You don't have to be a Botanist to find Wild Flowers

Heck: we could never refer to ourselves as Botanists. For every Wild Flower we can identify there must be many, many more we have never even heard of! But that doesn't bother us in the slightest. And although it's nice to see something different we are more than happy to see old acquaintances. We class ourselves as 'Enthusiastic Amateurs'.

Yesterday, we decided to Bicycle along to see how the Navelwort (on the Kent Rare Plant Register) that grows locally is faring.  So off we went.

Almost immediately we saw some Sweet Alyssum flowering on a Roadside' Pavement viz.

Further on we saw some Hogweed flowering viz.

and shortly afterwards we spotted a Red Admiral Butterfly.

We have a fondness for Plants that grow on Walls (as does the Navelwort) and were pleased to find both Field Madder and Red Valerian flowering on a Wall beside a Public Road viz.

It was interesting to see the Snail hanging on there: it must have been a tortuous journey to reach that spot and it was a long way down should he/she slip and fall.

Shortly afterwards we spotted Wild Carrot growing in Rough Ground beside a Public Road viz.

And then we were beside the Navelwort viz.

How long has it been there we wonder? How did it get there? But more to the point it is still there, it seems to be doing well and there is quite a lot of it.

So: Job Done. Where to go next?

We decided to go down to the River in the Erith area and work our way Upstream.

Birds seen beside the River included Black-Tailed Godwits, Common Gulls, a Grey Wagtail, Mallards, Redshanks and Teals. Also four Rock Pipits: a party of three Birds and a Single Bird a few hundred yards Upstream viz.

In the Grounds of the nearby Church of St John the Baptist the Ivy Broomrape and Orange Hawkweed were still flowering viz.

A Primrose was flowering too.

Our attention was also attracted by some House Sparrows on the Church viz.

And a Blue Tit viz.

Beside a nearby favourite Footpath we saw a Small White Butterfly viz.

It may be visiting Lucerne (aka Alfalfa) but we aren't sure. Unfortunately Council' Strimming &c. means that we don't get to see the Seeds to attempt an Identification.

Other flowering Plants included Black Medick, Broad-Leaved Everlasting-Pea, Common Field-Speedwell, Creeping Thistle, Goat's-Rue, Narrow-Leaved Ragwort, Ox-Eye Daisy, Red Campion and White Campion.

Also Common Knapweed and Yarrow viz.

Sadly, there was no sign of the Stonechat seen earlier in the week by the small Lake beside Church Manorway.

During our Journey we saw quite a few Dandelions (also Daisies, Red Clover and White Clover). The Dandelions proved attractive to various Little Critters including an assumed Buff or White-Tailed Bee viz.

And nearby, some Dwarf Mallow was flowering viz.

It's always nice to see the Jersey Cudweed (on the Kent Rare Plant Register) that grows locally and on arriving Home we photographed a Shining Crane's-Bill, growing on the Roadside' Pavement, to add to the List of Plants seen in our local Monad viz.

A pleasing End to a more than Satisfactory Outing.

There is Something Special about Stonechats: for us anyway

We have a fondness for the Ringed Plovers that live beside the Thames locally. We saw six today.

But we also have a fondness for Stonechats (Pochards too but that's another story).

Many, many years ago we went on Holiday to Cuckmere Haven: on the Slopes (the Seven Sister's Cliffs) above the Caravan/Camping Site we saw Stonechats on the Gorse.

The memory of those Birds has remained with us. And it was a long time until we saw another Stonechat: this time on the Crossness Nature Reserve and Surrounding area, just a few years back.

We now see them regularly when they come to over-Winter locally.

A couple of years ago, much to our delight, a Stonechat over-Wintered beside the Footpath, connecting Norman Road North to the Thames Path viz.

We were somewhat concerned for the Bird's Well-Being since Peregrine Falcons often perched on the side of nearby Waste Incinerator but no harm seemed to befall our little acquaintance who eventually, we assumed, just moved on.

Which brings us to today. We decided to go down to see the Ringed Plovers &c.: and also to see if anything unusual had turned in the small Lake beside Church Manorway viz.

We were thinking in terms of perhaps a Tufted Duck but Wow: we saw a Stonechat viz.

Totally Unexpected and Wonderful to see. A real, Wow, Moment! Hopefully our new acquaintance will stay for a while.

We tend to stick Close to Home these Days

A few years back we visited the Farne Islands. We saw Arctic Terns, Guillemots, Puffins, Razorbills, Shags &c. but there was a feeling of anti-climax. To our minds it was a little like visiting a Zoo. And the journey Northwards was particularly Fraught: it was a Great Relief when we arrived back at Home (we only spent the one Night away: one Night too many to our Minds).

We were reminded of this yesterday as we sat in a train hurtling Northwards, journeying to call on a Relative.

We very rarely travel more than a few miles nowadays: it must be a couple of years or since we visited the likes of Dungeness, Oare Marshes, Shellness &c. Even Rainham Marshes: just across the River from us.

We occasionally toy with the idea of returning to Vancouver BC. to walk round Stanley Park to see the Gulls again (we remember them dropping Sea Shells from a height to crack them open) but it's a mighty long way to go for a short walk!

But why travel anyway?

The previous day we had walked beside the Thames locally and up and down a favourite Footpath where we hoped we might find a Butterfly or two.

We have a fondness for Ringed Plovers (but who doesn't?) and there were a few about beside the River viz.

We first heard and then saw, a small Party of Mallards looking totally at Peace with the World viz.

Our attention was then drawn to the Gulls: a Lesser Black-Backed Gull and some Black-Headed and Common Gulls viz.

And we were entertained by a few House Sparrows and a Pied Wagtail attending to her/his toilette viz.

Other Birds seen included Black-Tailed Godwits, Linnets and Redshanks.

The Council Strimmers had destroyed the last of the Flowering Plants beside the Thames Path but we did spot Common Toadflax flowering on the other side of the Railings close to the Waste Incinerator.

Beside the Footpath there were quite a few Plants in flower including:

Also: a single Wild Teasel and some Goat's-Rue.

We have mentioned Butterflies. It was an Overcast day and for a long time there was no sign of the Sun: the possibilty of seeing any Butterflies seemed unlikely.

But the Sun then put in an appearance: not the Orangey coloured one of the day before viz.

but a normal coloured one viz.

and we were were fortunate enough to see three Small White Butterflies viz.

and a Holly Blue Butterfly viz.

OK: nothing special perhaps but good enough for us.

Oh: and there was a Great White Egret!

A lovely Sunny almost Cloud-Free Day so we popped down to the Crossness Nature Reserve and Surrounding area in the hopes of seeing a Stonechat (or two).

We walked through the Norman Road Field up to the Thames Path: then downstream before turning off onto the Footpath leading to Norman Road North and thence back to our Starting Point.

Alas: no Stonechats (although we were told they were present) but we did see three Meadow Pipits and a Reed Bunting so couldn't complain.

And in the West Paddock we saw some Grey Herons, Greylag Geese, Little Egrets (two), Mallards, possible Shovelers (distant) and Teals.

There were a few Butterflies (Common Blue and Green-Veined White) and Little Critters (including Common Darters we think) present viz.

A Clouded Yellow Butterfly whooshed past us.

Crown Vetch and Hoary Plantain (on the Kent Rare Plant Register) growing beside Norman Road North were still flowering super-prettily viz.

Oh: and we forgot to mention that there was also a super-distant Great White Egret on the Reserve in the West Paddock viz.

A grey shadow on the Bird's back made us wonder briefly if he/she was a light coloured Grey Heron. But he/she had a yellow beak and was very much bigger than the Little Egrets present.

We sought and obtained confirmation of our Surprise Sighting. Indeed, a Bird, probably this one, had earlier been seen flying over and onto the Reserve, it being assumed it was one of the Little Egrets that frequent the general area.

So: a Great White Egret. Our first locally: we had only ever seen them previously at Dungeness. And just one of a handful of recorded Sightings in the London Borough of Bexley. Totally Unexpected and slightly Unreal.

The 'Patchwork Challenge' 2017

We made absolutely no progress towards our Target of 60 Bird' Species during September: not that we really made any attempt to do so.

That being said, as the Year progresses further, we still have vague hopes of seeing a Little Egret, a Mediterranean Gull (a 2-Pointer), even a  Mute Swan. All of which were seen during 2016. We must continue to be patient.

And we remain ever-hopeful of something unusual turning up on the Lake beside Church Manorway (a Tufted Duck perhaps?).

We nominally compete in the 'Inland South' League.

As at 30 September, the Sightings (55 Species) are as follows viz.

Black-Headed Gull
Black-Tailed Godwit
Blackbird
Blue Tit
Canada Goose 
Carrion Crow
Cetti's Warbler (heard only)
Chaffinch 
Chiffchaff 
Collared Dove
Common Gull
Common Sandpiper
Common Whitethroat
Coot
Cormorant
Curlew
Dunlin 
Dunnock
Gadwall 
Goldfinch 
Great Black-Backed Gull
Great Tit
Grey Heron
Grey Wagtail
Herring Gull
House Sparrow
Jay
Kestrel
Lapwing
Lesser Black-Backed Gull
Linnet
Little Grebe
Long-Tailed Tit
Magpie
Mallard
Meadow Pipit
Moorhen
Oystercatcher
Peregrine Falcon
Pied Wagtail
Redshank
Redwing
Reed Warbler 
Ringed Plover
Ring-Necked Parakeet
Robin
Rock Pipit
Rock Dove/Feral Pigeon
Shelduck
Shoveler
Starling
Teal
Wheatear
Wood Pigeon
Wren
Yellow-Legged Gull