull-wise I also spotted 2 adult lesser black backed on the roof of the Riverside Studio and 3 common gulls on the pontoon. A few cormorants were flying over, probably trying to find quieter waters to fish and one was trying to have a nap near the pontoon until a few black-headed gulls decided that its spot was highly desirable and nagged it until it left. Surprisingly there were 3 coots again, one of them going full speed against the tide, as well as the 2 moorhens, and a great crested grebe which was starting to fish as I left.

On the way there, as I was getting near Frank Banfield Park when I noticed a wren singing on a chimney, quickly being chased away by a pair of blue tits, quickly chased themselves by a starling... A pair of sparrows were exploring a possible new nest at the beginning of the street, a starling also being interested in it. Near the usual nests, a female sparrow was interested in a piece of insulation caught in a tree, and a male was in the wood chip picking up twigs, so nest building was very much under way. I was observing this when suddenly a flock of 12 goldfinches and a few starlings flew off from behind the fence of Hammersmith Embankment building site, but I could not find what had spooked them. A little later, on the other side of the Park, I was trying to see the sparrows I could hear in a hedge, when a great tit above me started alarm calling, It was most insistent, I initially thought there was a cat about but could not see one, and finally I spotted this sparrowhawk on a roof on the other side of the street:. Probably what had spooked the birds earlier.

After a minute or so, it spotted something over the building site and went after it. Yet again, goldfinch and starlings flew off, but I don't think it caught any.

Once the commotion was over and I resumed my walk, I heard a chiffchaff on the building site and saw it briefly as it went on a tree for a few seconds. I wonder if it's the one I'd heard and not managed to see on the other side of the street a few weeks ago.
And to get back to sparrowhawk, I was at home a while later when I saw (another) one circling above Margravine Cemetery.

4 March 2009

2009-03-04T20:25:00.001Z

Finally, one bud was showing some pink on the magnolia in the cemetery this morning, which is more than 2 weeks later than last year.
I heard the male great spotted woodpecker drumming and managed to find him after much effort. A lot more difficult to find him in trees! After a few days of not finding the parakeets at the nest, one was in and the other standing guard this morning.
The long-tailed tits are still building their nest. A few times now in that area I have heard a great tit with a very noticeable song,the best way to describe it is extremely metallic. Weird.