This page offers an informal insight into Hampstead Heath's
seasonal wildlife highlights.
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May 2012
Sometimes less is more
Whitethroats have been doing really well on Hampstead Heath in
recent years and they are a bouncy, jolly bird that always
brightens up a Heath walk. But their much rarer cousins, lesser
whitetroats, have been in the Heath limelight this week. As a very
rough estimate for every ten whitethroats in this country there
will be only one lesser whitethroat. Their habit of skulking
in shrubs - they love a bit of bramble - makes them even less
noticeable. If you do spot one you should recognise its
similarity to a whitethroat, but it is a much smaller bird, with
darker legs and upperparts and an apparent dark 'mask'. Most
birders will locate a lesser whitetroat by its song - a distinctive
short, rich rattle. Interestingly, lesser whitethroats are unusual
in that their migration route between the UK and Africa goes to the
east of the Mediterranean, rather than the normal passage
via Gibralter. (11 May 2012)
Bats about
Now is a good time to look for bats on Hampstead Heath; wait
until mid-Summer and you’ll have to be out rather late to see them,
but all species will now be active in decent weather after a
long hibernation. There are 17 UK breeding species and Hampstead
Heath holds seven or eight of those, including the smallest and the
largest. The pipistrelle (there are actually two – or maybe even
three - species of this bat on the Heath) is tiny and weighs in at
around the same as a ten pence piece and with folded wings could
snugly fit into a match box. They fly at head height and above,
quickly changing direction to catch insects. But, no, they will not
get caught in your hair. Their spatial awareness is very
sophisticated, using a technique called echolocation. This
involves SHOUTING VERY LOUDLY (but at a frequency that we
can’t hear) and as the sounds are bounced back to them, they make a
detailed aural map of what is around. The pipistrelle's
appetite is also impressive for a little ‘un; they can take an
almost unbelievable 3,000 insects in just one night. Other species
to look out for on the Heath include Daubenton's and noctule.
(4 May 2012)
April 2012
See a swift?
A few
swifts – the pilots - have already reached
London, the main fleet should be here in the next week or so.
The swift is bigger than a swallow or house martin and
all of its mass is concentrated into two precision-engineered
wings that together form a perfect scimitar allowing high-speed
travel combined with smooth, responsive steering. The plumage
looks black, but is actually a sooty brown. You will never see a
swift perching on wires; they prefer life airborne... they even
sleep up there! Swifts have ever such short legs, so much so
that if they do inadvertently land they can’t take off and may
need a helping hand. Swifts provide the soundtrack of an English
summer, as parties of the bird scream in mischievous little
gangs low along roads and above gardens. (26 April 2012)
We love willow warblers
Chiffchaffs have been on the Heath for over a month now and in
the last week they have been joined by their almost identical
fellow migrants, willow warblers. There are subtle visual
differences between the two - the willow warbler is
a brighter bird with more prominent supercilium (stripe above
the eye) and eye stripe, paler legs and there are a
few additional visual clues. But these are not always easy to
pick out in the field. Never fear, you will be able to tell
these two species apart quite easily, as their songs are so very
different. The willow warbler's song is a sweet, rippling,
descending ditty. We have already mentioned on this page that the
chiffchaff quite simply repeats its own name. The Bird Sanctuary
Pond and Cohen's Field are good places to look and listen for
willow warblers. Before you do, check out the
RSPB website for more information. (20
April 2012)
Pucker up
They say that ‘when gorse is in blossom, kissing is in fashion’.
Just as well, then, that gorse flowers pretty much all year round.
It is in spring, however, that the gorgeously coconut-scented
flowers bloom with renewed vigour. The upper slopes of the Heath
are currently laced with essence-of-piña-colada.
Gorse and Hampstead Heath go together like Laurel and Hardy. For
centuries the plant’s bright yellow flowers have jollified swathes
of the Heath underlain by the dry Bagshot Sands. Many years ago,
when the clean spring waters of Hampstead Heath were used for
washing, the laundry was hung out to dry over the conveniently
spiked gorse plants.
Gorse forms dense scrub that provides valuable nesting places
for birds such as long tailed tits.
Bird migration is currently palpable and in recent days
wheatears, willow warblers and meadow pipits have lead the cast.
Our obliging water rail is still at the Stock Pond.
Wood anemones are in flower on the Heath. (13 April 2012)
Out and about
There is a feeling that spring migration is properly underway
now that wheatear and redstart have been seen. Other sightings of
great interest include a red-legged partridge, a water rail
and a merlin. Many thanks to those who shared their Hampstead Heath
sightings with others via the
London Bird Club web pages. (4 April 2012)
March 2012
Cuckoo flowers
Look in damp corners of the Heath for cuckoo flowers, pretty
little blooms individually, that en masse create quite a spectacle.
They are the food-plant of the larvae of the orange tip butterfly.
The adult butterfly, with white wings tipped with orange, is
emerging now. Lots of things are emerging; it’s a busy time of the
year. We now have tadpoles in some Heath ponds.
Interesting bird sightings over recent days include grey
wagtail, water rail, teal, little grebe and redpoll. (30 March
2012)
Out and about
With warmer weather to come over the weekend we can expect more
signs of spring, but for now we are very happy, thank you, with
wild daffodils flowering on the Heath Extension. Good recent bird
sightings include chiffchaff, blackcap, willow warbler, woodcock,
little grebe (two at the Bird Sanctuary Pond) and a pheasant. (23
March 2012)
Welcome to warblers and snakes alive
The first wave of spring chiffchaffs and blackcaps has
arrived.
The chiffchaff might be described as pretty, but only in an
understated manner and it spends most of its time high in the
canopy, as if it knows it. Its simple, yet optimistic song is a
thin metallic ‘chiff-chaff’ that will provide a comforting Heath
backdrop for some months to come.
The blackcap is easier on the eye; the male has a lovely black
cap (really?), while the female’s crown is chestnut brown. In song
there is no comparison between the species; the blackcap is the
voice and would win a sing off every day of the week. Its song is
the most beautiful melodious warbler, that drips like honey off the
twigs and branches of the bushes in which it hides.
There have been some very interesting sightings over the last
few days including a pair of pintail, snipe, stonechat and
woodcock. In coming days the ponds are worth watching for a
possible sand martin and it’s not overly optimistic to look out for
your first swallow.
Around about now grass snakes should be emerging after winter
hibernation. Look for them in damp areas and in long grass, but
never fear, they are totally harmless and ought only to make you
smile.
If you have seen a snake (or any other reptile)
on Hampstead Heath, please tell us more about it by either
filling in our
online wildlife sightings form or by
downloading and filling in the form below, then posting
it to:
Ecologist, City of London, Heathfield House, 432 Archway Road,
London N6 4JH
Download the wildlife sightings form
here (32kb)
(16 March 2012)
A froggy went a-courting and he did die
You are at a mainline London railway terminus and the
platform for the Inter City train you are waiting for is
announced. People gather their bags and walk briskly to the
appropriate gate. Almost always one or two people start to run
in order to get to the train first and find the 'best' seats,
whichever ones they are. Others see this and panic a
little and can't stop themselves joining the jolly
jog. Before you know it half the passengers are sprinting down
the platform, elbowing others out of the way, fighting through
train doors and throwing bags onto seats to claim their cherished
prize. Of course, we exagerate a little, but we've all seen similar
scenes, haven't we?
Well, in a roundabout and slightly contrived way, that scenario
reminds us of spring. First one or two green shoots emerge, then an
early migrant pops up and the first blossom appears, but very soon
the growth speeds up, the single bird is joined by a throng and
before you know it all natural things seems to be sprinting forward
into the breeding season to show themselves to be the most active,
verdant and fecund.
We are not quite at that point yet, but we are on standby and
with a spell of very mild weather to come, we can expect the Heath
to burst into life quite soon. It is very exciting.
But, for some creatures, the fun is over almost before it
has started. The Heath ponds are currently writhing with
mating frogs and their resultant frog spawn. This makes for rich
pickings for some and the heron pictured above successfully mined a
particularly rich vein of adult frogs the other day on Sandy Heath.
(9 March 2012)
Once bittern
We can't be certain, but it looks as if 'our' bittern is
gone, but not forgotten. This is no surprise. In winter bitterns
can be a little catholic in their taste of places to
live. But, come the breeding season a pair of bitterns needs a
large chunk of reedbed in which to establish a territory
to successfully bring up a bittern brood. The reedbeds on the Heath
are not big enough for that purpose. Bitterns will start to think
about procreation around about now, so we would have expected the
bird to be on its way. To see and hear bitterns breeding (the males
emits an extraordinary, far-carrying, 'boom' - think foghorn and
you're in the right area) you would need to to head to East
Anglia or to sites fringing Romney Marsh on the Kent / East
Sussex border.
Look out on the Heath for flowering lesser celandine, primroses
and blackthorn.
Birdsong is developing very nicely, thank you. Has anyone heard
a chiffchaff or a blackcap yet? (1 March 2012)
February 2012
Out and about
'Our' bittern is still with us and has been
attracting throngs of birders and interested others. The bird
is generally at the Bird Sanctuary Pond, but has also made
excursions to most of the other ponds in the Highate
chain. It is fascinating to see the crowd of watchers. People
come and go, some delighted with a good sighting, others frustrated
that the centre of attention refuses to make his way to the stage,
maybe indulging in a backstage wardrobe and makeup hissy fit. Most
people, thankfully, have left satisfied. The atmosphere amoung the
birders is convivial, a sense of teamwork takes over and when the
bird is seen a round of handshakes and back slapping is
generally in order.
Partially as a result of the presence of more birders than
usual, it has been a great week for bird sightings, with regular
water rails and kingfishers. Teal, woodcock, fieldfare, siskin,
wigeon and gadwall provide the suporting cast.
It won't be long until the first Spring migrant arrives. Now,
isn't that is a lovely sentance full of anticipation and
hope? (24 February 2012)
It's in the reeds - Hampstead Heath bittern
One of the UK’s rarest and most secretive birds is
currently exciting Heath visitors and illustrating the
benefits of the City of London’s policy of planting reeds at
several Heath ponds in recent years.
The bittern, a bird exclusively of reedbeds,
first appeared at the Ladies’ Pond on Tuesday and is now enjoying
the habitat of the Bird Sanctuary Pond, where it can be seen,
if you are lucky, from the causeway at the south side of the pond.
The pond is on the Highgate side of the Heath.
On the face of it, the bittern is like a brown heron. But, not
just any old brown, the plumage is a complex configuration of
different shades, including a beautiful, warm buff-fawn, that
allows the bird to merge into reeds so that it
becomes invisible even from just a few feet away.
The bittern was never a common bird in the UK, but drainage of
wetlands in the C19th led to its UK extinction. It returned in
the C20th, but barely scratched out a decent living for decades,
nearly disappearing again in the 1990s. However, the last few years
have seen something of a resurgence and as many as 75 males may now
be present in UK in the breeding season.
Bitterns are more common as winter visitors, particularly in
severe weather when continental birds seek the relative warmth of
our island.
To check on up-to-date sightings of this and other birds in
London, see the
London Bird Club website (16 February
2012)
Cold comfort
We know that this freezing blast is not favoured by
all; for some it is a miserable and even dangerous snap of winter.
But, cold weather is always interesting ornithologically. Rapid
dips in temperature encourage birds to move off in search of
warmer climes. Believe it or not the UK currently IS one of those
warmer climes and continental birds have arrived en
masse in recent days. Numbers of blackbirds and thrushes have
risen, the highest winter counts of redwings and fieldfares are
currently present. Wading birds such as lapwing, golden plover and
snipe have all been seen; these are birds rarely encountered on
Hampstead Heath. Siskins and redpolls can be spotted in
birch and alder trees. In weather like this, don't be
surprised by surprising sightings! Check out the
London Bird Club website for the latest
excitement.(7 February 2012)
Rooks and crows
An old country adage tells us that ‘a crow in a crowd
is a rook, a rook on its own is a crow'. So, in agricultural areas
the large flocks of corvids (that's members of the crow family)
that systematically pick over fields are almost always
rooks. But this piece of folkore rarely applies here in
the metropolis. We have plenty of carrion crows, often in sizeable
groups and they are beautiful, overlooked birds full of character,
but even a single rook on the Heath would be worth writing home
about. Rooks are very much birds of the countryside.
This morning there were around 200 carrion crows on Cohen's
Field. While we are placing birds in the corvid envelope, can you
name the three other members of the family easily spottable on
Hampstead Heath?
Full marks to those with magpie, jackdaw and jay written in
their excercise books. (3 February 2012)
January 2012
Out and about
It's a gorgeous day on Hampstead Heath and the birds seem to
have responded with much singing filling the woods and hedgerows.
The 'teacher-teachers' of great tits and the
'tee-tee-hu-hu-hu-hu-hus' of blue tits are especially obvious
today.
There is still a good range of wildfowl on the Heath ponds with
gadwall, shoveler, tufted duck, pochard and mallard, for example,
all visible at Highgate No 1 Pond.
There are small numbers of siskins around - look at any birch
and alder trees and you've a chance of spotting these delightful
little finches. See them on the
RSPB website. (27 January 2012)
Funny white ducks
A child feeding the ducks at Highgate No 1 Pond is as likely to be
filling the stomachs of black headed gulls as any wildfowl. ‘Look
at the funny white ducks, mummy!’ they say as the gulls hang in the
air, dipping down to steal the bread from the target species. Black
headed gulls are opportunists and over the last couple of hundred
years have learned the benefits of living cheek by jowl with humans
and to take their pickings, whether deliberately or accidentally
left behind. Add into the mix the relative mildness of the UK and
our island becomes a very attractive wintering ground for these
characterful birds. We think that they are a perfect example of a
much maligned and often overlooked bird. They are really very
handsome, they allow very close views and they are full of life,
even if that energy is sometimes channelled into mischief and
squabbling.
As the winter draws to an end (calm down, we’re not there yet,
but it is nice to think ahead) the gulls will develop full dark
heads (chocolate-brown in fact, not black) and move off to breeding
grounds at or near the coast or larger water bodies. Many
will leave the country. The wintering population of around 2
million, with be decimated so that not even a quarter of that
number will stay to breed. (20 January 2012)
And finally, Winter has arrived
Two male and one female red-crested pochard are
on Highgate No 1 Pond this morning. The male is an amazing looking
creature; you can see a picture on the
RSPB website. It has an enlarged
orange 'pom-pom'-like head and a bright red beak.
Occasionally the UK sees wild red-crested pochards visit from
populations in Europe and Asia. The nearest are in Spain, the
Netherlands and a few in France. But, there is an
increasing breeding feral population, as a result of released
and escaped birds. They breed at nearby Regent's Park.
There are also good numbers of gadwall around,
with 14 on Highgate No 1 Pond the other day.
How nice to feel a crisp frost underfoot on the Heath this
morning. And something quite unusual for this winter is
forecast this evening - an easterly wind. The last few months has
brought an almost constant trail of westerly winds with the
attendant mild weather. If we do get the colder easterlies from the
continent in the next few days, then we might expect a little
movement on the ornithological front.
There is already a tiny sprinkling of waxwings in the London
area - it is well worth keeping an eye out for these special birds.
(13 January 2012)
December 2011
The Twelve Days of Christmas
In a slightly contrived nod in the general direction of the
festive season, here is our guide to the Twelve Days of Christmas
on Hampstead Heath. The City of London at Hampstead Heath wishes
you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. This page will now
hibernate until around 6 January.
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me…
Twelve drummers drumming: While we wallow in
the middle of another winter, wildlife is already looking
spring-wards and it won’t be long before you can hear great spotted
woodpeckers ‘drumming’ on the side of Hampstead Heath trees; this
is the equivalent of a territorial ‘song’.
Eleven pipers piping: Common sandpipers pop up on
migration at the more open of the Heath ponds.
Ten lords a-leaping, Nine ladies dancing:
Excellent, we can nail two for the price of one here. Lords and
ladies (otherwise known as jack-in-the-pulpit or cuckoo pint)
is common in Heath woodlands and hedgerows. Its lifecycle is
interesting. The arrowhead shaped leaves are out now, but will
wither away to leave the flower and then, by the summer, the bare
seed head. These seeds ripen into distinctive bright red
‘berries’.
Eight maids a-milking: ‘Milk maid’ is a common
name given to several wildflowers, including the wood anemone. In a
few weeks the leaves of this lovely plant will push up through the
Heath’s woodland floor.
Seven swans a-swimming: That’s straight forward,
as there are plenty of mute swans to enjoy on the Heath.
Six geese a-laying: An interesting recent addition
to the Heath’s breeding list is the Egyptian goose.
Five golden rings: Canadian golden rod is a late
summer flowering perennial found in rough grass areas.
Four calling birds: Oh, this is too easy. There
are many bird songs and calls to hear on the Heath. If you want to
start to get to grips with them, we recommend starting off with
great tit (‘teacher-teacher’), robin (sweet and wistful, consists
of a mixture of fast warbled notes and elongated slurs), blackbird
(strong, rich and melodious, clearly our favourite) and goldcrest
(a thin, high-pitched ‘tee-le-dee’).
Three French hens: I think the best we can muster
is moorhen, a ubiquitous, yet shy resident at all Heath
ponds.
Two turtle doves: While not likely, it would not
be impossible to see a turtle dove on migration here. However, a
collared dove is probably a more realistic target.
And a partridge in a pear tree: Partridges we
don’t stock, Sir, but you are welcome to browse around the dozen or
so pear trees in Springetts Wood. (20 December 2011)
Frosty winds may blow birds
It is easy to believe that bird migration is over now until next
spring. It is true that most continental birds compelled to come to
the UK for winter are already here and are now rubbing along quite
nicely with the resident birds. However, changes in weather
conditions will provoke further movements as necessary. These are
sometimes quite significant. A bitterly cold snap on the continent
can force large numbers of birds to cross the North Sea, seeking
land warmed by the Atlantic Ocean. On the Heath numbers of winter
thrushes (redwings and fieldfares) and waterfowl (shoveler,
gadwall, tufted duck etc) are particularly prone to fluctuation.
Really cold snaps can make a bit of ‘sky watching’ worthwhile, when
movements of birds often rare in London, like lapwings and wild
geese, can be enjoyed. (16 December 2011)
The holly and the high leaves
OK, OK, we give up; it’s about time we made a slight nod in the
general direction of the festive season. There is no more festive
plant than holly (although ivy might have a thing or two to say
about that.) Nothing raises the spirits more on a winter walk than
seeing the beautiful green-glossed leaves and blood-red berries,
sprinkled with icing-sugar frost. That impact, that sign of life
and hope in an otherwise lifeless wood is, of course, precisely why
holly has been held in such high esteem for thousands of
years.
A lady once asked us why her holly bush never yielded berries,
despite considerable love and attention being heaped on it. The
answer is that holly is dioecious, which means that it needs both
male and female plants in order to reproduce and only female holly
bushes have the red berries. So, the lady probably had a male bush,
or conceivably a female bush with no male nearby to fertilise
it.
If you see a particularly tall holly bush, look at the upper
branches and you will probably find that the leaves there are
spike-less. The spikes protect the plant from nibbling, but there
are no grazing animals able to reach over two metres or
so up, so why go to the bother of making the spikes at that height?
(9 December 2011)
Weighty woodcock
The arrival of December might remind the canny nature
detective to keep an eye out for woodcocks on Hampstead Heath.
Your best chance of seeing one is if you nearly stand on one.
Woodcocks are largely crepuscular, meaning that they are most
active at dusk and at dawn. They spend their days hiding on
woodland floors where their brilliant camoflague looks more like
leaf litter than leaf litter. You can be a couple of feet away from
a woodcock and never see it, unless it breaks cover in a
noisy explosion of hefty brown feathers, followed closely by a
rusty rear end.
Woodcocks are wading birds - they are sometimes called the
'snipe of the woods' - but apart from the heavy and long beak,
you would be more likely to place them in the 'game bird'
envelope.
Continental woodcocks (we're sorry, but we now can't help
thinking of former Nottingham Forest and then
Bundesliga centre forward Tony Woodcock, but that's taking
us off at an altogether unhelpful angle) arrive in
good numbers at this time of year to take advantage of our
relatively mild winters. (2 December 2011)
November 2011
Birds of a feather
At this time of year once rival species of bird, fighting for
breeding space in the crowded woodland ecosystem, pool resources
and come together in search of a common goal. As food resources
diminish as winter approaches it makes sense to work together, move
as a unit and pass on information about good food supplies.
Flocking together also provides safety in numbers as small birds
are vulnerable to predation in the bare trees. If a bird of prey
approaches small birds will give off an alarm call recognised as
such by all other species.
Look out for sizeable flocks of blue,
great, coal and long
tailed tit, often joined by treecreepers
and goldcrests. Watch out for a largely black
'melanistic' coal tit out on the Heath at the moment. (25 November
2011)
Wildfowl week
It’s been a good week for wildfowl with wigeon, gadwall,
teal and even brent goose to add to the
usual suspects. ( 18 November 2011)
Birds about
With most of the summer bird species long gone and
autumn migrants starting to disappear the winter birds are starting
to take a firm foothold on the Heath. Recent sightings include
shoveler, teal,
gadwall, fieldfare,
redwing, redpoll and
siskin. (10 November 2011)
Bonefire Night
We’re all well aware of the link between Bonfire Night and the
failure of Guy Fawkes’ Gunpowder Plot (The year? Come on, come on.
You at the back. Yes, 1605, very good). We are perhaps oblivious to
the much older origins of ritualistic bonfires.
The ancient druid calendar included bonfires around this time to
celebrate Samhain, a harvest festival. Wood making up the body of
the fires would be interlaced with the remains of animals
slaughtered and prepared for winter consumption (hence ‘bon(e)’
fires). As is often the case, there was a practical benefit to back
up the religious significance; the ash from the fire acted as a
potent fertilizer to be wafted through the air onto nearby
fields.
If you are having a bonfire this weekend please be sure to check
before darkness falls that there are no hibernating hedgehogs at
the base of the structure. (3 November 2011)
October 2011
Spider season
It could be a ‘kill or cure’ season for arachnophobes as spiders
always become more visible in the Autumn. There are a number of
possible reasons for this. It is the spiders’ mating season and the
excited males are on the prowl. They will wander far and wide in
search of a likely female and often end up in houses. The females,
meanwhile, have fattened up, making themselves easier to spot and
almost irresistible to the fellas. Not surprisingly, the falling
temperatures play a part in this increased visibility, as some of
the less hardy spiders try to get out of the cold and into our warm
rooms.
Dewy Autumn mornings are characterised by the gossamer threads
from dispersing baby spiders across grasslands and hedgerows. This
process is known as ballooning. The little spiders may climb to a
high point and produce silk threads which, acting like sails, take
the youngsters away to new habitats away from their parents. That’s
quite touching really. Bitter sweet, perhaps.
Spider silk is said to be five times stronger than steel
and we have been told that a spider’s web, if it were
made out of threads as thick as pencils, could stop a Jumbo Jet
plane in flight. We’re not entirely sure that we believe this, but
spiders’ webs are clearly natural wonders to be greatly admired.
(27 October 2011)
More migration
Autumn bird migration goes in fairly distinct phases. Often the
first birds through are sand martins, almost before the
Spring migration has even finished, then you get a
load of wading birds (mostly common sandpipers on the Heath), then
warblers and flycatchers and now the emphasis shifts
onto finches and thrushes. Check out the
London Bird Club web pages to see the latest
news, with hundreds of finches providing the backbone to good
watching at the moment. Also of great interest is a male
wood duck on the Stock Pond. We will attempt to
get a photo if it hangs around, but all efforts yesterday afternoon
were thwarted by over-hanging branches and poor light. (21 October
2011)
All about ivy
Before you condemn ivy as a tree-strangling menace on
Hampstead Heath, please consider some of its many positive
points:
- Ivy provides a valuable habitat for nesting birds.
- Ivy flowers provide a valuable late source of nectar for
insects (it is flowering now, see above) and the berries a
late supply of sugar during the winter when food is scarce.
- Ivy is a non-parasitic climber which only has feeding roots in
the soil at the base of trees. The tiny 'roots' on the ivy
stems are for support only and do not extract moisture or
nutrients from the supporting tree.
- Ivy is a perfectly natural component of a healthy woodland
ecosystem.
Now, there are occasions when the weight of ivy on a specimen
tree (maybe a rare species of tree, a veteran tree or a tree in a
formal 'non-natural' location) gets too much. If limbs or
even the whole tree are in danger of being pulled
down by the ivy, then we would certainly look at removing
the ivy, but where possible we leave this valuable plant pretty
much to its own devices in a natural setting. (14 October 2011)
Out and about
Some may feel a little melancholy, as we wave goodbye to
the 'Indian' summer dipping over the horizon, but there should be
much to cheer us. There has been an exhilarating autumnal nip to
recent early mornings and a hint of a 'changing of the
guard' in bird life on the Heath. The first
shoveler of the winter is back, with his
ludicrously brilliant spatula-of-a-beak. Listen out at night, as
we must surely hear the 'tseep' calls of arriving redwings in
the next few days. You should still be on 'migrant alert',
with ring ouzel being pretty close to the top of the
clever birder's hit-list. Good luck and embrace the changing
seasons. (7 October 2011)
September 2011
The sky is falling in
Walk on Hampstead Heath today and you could be excused for
thinking that you have gatecrashed a children’s fable and
that indeed the ‘sky is falling in’. Dare to pass under oak trees
and you will be bombarded by falling acorns in one of the best
crops for years (and no, that doesn’t predict a cold winter to
come, but reflects the brilliant spring weather earlier this
year).
There are two species of oak native to the British Isles, both
are found on Hampstead Heath. There are fairly obvious differences
between the two making identification reasonably straightforward.
At this time of year that process is made easier still by the
presence of acorns.
The acorns of the English or
pedunculate oak are stalked (‘pedunculate’ means
‘stalked’), while those of the sessile oak are
unstalked (‘sessile’ means, not surprisingly, ‘stalkless’).
It is well known that the English oak supports a greater
biodiversity than any other UK plant. Over 400 species of insect,
for example, find their homes on the species. Just as important, it
is our quintessential life form that has done more to shape the
English landscape than any other tree species. (30 September
2011)
Watching wheatears
The best thing about migration is being able to see species of
bird that neither breed nor winter on the Heath. Birds such as
redstart, pied flycatcher, ring ouzel and yellow wagtail are only
likely to be spotted on ‘passage’, when they may stop off on the
Heath to rest or feed up, or sometimes they may just be seen flying
over, in what birders often refer to as ‘visible migration’, or
just ‘vis-mig’ (why waste time uttering those extra four
syllables when it could be better spent bird
watching?).
One of the most beautiful and obliging birds that can be seen at
this time of the year is the wheatear. It is
unmistakeable with its upright stance and striking white/ inverted
black ‘T’ rear-end arrangement. Do not look for it in the trees. It
prefers to be on the ground or on low, prominent posts. It is a
breeding bird in the north and west, where it is most associated
with upland sheep pasture, nesting in dry-stone walls.
There has been a steady passage of wheatears on the Heath over
the last six weeks and we can expect to see a few more yet.
(22 September 2011)
Out and about
There are still a few spotted flycatchers and
swallows passing through. (14 September 2011)
Hampstead Heathland
It does no harm to remind ourselves why Hampstead Heath is
called Hampstead Heath.
Different people hold different interpretations of what a
‘heath’ is. Many would categorise it as open, non-wooded land that
is not manicured, but slightly unkempt, in a positive fashion. A
kind of shabby-chic habitat.
However, both the original meaning and the biological meaning
are rather more precise.
So, heathland is an open landscape generally found on poor, acid
sandy soils usually containing dwarf shrubs of the heather family
but also gorse, bracken, acidic grassland, bogs, scattered
trees and shrubs and open water habitats.
Heathland is an exceptionally rare habitat and the UK holds
massively important chunks.
The key to the definition in general and Hampstead Heath in
particular is heather. Three types of heather grow here – common
heath or ling (Calluna vulgaris), bell heather (Erica
cinerea) and cross leaved heath (Erica tetralix).
Calluna is in flower now. Look for it on the sandy soils
of the Vale of Health, Sandy Heath and West Heath.
Heathland and heather require open conditions. Much heathland
was lost on Hampstead Heath as woodland spread in the past. It is
hard to visualise now, but only one hundred years ago the Heath was
largely treeless and heathland was ubiquitous on its higher slopes.
Current management aims to keep the fragments of heathland that
still remain and to allow these to expand where possible into
glades, rides and openings. (8 September 2011)
Out and about
A spotted flycatcher was seen by the Ladies’
Pond meadow yesterday afternoon. (8 September 2011)
Out and about
A few whinchat have been seen in recent days,
briefly stopping on the Heath while on migration. (7 September
2011)
August 2011
Indian summer
Himalayan Balsam (above) is a plant that might not
always be loved, but is certainly possible to admire.
Originally from the Himalayan mountains (you don’t say!) this
introduced species didn’t take long to escape from the gardens that
it was intended to prettify. With an extremely aggressive method of
seed dispersal (when the pod is ripe the individual seeds can be
catapulted over five metres) and high nectar production the plant
has a distinct advantage over many native species, which it has
been able to out-compete.
On Hampstead Heath we carefully monitor and control the species
so that it doesn’t get out of hand. It would be very difficult to
totally eradicate it from the damp patches and waterways that it
loves, so if we have to live with it, we might as well appreciate
its good points. It flowers quite late into the season and can keep
flowering even into October, providing a useful late nectar source
for insects. The plant is particularly valued by beekeepers.
You might also hear the plant referred to as policeman’s helmet,
bobby tops and Indian balsam. (26 August 2011)
Out and about
Don't let the current showery weather dampen your bank
holiday spirit. A bit of rain very early in the morning can be just
what is needed to bring birds that have been migrating in the
night down onto the Heath. When the rain stops the birds may take
the opportunity to feed up here and provide good
views for birdwatchers. Several wheatears
have been in the Parliament Hill area in recent days. (26 August
2011)
Acid test
To look at, tormentil (above) is a fairly
insignificant little plant. You will need to kneel down to study
its low growing form and its little four-petaled yellow flowers.
The presence of the plant, however, is very significant. If you see
tormentil on Hampstead Heath then you are standing (or maybe you
are still kneeling?) on a piece of acid grassland.
'Acid' here has nothing to do with the late 1980s/early
1990s house music sub-genre, but everything to do with the
underlying geology. You will find tiny pockets of acid grassland on
the sandy soils higher up the Heath, principally on East
Heath, West Heath and Sandy Heath. Acid grassland is a very rare
habitat in London, so the fragments on the Heath are protected from
scrubbing over and, where possible, extended to allow tormentil,
heath bedstraw and a few other delicate species to thrive. (19
August 2011)
Out and about
Bird migrants in recent days include wheatear,
spotted flycatcher, tree pipit,
swallow, sand
martin and a variety of warblers.
(19 August 2011)
Jolly green Heath giant
Keep an eye out for the Roesel's bush
cricket, a large insect up to an inch in length now common
on Heath grasslands. Up until th 1980s they were only found around
a few coasts in the extreme south east of England, but
they have now expanded as far as the midlands. They are easy
to spot with a distinctive yellow 'U' shape behind their eyes. (16
August 2011)
Snakes in the long grass
One of the big conservation successes on Hampstead Heath is
the health of our colony of grass snakes. It is
probably the closest colony to the centre of London, but you would
still be very lucky to spy one in the long grass, generally
close to water. The female is an impressive reptile, growing to
over a metre in length. Hold on, we can feel ripples of discomfort
amongst you, but do not worry, 
they are totally harmless. And while we are exploding myths,
snakes are not slimy either. They have scales that provide a dry
and smooth texture. Snakes slough – that is they shed their skin –
at least once a year, more when young. This allows the replacement
of worn skin and the removal of unwanted parasites. The skin
generally comes off in one intact piece, as the creature removes it
rather like we would take off a sock, although not sat on the edge
of a bed. You probably have more chance of finding a
discarded skin than a live grass snake. If you do see a live snake
and it has a dull appearance and cloudy eyes, then it is preparing
to shed its skin. But, to hope to see a live
snake and see it shed its skin is just
greedy. (5 August 2011)
Out and about
Common sandpiper, spotted flycatcher and
hobby are good spots in recent days. (5 August
2011)
July 2011
Come on Bunny Haycocks!
Common toadflax is a lovely plant, although it invokes a
slight tinge of sadness in that it starts to flower just as
thoughts of the end of summer start to enter the consciousness. It
is made up of dense clusters of spurred, yellow flowers, rather
similar to snapdragons in the garden. Toadflax is favoured by
bumble bees and is the foodplant of the day-flying silver Y
moth. It has aquired a whole stack of interesting local names
including butter and eggs, devil’s flax, rabbit flower and the
amusing bunny haycocks (a colleague swears that Bunny Haycocks was
the last British finalist in the Mens’ Singles at Wimbledon).
A few migrants are passing through including spotted
flycatcher, wheatear and beautful, subtle
plumaged sand martins, with thanks to the
London Bird Club. (28 July 2011)
Common sandpiper
The
common sandpiper is a dainty little wader
that, having finished breeding in northern and western lakes and
rivers, is now heading back south for the winter. This 'autumn'
passage is the best time to see the bird in the south,
although a few do overwinter near the coast down in Sussex and
Kent. Some people find waders difficult to identify and there
are certainly a few species similar to the common sandpiper. We
think that there are five key features for you to look out for:
1) sandy colour of upper body 2) small size 3) constant
bobbing of the tail 4) clear white 'notch' between the
darker chest and the wing 5) distinctive stiff-winged
flight. If you can spot all of these features, please tick
off common sandpiper in your copy book.
A couple of common sandpipers, at least, have passed through the
Heath in the last couple of days. Try the edge of ponds where
there isn't much vegetation and try early in the morning
before disturbance. (22 July 2011)
The end of summer
Please don't be alarmed, but for many species summer is over.
Almost as soon as the last of the spring migrants have
arrived the first of the post breeding migrants of the 'Autumn' are
passing through. Sand martins, wagtails and a number of species of
wading birds have already been seen in London making the trip
south. Numbers of black headed gulls are building on the Heath, as
birds return from breeding sites at reservoirs or by the
coast. (14 July 2011)
Partial eclipse of the duck
As the intensity of the breeding season starts to tail off
somewhat, birds with fledged young (if not considering another
brood) can start to take the foot off the accelerator a
little. Very soon many species will become inactive, moult and
possibly become flightless for a short while (this is a topic we
must come back to in greater detail another time). Ducks' moulting
period is known as its 'eclipse'. The bright male
feathers are lost and for a while most ducks look similar -
brownish and drabish. We're not quite there yet - the bird in the
photo is in partial eclipse - but, when its here, its a great time
to sharpen your wildfowl identification techniques. Instead of
relying on the bold male colours (that's easy-peasy), you must lean
more heavily on shape, size, behaviour and demeanour of the birds.
Do this, because it will benefit you in the long run.(8 July
2011)
June 2011
Hampstead Heath's heathers
Lest we forget, the name of our favourite open space owes its
origin to the habitat 'heath' which in turn is named after the
plant which dominates it 'heather'. We are fortunate that the three
regular UK species can all be found here - common heather (or ling)
Calluna vulgaris, bell heather Erica
cinerea and cross-leaved heath Erica
tetralix. If you head to the West Country these three are
joined by two additional, very rare species.
After the cessation of grazing in the C19th and C20th large
areas of the once open high ground of Hampstead Heath turned
into woodland and most of the heath habitat was lost. Tiny remnants
have been supplemented by planting, so that the characteristic
heathers and gorses are still to be found in places like the Vale
of Health, Sandy Heath and West Heath. It is well worth seeking out
these colourful little glades; they are very attractive 'windows'
into the past landscape of Hampstead Heath.(30 June 2011)
The tail wags
Three grey wagtails are at Hampstead No 1
Pond this morning. Despite the drab name this is a beautiful bird,
with striking bright yellow underparts. It has
an unfeasibly long tail that, as might be expected, wags.
Watch for them picking around the water's edge. (24 June 2011)
Kestrel conundrum
What on earth is going on here? One of our colleagues watched
these two male kestrels tussling for minutes on end by Cohen's
Field. Well, in fact only one bird was tussling, with the
other laying flat on the floor in a submissive posture,
occasionally calling as if to say 'OK, OK, you're the daddy! Now
can you get off me, please?' We think this is some kind of battle
of dominance, although we are not certain. Are they both adult
males? Maybe one is a fledged bird being told in no uncertain terms
that he should expect to remain quite low in the pecking order? We
are not certain.
What is certain is that this was an extraordinary insight into
bird behaviour played out literally inches from a main path on
Hampstead Heath, passed all the time by joggers and walkers.
We should stress that there was no direct physical violence and the
only thing hurt was the pride of the submissive bird.
Watch a video of the
kestrels tussling on Hampstead Heath (17 June 2011)
Butterflies and moths
How do butterflies differ from moths? In many people’s eyes
butterflies are the most beautiful of all insects. They are
colourful, elegant creatures that flutter appealingly across the
landscape, providing vibrant detail. While moths are just creepy,
ugly, night-flying harbingers of doom and general nastiness.
This is far from the truth. Anatomically, the most obvious
difference is that butterflies have club-shaped antennae, while
moths have un-clubbed antennae which are often comb-like or
feathery.
Of course, many butterflies are stunning, but others are pretty
ordinary looking (hey, those skippers are no oil paintings). And
many moths are gorgeous. Almost all of our hawk moths would come
out favourably in one-on-one beauty contests with UK butterflies.
Also, not all moths are nocturnal. Quite a few fly in the day,
including silver Y, cinnabar and burnet moths (several of
these, by the way, are stunners too).
So, moths really ought not to be considered as the poor relation
of the Lepidoptera tribe.
The burnet companion moth is a
middle-of-the-road looking moth, not especially handsome, but
presentable enough. It is named so because it often hangs out with
burnet moths. It is day flying and out on the Heath now. (9
June)
Out and about
Keep your eyes out for one of our most beautiful birds of prey –
the hobby – there have been several recent
sightings. (9 June)
Moon daisies
The handsome oxeye daisy, which also answers to
marguerite and moon daisy, is on full show in all good Heath
meadows now. (Surely ‘moon daisy’ is also the name of some
celebrity’s baby?).
The daisy family is alternatively know as the composites, their
‘flower’ being in fact many tiny flowers closely packed together
onto a compound head. In the case of the oxeye daisy, there are
numerous central yellow, disc flowers and the surrounding white ray
flowers.
It is a typical meadow plant that can spread very well from sown
seed and is quite easy to establish in a wildflower meadow. This is
a blessing, as a showier, jollier flower is hard to imagine.
Many insects don’t like oxeye daisy which contains a bitter,
pungent juice. This juice was often mixed with the bedding of farm
animals to act as an insect repellent. (1 June 2011)
Out and about
Reed warblers are now singing at Highgate No 1
Pond and Bird Sanctuary Pond. A hobby has been
seen in recent days. (1 June 2011)
May 2011
Out and about
There was at least one
reed warbler singing by the Highgate No 1
Pond earlier in the week. Latest - three
singing reed warblers at Highgate No 1 Pond
at 9am Friday 27 May! Listen out for the repetitive
scratch and churr of a song, so characteristic of reed beds,
either here or at the Bird Sanctuary Pond. If you see this
rather bashful bird, you'll appreciate its very smooth,
warm brown upper body and paler, but still smooth,
underparts.
Migrants are still passing through the UK, but the flow is
weakening and there is definitely the feeling that most birds are
in place now. Breeding is in full swing and baby birds
are emerging all the time now.
Latest - three grey
wagtails at Hampstead No 1 Pond at 10am Friday 27 May (27
May 2011)
Dog days
Dog rose (left) is one of the fairly exclusive gang of
native roses that provide delicate bouquets of whites and pinks
along the country's hedgerows in late spring and summer. 'Dog' is a
pig of a name, as it means 'worthless', 'inferior' or 'poor man's'.
The poor dog rose was considered no match for its showy
garden cousins, pampered with names like 'Ballerina', 'Amber Queen'
and 'English Elegance'. But, in the non-garden context
the subtle beauty of the dog rose is plenty showy enough, thank
you.
Dog rose was of practical value, too, its arched branches were
the arch enemy of wandering stock, who would get snagged on the
hooked thorns and think twice before trying to penetrate that
stock barrier again. Watch out for the dog rose's scarlet hips
- or dragon's teeth - later in the year. (20 May 2011)
Out and about
Across the countryside we have seen how this prolonged dry spell
can lead to catastrophic fires. Along with the increased
natural risk, with the ground tinder-dry, it is
depressing that in at least some cases arsonists have
been to blame. Here on the Heath we lost an oak
'monolith' - a standing trunk of a dead tree - which was
set on fire last weekend. Standing dead wood forms
a fantastic home for invertebrates, so this is a great
shame.
On a more positive note, newly returned swifts
were swarming like gnats high over the Heath this morning, each one
a tiny black pin-prick of optimism. Also, four little
grebes are in the Wood Pond in the Kenwood Estate.
Little grebes are the sweetest of water
birds, only marginally bigger than a heavyweight boxer's fist,
with a powder-puff for a rear-end. A lesser
whitethroat, a bird of dense scrub, best located
by its distinctive rattling call, has been heard
around Parliament Hill. (12 May 2011)
Heath Hog
Many thanks to Chris Bird for alerting us to this brilliant film
he took of a
hedgehog on Hampstead Heath.
There have been some stonking birds seen on or over the
Heath in the last week including red
kite, hobby, arctic
tern and still three whitethroat around
Pryor's Field alone. Particularly interesting were a few
bar tailed godwit (thanks to Pete Mantle and the
London Bird Club website) seen last Sunday.
This party were some of the incredible numbers of this
handsome wader blown off course into UK airspace by strong
north-easterlies. (6 May 2011)
April 2011
St Mark's Flies
Swarms of St Mark’s fly, Bibio marci,
(so named because the adults emerge around St Mark’s Day, 25 April)
are easy to see on the Heath at the moment. St Mark's is
a large, hairy black fly and the males are easy to distinguish as
they have big, bulbous eyes and heads in comparison to the
female.
The males ‘dance’ up and down, with legs-a-dangling to impress
the ladies. It seems that humans are not that different to ‘less
intelligent’ species after all.
Meadows and woodland edges are favoured spots. Eggs are laid
underground and the larvae feed on decaying matter and grass roots
in the soil. They can occasionally become pests of cereal fields,
but on the credit side they may play an important role in the
pollination of fruit trees and other plants.
Swarms of St Marks flies will alight on objects in their way,
and that includes you. So, shall we dance? (28 April 2011)
Migration update
In the last week passing migrants have included
buzzard, hobby,
waxwing, swallow,
wheatear and meadow pipit.
There are several singing and displaying
whitethroats in areas of Heath scrub. (26
April 2011)
Calm down coots, calm down
Hey, what’s eating the coots on Hampstead Heath? They are
aggressive birds at the best of times, but currently they just
can’t help having a go at anything with wings. With the breeding
season party in full swing, the slightly awkward introductions are
forgotten, the glasses are clinking and everyone’s on the dance
floor. But some idiots always have to drink a few too many and
spoil it for everyone else. The coots are getting a bit lairy. They
want to fight other coots. They want to fight other species of
water bird. They’re really not that fussed who they fight. But with
nest building and young birds soon to feed, you’d think that they
would knuckle down and become a bit more mature.
Their imperfect characters verge on the gruesome as - please
turn away now, those of a sensitive disposition - they are known to
kill their own young when food supplies are low and they have too
many mouths to feed. This grisly conduct, along with the coot’s
intense territorial behaviour, is clearly part of a strategy that
works as coots are doing pretty well in the UK, with perhaps as
many as 28,000 breeding pairs and many more wintering birds.
Look out for their distinctive ‘lobed’ rather than ‘webbed’
feet. ‘Bald as a coot’ (no, not you Sir, I do apologise) derives
from the hard white plate above the beak.
The coot’s combination of black plumage, lime green legs, white
beak and ‘bald patch’ make for a really very attractive and
characterful, if very poorly behaved, Heath resident. (14 April
2011)
If you know what's good for you...
This webpage has been known to get a bit over-excited, sometimes
allowing passion to rule over logic and cold science. And
for this entry, we plead guilty as charged. It's just that
this time of year is so full of springtime promise and
charged with a renewed cornucopia of optimism and
energy . If you know what's good for you, get down to the
Heath today, without delay.
With the weather set fair for the next few days, and with the
spring bird migration dial set almost to 'maximum',
there is no more exhilarating place to be than on Hampstead
Heath. And if you can shake an early leg, first-light is the time
to be seen there. Many birds migrate throughout
the night, but after a hard shift on the wing
they may come to ground at some point at or before
dawn in order to rest up, feed up and perhaps do a little
sight-seeing en-route to their breeding sites.
The clever birdwatcher will be waiting at likely spots on
terra firma to see what drops out of the sky and this is
the time of year to expect the unexpected.
Of course, nature is unpredictable and the science of
migration is inexact. If the winds are not quite right,
there may be very little to see. Conversely, if the winds are just
to the birds liking and conditions are perfect, then
the birds may take advantage and decide not to stop,
just passing by, very high, bye bye. Sometimes, whatever seems most
likely to happen, just doesn't. But, that's exactly why it is
so much fun.
Perhaps the best two places to look for migrants on the
Heath are in areas of scrub and hedgerows and straight up
above, skywards.
Some of the birds seen in recent days include
swallows, house martins, sand martins,
yellow wagtails, willow warblers,
skylarks, wheatears and - just
off the Heath - a splendid male redstart. There
are very good numbers of singing blackcaps to
enjoy. With a fair wind we can expect this list to lengthen.
Good luck! (7 April 2011)
Out and about
There are at least three very active
kingfishers on the Highgate Pond chain at the
moment. Thanks to Chris Bird (via the
London Bird Club website) for news of a
profitable morning on the Heath with at least 15
chiffchaffs, a willow warbler,
six lesser black backed gulls and a pair of
little grebes on the Wood Pond in the Kenwood
Estate. (1 April 2011)
March 2011
Out and about
Several new blackcaps have arrived and a
lesser spotted woodpecker was seen near Parliament
Hill. Marsh marigolds and cuckoo
flowers are now in bloom in damper parts of Hampstead
Heath. (30 March 2011)
There were two newly arrived summer migrants singing yesterday
evening: a blackcap in the scrub below the
Flagstaff and an early willow warbler by
Highgate No 1 Pond. (29 March 2011)
Hedgerows - you've got to be cruel to be kind
Good countryside management techniques often need to be
sensitive and cautious, but in many instances you’ve got to go in
hard and, to coin a phrase, ‘you’ve got to break eggs to make an
omelette’. Sometimes you have to do real dirty work in order to
enjoy – and more pertinently in order for nature to enjoy
– the fruits of your labours.
Take hedgerows for example. If you pussy-foot around and leave
them untouched they soon grow ‘gappy’ and ‘leggy’ and become of
little value to wildlife. In contrast, regular ‘laying’ of a
hedge, when stems are partially cut-through and bent over to the
horizontal, rejuvenates the whole habitat, thickening it up,
prolonging the life of the individual shrubs and providing a
brilliantly impenetrable, safe habitat for nesting birds, It also
continues traditional countryside management techniques that are
becoming as rare to find in the countryside as hens'
teeth.
Layered hedges of hawthorn,
blackthorn and maple are bursting
into life all over the Heath right now and very soon will be home
to returning summer migrants such as blackcap and whitethroat.
Good numbers of orange underwings are close to
birch trees at the moment. These are large, showy moths that very
helpfully fly by day. They are well worth looking out
for. Brimstone, red admiral and
peacock butterflies were all seen in the sun
yesterday.
Another buzzard was seen over Parliament Hill
on Tuesday. (24 March 2011)
The persistence of the long distance migrant
The chiffchaff is no looker. It is pleasant enough, with a
moderately endearing face, but is otherwise nondescript. However,
it makes up for any deficiencies in appearance, by possessing one
of the most sweetly optimistic little songs. The chiffchaff’s song
is minimalist. It is quite easy to pick out from other more
sophisticated tunes that make up spring’s ‘wall’ of birdsong. The
bird calls ‘chiff chaff’ (What, it sings the same as its name? What
are the chances of that?!), decides that it likes that two-note
refrain and repeats it tirelessly for long periods of the day. And
aren’t we glad that it does? It provides one of the
sounds of early spring and confirms that the worst of the winter is
long gone. The chiffchaff is a summer visitor from Africa and has
just arrived at the Bird Sanctuary, where it can almost certainly
be heard right now, if you are reading this in daylight hours. The
chiffchaff’s persistence extends well into the summer months when
most birdsong has faded, other more refined songsters have clearly
become burnt out, artistically jaded and have retired to their
‘green rooms’ in a slightly temperamental manner. But the
chiffchaff, thank heavens, will still be there, singing for the
duration. (18 March 2011)
Bread and cheese and buttercups
Hawthorn leaves are out. In days gone by this
would have pleased youngsters, who picked them when fresh and
nibbled them and added them to sandwiches. It was known as 'bread
and cheese'. It was the savoury snack of choice of simpler
times. Lesser celandine, a member of the buttercup
family, is coming into flower right now.
The wind is expected to shift around to the south over
the weekend, bringing with it a whiff of hope and, just possibly,
the first migrants of the spring. Wheatear and chiffchaff might be
at the top of any wish list. These, as well as swallows and sand
martins, will almost certainly be spotted somewhere in the country
- why not here? Early spring is a time of great promise when
after the best part of half a year left in the dark, large chunks
of the population realise that there is more than a black void
between their homes and their work. It's a time when we re-connect
with nature, even if only subconsciously.
Two buzzards were seen soaring quite high over
the Heath on the 8th March.
Muntjac deer, foxes and a male
tawny owl were all noisey near the Viaduct
as dusk melted into night yesterday evening. (11
March 2011)
Amphibian alert
Look out for frogs, which are currently very
active on the Heath, particularly after dark. The first familiar
jelly-like clumps of spawn arrived on the Heath on the last
day of February this year. Each clump typically contains up to
2,000 eggs, but only a handful of those will survive to become
breeding adult frogs.
We have been monitoring frog populations on the Heath for over ten
years now and are very pleased that populations are on the up, a
likely result of good habitat management, including habitat
creation. We will shortly be undertaking this year’s survey and
night time ecological explorations of the Heath's ponds will be in
full swing. (4 March 2011)
February 2011
Seasonal changeover
As if approaching the changeover in a relay race, winter
and spring are temporarily running side by side for a while
before the baton is safely passed onto the latter season. There are
currently clear signs of both seasons on Hampstead Heath.
In the winter corner we have flocks of
redpoll, siskin,
redwing and a few fieldfare
getting a little excitable, with thoughts of migration to breeding
grounds starting to form. In the spring corner we have flowering
primroses and crocuses and a
strong dawn chorus which can be enjoyed at a reasonable hour. When
the dawn chorus peaks in late April, you've got to get up at an
uncomfortably early hour to appreciate it.
There was a firecrest (pictured) this morning
at South Meadow, with thanks to Chris and Jez Bird and the
London Bird Club website (25 February 2011)
Pearl divers
Two good-looking diving ducks are waiting to be admired and
compared on Hampstead Heath. Tufted ducks are a
common sight on the Heath. The males have bold (slightly
iridescent) black and white patches and a glitzy tuft (there is
very little that gets past these bird-naming chaps). The
gentleman* pochard (pictured) is slightly
larger and has a rusty red head atop a grey and black body. The
females of the species are a little trickier to separate, but after
some examination you will pick up the subtle but definite
difference in shape of the two species, the pochard being an
altogether more angular bird. The Boating Pond is the place to
appreciate these fetching waterfowl.
* The word 'gentleman' is used loosely here, as
male pochards don't display a great deal of chivalry on migration.
They leave breeding sites in north and east Europe early, forming
large male-only flocks that migrate while the females are left
holding the babies, so to speak. The males claim the best wintering
spots, often leaving the females to fly much further in search
of a decent spot to spend the season.
A little grebe (a tiny pom pom of a bird) was
seen at the Ladies' Pond on Tuesday and we've just taken a
frustratingly late report of around 25 waxwing at
our Kenwood Yard on Monday. (18 February 2011)
Spring ahoy!
The well respected and well thumbed field guide of wild flowers
of the UK and Ireland on the shelf above this PC clearly states
that 'primroses flower in the early spring'. Not winter, oh no, but
in early spring, do you hear? The
first primroses are now flowering on Hampstead
Heath (the photograph was taken yesterday by the Bird Sanctuary
Pond). Yes!
Additionally, bluebell leaves are thrusting up
through woodland floors as you read this.
Every day and every hour the hope of warmer, longer days to
come becomes a little bit closer to a reality. (10
February 2011)
Out and about (again)
Mandarin ducks are always stunning, but they are
currently even more eye-catching on Hampstead Heath
with elaborate courtship displays now in full swing. These are
intricately choreographed dances involving whistling calls, raising
of crests and sail feathers, head-bobbing, display preening and
general naughtiness. Ponds with wooded edges are the best
to look for this spectacle and the Thousand Pound Pond in
Kenwood is probably your best bet.
Another cracking bird is the bullfinch. The
photograph, above, taken by gardener Ian Greenwood, shows a male
bird in the Hill Garden. Now, the bullfinch has not always been
every gardener's favourite bird, it having a particularly
taste for new buds, but I know that Ian is tolerant and vastly
appreciative that the Heath is still home to this increasingly
rare and beautiful bird.
There are still excellent numbers of siskins
and redpolls to be found on the Heath and
waxwings are still close by in impressive numbers.
Look on the
London Bird Club website for the best places to
look.
Bird song is winding up very nicely thank you and with a few
bumble bees and a peacock
butterfly seen in flight, Spring-like optimism ought
to put an extra bounce in your step. (4 February
2011)
January 2011
Out and about
The numbers of two lovely birds - redpoll and
siskin - have been building on the Heath. Try the
alders and birches around the Bird Sanctuary Pond, but they are
quite mobile.
Hazel shrubs are now in full flower on
Hampstead Heath. Interestingly, each tree displays both male and
female flowers. The male flowers are the familiar long, yellowish
catkins. The female flowers will be missed by all but the most
diligent nature detectives. They are just a few millimetres in
length, but of an intense red colour, with spider-leg projections
sprouting from egg-shaped buds. Wind carries pollen from the male
flower to the female flower, which develops into the fruit – the
good old hazel nut. Hazel is ‘self-incompatible’, meaning that
successful pollination only occurs between different trees.
Individual trees cannot pollinate themselves, which only seems
right and proper. (28 January 2011)
Watch out for waxwings
We’ve been holding off mentioning the ‘w’ word, but it’s time to
let loose.
Waxwing. There, we said it. A
waxwing is as good a bird as you are likely to see anywhere,
sporting a dramatic crest and exquisite, delicately beautiful
peachy plumage. In this remarkable winter for waxwings they
have, at last, been seen on Hampstead Heath.
In good light, we challenge you to name a more beautiful bird. And
they are close to you now, ready to be enjoyed. In recent
days they have been spotted in Muswell Hill, Highgate, Belsize
Park, Tufnell Park, Finsbury Park and other local suburbs and they
finally entered Hampstead Heath airspace last weekend.
Waxwings (sometimes given the suitably exotic moniker ‘Bohemian’
waxwings) only arrive in the UK in winter in large numbers
(eruptions) every now and again; this year has been the best
outbreak in a long while. If the berry crop, on which they depend,
fails in Scandinavia they will gird their loins, take a few deep
breathes and cross the North Sea hoping for richer pickings in good
old Blighty. There are thousands of them here now. They are mostly
attracted to red berries – pyracantha, cotoneaster and – the
absolute zenith of their top-one-hundred-berry list – rowan.
They habitually rest up in tall trees and when, it seems, a whistle
that only they can hear blows, they dive down, en masse, making a
smash and grab raid on a nearby berry bush, stuffing their
faces as if under the stopwatch, before returning to their original
perches to rest up, digest and surely burp a little.
Eagle eyed Chris Bird
(London Bird Club website) was the clever and
lucky fellow who saw a flock arrowing over the Heath, by the
Tumulus. None have landed on the Heath so far, so far as we know.
Whether on Hampstead Heath or in nearby streets keep your eyes
peeled for this exceptional bird, as you will be richly
rewarded.
There are also still good numbers of siskin around
the Heath. (21 January 2011)
New Year prizes
There have been a few recent sightings of
woodcock and water rail and at
the moment there is a roving flock of around 50
siskin and a few redpoll. (12
January 2011)
If you see anything notable, please do let us know by emailing
hampstead.heath@cityoflondon.gov.uk