Wildlife Circus

Junk Forest Remember the boat trip we took (December, 2011) along the river wall at Seething? Well, this is one of the photo's taken entitled 'Junk Forest' and it was judged runner-up in a recent wildlife photography competition at the Ecology and Conservation Studies Society (ECSS) based at Birkbeck, University of London see:  http://www.bbk.ac.uk/environment/ecss/   In the submission it was described  as  providing important niches for urban wildlife and the only dark stretch of the Thames in Greater London, see earlier post on Urban Ecology . Marigold and rose petals were floating around these boats and our boat, at a Hindu scattering of ashes, which took place simultaneously and made this photo extra powerful. You can see the petals if you look closely.  This collection of 'Junk' on the commercial moorings at Seething contains protected niches for every coot, moorhen or other animal requiring shelter, far more secure than any bird or bat box could ...

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...