Its was an exciting start to June despite the frequent rain showers.   The most impressive visitor to the peninsula has been the Peregrine Falcon that returned on 4 June.  The male bird has been hunting pigeons over the Red Bridge and Surrey Water and perching on the gas holder.  A Magpie seemed particularly agitated and tried to drive the Peregrine away; their concern was obviously justified because the following day the Peregrine flew past with a Magpie in its talons.  In early June hundreds of Swifts flew over; a few have remained hopefully using the Swift bricks that the Southwark ecology officer has made a condition of new buildings.  The Great Crested Grebes on Canada Water have raised two young and have been feeding them on small fish and crayfish.  On 14 June one was still on the adult's back, the other swimming freely.  Canada Water also has breeding Pied Wagtails; nesting in the dock wall by Decathlon.  House Martins are doing particularly well.  There are good nest sites near the Mayflower, also just downstream from the Salt Quay on the Youth Hostel and riverside flats; they are easy to see hawking low over Canada Water. 

Peregrine Falcon

Peregrine sees off Magpie

Grebes sharing parenting responsibility

Grebes feeding crayfish to chicks

Swift over the Thames

Pied Wagtail

Reed Warblers are flourishing.  They are easy to hear with their chattering song, but it is sometimes difficult to see them skulking in the reeds. There was a pair in Southwark Park, a pair at Canada Water, at least two males singing at Lavender Dock, and also a single male briefly in Stave Hill.   It was really nice to see a family of Willow Warblers in the Meadow by the cairns.  These summer migrants usually pass through in April and May so its a real tribute to the ecology of Stave Hill that they stayed to breed.  Also plenty of singing Chiffchaffs still and good number of Blackcaps.  And the resident birds have done well too with many young Great Tits, Blue Tits and Long Tailed Tits and also families of Song Thrush, Greater Spotted Woodpeckers and noisy Jays.

Singing Blackcap

Young Willow Warbler

The wild flowers in Stave Hill have been spectacular.  Ragged Robin, Red Campion, Ox Eyed Daisy and Foxglove have brought great colour to the hedge rows and meadows.  Ragged Robin is declining across the country but flourishing in the meadow near the Hill entrance.  Field Scabious is a wild flower of chalklands and very attractive to Butterflies


The many flowers have attracted colourful Butterflies and Honey and Bumble Bees.  On the Ponds colourful Damsel Flies have glistened in the sunshine and later in the month a spectacular and beautiful Dragonfly - the Four Spotted Chaser enjoyed the sunny evening at Stave Hill Pond. 

Ragged Robin

Ox Eyed Daisy

Small Blue Butterfly

Bramble Flower with Burnet Companion Moth

Field Scabious

Blue Damsel Fly

Four Spotted Chaser

Four Spotted Chaser

In Stave Hill the foxes have enjoyed basking in the sun the meadow and in the newly cleared area, that has also been a favourite of young Jays.  People have mixed feelings about urban foxes, but these seemed sleek and healthy and do a really good job keeping the rat population down.  And in the natural surrounding of Stave Hill they looked very much at home. 


 

Fox in meadow at Stave Hill

Back in Stave Hill late in the month there were plenty of Common Newts in the Chalk Ponds together with many Pond Snails and Water Boatman.  What an excellent job TCV, volunteers and Southwark Council do to maintain this excellent habitat in which these lovely amphibians thrive. 

Common Newts

Common Newt

So plenty of diverse wildlife for us all to enjoy on the Peninsula.  But there has been two important losses.  Sadly we have lost the Common Tern as a breeding bird.  Rotherhithe had the record for the most central London nesting place for this beautiful summer visitor.  There have been a few Terns around, one of them mobbing a Peregrine, but no sign of them breeding on Surrey Water.  Perhaps a larger raft is needed.  Sadly the Sand Martins have also failed to return to the pipes near the Salt Quay.

Despite the many wet days, and these two losses its been another brilliant month for wildlife in Rotherhithe.  Its wonderful to see such diversity and beauty so near to the centre of our capital city.