Thursday 7 April 2016

The warmer and longer days of April have brought beautiful flowers into bloom and filled the woods with birdsong.  On Stave Hill the Wild Garlic and Primrose have blossomed in the woodland and Cowslips and Snake's-Head Fritillary have brought colour to the meadows.  The Fritillary was once common on the banks of the Thames and bunches picked by local children filled the stalls of Covent Garden market in April and May.  Now it is rare, but grows well in the small meadow opposite the chalk patch.

Cowslip
Snake's-Head Fritillary



And the insects too have become more active.  The Comma Butterfly is now a familiar sight and the strange Bee Fly (Bombylius Major)  has emerged from the grassy bank by the rushes near Stave Hill. 


Comma Butterfly
Bombylius Major


Birdwatchers really look forward to April; it's the return of the migrants.  In the first week of April the woods were full of singing male Chiffchaffs.  But the star of the migration show so far was the pair of Redstarts that appeared in the meadow with the cairns on 5 April.  Willow Warblers and Blackcap have also arrived.  Some Chiffchaff and Blackcap may stay and breed, but most, together with the Redstart and Willow Warbler are on passage and will soon move further north. But its amazing that these tiny birds weighing only about 20g have flown about 3000 miles from Sub-Saharan Africa and chose to drop in on Rotherhithe


Singing Chiffchaff
Redstart

The common resident birds are also enjoying the warmer weather.  Great Tits and Blue Tits are busy nest building, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch are all in full voice and the normally shy Dunnock and Wren are perching out and singing boldly.  In early April a pair of Sparrowhawks and a pair of Jays were displaying well, but the Firecrests and most of the Goldcrests had left.  The Kingfisher was also elusive and may have headed off to its breeding grounds and the wintering Redwing have returned to Northern Europe.  A Little Egret flew low over Globe pond on 3 April but wasn't tempted to land.


Wren
Jay

And plenty of birds too in Southwark Park.  Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Blackcap have been singing at the northern end of the lake.  Our celebrity Common Scoter is still enjoying its stay but hopefully will be leaving us for more familiar territory soon.  Greater Spotted and Green Woodpecker are calling and drumming. A pair of Collared Doves passed through on 3 April, a pair of Grey Wagtail caught insects acrobatically  and a fine male Sparrowhawk sored majestically overhead.  The Swan is nesting on the island and the Little Grebe are probably nesting in the reeds

Grey Wagtail
Sparrowhawk


The docks, while a little quieter without the Blackheaded Gulls are also well worth a visit.  Both Canada Water and Surrey Water have nesting Swans, and who can resist the Coot chicks with their colourful punk haircuts.  But behind the charming sight of the Coot family lurks a brutal story.  In early broods the parents tend to kill a number of their own chicks and only the strongest three or so survive. The natural world can be a very tough place. 

Coot chicks on Surrey Water
Swan's nest Surrey Water










No Seals on the river this month, but plenty of Cormorants so there must be a good supply of fish.  There are some smart looking Lesser Black-Backed Gulls in breeding plumage ready to nest on the roofs of some nearby buildings. 

So a great start to the month and a lot more to look forward to.  The House Martins will soon be overhead, the Common Tern will hopefully return to breed on Surrey Water and watch out for the Sand Martins in the pipes of the river bank just along from the Old Salt Quay.