After a morning meeting in Blackheath I head off to Greenwich Peninsular Ecology Park to search for dragonflies and to see the Common Terns which nest here.
As I approach the moat I can hear Reed Warbler singing in the reed-bed. The first damselflies seen are Red-eyed, easily identified by their prominent red eyes which can often be seen with the naked eye.
There are also Blue damselflies present. The majority seem to be Azure damselfly but I am sure that I have seen one Common Blue Damselfly (confirmed when I got home as I have a picture of one).
I cannot find any Blue-tailed damselflies on the moat, although I understand that they have been reported this week. Moving inside the reserve I make my way to the hides to look at the nesting Common Terns. This is the only local nesting colony and I count 4 or 5 nests with birds still sitting on eggs and 3 groups of young, who are already quite a size.
A Grey Wagtail flies onto one of the Tern rafts and Goldfinches are calling from the trees.
As I am leaving the Ecology Park, I catch a brief glimpse of a bird flying into the trees. I don’t see much of it except a white rump and a black tail. I think it must be a Bullfinch, a species I have not recorded locally before. But despite searching for it I am unable to re-locate it.
Mallard [sp] (Anas platyrhynchos)
Eurasian Coot [sp] (Fulica atra)
European Herring Gull [sp] (Larus argentatus)
Common Pigeon [sp] (Columba livia)
Common Swift [sp] (Apus apus)
Eurasian Magpie [sp] (Pica pica)
Carrion Crow [sp] (Corvus corone)
Eurasian Reed Warbler [sp] (Acrocephalus scirpaceus)
Common Whitethroat [sp] (Sylvia communis)
Eurasian Wren [sp] (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Common Starling [sp] (Sturnus vulgaris)
Common Blackbird [sp] (Turdus merula)
House Sparrow [sp] (Passer domesticus)
European Greenfinch [sp] (Carduelis chloris)
European Goldfinch [sp] (Carduelis carduelis)
Eurasian Bullfinch [sp] (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)
Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni)
Speckled Wood [sp] (Pararge aegeria)
Unidentified Blue butterfly species (Holly or Common)
Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)
Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella)
Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma najas)
Pete's Favourite Things 