Ring-billed Gull

Took the Docklands Light Railway down to the Isle of Dogs in East London to see the Ring-billed Gull yesterday. This long-staying/returning individual on the River Thames foreshore opposite Lovell's Wharf has been present in the area for several years and I've seen it as far north as Wanstead Flats and south of the river in Greenwich Park – both on occasions when I didn’t expect it. Of course as tends to happen when you purposely go looking for something, some birds decide not to behave. After two cold and windy hours scanning the River Thames I headed back towards Island Gardens station when the tide began to drop and expose some mud on the shore below the Thames Path. Many of the gulls that had been wheeling about in the wind seemed glad to have somewhere to rest. I ‘scoped the rapidly forming congregation and the second gull was the North American wanderer!

Wildlife in the City

I rarely visit Hampstead Heath, even though its just three stops away on the underground. After watching Bill Oddie’s Hampstead Heath programme on TV last week it got me sufficiently interested to make a trip. While I didn’t arrive particularly early (always recommended) I was instantly reminded why I don’t come here more often… too many people! But today there were even more. A national cross-country championship was getting underway and the place was turning into a mud bath. Of course the wildlife that does exist here is pretty resistant to human disturbance and the Green Woodpecker pictured below was digging in the turf just metres away from hundreds of passing runners (see further down). Add Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Kingfisher and Ring-necked Parakeet and it was really not a bad afternoon.

On your marks... get set...

... Go !

View from Parliament Hill, Hampstead Heath

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Stonechat Launches Blog

Testing out my new blog. Perched on the post above is a photograph of a Stonechat (Saxicola torquata) which is Ayrshire's County Bird. This individual graced the cover of the Ayrshire Bird Report 2004.
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Pics for profile, etc