It's almost mid-Winter

It is pretty close to mid-Winter (for us Winter runs from the beginning of December to the end of February) and although we are now spending much of our time looking for Birds we are still keeping an eye out for Flowers. There are still quite a few flowers to be seen but as the weather becomes chillier as it surely must the number and variety of flowering plants will doubtless diminish.

So, after looking for Birds on the 'Patch' *, firstly in the Belvedere area (annoyingly there were no Ringed Plovers about) and secondly in the Erith area, we took a turn around the nearby Grounds of the Church of St John the Baptist, looking for flowers and found:

Ivy Broomrape (continuing to flower) viz.

Primroses
and Snowdrops viz.

Moving on to Norman Road North we spotted:

Common Knapweed viz.

Common Ragwort
a Crane's-Bill (unidentified) viz.

Meadow Buttercup
Oxford Ragwort
(assumed) Ribbed Melilot (seeming hairless green seed pods) viz.

Pot Marigold viz.

Purple Toadflax (almost flowered out now) viz.

Red Clover viz.

Spotted Medick
Sweet Violet
Tansy viz.

Three-Cornered Garlic (our first sighting of the year ~ very much unexpected and we were super-pleased to see it) viz.

Tufted Vetch (almost flowered out now) viz.

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* Birds seen on the 'Patch' ** today included:

a Black Redstart viz.

Black-Tailed Godwits
Chaffinches
Collared Doves
House Sparrows
Lapwings viz.

a Linnet (our first on the 'Patch' this year)
Long-Tailed Tits (our first on the 'Patch' this year) viz. this inquisitive arrangement

Mallards
Redshanks
Ring-Necked Parakeets
Shelducks
a Song Thrush (our first on the 'Patch' this year)
and Teals

We also like to see Lichens and think that this Lichen covered boulder beside the River looks rather attractive viz.

** Our 'Patch' runs alongside the Thames from where the Footpath runs up to the Thames Path from Crabtree Manorway North in Belvedere, downstream, to just beyond Corinthian Manorway, in Erith.

We are also including the area, say 200 yards inland, running parallel to the River, which will allow us to spend some time in the Grounds of the Church of St John the Baptist, Erith. Sadly though; almost all of the ground immediately inland from the River has been built on.

We have gotten going with the 'Patchwork Challenge 2016'

Our 'Patch' runs alongside the Thames from where the Footpath runs up to the Thames Path from Crabtree Manorway North in Belvedere, downstream, to just beyond Corinthian Manorway, in Erith.

We are also including the area, say 200 yards inland, running parallel to the River, which will allow us to spend some time in the Grounds of the Church of St John the Baptist, Erith. Sadly though; almost all of the ground immediately inland from the River has been built on. Also the Footpath running up from Crabtree Manorway North.

We have set ourselves a target of 50 Birds!

Parking the car beside the Church of St John the Baptist in the Lower Road, we walked up to the Thames Path via Corinthian Manorway, this being the so-called, Erith section, of our 'Patch'.

We arrived as the tide was starting to go out and the Mud was beginning to become exposed viz.

And a lot, lot, more Mud, is exposed at Low Tide along almost the whole length of our 'Patch'.

Birds seen:

a Black Redstart (we think the Lichen covered Roof to be rather attractive) viz.

Black-Headed Gulls
Black-Tailed Godwits
Blackbirds
a Collared Dove viz.

Cormorants (one Cormorant with a fish was being hounded by a Lesser Black-Backed Gull)

a Grey Wagtail

House Sparrows

Lesser Black-Backed Gulls

Magpies

Mallards 

a Marsh Harrier (flying over and then inland ~ a chance upward glance resulted in us seeing the bird)

Moorhens

Mute Swans (flying past downstream)

Redshanks

Ring-Necked Parakeets

Rock Pipits

Starlings

Teals

Shelducks 

and Wood Pigeons

Walking back to the car through the Church' Grounds we spotted:

a Blue Tit
a Carrion Crow
Magpies 
Starlings 
and Wood Pigeons

Nice to see that the Ivy Broomrape is still going strong and that a few Primroses are flowering viz.

The flowering Snowdrops are also adding a splash of colour.

We next drove to Crabtree Manorway North and walked up the Footpath to the Thames Path, this being the so-called, Belvedere section, of our 'Patch'.

Birds seen:

Black-Tailed Godwits
a Blackbird
Chaffinches viz.

a Cormorant
Dunnocks
Goldfinches
House Sparrows
a Lapwing
Mallards viz.

Redshanks
Ringed Plovers viz.

a Robin
Shelducks
Starlings
Teals 
and Black-Headed Gulls (including a ringed Gull) viz.

The Number on the Yellow Ring appears to read, '2APF'.

In summary; a pretty much perfect first visit of the Year.