Thursday 31 March 2016


March has been a brilliant month for wildlife in Rotherhithe.  The highlight, early in the month was the beautiful but tiny Firecrest in Stave Hill, showing well in the copse at the end of Downtown Pond and unperturbed by passers-by.  And in mid-March there were four birds, two singles and a pair in Russia Dock Woodland and Stave Hill, probably passing through on their way to breeding in the pine forests of eastern England.  And what a great area Stave Hill and Russia Dock Woodland is for wildlife.  The Kingfisher has looked beautiful flying along the stream and fishing in Downtown Pond.  There have been many Goldcrest, small flocks of Siskin and Long Tailed Tits flitting in the tree tops and Greater Spotted and Green Woodpeckers drumming and calling by the end of the month.  The Sparrowhawk often soared above the woodland or perched in the copse by Downtown Pond, a pair of Jays began noisily setting up home, and a Buzzard passed over on 26 March.    

Kingfisher
Green Woodpecker

Firecrest
Sparrowhawk
                                                   

Another highlight of Stave Hill was a lovely Stonechat that dropped in on for the evening on 13 March.  It’s normally a heathland bird and looked really at home in the evening sun in the chalk meadow.  The first summer visitor, the Chiffchaff returned from Africa on 15 March and they have been a regular sight since singing in the treetops, and a small group of wintering Redwing dropped into the newly created clearing on their way back to Northern Europe for the summer.



Stave hill burst into blossom in the second half of the month, Primrose and Cowslip on the ground and Gorse and Sloe in the hedgerows.  The mild winter led to early frogspawn and the tadpoles emerged on 20 March.  Small Tortoiseshell, Brimstone and Comma Butterflies flitted around on the sunny days and the Buff tailed Bumble Bee enjoyed the early flowers.    

Stonechat
Small Tortoisehell

Buff tailed Bumble Bee
Sloe blossom





Southwark Park too has some real highlights.  It’s a great ornamental and recreational park but also has wonderful wildlife.  The Egyptian Goose and goslings were much admired and the colourful Shoveller stood out amongst the many Mallard, Canada Geese and Tufted Duck.  There was also a group of three little Grebe amongst the many Moorhen and Coot.  But the star of the show was the Common Scoter.  This duck normally spends winter at sea and heads to its breeding ground in Northern Scotland and Scandinavia in the summer.  So it was incredibly unusual to see one in Southwark Park swimming between the Pedalos and obviously enjoying its stay in Rotherhithe on Good Friday. Southwark Park is also a good place for Greater Spotted Woodpecker and Mistle Thrush and migrating Chiffchaff and Black Cap arrived here in late March.   


Common Scoter
Egyptian Goose goslings

Shoveller
Greater Spotted Woodpecker


The former docks also hold very good wildlife. Great Crested Grebe and Little Grebe put on impressive show in Canada Water and both Canada Water and Surrey Water have nesting Swans.  Early in the month they both had large numbers of Black Headed Gulls, but on 22 March on a warm sunny evening they left for their breeding grounds; it was wonderful to stand on the Thames riverfront and watch thousands of them migrating west.  

                          
Great Crested Grebe                                                                           Little Grebe




Rotherhithe is not normally a great place for mammals.  The urban foxes have become very approachable but also often look quite emaciated; the dustbin diet taking its inevitable toll.  The squirrels continue to increase as do the rats around Canada Water, and are probably quite a threat to the nesting wildfowl.  But there is one special mammal that has put in a spectacular appearance.  The Grey Seal that surfaces from time to time near to the Old Salt Quay, sometimes with a fish in its mouth.  Perhaps it favours this spot because the water is particularly deep there, so definitely worth looking out for if you are having a drink in the pub.  It tends to pop its head up for about 30 seconds or so every five minutes if it is the area.  And soon now our local bird that has adapted  well to urban life – the Sand Martin - will return from Africa to nest in the pipes in the river wall just along from the Old Salt Quay, so watch out for that too. 






So all in all a great month.  Rotherhithe is a wonderful part of London for wildlife.  There are four different and complementary habitats: the woodlands and stream of Stave Hill and Russia Docks, the broader avenues of trees and larger ponds of Southwark Park, the open water of the old docks and the tidal river.  And thanks to the hard work of Friends, volunteers, TCV employees and Southwark Council they are all really well managed and maintained.  It is difficult to think where else a short walk can bring you in contact with such diversity and quality of wildlife.  It’s a joy to live here.