To the Crossness Nature Reserve and Surrounding area in search of either a Wheatear or Whinchat

Nothing doing alas: no Meadow Pipit or Stonechat either. Possibly too Windy?

But there were a few Bees &c. about: including a Shrill Carder Bee.

Wild Flower' Species seen on the Reserve &c. included:

Bird's-Foot Trefoil
Black Horehound
Black Medick
Bristly Oxtongue
Common Fleabane
Common Mallow
Common Toadflax
Creeping Buttercup
Creeping Cinquefoil
Creeping Thistle viz.

Field Bindweed
Goat's-Rue
Goosefoot sp.
Greater Plantain
Groundsel
Fat Hen
Hawkweed Oxtongue
Hoary Cress
Hoary Ragwort
Lesser Burdock (still a few flowers)
Marsh Cudweed
Mugwort
Narrow-Leaved Bird's-Foot Trefoil
Red Bartsia (with a Shrill Carder Bumblebee) viz.

Red Clover
Ribwort Plantain
Scentless Mayweed
Sea Beet
Sea Club-Rush
Spear-Leaved Orache
Spear Thistle
Strawberry Clover
Sun Spurge
Teasel viz.

Twiggy Spurge
White Clover
Wild Carrot
and Yarrow

A Shrill Carder Bee (Bombus sylvarum) on the Crossness Nature Reserve and Surrounding area viz. the Norman Road Field

Nothing too special (they are regulars) but nice to see one and have some pictures viz.

According to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, 'other than the extinct and re-introduced Short-Haired Bumblebee (Bombus subterraneus), this is perhaps our rarest Bumblebee, now known from only a handful of sites in South Wales and Southern England and generally scarce even there.' The Crossness Nature Reserve and Surrounding area sustains a population of these Bumblebees.

Trains at Waterloo Station

Arriving early for an Appointment in the Waterloo area, we decided to wander round the Station:

A Common Term beside the Thames in the Thamesmead area

There were two of these Guys (and very noisy they were too):

Gypsywort and a Hoverfly close to Waterloo Bridge

Also seen nearby: Black Medick, Creeping Thistle, Greater Plantain and Pellitory-of-the-Wall.

Back down to the River

We decided to go down to the River. En-route and after crossing the Railway Line at Belvedere Station we noticed the next Down-Train wouldn't be stopping. A Goods/Freight Train? And it was viz.

We went up to the River via the Norman Road Field. It was almost High Tide but we were lucky enough to spot a couple of Common Sandpipers, including this Guy:

Other Birds seen included Grey Herons, Lapwings (no picture), a Little Egret and Redshanks (no picture):

Wild Flower' Species seen on the Crossness Nature Reserve and Surrounding area and beside the Thames Path, on the Thames Foreshore &c. between Thamesmead and Erith included:

Amaranth sp. viz.

Bittersweet
Black Horehound viz.

Black Medick
Black Nightshade
Bramble (with a few flowers still)
Bristly Oxtongue
Broad-Leaved Everlasting-Pea
Common Fleabane
Common Knapweed viz.

Common Ragwort
Common Sorrel
Common Toadflax
Creeping Buttercup
Creeping Cinquefoil

Creeping Thistle viz.

Crown Vetch
Field Bindweed
Gallant/Shaggy Soldier
Goat's-Rue
Great Willowherb
Greater Plantain

Groundsel
Hawkweed Oxtongue
Hoary Ragwort viz.

Jersey Cudweed
Lady's Bedstraw
Lesser Burdock
Marsh Cudweed
Marsh Woundwort
Narrow-Leaved Bird's-Foot Trefoil
Narrow-Leaved Ragwort
Oxeye Daisy
Perennial Rocket
Prickly Lettuce
Red Bartsia viz.

Red Campion
Red Clover viz.

Red Dead-Nettle
Red Goosefoot (assumed) viz.

Ribwort Plantain
Scentless Mayweed
Sea Aster viz.

Sea Beet
Sea Club-Rush
Sea Purslane viz.

Sow-Thistle
Spear-Leaved Orache
Strawberry Clover
Teasel
Twiggy Spurge
Viper's-Bugloss
White Clover 
White Dead-Nettle
Wild Carrot
and Yarrow

The River was also quite busy, Shipping-Wise. The highlight probably being us seeing General Cargo Vessel, Amy, manoeuvring through the Barking Fleet Flood Barrier viz.

Other Ships seen included: [I] General Cargo Vessel, Arklow Vanguard, [ii] Ro-Ro Cargo Vessel Adeline, and [iii] Tanker, Stolt Sandpiper viz.

Wild Flower' Species seen whilst walking to/from the local Shops included

Annual Mercury
Bird's-Foot Trefoil
Bristly Oxtongue
Common Stork's-Bill
Four-Leaved Allseed
Greater Plantain
Ivy-Leaved Toadflax
Jersey Cudweed
Petty Spurge
Pellitory-of-the-Wall
Scarlet Pimpernel
Shepherd'-Purse
Sow-Thistle
Water Bent
and Willowherb sp.

We end up in Danson Park

With Rain expected during the afternoon we didn't want to go too far: but wanted to go somewhere not involving walking up a Steep Hill on the way Home.

We ended up in Danson Park where we saw quite a few Damselflies including these Guys:

We also saw a lone Duckling with his/her Mama viz.

Wild Flower' Species seen included:

Bird's-Foot Trefoil
Bittersweet
Bristly Oxtongue
Buck's-Horn Plantain
Common Knapweed
Common Mallow
Common Ragwort
Creeping Thistle viz.

Fat Hen
Field Bindweed
Great Willowherb
Greater Plantain
Gypsywort viz.

Lesser Burdock
Mugwort viz.

Perennial Rocket
Pineappleweed
Purple Loosestrife Ribwort Plantain
Sow-Thistle
Spear Thistle
Timothy Grass
Tufted Vetch
Water Mint viz.

Wild Carrot
and Yarrow

The Small Population of Common Stork's-Bill that grows close to Home is making a Come-Back

It has been a couple of years or so since the Common Stork's-Bill growing on a Public Pavement close to Home has flowered. Indeed: we had been under the impression that the Council' Sprayers had finally killed it off. But much to our surprise, three Plants have appeared. As to whether one or more will flower, only time will tell:

Other Wild Flower' Species seen whilst visiting the local Shops included:

Bird's-Foot Trefoil
Black Horehound
Four-Leaved Allseed
Great Willowherb
Greater Plantain
Jersey Cudweed
Oxford Ragwort
Pellitory-of-the-Wall
Redshank
and Scarlet Pimpernel

Shepherd's-Purse

We find ourselves wondering where the generally unobtrusive **, Shepherd's-Purse, fits into God's Great Creation. If it had never Existed, what else would cease to Exist: or perhaps Exist?

According to Botanist, William Coles (1657), the name Shepherd's-Purse derives from the likeness of the Seed to the Leather Bag/Purse, used by Shepherds to carry their Food and Drink, when they went out into the Field:

It is impossible to imagine what life must have been for a Shepherd at that time (we assume a Shepherd probably wouldn't have been able to either read or write).

** unobtrusive perhaps but with a pretty impressive Latin name viz. Capsella bursa- pastoris. 

We have to post a Parcel: so look for Wild Flowers whilst walking to/from the Post Office

Wild Flower' &c. Species seen included:

Annual Meadowgrsss
Annual Mercury
Black Bindweed
Black Medick
Broad-Leaved Everlasting-Pea
Buck's-Horn Plantain
Caper Spurge
Common Chickweed
Common Mallow
Common Ragwort
Creeping Cinquefoil
Creeping Thistle
Dandelion
Dwarf Mallow
Fat Hen
Field Bindweed
Fleabane sp.

Four-Leaved Allseed viz.

Greater Celandine
Greater Plantain
Great Willowherb
Green Alkanet
Groundsel
Hart's-Tongue Fern
Henbit Dead-Nettle
Herb Robert
Ivy-Leaved Toadflax
Jersey Cudweed
Mouse-Ear Hawkweed
Narrow-Leaved Ragwort
Nipplewort
Oxford Ragwort
Pearlwort
Pellitory-of-the-Wall
Petty Spurge
Purple-Leaved Yellow-Sorrel
Ribwort Plantain
Rosebay Willowherb
Shepherd's-Purse
Sow-Thistle
Spotted Spurge viz.

Willowherb sp. viz.

Wood Avens
and Yarrow