counting coots

Twas on the news last night.

http://www.therrc.co.uk/lrap_zoom.php?c=13

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/news/100997.aspx

Money being thrown at improving the Thames and its tributaries. The Wandle, which concerns me most, seems to have lots of projects planned, which can only be a good thing. In the sixties this particular river was classified as dead due to the amount of pollution that was in the water - now Kingfishers are a regular sight at the north end, which is often taken as a signifier of a healthy river. If more and more improvements are made upstream then that must be good for my area, which hasn't been attended to for a few years to be honest, and could do with a bit of tlc.

On the map supplied on the first link, the green dot at the top is right in my patch where the bank of the Thames is being improved.

I wrote about this elsewhere...

http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=1355864&postcount=107

I'm off for a smoke by the bank to go and look at early morning gulls and sluggish mallards...