We won't be bothering with the so-called, Bird Watching 'Patch', this Year.

We won't be bothering with the so-called, 'Patch', this year. It was Fun to focus our Bird Watching there for three years but it's now time to move on.

The so-called, 'Patch', ran 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 included 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' included 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.

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

Bar-Tailed Godwit
Black Redstart
Black-Headed Gull
Black-Tailed Godwit
Blackbird
Blue Tit

Buzzard
Canada Goose
Carrion Crow

Cetti's Warbler
Chaffinch
Chiffchaff 
Collared Dove
Common Gull
Common Sandpiper
Common Scoter
Common Tern
Common Whitethroat
Coot
Cormorant
Curlew
Dunlin
Dunnock
Egyptian Goose
Gadwall
Goldcrest
Goldfinch
Great Black-Backed Gull
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Great Tit
Green Woodpecker
Greenfinch
Grey Heron
Grey Wagtail
Herring Gull
House Sparrow
Jay
Kingfisher
Lapwing
Lesser Black-Backed Gull
Linnet
Little Grebe
Little Egret
Long-Tailed Tit
Magpie
Mallard
Marsh Harrier
Meadow Pipit
Mediterranean Gull
Moorhen

Mute Swan
Oystercatcher
Peregrine Falcon
Pied Wagtail
Redshank
Redwing
Reed Warbler
Ring-Necked Parakeet
Ringed Plover
Robin
Rock Dove/Feral Pigeon
Rock Pipit
Sand Martin
Shelduck
Siskin
Song Thrush
Sparrowhawk
Starling
Teal
Wood Pigeon
Wheatear
Wigeon
Wren

and Yellow-Legged Gull

During 2017, we Recorded 60 Species on the 'Patch' 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
Kingfisher
Lapwing
Lesser Black-Backed Gull
Linnet
Little Egret
Little Grebe
Long-Tailed Tit
Magpie
Mallard
Meadow Pipit
Mediterranean Gull
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
Stonechat
Teal
Wheatear
Wood Pigeon
Wren
Yellow-Legged Gull

and during 2018, we 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
Rock Pipit
Shelduck
Starling
Stonechat
Swallow
Teal
Wood Pigeon
Yellow-Legged Gull