Interesting article on migration in London

There is an article on Birdguides called Canary Wharf migration watch point.
http://www.birdguides.com/home/default.asp

I have a lot of questions about this.

Beddington 100409

A bit of a visible migration spurt today. A nice conveyor belt of southerly airflow with an associated cold front and low cloud.

Visible migration between 1000 and 1230 included 30+ Sand Martin, 10 House Martin, 20+ Swallow, 4 Redpoll, 2 Siskin, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Meadow Pipit, 1 Chaffinch and a few Starlings darting around.

There were 2 Redshank on the lake and a 1st summer Iceland Gull on the tip.

The other birders saw a couple of Whitethroats (first for the year) and a Buzzard.

Iceland Gull on tip with large gulls (click on bottom photo)

Beddington politics

There are now three bird groups over the farm comprised of 20 or so people in total. There is the Beddington Farm Bird Group, the Alternative Beddington Farm Bird Group and new today is the Independent Beddington Birders http://theibbsite.webs.com/. There is also the radical protest fringe- the Beddington Birders Front (me) but that has recently been dissolved due to irreconcilable differences.

Looking forward to patchwatch this year (a Birdwatch Magazine national event pioneered last year with Beddington included)
http://www.birdwatch.co.uk/website/content/view/980/28/
We will need three entries for the same site this year...who will win? Should be good fun.

Sunday 5th April Beddington

One Little Ringed Plover, 8 Green Sandpiper, 1 Common Buzzard, 3 Sand Martin and 5 Chiffchaff.

Lapwing

Thee Bryans

Okay a bit off topic but nonetheless this is an experimental environmental/conservation music project that I am part of so here is a shameless plug and link:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Thee-Bryans/67571634534?ref=s

Some of the music can be found in the left hand column under music player; if you have a facebook than join as a fan if you like it... planning some events in the future so will keep you posted.

BRITAIN IN CRISIS

Graellsii- on the Thames

One of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse

I went to the G20 protests today as the Beddington Birders Front- yes I was alone. I actually lost a tooth in the riot. I was eating some gum while I was running from a horsed policeman and my root canal came out- that cost me £500 at the dentists-the thieving bastards!

MORE REVOLUTION PHOTOS HERE:

http://peteralfrey.blogspot.com/

BEDDINGTON IN CRISIS

It appears that the problems we are facing at Beddington are shared by many local birding patches. As a small group we simply do not have the legal knowledge or economic resources to oppose a developers mis-conduct. Our developers are not conforming to conditions set out in the public enquiry which granted permission to quarry and landfill for as long as certain habitat management restoration works were phased into the development.

Of course, the quarrying and landfill operations are well under way- and yes it is the restoration phase which is behind by about 7 years. There has been next to nothing in the way of phased restoration and the cost of catching up will be a huge liability to the company at a time in the economic cycle where costs are required to be cut.

The local authority do not possess the will or resources to enforce the conditions in the public enquiry so we are dealing with a situation of total planning failure.