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Showing posts with label Attenuation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Attenuation. Show all posts

New path by the Thames

Monday, December 07, 2009

Let me introduce you to a new part of my patch.  Not often do new bits of patch turn up, and not often do new bits of the Thames path get opened up.  Well last week I got both. 

Firstly, let me just say that the Thames path on this section of the river is irregular, being broken up by things like waste plants, rivers, wharfs (wharves?), The Hurlingham Club and industrial areas.  This means that much of the time that would be spent birding is actually spent walking around urban areas to get from one er, hot spot, to another.  These inconvenient areas also mean that much of the habitat that I would like to view/visit is out of reach.  Inconvenient.


Now, allow me take you back into the mists of my meandering posts.  The first mention (I think) of the development works by the mouth of the Wandle were detailed on this Bird Forum post. I continued, but with more photos and stuff on this blog here and then here.  And that seemed to be it.  Although there was a path and some ugly buildings planned for the area the economic climate has made this kind of building very slow in starting.  I would view the area from the north side of the river and occasionally see men working, but not often.  And then a big blue wooden shuttering fence thing went up.  And then a wire fence was erected outside this.  Occasionally men would arrive with top soil and stuff, and occasionally machines but nothing much seemed to be happening, nor was there any signs of anyones intentions.

And then at the beginning of last week, from the opposite side of the river I saw a chap in a suit striding purposefully towards a dead end which was wierd in itself as that area is never used by anyone that walksfaster than a dawdle.  Imagine my suprise when he was then seen walking purposefully around the top of the attenuation pond area.  So I thought I'd go and have a look.

Get in!  There's a bloody path right by loads of habitat and everything!

And now I'll sort of let the pictures do the talking?





A sign telling me that if I break my head open, it's my fault.



A path doing new.


A view of the top of the attenuation ponds.



Another view of the top of the attenuation ponds, looking to the Thames.


Habitat doing accessible.



Looking back down the Wandle.



A view of a path on a mirrory thing.




A bit of path.

A bit of path that is a bit longer and round the corner.



Mouth of Wandle to Thames with official looking boat.

I'll more than likely talk about birds in the area over the next few days.

Finally, let me state quite clearly that this post is not a reaction to a recent spate of  'Have a look round my patch' type posts (and intented posts) that have appeared on some of my favourite blogs recently.  No Siree, no way.  This is genuine news, and anyway I did all that like ages ago and if you want to see how rubbish this patch is you can get an idea by scrolling down this set of pages. 

Counting Coots - pushing the boundaries of birdblogging as you would expect.

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Patch first!

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Yesterday was quite unusual on the patch dear reader, as there were actually some interesting birds. No, honestly, there was.

First thing in the morning there were two Swallows flying through. Very nice. And then a Grey Wagtail showed up. Since the successful breeding of this species earlier in the year they left, which makes me think that the habitat in the area is only just good enough to sustain a pair. They'll probably be back in the winter, so maybe they've just gone to the Wetland Centre to get fat for the winter.

Lunchtime was good too. On the Wandle there were two Kingfishers which flew downstream and onto the Thames, they flew directly over the attenuation ponds (remember them?) which makes them by far the most interesting species to 'use' the area. And then there was this.


The more avid identification freaks amongst you will note that this is a picture of Fulica atra, also known as 'Coot'. But look at the bird on the left.... It is, in fact, a bloody juvenile! A juvenile Coot in my patch - something that I have not seen before and thus a first. Be assured that it certainly did not come from any breeding attempt round here, so this bird is population movement in action. Superb.
In the afternoon I saw a Yellow Legged Gull.
You were probably expecting something more exciting as a patch first, shame on you.

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Moth Free Zone

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

A Common Tern flying past an attenuation pond.

Yes kids, this blog is moth free. Through the month of June many of my peers have resorted to watching, catching, photographing and even posting about moths because there are no birds.



There are birds. No need for moths.


Yesterday I found three House Martins. Have you any idea how rare this is in Fulham? Despite the mud, water houses and enough insects to keep a small group of swifts happy there are no resident hirundines, so yesterdays finding was a cracker.


There have been plenty of other birds to see here - no need for moths.


Gulls.

A heron.

Um, a Cormorant.


Lets see, errr - a Dunnock!

Oh yeah, Wood Pigeons.

Blackbird.

Er, Mallard

Wren anyone?

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Attentuation 2

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Attention - attenuation part 2.

Stick with it kids, this is verging on the scientific.

Here is the technical drawing of the area…





The graduated bank has various levels on it, which are designed to hold water. Initially there was a soil layer, this was topped up with a layer of sand and a Hessian type material to finish off. Last week sections were being topped of with a gravelly layer. I’m hoping that they are then going to plant appropriately, but I’m assuming that they will.


In time there will be a path along the top of the area which, once built, will give a continual riverside walk from the Wandle to the far end of Wandsworth Park. This is much more satisfactory than the industrial route that is taken at the moment. Until the path is built (which may not be open until the flats are up – which will take 12 months or so) the views of the new bank area are either from the opposite bank of the Thames or a sideways glance from the Wandle spit.

Here is a picture at high tide – pre-attenuation in progress.



The work in the winter did have a detrimental effect on the bird life in the Wandle mouth. Mostly on Pintail numbers. They seemed to dislike the disturbance and I didn't see any there once. They were further up river, but absent from haunts that they had the year before. Hopefully this winter...


And that’s the main gist of it. As the area improves, I may find more pics to post, I may not. At the moment the area is attenuating not much more than litter and river detritus. I’m trying really hard not to start a list for this specific area, which would be just tooooo sad.

Having said that, birds have been using it in small numbers for loafing, mainly Mallard, Coot, Moorhen and Gulls. Occasionally a Blackbird alights, and most days a Heron can be found. Once the area is planted, I guess it’s only a matter of time before the Spotted Crakes and Aquatic Warblers move in…..


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Attenuation. Part 1

Monday, May 18, 2009

It isn’t very often that a patch birder can be appreciative of new, custom built habitat, especially in the big smoke. However, I am in the fortunate position that I do have some brand spanking new habitat! As the patch is as dull as a dull thing on a particularly dull day right now, I’ve taken the time to show this new area off and finish a half composed and half promised post. Which for the benefit of the short attention spanned interweb user, I will split in two…

It doesn’t look like much at the moment, but do let me introduce you, dear reader, to the Attenuation Ponds!






What is an Attenuation Pond I hear you cry? Well it’s a kind of inter-tidal area with purpose built damn wall thingies that should hold water back for a while when the tide recedes. Regular and attentive readers (well that sure narrows it down a bit) may have spotted the area in previously posted pictures (ones that were in focus anyway).


How it looked last summer – before the work started.


The history is thus. There are some ‘fancy’ flats between the Wandle and Wandsworth Park. There is planning granted for some more, and they look nasty! ……….Part of the process of the application must have taken the environment into consideration with liaison with Wandsworth Council, the Environment Agency etc. The upshot is that the first thing the contractors had to do to the new site (which is on the meeting point of the Thames and the Wandle) was to build the new habitat. This involved a noisy period when a new section of the iron river wall was pounded into the ground behind the existing wall.

How it looked in the autumn, with a pile driver in situ.......





Once this was in, the area between the old wall and the new was slowly landscaped, with a slow gradient to an intertidal level. The outer wall was then partly broken up and much of the rubble left at the bottom of the area as a habitat feature.

Nearly finished, with plant.....



Exciting huh?

Stay tuned for the next instalment kids!

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