2 hours by the Thames

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.

Very low tide

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

19 April 2009

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
  

30 December 2008

I decided to make a detour by the Thames after running some errands. It was eerily quiet on the way there, apart from some whistling starlings. The tide was about half way, and the water almost like a mirror.

I saw:

• gadwall: 6, including a male chasing a female
  
• cormorant: 11
  
• mallard: 40
  
• parakeet: 2
  
• great black-backed gull: 1 adult, 1 first winter
  
• black-headed gull: at least 200
  
• common gull: 2 adults
  
• herring gull: 2 adults 'flirting'
  
• shelduck: 1 swimming against the tide, only the second time I see one here
  
• Canada goose: 2 (1 had a metal ring but I could only read half of it)
  
• sparrows tweeting in their bush
  
• lesser black-backed gull: 2 adults
  
• pied wagtail: 1 juvenile, then an adult and juvernile
  
• moorhen: 2, an adult and a young, swimming against the current and totally losing!

More photos in the Thames Path album (bottom of page and following).