Beside the Thames in the Woolwich area (in the Royal Borough of Greenwich)

We arrived shortly before the first of the Mud on the Thames' Foreshore was uncovered by the Outgoing Tide.

Birds seen on the Foreshore and beside the Thames Path:

Black-Headed Gulls viz.

Black-Tailed Godwits viz.

Blue Tits
Common Gulls viz.

Coots viz.

Cormorants
Egyptian Geese viz.

Gadwalls
a Great Black-Backed Gull
Herring Gulls
Magpies
Mallards
a Moorhen
Mute Swans viz.

Redshanks viz.

a Ring-Necked Parakeet
Teals
and Wood Pigeons viz.

Wild Flowers seen (flowering of sorts) included Borage viz.

Creeping Thistle viz.

Red Dead-Nettle and some sorry-looking Sow-Thistles.

We also saw one of the new Woolwich Free Ferries (the Dame Vera Lynn) on manoeuvres viz.

The new Ferries were initially expected to be operational during December-2018: due to technical difficulties we understand they will not become operational until some time during February-2019, at the earliest.

Also, Bulker, IDC Pearl, moored in the Thames at Thames Refinery Outer viz.

Footnote: a List of Bird' Species seen to date during 2019 in the Grounds of the former Royal Arsenal, on the Thames' Foreshore and beside the Thames Path:

Blackbird
Black-Headed Gull
Black-Tailed Godwit
Blue Tit
Chaffinch
Carrion Crow
Coot
Cormorant
Egyptian Goose
Gadwall
Great Black-Backed Gull
Great Tit
Herring Gull
Lapwing
Lesser Black-Backed Gull
Magpie
Mallard
Moorhen
Mute Swan
Pied Wagtail
Redshank
Ring-Necked Parakeet
Robin
Starling
Teal
Wood Pigeon

Other Species we would hope to see during the course of the year include: Canada Goose, Common Tern, Great-Crested Grebe, House Sparrow, House Martin, Shelduck and Yellow-Legged Gull (habitats are rather limited).

We visit the Limehouse Basin area (East London)

A first visit. We had initially intended to wander round the City of London looking for Lichens &c. However, whilst en-route to Tower Gateway on the Docklands Light Railway, we decided, on a Whim, to disembark at Limehouse and wander round the Limehouse Basin area which falls within Vice County 21, Middlesex.

The area includes the Limehouse Marina: and it is where both the Regent's Canal and the Limehouse Cut empty into the River Thames.

Birds seen included: Black-Headed Gulls, Canada Geese, Common Gulls (a couple on the Thames' Foreshore), Coots, Mallards, Moorhens, a couple of Mute Swans and Tufted Ducks viz.

Wild Flowers seen included:

Annual Meadow Grass
Black Medick
Bladder Campion (growing beside the Regent's Canal) viz.

Cleavers
Common Bramble
Common Chickweed
Common Nettle
Common Vetch
Cow Parsley
Four-Leaved Allseed (growing beside the Limehouse Marina) viz.

Gallant/Shaggy Soldier
Groundsel
Guernsey Fleabane
Hart's-Tongue Fern
Ivy-Leaved Toadflax
Jersey Cudweed viz.

Nipplewort
Pellitory-of-the-Wall
Red Dead-Nettle
Shepherd's-Purse
Sweet Alyssum
Valerian
Water Bent
and Yarrow

Some flowering Mahonia was attracting a few Bees viz.

And lots of Lichens have set up Home there, including:

Beside the Thames in the Woolwich area (in the Royal Borough of Greenwich)

Back to Woolwich (in the Royal Borough of Greenwich) to look for Birds on the Thames' Foreshore and beside the Thames Path.

A few days ago we arrived after the Mud had been covered by the Incoming Tide. Thankfully, we timed this visit, better.

Birds seen on the Foreshore and beside the Thames Path:

a Blackbird
Black-Headed Gulls
Black-Tailed Godwits
Blue Tits
Chaffinches
Carrion Crows
Cormorants
Gadwalls
a Great Black-Backed Gull
a Great Tit
Herring Gulls
Lapwings (really surprised to see these Guys) viz.

Lesser Black-Backed Gulls
Magpies
Moorhens
Pied Wagtails
Redshanks
a Robin
Starlings
Teals
Wood Pigeons

We go looking for Birds (our first Bird' Outing during 2019)

We read that Low Tide in Woolwich (in the Royal Borough of Greenwich) was 10.39 am. Arriving beside the Thames at around that time we found the Tide coming in and no Mud left exposed! But see *** below.

So, we hurried downstream to Erith (part of the so-called, 'Patch'): where much, although not all, of the Mud had also been covered by the Incoming Tide.

Birds seen on the Thames' Foreshore:

Black-Headed Gulls
Black-Tailed Godwits
Common Gulls
a Curlew
Dunlins
Great Black-Backed Gulls
a Grey Heron
Herring Gulls
Lesser Black-Backed Gulls
Mallards
Moorhens
Redshanks
and Teals

Birds seen in the Grounds of the nearby Church of St John the Baptist included Redwings viz.

*** the Tide Timetables use British Summer Time (BST): not Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Something we had vaguely suspected but hadn't checked on.

Lichens that have set up Home on Trees growing in Lesnes Abbey Park

Just a few of 'em viz.

Above: Xanthoria parietina and Xanthoriicola physciae. With (juvenile) Ramalina fastigiata growing among the Xanthoria &c.

Above: Xanthoria parietina, Physcia adscendens and Lecidela elaeochroma. Also: just in the frame (top right), Punnctelia subrudecta and nearby, possible Physcia tenella.

Our first Hoverflies of 2019

The Morning' Sunshine (and Blue Sky) brought at least two Hoverflies out to play on the Allotments: an Episyrphus balteatus and a Meliscaeva auricollis viz.

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

Bird' Sightings 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.

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'.

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 (accepted for the 'Patchwork Challenge')
Rock Pipit
Shelduck
Starling
Stonechat
Swallow
Teal
Wood Pigeon
Yellow-Legged Gull

Hoverfly' Recording

We started collecting Hoverfly' Records during Early-June 2018, if albeit in a somewhat half-hearted manner.

With 2018 now ended, we must ask ourselves: 'Did we make Progress?'

And the Reply must be, 'Yes: of sorts at least'.

We remain indebted to the UK Hoverfly Recording Scheme for assistance with Identifying the Hoverflies although a time must come when their Goodwill and Patience will Run Out.

Our 2018' Records, for what they are, have been Submitted to the UK Hoverfly Recording Scheme.

Our Data Set shows we have Records for approaching 920 Hoverflies.

The Records are dominated by Episyrphus balteatus, Eristalis sp., Eupeodes sp., Helophilus sp., Myathropa florea, Sphaerophoria sp., and Syrphus sp. 

Representing slightly Excess of 90% or so of the Hoverflies Recorded.

And we do of course see many more Hoverflies than we have Records for, so the foregoing must simply be regarded as a General Guide to Sightings.

Identified Species of Hoverfly:

Chrysotoxum bicinctum
Chrysotoxum festivum
Dasysyrphus altostratus
Episyrphus balteatus
Eristalinus sepulchralis
Eristalis arbustorum
Eristalis intricaria
Eristalis nemorum
Eristalis pertinax
Eristalis tenax
Eupeodes corolla
Eupeodes latifasciatus
Eupeodes luniger
Helophilus hybridus
Helophilus pendulus
Helophilus trivittatus
Meliscaeva auricollis
Merodon equestrian
Myathropa florea
Platycheirus scutatus agg.
Scaeva pyrastri
Sphaerophoria scripta
Syritta pipiens
Syrphus ribesii
Syrphus torvus
Volucella inanis
Volucella zonaria
Xanthogramma pedissequum s.s.

A Mini Safari on Boxing Day

A turn around Bostall Heath/Woods (in the Royal Borough of Greenwich) in search of Lichens and Mosses:

A Mini Safari on Christmas Day

With a pressing Engagement requiring our attendance during the early-afternoon, we only had time for a Mini-Safari.

A lack of Sunshine likely precluded the possibility of us finding any Hoverflies, so Lichens and Mosses were our Prey viz.