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...

Spanish broom 3.6.12 The Spanish broom Spartium junceum is a common Mediterranean shrub widely planted on roadside banks and naturalised in the south of England. This bank of broom was planted by Thames Water over 50 years ago and since then has provided this stunning show every June. Last week the tops were starting to flower and this week it is in full, brilliant glory.  In its native Spain it is uses as a source of fibre for making paper and cloth. In France it is the constituent of an essential oil known as Genet Absolute where it has been grown in the south France (and Spain) since the 16 th Century as a perfume ingredient. The Plantagenets named themselves after this plant ( planta genet ). The leaves are of little importance to the plant, with much of the photosynthesis occurring in the green shoots (a water-conserving strategy in a dry climate). The leaves fall away in late spring and summer shoots are covered in profuse fragrant yellow flowers 1 to 2 ce...