Nathalie

On my way to the shops via Margravine Cemetery 2 afternoons ago, I was walking via the grass as mostly usual when I noticed at the edge of, but slightly out, a big group of pigeons another bird which I took initially for one of those weird colour pigeons. We don't have many in the cemetery, most are fairly classic, but we still have a few like this one:

But something did not feel quite right so I put my bins onto it: a Kestrel! on the ground in the cemetery! never happened to me before... I do see them from time to time hover around or passing by, but this, never.

It initially flew to the cut down tree of paradise but didn't stay there long as it was chased away by one of the Jays. I had actually wondered about the Jays earlier that day thinking that I had not seen them for a while, so now I have a hint as to where they may be nesting. It then went on to sit on a tombstone.

then another:

where it proceeded to scratch an itch:

It then flew back on various trees above the pigeon flock. A few times it flew into the pigeon flock who took barely any notice of it. Following some suggestion of weird matings on the Londonbirders mailing list my mind wondered for a nanosecond whether it was after that afore featured pigeon which was in the middle of it...

It then flew from tree to tree, panicking some small birds on the way, but, unfortunately, I had to leave and leave it to it. I'll never know but the next day I found a dead young black bird missing its head...

For more photos, go to my album or click on any of the photos.

[initially posted to fulhamsparrows.blogspot.com]

Last Tuesday (6th) I heard the Air Ambulance fly close by and was pretty sure it had landed on the green-with-no-name between Greyhound Road and Abbey Gardens. TOH didn't believe there was enough space there for it, so I went to investigate. It was also a good opportunity to check on the Abbey Gardens sparrows as I had not done so in a while.
When I got there, the ambulance was indeed parked there and a few locals were chatting with the crew and taking photos. I took a few of my own, here is one:

The relevance to the sparrows is that the houses you see behind are amongst the ones they nest in, at the edge of Abbey Gardens. They like being in the bushes along the fence occasionally, but mostly they stay in the gardens, making them rather difficult to spot. However that day, some perched at the top of a bush, allowing me a glimpse:

They do have to share the area with starlings. I know these starlings do venture as far as Margravine Cemetery and my feeders as one of them is fairly distinctive: partially leucistic with the edge of its wings white, and I have seen it in all 3 spots. I wish the sparrows were as far ranging...

On Thursday (8th), at the supermarket in Sands End, I heard them immediately, and spotted a few from afar, in the ivy covering the back wall. A few of them were in the bushes along the Thames Path and I managed a few photos.
They are quite a challenge, brown on brown twigs, deep inside...

But, occasionally, they pop out and allow some cheeky shots...

On Friday, late afternoon, I had a quick walk on the Thames Path in Fulham Reach. A few were vocal on the abandoned building site, at least 6 in the trees in front of the office blocks. At Crabtree Wharf, once again, a fair few of them, some of them interested in a crows nest (I think), probably to steal nesting material.

Recently, on my way to the allotment, I have found another location. I have marked it on the map but I haven't yet stopped to investigate further and take photos. Likewise, on my way to the supermarket recently I have heard some on Peterborough Rd opposite what looks like a very big garden. Once again I haven't stopped yet but I have put a marker on the map.
On the other hand, last year, I used to hear (and see them if the traffic light was favourable, i.e. red) some at the junction of Carnwath Rd and Wandsworth Bridge. They were under the roof of the pub in the corner, but I haven't heard nor seen them this year.

At about the same time last year a pair of Canada Geese started nesting on the Wharf by the supermarket in Sands End (not far from Wandsworth Bridge). They had failed in the same spot the previous year, they failed last year. What will happen this year? We'll see...

The goose was helpfully off the eggs for me to take a photo, it was back on them soon after :)

I have been so busy and/or tired this week that I am only just managing to get this out now. I went to Lonsdale Reservoir last Sunday and, at last, mission Little Grebe was successful with a pair by the reed bed at one end of the reservoir :) #39 for the year.

I had barely started going round that a jogger asked me if I'd seen the owl, then by the tree I met some people who'd come specially to see it, so it's become a local celebrity it seems :)

Nearby I heard a Chiffchaff, then another on the other side which I spotted briefly. #40. The male Kestrel was sitting in a tree, I didn't spot its mate. Jackdaws, Stock Doves, but no Egyptian Geese.
A crow was picking up nesting material on the path, and another one was making a strange noise I don't recall hearing before:

Crow

On the water, there were still a few Common and Black-headed Gulls, but not that many. I couldn't see any Shovelers, but there were still some Tufted Ducks, Teals and Pochards. There had been mention on the Londonbirders wiki of likely unclipped Mandarins so I has a good look for them. Finally found them, and they gave me the run-around initially, moving from one side to the other, hiding behind the vegetation, but I think I finally got photos showing full winged birds. #41

Last visit I had done, over a month ago, a pair of Grey Herons had started building a nest on one of the rafts. They were still there:

This time, from the other side, I noticed that there was a second one, much lower one, on another raft:

Back closer to the nest, I was busy photographing the Mandarins when I heard noise from the herons' nest: the other had arrived for an exchange, the end of which I managed to video:

Now that I have a bike, it will hopefully be less than a month before my next visit, with not having to spend 1hr30 just to get there and back anymore...

Last Saturday, on my way to watch a friend race on the river, I spotted this female Mandarin among the barges at Furnival Gardens. I don't know if it is the same one I saw in February, and mentioned in this post, but, if not, it's her body double. I took photos on my way back home, on my way there the branch she's perched on was at water level.

I had previously seen her (difficult to imagine that there are that many of them lurking about around Fulham) in February, preening on the foreshore.

I like how the water appears to be boiling around her, but also how clear it was.

The difference between her two wings is fairly obvious this way.

For bigger versions and more photos click on the photos above or go to my gallery.