Wildlife Circus

swans with cygnet Filter Bed 2 As the vegetation matures, the colours are spectacular in sunshine. The swans eventually manage to bring on one cygnet. The coots and moorhen have faired better and the former are on their third broods. There is no competition for them this year (no little grebes) as the lowered water levels are unsuitable for this species.  Look out for good  numbers of flocking birds such as finches, starlings and sparrows along the Spanish broom and ash scrub.  As well as juvenile blackbirds and robins foraging along the wharf.  Filter Bed 7 watch out for kingfisher on dead wood Much of the water surface is covered with algae or emergent vegetation and reed beds are increasing in size due to last October's draining of the water. Purple loosestrife does make a stunning display surrounding many of the basins. Grey wagtails usually enjoy the muddy patches as the filter beds continue to dry out. Filter Bed 7 has...

An intrepid crew braved the 8 degree temperatures to record  heritage and other  features along the river wall of the Filter beds. There are many niches used by wildlife, which will be tidied away if the marina and moorings are developed. This includes the old barges, which provide multiple opportunities for nesting birds, as well as shelter, night roosts etc. The river wall is a solid mass of ivy berries, indicating the abundance of pollinating insects, which must have been busy during the autumn. In turn, this will provide food and shelter through the winter for thrushes, blackbirds, blackcaps and wood pigeons .  We saw wrens, robins and a foraging tit flock as we cruised along the wall. Spanish broom and ivy along the river wall Thames. It may look untidy to us, but this is what  ecology looks like, these are ecological niches. The structure, density and variety of vegetation is habitat for insect prey and pollinators and offers shelter during bad weather o...