Sunday 31 July 2016

Despite the unseasonably cold and wet start, July been another great month for wildlife on the Peninsula.  The summer flowers have burst into colour, breeding birds are into a second brood and some of our special birds are returning from their summer breeding grounds. 

The docks have probably been the most interesting.  On the gas holder at Surrey Water a male Peregrine has been a regular visitor.  Also a pair of adult Common Terns and a juvenile birds dropped in briefly in mid month; probably from the raft in the Greenwich Ecological Park.  Maybe they were looking for nesting sites for nest year; it would be great to re-establish Rotherhithe as London's most central breeding place for these beautiful summer visitors.  Towards the end of the month the noisy Black Headed and Lesser Black Gulls returned and on 17 July - the night of the flying ants - the sky over Surrey Water was full of hawking gulls.  The black heads are only present in the breeding season and already beginning to fade. 

Male Peregrine

Black Headed Gulls










Common Terns

Common Tern driving off Tufted Duck













Canada Water is a great habitat and birds seem very tolerant of human activity.  The Great Crested Grebes have produced a second clutch of eggs, reoccupying the nest that was taken over by a coot.  The juveniles helped to strengthen the nest; they are still being fed by the adults but will probably have to fend for themselves when their younger siblings hatch.  Canada Water is fresh water and Crayfish seem to be the most popular food - some of them pretty big.  At the Shopping Centre end Reed Warblers have bred and are relatively easy to see catching insects in the reeds.  There were also Blackcaps calling from the shrub.  On 23 July a beautiful pair of Kingfishers arrived and fished at the Shopping Centre end sometimes perching on the abandoned raft.

Young Grebe helps strengthen the nest

Grebe with large Signal Crayfish










Reed warbler

Kingfisher










On the river front the House Martins have had a very good year and all young have now fledged.  They are joined over the river by a few pairs of Sand Martins - smaller and more agile in flight than House Martins. In the past they have bred in the pipes by the Salt Quay and lets hope they do so again. 

House Martin

Sand Martin by Old Salt Quay










In Stave Hill the meadows and ponds are full of colourful flowers.  The Cranesbill is giving way to Clover and Teasels, and Purple Loosestrife and Rosebay Willow Herb thrive round the pond edges. It looks like a bumper year for Blackberries.  The flowers have attracted a great range of Moths, Butterflies and Dragon Fly.  In mid July the Chalk Meadow was full of hovering crimson Six Spotted Burnet Moths. 

Purple Loosestrife

Rose Bay Willow Herb













Emperor Dragon Fly

Common Darter









Hedge Brown

Essex Skipper on Clover flower










Six spotted Burnet Moth


Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs were singing until late into the month and there are plenty of young birds; tricky to see but easy to hear calling in the dense bushes.  Resident Song Thrush too have bred in the woodland, again surprisingly hard to see despite their loud and exuberant song.  Sparrowhawks have been very regular over Stave Hill, catching food for demanding young. 

The summer visitors are now preparing for the Autumn migration and their long journey south.  The Swifts will be the first to go despite being the last to arrive.  The House Martins are forming large groups, but they will stay around until September.  We may have some interesting visitors to the peninsula on passage, perhaps Spotted Flycatchers and Redstart in the woodland and hopefully some large raptors overhead. Its fabulous to see such diverse wildlife so near the centre a great city.  What a terrific place Rotherhithe is.

Juvenile Blackcap


Song Thrush in Cherry Tree