Birds: Our 2024 'Year' List

Our 2024 Species' Year List (including where first seen): we really haven't bothered too much this year...

Avocet (Thames Foreshore, Greenhithe, Kent) viz.

Black-Headed Gull (West Lake, Thamesmead) 

Black-Tailed Godwit (Thames' Foreshore, Erith)

Blackbird (Thamesmead Ecology Study Area)

Blue Tit (Thames' Foreshore, Erith)

Canada Goose (Southmere Lake and Surrounding Area)

Carrion Crow (Thamesmead Area)

Caspian Gull (Thames' Foreshore, Thamesmead) viz.

Chaffinch (Thames' Foreshore, Erith)

Chiffchaff (Thames Path and River Foreshore, Erith)

Collared Dove (Thames Path and Foreshore, Erith) 

Common Gull (Thames' Foreshore, Erith) viz.

Common Sandpiper (beside the Outfall of the Crossness Sewage Works)

Coot (West Lake, Thamesmead)

Cormorant (West Lake, Thamesmead)

Curlew (Thames' Foreshore, Thamesmead)

Dunlin (Thames' Foreshore, Thamesmead)

Dunnock (Thames Path and River Foreshore, Belvedere)

Egyptian Goose (Thames' Foreshore, Erith)

Goldfinch (Grounds of the Crossness Sewage Works)

Great Black-Backed Gull (West Lake, Thamesmead)

Great Crested Grebe (Southmere Lake and Surrounding Area) viz.

 

Great Tit (Thames Path and River Foreshore, Erith) 

Grey Heron (Thamesmead Ecology Study Area)

Grey Wagtail (Thamesmead Ecology Study Area)

Greylag Goose (Thames' Foreshore, Thamesmead)

House Sparrow (Southmere Lake and Surrounding Area)

Jackdaw (Betsham, Kent)

Lapwing (Thames' Foreshore, Thamesmead)

Lesser Black-Backed Gull (Thames' Foreshore, Thamesmead)

Linnet (Thames Path and River Foreshore, Erith)

Little Egret (beside the Outfall of the Crossness Sewage Works) 

Little Grebe (Southmere Lake and Surrounding Area)

Magpie (Thamesmead Area)

Mallard (West Lake, Thamesmead)

Moorhen (Thamesmead Area)

Oystercatcher (Thames' Foreshore, Belvedere) 

Pied Wagtail (Thames Path and River Foreshore, Erith)

Pochard (West Lake, Thamesmead)

Redshank (Thames' Foreshore, Erith)

Rock Pipit (Thames' Foreshore, Erith)

Ring Necked Parakeet (Thames Path and River Foreshore. Erith)

Ringed Plover (Thames' Foreshore, Belvedere) viz.

Shelduck (Thames' Foreshore, Thamesmead)

Shoveler (West Lake, Thamesmead)

Snipe (Thames' Foreshore, Belvedere)

Starling (Thamesmead Area)

Swallow (Betsham, Kent)

Tufted Duck (West Lake, Thamesmead)

Wigeon (Thames' Foreshore, Belvedere/Erith) viz.

and Wood Pigeon (Thamesmead Area)

Wild Flowers growing in our Road (at Home)

A few years go we submitted a list of Wild Flowers seen in our local Monad to the County Recorder. 

We think it about time to record Wild Flowers seen in/from our Road (a couple of hundred yards long if that), whether on the Pavements, in Road-Side Gutters or in Front Gardens:

Annual Meadow-Grass

Buck's-Horn Plantain

Barren Brome

Black Medick

Cleavers

Common Chickweed

Common Field-Speedwell

Common Knotgrass

Common Ragwort

Common Sow-Thistle

Common Whitlowgrass

Couch Grass

Creeping Bent viz. 

Creeping Thistle

Dove's-Foot Crane's-Bill

Fairy-Purses (aka Shepherd's-Purse)

Forget-me-Not (unidentified)

Four-Leaved Allseed viz.

Great Wilowherb

Groundsel

Hairy Bittercress

Herb Robert

Jersey Cudweed viz.

Lesser Swine-Cress

Pearlwort

Petty Spurge

Prickly Sow-Thistle

Red Dead-Nettle

Red Valerian

Rue-Leaved Saxifrage

Shining Crane's-Bill

Sticky Mouse-Ear

Thale Cress

Wall Speedwell viz.

Water Bent

and Wood Avens

Our First Butterfly Sightings in the London Borough of Bexley: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 (ten years)

Our First Sightings are identified for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 viz.

Brimstone: 7 April 2015 ~ 17 March 2016 ~ 11 March 2017 ~ 26 March 2018 ~ 23 February 2019 ~ 11 March 2020 ~ 9 March 2021 ~ 15 March 2022 ~ 23 March 2023 ~ 30 March 2024

Brown Argus: 4 June 2015 ~ 24 May 2016 ~ 10 May 2017 ~ 18 May 2018 ~ 16 May 2019 ~ 7 May 2020 ~ 28 May 2021 ~ 18 May 2022 ~ 27 May 2023 ~ 4 September 2024

Clouded Yellow: 18 July 2015 ~ 17 August 2016 ~ 31 July 2017 ~ not seen during 2018 ~ 7 September 2019 ~ 3 August 2020 ~ 26 June 2021 ~ not seen during 2022 ~ not seen during 2023 ~ not seen during 2024 (anywhere)

Comma: 9 April 2015 ~ 17 March 2016 ~ 11 March 2017 ~ 14 March 2018 ~ 25 February 2019 ~ 23 March 2020 ~ 22 March 2021 ~ 10 March 2022 ~ 3 April 2023 ~ 30 March 2024

Common Blue: 11 May 2015 ~ 22 May 2016 ~ 2 May 2017 ~ 22 May 2018 ~ 16 May 2019 ~ 10 May 2020 ~ 5 June 2021 ~ 18 May 2022 ~ 27 May 2023 ~ 7 September 2024

Essex Skipper: 25 June 2015 ~ 25 June 2016 ~ 16 June 2017 ~ 29 June 2018 ~ 20 June 2019 ~ 13 June 2020 (we had previously seen an Essex Skipper beside The Ridgeway in the Plumstead area, the Royal Borough of Greenwich, on 30 May 2020: confirmed as the first sighting, submitted to Butterfly Conservation, of the species in the United Kingdom during 2020)  ~ 24 June 2021 ~ 18 June 2022 ~ 9 June 2023 ~ 27 June 2024

Gatekeeper: 3 July 2015 ~ 6 July 2016 ~ 30 June 2017 ~ 29 June 2018 ~ 6 July 2019 ~ 11 July 2020 ~ 16 July 2021 ~ 2 July 2022 ~ 6 July 2023 ~ 10 July 2024

Green Hairstreak: 28 April 2015 ~ 3 May 2016 ~ 6 April 2017 ~ 19 April 2018 ~ 19 April 2019 ~ 26 April 2020 ~ 19 April 2021 ~ 26 May 2022 ~ 2 June 2023 ~ 13 April 2024

Green-Veined White: 30 March 2015 ... confirmed as the first sighting, submitted to Butterfly Conservation, of the species in the United Kingdom during 2015 ~ 2 April 2016 ~ 27 March 2017 ~ 14 April 2018 ~ 28 March 2019 ~ 5 April 2020 ~ 4 April 2021 ~ 25 March 2022 ~ 3 April 2023 ... confirmed as the first sighting, submitted to Butterfly Conservation, of the species in the United Kingdom during 2023 ~ 6 April 2024

Holly Blue: 22 April 2015 ~ 4 May 2016 ~ 8 April 2017 ~ 22 April 2018 ~ 14 April 2019 ~ 16 April 2020 ~ 7 May 2021 ~ 18 April 2022 ~ 25 April 2023  ~ 24 April 2024

Large Skipper: 5 June 2015 ~ 8 June 2016 ~ 1 June 2017 ~ 2 June 2018 ~ 2 June 2019 ~ 26 May 2020 ~ 26 June 2021 ~ 2 June 2022 ~ 21 June 2023 ~ not seen during 2024

Large White: 1 May 2015 ~ 30 April 2016 ~ 10 July 2017 ~ 4 April 2018 ~ 1 June 2019 ~ 19 April 2020 ~ 26 June 2021 ~ 20 June 2022 ~ 4 June 2023 ~ 7 August 2024

Long-Tailed Blue: not seen during 2015 ~ not seen during 2016 ~ not seen during 2017 ~ 29 October 2018 (a one off probably) ~ not seen during 2019 ~ not seen during 2020 ~ not seen during 2021 ~ not seen during 2022 ~ not seen during 2023 ~ not seen during 2024 (anywhere)
Marbled White: 24 June 2015 ~ 17 July 2016 ~ 16 June 2017 ~ 20 June 2018 ~ 22 June 2019 ~ 15 June 2020 ~ 24 June 2021 ~ 15 June 2022 ~ 17 June 2023 ~ 27 June 2024

Meadow Brown: 18 June 2015 ~ 18 June 2016 ~ 7 June 2017 ~ 8 June 2018 ~ 1 June 2019 ~ 13 June 2020 ~ 15 June 2021 ~ 15 June 2022 ~ 21 June 2023 ~ 27 June 2024

Orange-Tip: 7 April 2015 ~ 12 April 2016 ~ 28 March 2017 ~ 14 April 2018 ~ 28 March 2019 ~ 23 March 2020 ~ 4 April 2021 ~ 26 March 2022 ~ 7 April 2023 ~ 6 April 2024

Painted Lady: 7 June 2015 ~ 5 June 2016 ~ 20 May 2017 ~ 15 June 2018 ~ 24 June 2019 ~ not seen during 2020 ~ 23 April 2021 ~ 17 May 2022 ~ 7 April 2023 ~ not seen during 2024 (anywhere)

Peacock: 30 March 2015 ~ 30 March 2016 ~ 9 March 2017 ~ 21 March 2018 ~ 25 February 2019 ~ 6 March 2020 ~ 26 February 2021  ~ 15 March 2022 ~ 23 March 2023 ~ 4 March 2024

Purple Hairstreak: 5 August 2015 ~ 18 July 2016 ~ not seen during 2017 ~ not seen during 2018 ~ not seen during 2019 ~ 1 July 2020 ~ not seen during 2021 ~ not seen during 2022 ~ not seen during 2023 ~ not seen during 2024 (anywhere)

Red Admiral: 7 March 2015 ~ 28 March 2016 ~ 28 February 2017 ~ 19 May 2018 ~ 19 February 2019 ~ 6 March 2020 ~ 22 June 2021 ~ 19 March 2022 ~ 2 June 2023 ~ 12 February 2024

Ringlet: 25 June 2015 ~ 24 June 2016 ~ 14 June 2017 ~ 20 June 2018 ~ 22 June 2019 ~ 20 June 2020 ~ 24 June 2021 ~ 18 June 2022 ~ 28 June 2023 ~ not seen during 2024 (anywhere)

Silver-Washed Fritillary: not seen during 2015 ~ 23 July 2016 ~ not seen during 2017 ~ not seen during 2018 ~ not seen during 2019 ~ not seen during 2020 ~ not seen during 2021 ~ not seen during 2022 ~ not seen during 2023 ~ not seen during 2024 (anywhere)

Small Copper: 4 May 2015 ~ 4 June 2016 ~ 10 May 2017 ~ 20 May 2018 ~ 21 April 2019 ~ 10 May 2020 ~ 7 June 2021 ~ 18 May 2022 ~ 9 June 2023 ~ not seen during 2024 

Small Heath: not seen during 2015 ~ 26 May 2016 ~ 20 May 2017 ~ 20 May 2018 ~ 16 May 2019 ~ 9 May 2020 ~ 28 May 2021 ~ 29 May 2022 ~ 9 June 2023 ~ not seen during 2024 (anywhere)

Small Skipper: 16 June 2015 ~ 24 June 2016 ~ 10 June 2017 ~ 15 June 2018 ~ 20 June 2019 ~ 9 June 2020 ~ 24 June 2021 ~ 15 June 2022 ~ 17 June 2023 ~ 27 June 2024

Small Tortoiseshell: 7 March 2015 ~ 28 January 2016 ~ 11 March 2017 ~ 22 March 2018 ~ 22 February 2019 ~ 21 March 2020 ~ 9 March 2021 ~ 8 March 2022 ~ 4 April 2023 ~ not seen during 2024 (anywhere)

Small White: 7 April 2015 ~ 25 March 2016 ~ 11 March 2017 ~ 5 April 2018 ~ 28 March 2019 ~ 26 March 2020 ~ 22 March 2021 ~ 9 February 2022 ~ 15 February 2023 ... confirmed as the first sighting, submitted to Butterfly Conservation, of the species in the United Kingdom during 2023 ~ 7 April 2024

Speckled Wood: 9 April 2015 ~ 6 March 2016 ~ 28 March 2017 ~ 19 April 2018 ~ 28 March 2019 ~ 9 April 2020 ~ 9 April 2021 ~ 21 March 2022 ~ 3 April 2023 ~ 30 March 2024

White Admiral: not seen during 2015 ~ 21 July 2016 ~ 24 June 2017 ~ 23 June 2018 ~ not seen during 2019 ~ not seen during 2020 ~ not seen during 2021 ~ not seen during 2022 ~ not seen during 2023 ~ not seen during 2024 (anywhere)

White Letter Hairstreak: 22 July 2015 ~ not seen during 2016 ~ not seen during 2017 ~ not seen during 2018 ~ not seen during 2019 ~ not seen during 2020 ~ not seen during 2021 ~ not seen during 2022 ~ not seen during 2023 ~ not seen during 2024 (anywhere)

Wild Flowers seen in St Paul's Churchyard, the City of London (TQ3281)

Included:

Annual Meadow-Grass
Black Medick (see below)
Buck's-Horn Plantain viz.

Cock's-Foot

Common Field-Speedwell

Common Mouse-Ear viz.

Common Ragwort (unlikely to flower due to mowing regime)
Creeping Buttercup viz.

Daisy
Dandelion viz.

Greater Plantain
Groundsel

Hart's-Tongue Fern
Jersey Cudweed (see below)

Petty Spurge

Red Dead-Nettle
Sow-Thistle

Thyme-Leaved Speedwell viz.

Wall Speedwell
White Clover viz. 

and Yarrow (unlikely to flower due to mowing regime)

Jersey Cudweed and Black Medick viz. 

Some Wild Flowers on Bostall Heath

We spent about 60 minutes on the small section (in TQ4777) where Longleigh Lane meets Brampton Road viz.

Wild Flowers &c. seen included:

Buck's-Horn Plantain viz. 

Clustered Clover (don't remember seeing it on the Heath before: no recent records apparently, so have submitted the record to the Kent Botanical Recording Group) viz.

Common Chickweed

English Oak

Fairy-Purses (aka Shepherd's-Purse) 

Foxglove viz.

Beaked Hawksbeard

Hedge Mustard viz.

Herb Robert

Hop Trefoil viz.

Red Dead-Nettle

Ribwort Plantain viz. 

Soft Brome viz.

Spotted Medick

and Wall Barley

Wild Flowers seen flowering in the Plumstead Cemetery during a short visit

We didn't venture too far: just a hundred yards or so, if that:

Black Medick viz.

Bulbous Buttercup

Common Field-Speedwell

Common Mouse-Ear viz.

Common Vetch viz.

Daisy viz.

Dandelion

Dove's-Foot Crane's-Bill

Early Forget-me-Not viz.

Germander Speedwell viz.

Mouse-Ear Hawkweed 

Oxeye Daisy

Red Clover

Ribwort Plantain
Meadow Foxtail viz.

Spotted Medick

and Sweet Vernal-Grass

(Dark-Edged) Bee-Fly sightings for 2024

All Sightings are submitted to iRecord: see ... https://dipterists.org.uk/bee-fly-watch ...

26 March 2024: one (1) Bee-Fly on Bostall Heath

30 March 2024: one (1) Bee-Fly in the Upper Belvedere area

6 April 2024: sixteen (16) Bee-Flies on the Crossness Nature Reserve and surrounding area, including this one...

7 April 2024: seven (7) Bee-Flies on the Crossness Nature Reserve and surrounding area

12 April 2024: one (1) Bee-Fly on Bostall Heath

13 April 2024: four (4) Bee-Flies on the Erith Southern Marsh 

13 April 2024: one (1) Bee-Fly beside the Ridgeway in the Thamesmead/Belvedere area

13 April 2024: two (2) Bee-Flies in Lesnes Abbey Park

13 April 2024: eight (8) Bee-Flies on the Crossness Nature Reserve and surrounding area

18 April 2024: three (3) Bee-Flies on Bostall Heath

21 April 2024: one (1) Bee-Fly beside the Ridgeway in the Thamesmead/Belvedere area

29 April 2024: three (3) Bee-Flies on Bostall Heath

4 May 2024: two (2) Bee-Flies on Bostall Heath

5 May 2024: two (2) Bee-Flies on Bostall Heath

8 May 2024: two (2) Bee-Flies on Bostall Heath: including this one...

Wild Flowers on Bostall Heath seen during a short visit included

Annual Meadow Grass

Balkan Spurge

Bluebell

Broad-Leaved Dock

Broom

Bush Vetch

Cleavers

Common Chickweed

Common Mallow

Common Mouse-Ear

Common Vetch

Coral Spurge

Cow Parsley

Cut-Leaved Crane's-Bill

Daisy

Dandelion

Dove's-Foot Crane's-Bill

Fairy-Purses aka Shepherd's-Purse

Field Forget-me-Not

Foxglove

Garlic Mustard

Gorse

Green Alkanet

Hedge Mustard

Herb Robert

Honesty

Mugwort

Ox-Eye Daisy

Red Dead-Nettle

Ribwort Plantain

Round-Leaved Crane's-Bill

Sheep's-Sorrel viz.

Shining Crane's-Bill

Sowbread

Spear Thsitle 

Sticky Mouse-Ear

and Wood Sage

Whilst visiting two horses of our acquaintance yesterday in Kent, we looked for Wild Flowers around the Duck Pond and saw:

Annual Meadow-Grass

Daisy
Buttercup (Bulbous)

Buttercup (Meadow)

Common Field-Speedwell
Common Ragwort
Cow Parsley
Dandelion
Dove's-Foot Crane's-Bill
Early Forget-me-Not
Groundsel
Red Dead-Nettle
Spotted Medick
Sticky Mouse-Ear
Thale Cress

Wall Speedwell
and White Dead-Nettle

Additionally, we spotted this Hoverfly (Eupeodes sp.) visiting a Dandelion:

To the New Woolwich Cemetery via the East Wickham Open Space

In the New Woolwich Cemetery, we saw our first Small White Butterfly of the year and a possible Green-Veined White Butterfly. Also a Common Carder (Ginger-Bonce) Bee visiting Green Alkanet viz.

Plant species seen flowering in the Cemetery included:

Comfrey (either Common or White)

Common Field-Speedwell

Common Stork's-Bill

Daisy

Dandelion
Field Wood-Rush

Green Alkanet

Meadow Foxtail

Red Dead-Nettle

and Sweet Vernal Grass viz.

In the nearby Old Woolwich Cemetery there was lots of Spring Beauty: not yet flowering.

And on the East Wickham Open Space, there were a few Hairy-Footed Flower-Bees visiting Red Dead-Nettle and we saw our first Buttercups of the year including this Bulbous Buttercup viz. sepals turned down:

Did I visit the C17? Updated...

I have been Church Watching in the City of London with The Friends of the City Churches, for getting on for two years now: a favourite Church, if I have one, is St Martin-within-Ludgate. It was there I first came across the (wood) carving of William Emmett, on a door-case. Sadly, the carving has been ruined by coats of varnish and stain: probably by the Victorians.

The Church was rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1666: but survived World War II, essentially unscathed. Much of the furniture &c. is C17. 

I became better acquainted with Emmett's work in St Mary Abchurch: he carved the Font Cover, the Royal (Stuart) Arms, a Lion and a Unicorn. This is the Lion: 

Super impressive. 

 
As such I have developed an admiration for him but certainly wasn't expecting what was going to happen during my last stint watching at St Martin-within-Ludgate.

Sitting on a pew, I closed my eyes for no particular reason and saw a man working in the area where the door-case is: he was dressed in a voluminous white shirt and a light brown waistcoat type arrangement. The inside of the Church was chaotic: rubble and stone everywhere. Looking outside, Ludgate Hill was crowded with people and carts: the road was a brown colour. Then back to reality: if there is such a thing. So: did I see the Church being rebuilt during the late-C17? And Emmett working on this door-case? 

Or what? The scene was and still is, extremely vivid.  

Update: was speaking to someone yesterday who knows the City' Churches very well and who saw a ghostly Bishop in St Mary Abchurch, a while ago.

Additional Update: the experience has been reported to the 'Society for Psychical Research'.

Wild Flowers seen flowering locally during December 2023, January 2024 and February 2024 (the Winter)

Although we won't be participating in the Wildflower Society', Winter Plant Hunt, we have decided to record Wild Flowers seen in flower locally, as a matter of general curiosity. So here goes (individual species will only be included once viz. in the month they were first seen):

December 2023:

Annual Mercury

Bristly Oxtongue

Campion (a pink version)

Common Chickweed

Daisy viz.

Dandelion

Golden Samphire

Groundsel

Hawkweed Oxtongue

Ivy-Leaved Toadflax

Jersey Cudweed

Narrow-Leaved Ragwort 

Oxford Ragwort

Red Dead-Nettle

Scentless Mayweed

Shepherd's-Purse

Sow-Thistle

White Dead-Nettle

and Yarrow

January 2024:

Hazel (catkins)

Lesser Celandine

and Sweet Violet

February 2024:

Alexanders

Coltsfoot viz.

Common Field Speedwell

Common Fumitory

Common Whitlowgrass viz.

Early Dog-Violet

Goat Willow (aka Pussy Willow) viz. 

Grape Hyacinth

Green Alkanet

Hairy Bitter-Cress

Ivy-Leaved Speedwell

Primrose

Rue-Leaved Saxifrage viz.

Three-Cornered Garlic/Leek

White Ramping-Fumitory viz.

and Wild Daffodil (Lesnes Abbey Woods)

Resulting in a total of thirty-eight (38) species.