Lichens are Undeniably Addictive

And we can see why viz.

Seen beside the Thames Path in the Woolwich (Royal Borough of Greenwich) area.

Bird' Sightings on the 'Patch' (a couple of November' additions to the List)

We previously competed (if albeit, nominally) in the 'Patchwork Challenge' but have decided to give it a miss this Year. We say nominally, since the Highest Position we could ever have hoped for, was Mid-Table. That being said, we will continue to look for Birds on the 'Patch'.

The so-called, '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.

It includes the area, say 200 yards inland, running parallel to the River. Sadly though; almost all of the ground immediately inland from the River has been built on. The 'Patch' includes the (fairly small) newly-landscaped Lake beside Church Manorway and the Footpath that runs between Church Manorway and Bronze Age Way where there is a short stretch of Ditch bordered by Reeds &c.

We had been toying with the idea of extending the 'Patch' this year to include the nearby Crossness Nature Reserve and Surrounding area but have decided against the notion.

Although it would inevitably boost the total number of Birds seen (we could have included Birds such as Avocet (but seen on the 'Patch' during 2018), Black Redstart, Caspian Gull and Great White Egret if we had included the Reserve and Surrounding area in our 2017' 'Patch') the truth of the matter is that we probably wouldn't see many more Birds than we do already!

During 2016, we Recorded 74 Species on the 'Patch' (an Exceptional Total we think: for us at least).

During 2017, we Recorded 60 Species on the 'Patch'.

During November we added a Kingfisher and a Yellow-Legged Gull to the List of Birds seen on the 'Patch' during 2018.

As at 30 November 2018 we have Recorded 55 Species on the 'Patch' viz.

Avocet
Black-Headed Gull
Black-Tailed Godwit
Blackbird
Blue Tit
Canada Goose
Carrion Crow
Chaffinch
Chiffchaff
Collared Dove
Common Gull
Common Sandpiper
Coot
Cormorant
Curlew

Dunlin
Dunnock
Gadwall
Goldcrest
Goldfinch
Great Black-Backed Gull
Great Crested Grebe
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Great Tit
Grey Heron
Grey Wagtail
Herring Gull
House Sparrow
Kingfisher
Lapwing
Lesser Black-Backed Gull
Linnet
Little Egret
Little Grebe
Long-Tailed Tit
Magpie
Mallard
Meadow Pipit
Moorhen

Mute Swan
Oystercatcher
Pied Wagtail
Redshank
Redwing
Ring-Necked Parakeet

Ringed Plover
Robin
Rock Dove/Feral Pigeon (accepted for the 'Patchwork Challenge')
Rock Pipit
Shelduck
Starling
Stonechat
Swallow
Teal
Wood Pigeon
Yellow-Legged Gull

Back on the new (Bird) 'Patch'

Back to the new Bird' Spotting 'Patch' viz. the Thames' Foreshore in the Woolwich area (the Royal Borough of Greenwich) and beside the adjacent section of the Thames Path, first visited on 21 November 2018.

[i] Birds seen today:

Black-Headed Gulls
Black-Tailed Godwits
a Blue Tit (in the Grounds of the former Royal Arsenal) viz.

Canada Geese (five birds flying across the River from North to South)
a Carrion Crow
Common Gulls
Cormorants
a Great Black-Backed Gull
a Grey Heron
Herring Gulls
House Sparrows
a Lesser Black-Backed Gull
Magpies
a Moorhen
a Mute Swan
Pied Wagtails (in the Grounds of the former Royal Arsenal)
Ring-Necked Parakeets (heard as much as seen in the Grounds of the former Royal Arsenal!)
a pair of Shelducks
a Starling
and Teals

[ii] Bird' Species seen (during two visits):

Black-Headed Gull
Black-Tailed Godwit
Blue Tit
Canada Goose
Carrion Crow
Common Gull
Coot
Cormorant
Egyptian Goose
Great Black-Backed Gull
Grey Heron
Herring Gull
House Sparrow
Lesser Black-Backed Gull
Magpie
Mallard
Moorhen
Mute Swan
Pied Wagtail
Ring-Necked Parakeet
Shelduck
Starling
Teal

Lichens growing beside theThames Path &c.

Some of the Lichens seen beside the Thames Path and on the Thames' Foreshore in the Belvedere and Erith areas:

A Rich Assemblage

Yesterday, we added the following to Twitter: rather naughtily including … @BLSlichens … (in the Real World, the British Lichen Society) in our Twittering in the Hope they might Ride to our Rescue!

'So much to see? Lichens, including assumed, Xanthoria parietina and Lecanora muralis, have set up Home on a Pavement (in the 'Local Monad') ~ 26 November 2018 [but is there anything else lurking down there?] … @BLSlichens …'

And Wow: @BLSlichens, Super-Kindly came to our Rescue with a Wonderful and Pleasant Surprise to meet us on Waking this Morning, viz. 'Utterly fascinating, rich assemblage for pavement lichens! Yes to Xanthoria parietina and Lecanora muralis, plus probable L.albescens and L. dispersa. At least three more a bit risky to try to identify from this, maybe a Caloplaca and Rinodina Oleae. Probably molluscs lurking…'

Wow: a Million, Zillion Thanks, to the British Lichen Society.

Updated: A ringed' Black-Tailed Godwit (from 21 November)

We noticed a ringed' Black-Tailed Godwit on the Mud beside the Thames in the Erith area (aka the 'Patch') on 21 November 2018 viz.

We are kindly told that the Bird, a probable Male, was ringed at Harty (on the Swale) by the Harty Wader Group on 27 September 2015. Twenty-Four subsequent Reported Sightings (during 2015 and 2016) have all been in the Swale area.

Some Birds on the Thames' Foreshore &c.

At something of a loose end,  we decided to go to Erith and walk upstream along the Thames Path towards Belvedere, looking for Birds (especially the dear Ringed Plovers) &c.

Birds seen:

[i] Thames' Foreshore &c. in the Erith area: Black-Headed Gulls, a Blackbird, 300+ Black-Tailed Godwits, 3 Blue Tits, 2 Common Gulls, 2 Common Sandpipers, a Cormorant, 30+ Dunlins, a Herring Gull, 4 Gadwalls, 20+ Linnets, 35 Mallards, 3 Moorhens, 30+ Redshanks, a Rock Pipit, a Shelduck and 39 Teals...

[[ii] Thames Foreshore &c. in the Belvedere area: Black-Headed Gulls, 3 Black-Tailed Godwits, a Chaffinch, a Common Sandpiper (probably one of the Birds seen earlier in the Erith area), 4 Lapwings, a Lesser Black-Backed Gull, 2 Redshanks, 15 Ringed Plovers, a Robin and a Rock Pipit...

There is very little still flowering: that being said, we did see some Bristly Oxtongue, Hawkweed Oxtongue, Hogweed, Oxford Ragwort and White Dead-Nettle flowering...

Lichens and Mosses on the Lesnes Abbey' Ruins &c.

The closer we look, the more we see viz.

Footnote: We understand that most of the Ruins are Limestone although there is some Sandstone.

Some Birds on the Thames' Foreshore

Before going to look for Lichens &c. on the Lesnes Abbey' Ruins and nearby Trees, we trotted along to look for Birds on the Thames' Foreshore, off Corinthian Manorway.

Birds seen: a handful of Black-Headed Gulls, 350+ Black-Tailed Godwits, a Curlew (our first for a while), a Herring Gull, 7 Mallards, a Pied Wagtail, a Redshank, a Rock Pipit (probably the one seen a few days earlier) and 28 Teals.

We left before the Incoming Tide covered the last of the Mud: as did the majority of the Godwits.

Lichens in the 'Local Monad'

We have recorded Wild Flowers growing in the 'Local Monad'. After glancing through and being Inspired by the Bulletin of the British Lichen Society, Winter 2018, we have decided to (try to) record Lichens growing in the 'Local Monad' viz.

That being said, we have a long way to go before we can even consider referring to ourselves as, 'Novice Lichenologists'! But we are thinking it will be Fun...

And we have already learned a new word viz. Saxicolous, meaning, 'living on or among rocks', or a variation thereof. Which begs the Questions: does this include growing on man-made Bricks, on Public Pavements &c.? We shall assume it does.

Footnote: the first Picture shows Lichens (assumed Lecanora chlarotera) growing on an Apple Tree in the Garden (at Home) and the second Picture shows Lichens (assumed Lecanora muralis) growing on a Public Pavement (in the 'Local Monad').

Update: (26 November 2018). Assumed Lecanora muralis and Xanthoria parietina seen growing on a Public Pavement (in the 'Local Monad') viz.

Our first Rock Pipit of the Autumn

Standing beside the Thames in the Erith area (aka the 'Patch') we noticed a movement amongst the Rocks &c. just below the Sea Wall: and out popped a Rock Pipit (our first of the Autumn) viz.

who shortly afterwards, obligingly perched on a Derelict Wharf/Jetty for a 'Photo Opportunity'.

There were also six-hundred plus (600+) Black-Tailed Godwits, a handful of Dunlins, a Little Egret, a few Mallards and Moorhens, a Pied Wagtail and twenty plus (20+) Teals present. But not a single Redshank: and just two (2) Black-Headed Gulls.

A new 'Patch'?

It occurs to us that up to the end of this Year and beyond, it will be Fun, hopefully with perhaps Weekly/Fortnightly Visits, to Record Birds seen on the Thames' Foreshore in the Woolwich area (the Royal Borough of Greenwich) and beside the adjacent section of the Thames Path viz. a new 'Patch'.

Most Importantly: the area is easily accessible.

And we will set ourselves no Targets.

Birds seen during a Recent Visit:

Black-Headed Gulls viz.

Black-Tailed Godwits viz.

Common Gulls viz.

a Coot
an Egyptian Goose viz.

Herring Gulls
Great Black-Backed Gulls
Lesser Black-Backed Gulls
a Mallard
a Moorhen
and Teals

Other Bird' Species seen during previous visits have included: Common Tern, Canada Goose, Cormorant, Great Crested Grebe, House Martin, House Sparrow, Greylag Goose, Grey Wagtail, Lapwing, Mute Swan, Pied Wagtail, Redshank and Shelduck.

Footnote: and we are able to photograph aircraft flying into the nearby London City Airport viz.

Probably our last Butterfly Sighting during 2018

We had seen a Common Blue Butterfly on the Holly Hill Open Space on 14 November viz.

Today, with the Sun shining, we decided to see if he (for he is surely a he) was still out and about. And: he was viz.

Obviously the same Butterfly. With some Chilly Weather forecast, we think we are unlikely to see this Character again. It is probable that this is the last Butterfly we will see this Year.

The Ivy growing beside the Allotments is still attracting the Little Critters

A Sunny Morning: and despite being seemingly almost flowered out, the late-flowering Ivy growing beside the Allotments is still attracting the Little Critters viz.

Of Common Blue Butterflies and Black-Tailed Godwits

We went to the Holly Hill Open Space in search of a Common Blue Butterfly and thence on to Woolwich (in the Royal Borough of Greenwich) to hopefully find some Black-Tailed Godwits on the Thames' Foreshore off the Site of the former Royal Arsenal.

And found both viz.

The local Ringed Plovers: a Closely-Knit Family Group?

We have been seeing Ringed Plovers beside the Thames in the Belvedere area ever since we started visiting the River back in 2010.

They frequent a stretch of the Foreshore a few hundred yards downstream of the Public Footpath that runs up from Crabtree Manorway North.

As High Tide approaches, they fly Inland. We know when they are about to go to their High-Tide Roost since they start chattering and gather together viz.

At a given signal, off they go. Occasionally one or more will hang around on the Foreshore but generally they will all leave together.

How do they know the Tide is going out we wondered? Instinct probably but we were by the River one day a few years back when they flew out across the River (and had to fly back) so they don't always get it right.

And we are inclined to think they are all related. A not unreasonable assumption we think: after all, we have been seeing them in the same place for a number of years. Hence: we think, a Closely-Knit Family Group?

We hadn't seen them on a number of recent previous visits. Had they gone we wondered? The Ringed Plovers have a special Place in our Affections so it occurred to us that had they gone it might be an indication that we might be leaving soon too. But they are still there so hopefully we'll be around for a while longer!

Clouds often have Silver Linings

We caught the Bus whilst en-route to the River in the Erith area.

The Bus Stop we usually alight at was closed and the Bus stopped 150 or so yards further along the Road beside some Rough Ground.

Our initial annoyance faded when we found a patch of Red Dead-Nettles growing there with a couple of visiting Hoverflies (Episyrphus balteatus) viz.

And found another Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus again) on a Dandelion viz.

We also found a flowering Prickly Sow-Thistle (we don't see too many of them) viz.

So: another Cloud with a Silver Lining.

Other Plants growing on the Rough Ground included Fat Hen and Smooth Sow-Thistle.

Black-Tailed Godwits, Dunlins, Redshanks and Teals

By chance, we found ourselves beside the Thames in the Erith area: arriving shortly before High Tide.

The Black-Tailed Godwits were out in force on the Foreshore viz. four-hundred and fifty plus (450+) of them.

Dunlins and Redshanks were also present viz. seventy plus (70+) Dunlins and sixty plus (60+) Redshanks.

There were also a handful of Teals and a single Pied Wagtail present although very unusually, not a Mallard to be seen. Nor a Rock Pipit.