The Sun Shone and All was Well with the World

With the Sun Shining we decided to take a Saturday' Stroll.

Sitting on the Bus on our way down to start the Stroll we noticed a Mistle Thrush: our first of the year!

Disembarking in Yarnton Way, we intended to walk up to Southmere Lake: from there up to the former Thamesmead Golf Course via a short stretch of The Ridgeway and then up to the Thames Path, turning right to walk Downstream towards the Erith area.

Standing beside Southmere Lake we were Super-Fortunate that a (female) Pochard decided to swim towards us viz.

On the former Golf Course, we spotted a Brimstone Butterfly and a Peacock Butterfly: and were Super-Pleased to see the hoped-for, Coltsfoot viz.

We say hoped-for since the previous Year we had seen what we thought might be Coltsfoot leaves and Wow, we were right. Truth to tell, the whole point of the Outing was to try to find some flowering Coltsfoot. We suppose we must sound easily pleased!

We also spotted a Little Critter (kindly Identified for us as a probable Yellow-Legged Mining Bee) visiting a Dandelion viz.

Beside the short stretch of, The Ridgeway, connecting the former Golf Course with the Thames Path, we came across a Comma Butterfly viz.

Shortly after arriving on the Thames Path we chanced across a small Population of Rue-Leaved Saxifrage viz.

We had previously been aware of two other Populations growing beside the Thames Path, both further Downstream.

Walking along the Thames Path, we arrived at the Outfall of the Crossness Sewage Works. It was High Tide and we noticed some Black-Tailed Godwits &c. viz.

waiting for the Tide to turn and the Mud to reappear.

Slightly further Downstream, a Peacock Butterfly was visiting an assumed Cherry Plum viz.

Shortly afterwards, it was lovely to see that there are now a number of flowers on the White Ramping Fumitory (that grows close to the Waste Incinerator) viz.

There were a few Lesser Celandines in flower: including this one which had attracted a number of Little Critters viz.

Including we think, Pollen Beetles.

Growing just inside the Fence beside the Waste Incinerator, we spotted an Anenome Blanda viz.

Presumably not planted.

A couple of Primroses were flowering and unless we are very much mistooken, the first Cowslip flowers will be showing fairly shortly viz.

On the now derelict Belvedere Power Station' Jetty, we noticed fairly distant Oystercatchers and Shelducks sharing a High Tide Roost viz.

Further Downstream, beside the Thames' Foreshore area favoured by the dear Ringed Plovers (it being High Tide, they were presumably safely tucked up in their High Water Roost, somewhere Inland, we think), the Catkins on an assumed Goat Willow looked Very-Pretty viz.

And shortly thereafter, we noticed a Little Critter, a Shield Bug we think, on Oxford Ragwort viz.

Turning towards the Footpath that connects the Thames Path to Church Manorway, we thought, Golly! Is that a White Butterfly on that Dandelion? And, Yes it was: a Small White Butterfly viz.

Interestingly, we are aware of a local' sighting, earlier in the Month, of another possible Small White Butterfly: sadly, the person who saw the Butterfly, was unable to Identify it with full confidence.

There were also at least two Small Tortoiseshell Butterflies present viz.

And then, after a quick wander around the Grounds of the Church of St John the Baptist where we think we saw three different species of Sedum/Stonecrop, it was time to catch a Bus to take us on the first leg of our Homeward Journey.

A Pretty Much Perfect Outing! Helped possibly by us maintaining a sense of Wonder at even the most seemingly commonplace, such as Common Field-Speedwell, Common Groundsel, Dandelions, Red Dead-Nettle and Shepherd's Purse.

The 'Patchwork Challenge' 2017 ~ Slow Going but Enjoyable

We are making very slow progress towards our Target of 60 Bird' Species and are beginning to think that the Target might be a little Ambitious! But it's Enjoyable so we ain't Complaining.

As at 28 February 2017 we have seen:

Black-Headed Gull
Black-Tailed Godwit
Blackbird
Blue Tit
Canada Goose 
Carrion Crow
Chaffinch 
Chiffchaff 
Collared Dove
Common Gull
Common Sandpiper 
Cormorant
Curlew (seen here with some Redshanks) viz.

Dunlin 
Dunnock
Gadwall 
Goldfinch 
Great Black-Backed Gull
Great Tit
Grey Heron
Grey Wagtail
Herring Gull
House Sparrow
Jay
Lapwing
Lesser Black-Backed Gull
Linnet
Long-Tailed Tit
Magpie
Mallard
Moorhen
Oystercatcher viz.

Pied Wagtail
Redshank
Redwing 
Ringed Plover
Ring-Necked Parakeet
Robin
Rock Pipit viz.

Rock Dove/Feral Pigeon
Shelduck
(a distant) Shoveler (the first one we have ever knowingly seen on the 'Patch', distant or otherwise!) viz.

Starling
Teal
Wood Pigeon
Wren

Sadly, there still doesn't seem to be a Cetti's Warbler living beside the Footpath running up from Crabtree Manorway North to the Thames Path this Year.

Wow: Spanish Stonecrop (Sedum hispanicum). A Super-Pleasant Surprise

We had been wondering about the Low-Growing and Pretty, Sedum/Stonecrop Type-Plant seemingly thriving amongst the Moss and Dirt beside the Public Footpath that runs between Norman Road North and the Thames Path (TQ 497 805 or thereabouts) viz.

On a Whim, we grabbed the Bull by the Horns and sought Help with the Identification.

We submitted some Pictures to Geoffrey Kitchener, Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland, Recorder for Vice-Counties 15 (East Kent) and 16 (West Kent), who suggested it might be Spanish Stonecrop (Sedum hispanicum). He in turn sought the assistance of Ray Stephenson of the Sedum Society and the Identification was Super-Kindly Confirmed. A Million thanks to them Both.

This might be the First Record of this Plant for Vice-County 16.

So: really, Wow! And Yippee.

Some Pictures [i] taken during the past few Days viz.

and [ii] taken last Summer viz.

A Footnote: as mentioned above, it is growing amongst the Moss and Dirt beside the Footpath, somewhat Inhospitable Ground viz.

We are Gonna Go in Search of Orchids this Year

We don't know much, if anything really, about Orchids but then again, we don't know too much about Wild Flowers in General.

Our Searches will necessitate us travelling slightly further afield than we usually do; the only Orchids we have seen locally being a single Bee Orchid (in the Thames Road Wetland area) viz.

and Pyramidal Orchids viz.

in the Crayford Rough area (we just hope that some will survive a new Development that will eat up much of the area where they are found).

The only other Orchid we have seen is the Spotted Orchid (in the White Hill Reserve, Shoreham, Kent) viz.

We are setting ourselves a Target of ten Orchid Species this Year; nothing hopefully, too demanding.

Spring came Early

A Super-Sunny and Warm Day; very Spring-Like if not almost Summery!

Not long now until Spring.

Arriving in the Norman Road Field on the little of what remains of the Erith Marshes, we almost immediately spotted a couple of Stonechats.

Annoyingly, and for reasons best known to themselves, the current crop of Birds Over-Wintering on the Erith Marshes are inclined to keep their distance viz.

unlike during previous years when it has been possible to get quite close to them. We also chanced upon a couple of Reed Buntings and a handful of Goldfinches.

Up by the Outfall of the Crossness Sewage Works there were, as is usual at this time of year, Ducks Galore viz. Gadwalls, Mallards, Shelducks, Shovelers, Teals and Wigeons beside or swimming in the Thames:

A White-Haired Cormorant viz.

reminded us of the Verse:

'You are old, Father William,' the young man said,
'And your hair it has turned very white' &c.

The ever-present Moorhens were also very much in evidence viz.

There were a number of Waders present viz. Black-Tailed Godwits, a Common Sandpiper, Dunlins, Lapwings, Redshanks and Snipes:

And a Grey Wagtail was pottering about too viz.

A Footnote: just before setting off for home we noticed, Tahilla, passing by, heading downstream. We wondered if it was the Dunkirk Small Ship of the same name but on further investigation cannot be sure either way: