The Mid-Autumn Sun shines on the Allotments

After a couple of dreary days, the Sun shone brightly and we popped over to the Allotments in search of Little Critters viz. Hoverflies &c.

Also: with the 'Autumn Week Hunt' of the Wild Flower Society' (which involves looking for Wild Flowers in flower during the last seven days of October viz. 25 October to 31 October inclusive) fast approaching, we looked to see which 'Common Weeds' (aka Wild Flowers) are still flowering.

Assuming we have no bad Frosts &c. we are hopeful we will be able to find Annual Mercury, Charlock, Common Field-Speedwell, Common Fumitory viz.

a Daisy and Dandelion or two, Groundsel viz.

Red Dead-Nettle, Scarlet Pimpernel, Shepherd's-Purse and Sow-Thistle still flowering on the Allotments for the 'Hunt'.

And if we are really lucky, Henbit Dead-Nettle viz.

Oh: and there were quite a few Little Critters (Hoverflies &c.) out and about viz.

The Rain Finally Stopped

After a Super-Dreary Sunday and Early-Monday Morning, the Rain finally stopped at around 09.00 oclock this Morning.

We had Business to conduct in the Bank in Bexleyheath: after successfully concluding which, we wandered around the area surrounding the Broadway Shopping Centre (Grid References TQ4875 and TQ4975), in Search of Wild Flowers.

We managed to find some Ground that has escaped the Strimmers (for the time-being at least) and some Wild Flowers (30 plus Species) including:

Black Horehound
Black Nightshade
Black Spleenwort (growing on a Wall)
Bristly Oxtongue
Buck's-Horn Plantain
Common Mallow
Common Orache
Creeping Thistle viz.

Dove's-Foot Crane's-Bill
Fat Hen
Greater Plantain
Groundsel
Hart's-Tongue Fern (growing on a Wall)
Henbit Dead-Nettle
Herb Robert
Lesser Swine-Cress
Mugwort viz.

Oxford Ragwort
Pellitory-of-the-Wall
Procumbent Pearlwort
Red Dead-Nettle
Red Valerian
Redshank
Ribwort Plantain
Spear Thistle
Spotted Medick
Sun Spurge
White Campion
White Clover

and Yarrow viz.

In Praise of 'Common Weeds'

'Weeds are flowers too once you get to know them' … Eeyore

No need for more Words: some recently taken Pictures speak for themselves viz.

We start to look for Wild Flowers in a new Monad

We have been asked to look for Wild Flowers in three Local Monads viz. TQ4774, TQ4775 and TQ4776.

We have started with TQ4776.

Unfortunately, much of the Monad is built on and there seem to be minimal Open Spaces. The main one is Stevens Park, which seems to be regularly and comprehensively Mown &c., leaving little opportunity for Plants to grow, let alone flower.

Notwithstanding, we did find a number of Plants there viz.

Buck's-Horn Plantain
Cleavers
Cock's-Foot
Common Chickweed
Common Nettle
Common Orache
Daisy 
Dandelion
Dove's-Foot Crane's-Bill
Greater Plantain
Groundsel
Ribwort Plantain
Shepherd's-Purse
Sun Spurge
Wall Barley 
White Clover (Wow: actually flowering) viz.

and Yarrow

We subsequently had more luck in the  nearby (and much, much smaller) Grounds of the St Michael's Community Centre viz.

Annual Mercury
Bristly Oxtongue
Buck's-Horn Plantain (again)
Cleavers (again)
Common Field-Speedwell
Common Mouse-Ear
Daisy (again)
Dandelion (again)
Dove's-Foot Crane's-Bill (again)
Fat Hen
Groundsel (again)
Knotgrass
Petty Spurge
Procumbent Pearlwort
Red Dead-Nettle
Ribwort Plantain (again)
Scarlet Pimpernel
Shepherd's-Purse (again)
Spotted Medick
Sun Spurge (again)
White Clover (again)
and Yarrow (again) viz.

Also what we think is probably Common Mallow (rather than Dwarf Mallow, both of which grow locally) viz.

Elsewhere we spotted Pellitory-of-the-Wall, Henbit Dead-Nettle, Jersey Cudweed viz.

and Redshank.

A start: but with much of the Monad seemingly offering a hostile environment for Wild Flowers, we wonder how much we will be able to improve upon it.

We travel to Eltham (in the nearby Royal Borough of Greenwich) in Search of Wild Flowers &c.

We decided to catch the Bus to Bexleyheath Station, then catch a Train to Eltham and look around to see what we could find: looking mainly for Wild Flowers. We were also hopeful of finding a Hoverfly or two.

Walking to the Bus Stop to catch the Bus, we noticed a number of Wild Flowers including Jersey Cudweed viz.

Black Bindweed viz.

Pot Marigiold, Henbit Dead-Nettle, Black Nightshade, Black Medick, Pellitory-of-the-Wall, Red Dead-Nettle and Dwarf Mallow viz.

At the Station, we were pleased to see some flowering Broad-Leaved Everlasting-Pea viz.

more Pot Marigold and a single Scarlet Pimpernel.

On arrriving at Eltham Station, we didn't go very far, wandering round the Station Car-Park and the immediate Surrounding area before trotting across the Main Road to wander around the Well Hall Pleasaunce.

We discovered afterwards that we had missed the Woodland Glen in the Pleasaunce with its Bog Garden, and the Wild Flower Meadow: something for another visit perhaps?

[i] Wild Flowers seen in the Station Car Park and Surrounding area included:

Black Horehound
Black Medick
Bristly Oxtongue viz.

Buck's-Horn Plantain
Buddleia (Butterfly Bush)
California Poppy (assumed self-seeded since there are Plants growing in some nearby Private' Gardens) viz.

Charlock
Common Chickweed
Common Field-Speedwell
Common Mallow
Common Ragwort
Creeping Thistle viz.

Dandelion
Dove's-Foot Crane's-Bill
Fat Hen
Greater Plantain
Green Alkanet
Groundsel
Lord's-and-Ladies viz.

Mugwort viz.

Pellitory-of-the-Wall
Petty Spurge
Red Dead-Nettle
Ribwort Plantain
Sow-Thistle
White Campion
White Clover
White Dead-Nettle
and Willowherb (American we think)

and [ii] Wild Flowers seen in the Well Hall Pleasaunce included:

Antirrhinum (assumed self-seeded) viz.

Common Mouse-Ear
Common Mallow (we rather hoped it might be Dwarf Mallow but in the absence of any flowers decided it had to be Common Mallow)
Common Ragwort
Gipsywort (introduced?)
Hart's-Tongue Fern
Herb Robert viz.

Ivy-Leaved Toadflax
Mexican Fleabane (assumed self-seeded from introduced Plants) viz.
Nipplewort
Redshank
Water Mint (introduced?)
Water Plantain (introduced?)
Wild Basil (introduced?)
and Yarrow viz.

The Autumn Week Hunt (of The Wild Flower Society)

We are gearing up for the 'Autumn Week Hunt', which involves looking for Plants in flower during the last seven days of October viz. 25 October to 31 October inclusive.

We will focus on a few local Sites (including the Allotments, the Crossness Nature Reserve and Surrounding area, the East Wickham Open Space, Hall Place and Lesnes Abbey Park) and hopefully find currently-flowering Plants such as Black Horehound, Common Field-Speedwell, Common Chickweed (flowering seemingly almost everywhere at the moment), Common Field-Speedwell, Dwarf Mallow and Yarrow viz.

And of course, Dandelions viz.

And Daisies although we haven't seen too many recently.

Nothing too unusual of course but that's fine by us.

We are hopeful of Sea Asters on the Thames' Foreshore and that the Lesser Calamint will still be flowering in Lesnes Abbey Park. Also Common Fumitory on the Allotments. There are lots of possibilities.

Footnote: Totals for the 2017' Hunt ranged upwards from 24 to 220. We reckon on seeing 30/40 different Species this year.

Bird' Sightings on the 'Patch'

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 we might for 2019.

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'.

After a break of a few months this year (2018), we are not expecting to reach 60 Species again but that won't affect our interest and/or enjoyment.

During August, we added Swallow to our List of Sightings.

As at 30 September, the Sightings are as follows (53 Species):

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
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
and Wood Pigeon