Even more trouble at Farm

Attempted to do my monthly/bi-monthly survey of Beddington Farmlands today. Ebird list HERE. Unfortunately we still cant get access to the whole site for one reason or another. Also unfortunately seems like I can't do one of these surveys without uncovering some potential illegal going ons- this time apparent disturbance to a schedule one breeding species, Barn Owl. Good news is that Prologis have started works on the new wetland habitat on Pongo Park, bad news is that it looks like they've wiped out all the breeding birds and wildlife that was there including disturbance to an occupied Barn Owl nest. 

 Rosy-striped Knot-horn (aka Rhubarb and Custard), A NFY for Beddington. 

 September Thorn , An NFY.

 Scene of all the action today. The whole area is being landscaped into a wetland which will be amazing. Unfortunately looks like adequate due diligence was not paid, not the right time of year to this work (in a SINC) and Barn Owls have been caught up in it all 

 This hideous structure going up on oak beds is the reason for the offsetting habitat being created on Pongo Park. 

 While Pongo park is a positive development, the future of the wetland that currently exists on 100 acre and south east corner is still uncertain. When will all this erosion of the SINC stop!? A bit more on the good news front- we've got successfully breeding Pochard (a red data list species) this year and a Gadwall has raised 11 young. 

Not so common (due to most farms killing them all of), common arable weeds which characterise the farmlands. An area under extreme pressure but still a miracle that so much survives in the midst of the malignant urban sprawl. Nature in our part of the world will bounce back from here once humans have either largely wiped themselves out or made the necessary changes for a climate and ecological recovery. Probably a double scenario of an escalating chaos and an escalating rescue.  I'm not holding my breath but there are some signs that we are managing to begin turning our unsustainable tanker round locally.