Berwick Ponds

[Eastside Urchin]

Berwick ponds Saturday 8th December 8am-10.30am

weather 6 degrees c,drizzle

1 little Grebe

2 Great Crested Grebe

3 cormorant

3 mute swan (1 juvenile)

2 Canada geese

2 Gadwall

6 Teal

14 Mallard

4 Shoveler

1 Sparrowhawk

1 Kestrel

1 merlin

4 Moorhen

2 Coot

25 black headed gull

2 Great black backed gull

wood pigeon

10 long tailed tit

10 Blue tit

5 Great tit

1 Jay

Magpie

10 jackdaw(in field)

1 Rook

carrion crow

starlings

8 House sparrows

4 Chaffinch

2 Ring necked parakeet

8 Brambling

4 greenfinch

1 Siskin

 

A good but wet morning but was happy to see the merlin,parakeets,brambling and siskin and the little grebe was a first for this site for me.

[I am Spartacus]

Parakeets are not rare round here. Infact they have just started to nest in the house opposite and, there is a colony at Hartsdown Park.

[Eastside Urchin]

they are spreading all the time,we have a good local population round here.They come from asia,india in particular and are thought to have started colonising the UK around the 60's from some released birds.

I think the biggest roost is at Esher rugby club in south west london/surrey

[Dagger03]

>>> think the biggest roost is at Esher rugby club in south west london/surrey

 

Correct

[Big J R]

Originally Posted By: dagger04

>>> think the biggest roost is at Esher rugby club in south west london/surrey

Correct

The Church spire of the Church next to Windsor & Etons ground, Stag Meadow has quite a large flock of parakeets as well.

Noisy devils when they fly over the ground to the trees on the other side.

[Mr Happy]

Do they taste good?

[BlueGate Alan]

My dog barks like mad when they fly over the local park in St Peters, as Big JR says noisy little blighters!

[Eastside Urchin]

they scared the crap out of me when i first heard one!

[BlueGate Alan]

They do look a great sight though when flying as a flock.

[Ian_Sanderson]

agree al

[Eastside Urchin]

6 reported at rainham marsh on christmas eve.

[Ian_Sanderson]

again Essex ? or Kent

[Eastside Urchin]

Rainham marsh essex.

Any reports regarding Rainham marsh will be in Essex unless otherwise stated as it is a RSPB Reserve and i believe that the marsh in Rainham,kent is not currently a RSPB reserve?

[Ian_Sanderson]

im sure it is

[Eastside Urchin]

I don't think it is but i could be wrong,rainham is close to elmley which is underneath the bridge linking sheppey with the mainland,that is the closest reserve the RSPB runs near to rainham/sittingbourne area.

The may possibly own the land around rainham where you are thinking as they buy many hectares of land every year to manage and may eventually open it up as a reserve but the one in essex is a main reserve,ie visitor centre,trails etc etc

[Ian_Sanderson]

out of interest is there a fishing lake there?

[Eastside Urchin]

not at rainham marsh but berwick ponds is about 2 miles away and is principly a fishing lake with a large natural reedbed.

Saw some 12-15 pound carp on top last time i was over there,think they grow alot bigger as well.

i am sure there are pike in there as well.good fishing lake but seems to be underfished compared with when i was a lad,which is probably not a bad thing

[Ian_Sanderson]

at the pond in rainham, The local Hobbies have been taking advantage of the increase in dragonfly numbers and at least two Marsh Harriers quartered the marsh.

 

 

[Eastside Urchin]

we have a field about 1/4 mile from berwick ponds where upto 16 hobbies(my max count) quater the field taking flies off the wing late in the evening on a nice barmy summers evening,we get the odd marsh hariier too at berwick and the surrounding ingrebourne valley but rainham has more sightings.

The best place in the south east for Marsh harriers is probably RSPB elmley and pretty much anywhere in the thames corridor will have them as lng as the habitat is right

[Ian_Sanderson]

talking of rspb i found this good

The South East Essex Local Group supports the RSPB in carrying out the Society’s objectives in the Thames Estuary area. Those objectives include: promoting the conservation of wild birds and their habitats, informing and involving the RSPB's members in conservation issues, developing policies and practical actions to protect important wildlife habitats and working with central and local government to create and implement solutions to conservation problems