London Wildlife thread

[not-bono-ever]

yes, I know. foxes and shit - this is for wild stuff you saw when out and about.

todays starter- a grasshopper- yes, it sounds insignificant, but I dont think I have seen or heard a 'hopper in London for years- dnd this was on the decking in the back of our gaff in peckham. I was impressed

 

[BigMoaner]

Rat

 

[hash tag]

Frequently see herons, geese, ducks and mice outside my place.

 

[bi0boy]

My aunt has lived just inside the M25 all her life and says the wildlife has gone to shit. Says she used to see but hasn't seen for years hedgehogs, song thrushes, cuckoos, skylarks, badgers, swallows and frogs.

 

[not-bono-ever]

i sometimes see the pigeon with no feet at london bridge and i usually feed him bits from my pockets. he recognises me now and flutters across when i approach.

millions of toads and stag beetles in the garden . no slow worms yet but they keep their heads down usually

 

[BigMoaner]

frogs in our gardens. daughter loves them.

re your grasshopper, it gets a bit depressing nature wise in london if we make threads about a single grasshopper found

 

[ska invita]

This summer i had a massive stag beetle in the garden - that was cool
but the highlight for me has to be a fly....bear with me...ive no idea what it was but it looked a bit like a daddy long legs but at least twice, if not thrice as big, and its wings were slightly rainbow coloured like a dragonflys....anyone know what that was?

 

[Orang Utan]

A megalosaurus

 

[BigMoaner]

This summer i had a massive stag beetle in the garden - that was cool
but the highlight for me has to be a fly....bear with me...ive no idea what it was but it looked a bit like a daddy long legs but at least twice, if not thrice as big, and its wings were slightly rainbow coloured like a dragonflys....anyone know what that was?

Something that my wife would scream at if in the house.

 

[Orang Utan]

i saw a kingfisher in Catford once and a weasel like creature in Dulwich Park

 

[ska invita]

Ive seen three badgers in bromley this year - had never seen a badger before at all
its very much the kentish bit of bromley - hardly the city

 

[BigMoaner]

the wandle has trout, barbel, chub, roach, dace.

 

[marty21]

i saw a kingfisher in Catford once and a weasel like creature in Dulwich Park

I regularly see Kingfishers on the marshes near me ,plus buzzards , kestrels and peregrine falcons, it is cool seeing them in Hackney

 

[StoneRoad]

There has been a massive decrease nationally in many species of birds, insects and mammals, especially hegdepigs. Mainly loss of habitat - both for feeding and nesting - and in some cases disturbance (noise and lighting). Apart from supplying proper food in proper feeders, you could also provide nestboxes, to try and counteract the losses. If you can, making a garden wildlife friendly will also help a little, even on a balcony you can have visits from bees and birds. (On Tyneside, one of my friends lives quite high up in a tower block, their balcony nestbox was home to another family of blue tits this year).

 

[Miss-Shelf]

Spotted woodpecker in Barnet

 

[not-bono-ever]

A big fucking huge heron standing on the path at Burgess park, not scared that it is literally taking its life in its hand (wings) by hanging around in such a dangerous 'hood

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Not in London, but in the SE, found a tiny scorpion the other day. Miles from Ongar too.

 

[tim]

I've read a few times a out seals in the Thames and have wondered if there are locations where I could loiter in the hope of seeing some. Has anyone here actually seen one?

I assume that the pelicans inSt James' Park don't really count as wildlife, but they are well worth looking out for if you're in the area.

 

[ska invita]

I've read a few times a out seals in the Thames and have wondered if there are locations where I could loiter in the hope of seeing some. Has anyone here actually seen one?

the nearer to sea the more you'll see them, i think is the rule...rainham marshes coastline might be a good spot i would guess Google Maps
Tilbury or Thurrock Thameside better still, but its not really in London...but reports of seals are about teh Thames rather than London...

 

[Griff]

Quite an odd pair of birds in the garden yesterday, obviously male and female making a real racket. Male had a black face with grey body and red on the top of the head. Female was a brown non-discript colour. Took pictures but didn't really come out well.

Any ideas?

 

[Corax]

I managed to snap a pine-marten in Enfield yesterday!

 

[Sirena]

Quite an odd pair of birds in the garden yesterday, obviously male and female making a real racket. Male had a black face with grey body and red on the top of the head. Female was a brown non-discript colour. Took pictures but didn't really come out well.

Any ideas?

I thought a Stonechat then a Blackcap. But neither of those quite match your description.

 

[Griff]

No, these were bigger than those by the look of them.

Sitting here listening to them, it felt like we were in the Tropics, they really were making a loud racket.

 

[Griff]

Not the best picture, you can't work out the dark red feathers on the top of his head.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

I've read a few times a out seals in the Thames and have wondered if there are locations where I could loiter in the hope of seeing some. Has anyone here actually seen one?

I assume that the pelicans inSt James' Park don't really count as wildlife, but they are well worth looking out for if you're in the area.

There's a seal that hangs out in the Thames near Billingsgate.

 

[not-bono-ever]

There are rogue seals well upstream near richmond, as well as the odd loner hanging around the lower reaches. get down to the muddy estuary bit past Thurrock and you can some established groups IIRC

 

[Mumbles274]

Not the best picture, you can't work out the dark red feathers on the top of his head.

Looks like a green woodpecker

 

[Griff]

Looks like a green woodpecker

Yep, think you're right.

 

[Mumbles274]

Yep, think you're right.

If you saw them fly, they have a distinctive flight, with a wave like pattern of swooping up and down often calling as they do

 

[IC3D]

Saw a Red Kite over the A1 at Scratchwood. Pretty impressive