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

The Tripcock Point Lighthouse

Located beside the Thames (just downstream of Woolwich), erected during 1902 and apparently still operational:

It was here that the Passenger Vessel, the SS Princess Alice, sank during 1878 with the loss of 650 or so Souls, after being sliced in half by the Collier, the Bywell Castle.

The Princess Alice was returning back to London after operating a Day Excursion to Northfleet, Gravesend and Sheerness.

Bird' Species on/beside the Thames between Erith and Tripcock Point

Black-Headed Gull
Black-Tailed Godwit
Common Sandpiper
Canada Goose
Coot
Cormorant
Gadwall
Grey Heron
Herring Gull
House Sparrow
Lapwing
Lesser Black-Backed Gull
Linnet
Little Egret
Mallard
Moorhen
Mute Swan
Oystercatcher
Redshank
Ringed Plover
and Teal

Seals on the mud beside the Thames in the Thamesmead area

Our first Seals seen (and heard) for a while viz.

To Swanscombe and Home (via Greenhithe)

In need of a change of scene, we went to Swanscombe (Kent), travelling to Dartford (from Bexleyheath), where we transferred to a Rainham bound Thameslink train, seen here leaving Swanscombe:

We then bicycled down towards the Swanscombe Marshes area where Wild Flower' Species seen included:

Bird's-Foot Trefoil viz.

Black Medick
Common Fleabane
Common Knapweed
Common Mallow
Common Ragwort
Creeping Thistle

Mugwort viz.

Prickly Lettuce
Red Clover viz.

Sea Beet
Spear Thistle
White Clover
White Melilot
Wild Carrot
and Yarrow

Amongst the Ships moored on the other side of the River, were Tankers, Atlantic Muse and Hellas Margarita, at the Vopak Terminals in West Thurrock viz.

We returned Home via Greenhithe, changing at Dartford. Whilst we were waiting for our train to leave Dartford, we watched a Gravesend bound train depart viz.

Out and About

With no idea where to go we decided on the River: going via the Norman Road Field and the Crossness Nature Reserve.

We found ourselves thinking it can't be too long before the Stonechats return for the Winter &c. No sign of them yet though.

Wild Flower' Species seen in the Norman Road Field included:

Common Fleabane viz.

Common Sorrel
Creeping Buttercup
Creeping Cinquefoil
Creeping Thistle
Hoary Ragwort
Lesser Burdock viz.

Marsh Cudweed
Narrow-Leaved Bird's- Foot Trefoil
Red Bartsia viz.

Red Clover viz.

Scentless Mayweed
Spear-Leaved Orache
Teasel
White Clover
and Yarrow

Elsewhere, and whilst en-route to the River, we added Strawberry Clover and Twiggy Spurge to the list of Plants seen.

The 'Landing Stage' for the former Ferry that ran between Belvedere and Ford of Dagenham is now gone

The Ferry (for Ford' employees living south of the River) ceased operations during 2002 after Ford stopped manufacturing cars in Dagenham.

The Landing Stage seems to have become detached sometime during the last couple of years.

The "Chattering Classes' are returning

We had heard that the Black-Tailed Godwits are starting to return for the Autumn and Winter. And looking over the Sea Wall onto the Thames' Foreshore, close to the Outfall of the Crossness Sewage Works, we first saw the Godwits and then heard the familiar Chattering:

Bird' Species seen included: Black-Headed Gulls viz.

Black-Tailed Godwits (sixty plus), Canada Geese (twenty-five plus), a Common Sandpiper, a Common Tern, a Grey Heron, a Herring Gull, Lapwings (three) and Teals (not counted bur probably ten plus).

And it was Hot: very Hot. Very Hot.

Dittander by the Thames Barrier

We were surprised to find flowering Dittander growing on the Thames Foreshore, just West of the Thames Barrier viz.

We have previously seen it growing beside Norman Road North (the Belvedere area) and on the Dartford Marshes.

The Plants growing beside Norman Road North finished flowering a while ago.

The Thames Barrier:

Our First Butterfly' Sightings in the London Borough of Bexley: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020

Our First Sightings are Identified for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 viz.

Brimstone: 7 April 2015 ~ 17 March 2016 ~ 11 March 2017 ~ 26 March 2018 ~ 23 February 2019 ~ 11 March 2020

Brown Argus: 4 June 2015 ~ 24 May 2016 ~ 10 May 2017 ~ 18 May 2018 ~ 16 May 2019 ~ 7 May 2020

Clouded Yellow: 18 July 2015 ~ 17 August 2016 ~ 31 July 2017 ~ not seen during 2018 ~ 7 September 2019 ~ 3 August 2020

Comma: 9 April 2015 ~ 17 March 2016 ~ 11 March 2017 ~ 14 March 2018 ~ 25 February 2019 ~ 23 March 2020

Common Blue: 11 May 2015 ~ 22 May 2016 ~ 2 May 2017 ~ 22 May 2018 ~ 16 May 2019 ~ 10 May 2020

Essex Skipper: 25 June 2015 ~ 25 June 2016 ~ 16 June 2017 ~ 29 June 2018 ~ 20 June 2019 ~ 13 June 2020

Gatekeeper: 3 July 2015 ~ 6 July 2016 ~ 30 June 2017 ~ 29 June 2018 ~ 6 July 2019 ~ 11 July 2020

Green Hairstreak: 28 April 2015 ~ 3 May 2016 ~ 6 April 2017 ~ 19 April 2018 ~ 19 April 2019 ~ 26 April 2020

Green-Veined White: 30 March 2015 ~ 2 April 2016 ~ 27 March 2017 ~ 14 April 2018 ~ 28 March 2019 ~ 5 April 2020

Holly Blue: 22 April 2015 ~ 4 May 2016 ~ 8 April 2017 ~ 22 April 2018 ~ 14 April 2019 ~ 16 April 2020

Large Skipper: 5 June 2015 ~ 8 June 2016 ~ 1 June 2017 ~ 2 June 2018 ~ 2 June 2019 ~ 26 May 2020

Large White: 1 May 2015 ~ 30 April 2016 ~ 10 July 2017 ~ 4 April 2018 ~ 1 June 2019 ~ 19 April 2020

Long-Tailed Blue: not seen during 2015 ~ not seen during 2016 ~ not seen during 2017 ~ 29 October 2018 ~ not seen during 2019 ~ not seen during 2020

Marbled White: 24 June 2015 ~ 17 July 2016 ~ 16 June 2017 ~ 20 June 2018 ~ 22 June 2019 ~ 15 June 2020

Meadow Brown: 18 June 2015 ~ 18 June 2016 ~ 7 June 2017 ~ 8 June 2018 ~ 1 June 2019 ~ 13 June 2020

Orange-Tip: 7 April 2015 ~ 12 April 2016 ~ 28 March 2017 ~ 14 April 2018 ~ 28 March 2019 ~ 23 March 2020

Painted Lady: 7 June 2015 ~ 5 June 2016 ~ 20 May 2017 ~ 15 June 2018 ~ 24 June 2019 ~ not seen during 2020

Peacock: 30 March 2015 ~ 30 March 2016 ~ 9 March 2017 ~ 21 March 2018 ~ 25 February 2019 ~ 6 March 2020

Purple Hairstreak: 5 August 2015 ~ 18 July 2016 ~ not seen during 2017 ~ not seen during 2018 ~ not seen during 2019 ~ not seen during 2020

Red Admiral: 7 March 2015 ~ 28 March 2016 ~ 28 February 2017 ~ 19 May 2018 ~ 19 February 2019 ~ 6 March 2020

Ringlet: 25 June 2015 ~ 24 June 2016 ~ 14 June 2017 ~ 20 June 2018 ~ 22 June 2019 ~ 20 June 2020

Silver-Washed Fritillary: not seen during 2015 ~ 23 July 2016 ~ not seen during 2017 ~ not seen during 2018 ~ not seen during 2019 ~ not seen during 2020

Small Copper: 4 May 2015 ~ 4 June 2016 ~ 10 May 2017 ~ 20 May 2018 ~ 21 April 2019 ~ 10 May 2020

Small Heath: not seen during 2015 ~ 26 May 2016 ~ 20 May 2017 ~ 20 May 2018 ~ 16 May 2019 ~ 9 May 2020

Small Skipper: 16 June 2015 ~ 24 June 2016 ~ 10 June 2017 ~ 15 June 2018 ~ 20 June 2019 ~ 9 June 2020

Small Tortoiseshell: 7 March 2015 ~ 28 January 2016 ~ 11 March 2017 ~ 22 March 2018 ~ 22 February 2019 ~ 21 March 2020

Small White: 7 April 2015 ~ 25 March 2016 ~ 11 March 2017 ~ 5 April 2018 ~ 28 March 2019 ~ 26 March 2020

Speckled Wood: 9 April 2015 ~ 6 March 2016 ~ 28 March 2017 ~ 19 April 2018 ~ 28 March 2019 ~ 9 April 2020

White Admiral: not seen during 2015 ~ 21 July 2016 ~ 24 June 2017 ~ 23 June 2018 ~ not seen during 2019 ~ not seen during 2020

White Letter Hairstreak: 22 July 2015 ~ not seen during 2016 ~ not seen during 2017 ~ not seen during 2018 ~ not seen during 2019 ~ not seen during 2020

London City Airport seems to be partially operational again

We bicycled to Woolwich to look for the Skullcap seen previously: and were surprised and pleased to see a few aircraft flying into the nearby City Airport viz.

And Bulk Carrier, Saint Dimitrios, was moored at Thames Refinery Outer viz.

PS... and yes, we saw the Skullcap viz.

Also seen:

Black Spleenwort
Common Stork's-Bill
Four-Leaved Allseed
Gypsywort
Henbit Dead-Nettle
Jersey Cudweed
Purple Toadflax
Sea Beet
White Stonecrop
Wall-Rue
and Wild Carrot.

The 'Royal Iris' is a Woeful Sight

The former Mersey Ferry, moved to the Thames during 2002, to be converted into a floating Night Club, is looking increasingly derelict viz.

Unfortunately, she was holed, and has been left to rot.