Friday 30 December 2011

BEDDINGTON FARMLANDS REVIEW 2011

2011 was all about pan-species listing as our bird and wildlife group started drawing up an inventory of all the wildlife at our patch ahead of further developments in the creation of a public nature reserve.
Birding highlights included the site's first Black Kite and 'Kumlien's' Gull, another Common Crane in the spring and a wintering Cetti's Warbler. The Beddington Bird List now stands at 255.
Other wildlife highlights included the discovery of the only UK population of Dewick's Plusia moth and the discovery of Common Lizards on site. There were also several first's for Beddington as a result of the pan-species searches. Will certainly be interesting to see the total for the pan species list when we complete it.
The August exhibition at the Carshalton Environmental Fair was a good success and on the conservation front reed planting and wildflower meadow planting was carried out with the help of the WWT and the RSPB led London Tree Sparrow Partnership generated a lot of interest.

WINTER 2011

The Birds of Beddington Farmlands was finally published and available for purchase in January.

Film makers for the Natural World were present in the winter filming the gulls for a programme due in summer 2012.

SPRING 2011

It was a good spring for Wheatears with birds favouring the restored landfill cell mounds.

Beddington's fourth Common Crane was a spring highlight

Two Wood Sandpipers gave excellent views on 100 acre

SUMMER 2011


Due to areas of newly disturbed ground around the mounds and southern lake, an amazing diveristy of plant life emerged through the summer months

A Black Kite in July was the birding highlight of the year and a first for the site

Reed Planting in August is aimed at hopefully attracting Bitterns and other reed habitat species in the future.

As part of the London Tree Sparrow Partnership, young Tree Sparrows were fitted with coloured rings in a project to track their movements and help with their conservation.

Common Lizards were discovered in the summer under survey matts.

The Beddington Farmlands stall at the environmental fair generated a lot of interest


Dewick's Plusia were discovered in August- the only known UK population.

Common Kestrel bred in the vicinity of the farm


AUTUMN 2011

A few of the autumn's highlights included:

Juvenile Curlew Sandpiper

Arctic Tern

Pectoral Sandpiper

The September bird tour group bumped into the Pec


Angle shades

Barred Sallow- over 110 species of moths were recorded from June


WINTER AGAIN 2011


To connect the nature reserve to the local village Hackbridge and River wandle work commenced on creating green corridors.

Cetti's Warbler. This singing male arrived in October and was present till December.

Winter gulling highlights included several Caspian Gulls and the Kumlien's Gull (below)


All the latest Beddington bird news at Johnny Allan's site: http://www.diporglory.co.uk/


and more info at the Beddington Farm Bird Group website:

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