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Bexley's only Rookery seems to be slowly expanding. Four nests this year. Close to Thames Road Wetland.
Large tortoiseshell butterfly confirmed no longer extinct in UK
www.theguardian.com
Early spring sightings show colourful insect is a resident species for first time in decades, says conservation charity
Friends of the Cray at Crayford, latest report .....www.facebook.com/groups/5332550310104995/posts/27104777909122255
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Bexley RSPB indoor meeting. Friday 13 March 2026 –Rick Bayne - Operation Turtle Dove.
Rick is one of the team who works in the conservation part of the
RSPB and will be sharing with us the story of their work to save and promote the well being of the Turtle Dove.
The species was once an iconic sound of the British summer, but Turtle Dove numbers in the UK plummeted by an estimated 99% between their peak in the late 1960s and 2023.
Ironically, one of the last records of a Turtle Dove in Bexley was at the fabulous Erith Quarry scrubland Site of Importance for Nature Conservation - since substantially trashed by owning Anderson Group with the approval of Bexley Council and the GLA.
The venue is St John Fisher Church Hall, 48 Thanet Road, Bexley DA5 1AP beginning at 7:45p.m. Limited free car parking at the hall and in Thanet Road. The public car park next door now charges from 8am-midnight (£4 for 2-4 hours). Bexley train station is about a five-minute walk away and buses serving Bexley are 132, 229, 269, 492, 601, 669, and B12. Doors usually open at 7.15pm.
As well as enjoying the illustrated talk you may purchase raffle tickets, buy bird food and book coach trips. We also maintain
a small RSPB sales stall.
The atmosphere is friendly and informal with an opportunity to
exchange information and seek advice both before the talk and
during the interval with tea and biscuits.
Admission Charges:
RSPB Member - £4.00
Non-Member - £5.00
Friends of the Cray at Crayford, Friday 6th March.Clearing litter along the river, downstream of Crayford town centre, before the vegetation gets going again and hides it in the undergrowth.
Meet junction of Barnes Cray Rd and Footpath 106, 10 a.m.
Wear work clothes and bring any refreshments required.
Category Archives: Crossness
Crossness pulls level with FCM on 15 species of Odonata as Small Red-eyed Damselfly joins the list
Small Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma viridulum) was found at Crossness Southern Marsh (part of the remnant of Erith Marshes) on yesterday’s LNHS invertebrate meeting, a new site record, taking the Odonata species total here to 15 (though no one seems to … Continue reading
‘Strawberry field’ on Belvedere industrial estate
Strawberry Clover (Trifolium fragiferum) is a rare plant in the London area, most frequently found in the lower Thames part of the capital. It is subtly different enough from the common White Clover on account of its slightly neater, pinker … Continue reading
Posted in Belvedere, Crossness, Plants in Bexley, Recording
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Bryony Ladybird reaches Crossness
The Bryony Ladybird (Henosepilachna argus) has been found at Crossness by Chris Rose. The GiGL dataset, and Site Manager Karen Sutton having been consulted, it appears to be a new site record for the species, which was first recorded in … Continue reading
Four-spotted Chaser confirmed at Crossness
One, and probably two different Four-spotted Chaser dragonflies (Libellula quadrimaculata) were seen at Crossness on Erith Marshes yesterday (June 19th), the first record since that shown in the Kent Dragonfly atlas of 2009, which may itself have been of a … Continue reading
Some Shuttle wildlife observations, June 4th – another Hairy Dragonfly range expansion?
Call it a bit mercenary, but I helped out on the BETHs stretch clean-up so I could cover a part of the river I’d not done before for the Water Vole survey I’m leading, without having to make special arrangements … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley, Bexley Woods, Bird watching, Butterflies, Crossness, Dragonflies and Damselflies, Friends of the Shuttle, Hollyoak Wood Park, Lamorbey, Marlborough Park, Parish Wood Park, Parks, Plants in Bexley, Raptors, Recording, Reptiles and Amphibians, River Shuttle, Rivers, Sidcup Golf Course, Uncategorized, vegetation management
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Kestrel pair caught on camera at Crossness des res
Site manager Karen Sutton writes: Kestrels have returned to breed once again at Crossness! A pair bred in 2010 in the upper compartment of a Barn Owl nest box. Barn owls were breeding in the main compartment, whilst Kestrels took … Continue reading
Posted in Bird watching, Crossness, Crossness Nature Reserve, Erith Marshes, Raptors
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Getting to grips with plant characteristics at Crossness
Yesterday (May 20th) , Tony Wileman, from the London Wildlife Trust, came to Crossness Nature Reserve to educate us on the wonderful world of wildflower identification. Twelve people braved the dark skies and unexpected showers and learned tonnes by doing … Continue reading
Revised checklist of Dragonflies and Damselflies in Bexley published
As the new Odonata (Dragonfly and Damselfly) season gets underway, the checklist of these species in Bexley, first produced by Chris Rose a year ago, has been revised and updated by the author to include new records, and has been … Continue reading
CROSSNESS – exciting range of educational wildlife events announced for the summer
From Karen Sutton – Biodiversity Team Manager, Thames Water Crossness Nature Reserve. I have arranged a diverse series of events through to September, both to showcase the fabulous range of wildlife on the site, and to provide an introduction to … Continue reading
Bexley butterfly highlights of 2014 …..
OK, so 2014 seems a long time ago now, but around now’s the time for submitting reports of that year’s wildlife records for the 2015 London Natural History Society Journal (which won’t actually be published until early 2016 ….). This … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley, Butterflies, Crossness, Recording
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