Gull Run

The good gull run continues. Today we (David Campbell, Dave Stanebridge and myself) had 1 first-winter, 1 second-winter and 2 adult Caspian Gulls, 1 second-winter Yellow-legged Gull and some interesting hybrid-types. Also a handful of 'Northern' Herring Gulls (argentatus).

 Adult Caspian Gull ( Bird 1 above and below) 

 Adult Caspian Gull (Bird 2) 

 Second-winter Caspian Gull (looks like same bird that has been around a week or so) 

 First-winter Caspian Gull

 Second-winter Yellow-legged Gull

 Presumed hybrid Lesser Black Backed Gull x Herring Gull? 

 Another presumed hybrid (behind Great Black Backed Gull) 

'Northern- type Herring Gull with extensive head markings

A Red Fox from a couple of days ago. Walked right up to me. 

Eastern Stonechat? Richmond Park

Female 'Eastern Stonechat'?  (Click on images to enlarge/read captions). Several features suggest Siberian/Eastern Stonechat including the overall pale colouration, the pale un-streaked throat, the pale secondary panel, extensive/contrasting white in the inner greater and median coverts and due to the overall colouration- a pale ground colour to the rump and under-tail coverts. On closer inspection (See Lee's much better pics here) the primary projection is relatively short (ideally 90% in Siberian) and the rump and under-tail coverts are marked. On balance the bird does not really fit suites of features associated with either Atlantic/Continental or Siberian/Eastern Stonechats.

 A nearby female-type Atlantic/Continental Stonechat. Needless to say there is a striking difference in appearance. 

 This early morning grainy picture helps to show the areas of contrast with extensive pale tips to the coverts, a pale secondary panel and pale tips to the primaries. The contrasts are so great that the bird almost recalls a Black-and-white flycatcher. An impression not generally associated with Siberian/Eastern Stonechat. The extensive pale fringes suggests some kind of overall 'pale'/ washed out aberration. 

 Again the stiking contrast with a nearby Atlantic/Continental Stonechat

 Underwing and axillary pattern- closer to typical Atlantic/Continental 

 The contrast between the tail and uppertail coverts and rump give the impression of a pale rump/uppertail coverts in flight

Fortunately samples of faeces have been collected and the first samples have been sent for DNA analysis. This bird has been present since October but since the surprise DNA identification (A Stejneger's Stonechat from northeast Asia)  of a bird at Dungeness that shows some similar features HERE, the case has been re-opened.

The Dunge bird today to compare (thanks Jan!)

Stonechat identification is notoriously difficult and still a work in progress. HBW lists 24!! sub-species. 

In short, the DNA analysis and conclusions will be very interesting indeed.

BB ARTICLE ON IDENTIFICATION OF SIBERIAN STONECHAT (NON-AUTUMN)

After watching the Stonechats...... it had to be done (a beautiful park and wildlife- also had Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and Nuthatch, ((more from Kojak HERE )) ): 

 Fallow Deer

 Fallow Deer (a darker morph) 

 Red Deers

 Red Deer

Red Deer

Beddington Farmlands Review 2016

Here's a few personal highlights from the farmlands in 2016.

BIRDING HIGHLIGHTS

Pic by David Campbell

White Stork- bird of the year 

Siberian Chiffchaff in January 

The first record of breeding Greylag Goose

Redstart in the hand

Honey Buzzard over the hide 

A good selection of gulls including several  Iceland Gulls and the recent Glaucous Gull (below)

Black Terns from the obs 

Plum-headed Parakeet in the Obs garden (a new escape species)

A pair of breeding Barn Owl was one of the year's highlights

OTHER WILDLIFE 

Acrobasis repandana- a new one for the site.

Anania perlucidalis- a first for the farmlands.

Dewick's Plusia- a handful of records again

Ash-bud moth- new for the farmlands 

Brown Argus- a local scarcity

Black Arches 

A great year for Six-spotted Burnets

A record year for Marbled Whites with up to 50+

Boxworm Moth- a first for the site

2016 will be remembered for the massive influx of Diamond-back Moths- there could have been up to 1.5 million on site! 

Great Burnet- a first for the farmlands

Full details of the State of Nature at Beddington Farmlands is published annually in the Yearly Report. The on going species inventory and other information can be found on the website

BEDDINGTON FARMLANDS NATURE RESERVE WEBSITE

CONSERVATION

Several areas of the grassland habitats were seeded with sacrificial crops and flowering meadows

Regular public and associate member walks through the year 

The new Shelduck boxes 

Hackbridge Volunteers maintaining the entrance

CAMPAIGNING

Unfortunately 2016 was another year of ecological crisis at the farmlands with the recent loss of the Tree Sparrow population and the continual failure of the conservation management plan and further losses in the fortunes of the conservation target species. Much more concerning- there are now further plans to build on wetland habitat along the Beddington Lane frontage and also to drain 100 acre and south east corner - the last breeding habitats for Lapwing on site. Despite public promises in the summer during some high profile public events- the wet grassland habitat and other biodiversity action plan habitat development  has still not commenced in any meaningful way. The crisis continues to deepen and deepen.

The fundamental reason for the ecological crisis is the failure of Viridor to deliver the habitats and to meet conditions as set out in planning permissions. Due to local authority and regulatory body funding and staffing cuts, basically there are no effective enforcement apparatus and breaches of conditions and flaunting of social and ecological obligations by Viridor is going largely un-challenged as the corporate put spending concerns ahead of social, ecological and moral obligations. This is an extremely concerning revelation for society much further beyond too, basically the exposure of a corporate/fundamental capitalist dictatorship at large and a problem that must be challenged by the conservation community. Beddington is a case study of everything that is wrong about modern UK society (including the way that nature conservation organisations themselves are taking money from Viridor via the landfill tax credit schemes and are not speaking out about the illegalities at Beddington farmlands- see below for more) and it's relationship with nature and hopefully can be used as a case study of how to change that for the better.  That challenge is nothing less than the old as time check/correction mechanism of ensuring that corporations and other powerful minorities are brought back into line, the line where society works together and constructs an advanced condition - an immense challenge but one that must be met if there is to be any meaningful or worthy future for anyone or anything including the corporations and minorities.

 A new Conservation and Access Management Committee was set up in 2016 which will hopefully assist in meeting the challenges ahead.

To highlight the issues local community groups and the bird group continued the campaign to raise awareness of the challenges and the need for necessary reforms and coordinated activism to assist in the delivery of a commitment to the reserve development. 

 Stop the Incinerator Protest in Summer

Paradise Lost by Peter Alfrey on Scribd

An article in Pulse, the newsletter for the Prestiguous Linnaean Society, outlines the main issues 

The Tree Sparrow Population at the farmlands has a collapsed- only 2-3 pairs remaining from one of the largest strong holds in the UK. A Tree Sparrow Management Plan and the Conservation Management Plan was never implemented despite planning conditions. 

Private Eye exposing the ecological collapse and on going illegalities 

Myself and David Lindo on BBC Winterwatch 

The illegalities were also exposed in an posting on Mark Avery's blog
MARK AVERY BLOG

More on how Viridor, the WWT , the RSPB, the Widlife Trusts and other conservation organisations are all working together to destroy Beddington Farmlands HERE- a situation that suggests deep seated racism and class discrimination within the conservation community. Effectively Beddington Farmlands is being classed a 'sacrifice area' where the e-NGOS can take money (and remain silent) from a nature destroying illegally operating corporation  because they consider the demographically diverse communities and the people within the economically challenged environment won't be able to defend themselves.