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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: Reedbeds
Reed Warblers back at Thames Road Wetland as Green Hairstreak shows up for 2nd year and first Damselfly seen.
As reported from other sites, Reed Warbler is back in Bexley from its African wintering grounds, and a few could be heard chuntering from out in the reedswamp at Thames Road Wetland on April 12th. A Cetti’s Warbler was present … Continue reading
Harvest Mice – first images of this London rarity in Bexley
Nests of of Harvest Mice (Micronomys minutus) , the UK’s smallest rodent, were first found at Thames Road Wetland in 2014, when 7 were discovered in the course of vegetation management work. None were located in 2015, but another three … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley, Biodiversity Action Plan, Harvest Mouse, Mammals, Raptors, Recording, Reedbeds, SINC, Thames Road Wetland, Thames21
Tagged Bexley, Biodiversity Action Plan, Brown Rat, Harvest Mouse, Micronomys minutus, Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation, Thames Road Wetland, Thames21, trail camera, Wood Mouse
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Bexley RSPB visit to Thames Road Wetland
Just 6 of us turned out early on a dull morning with rain forecast, for a walk down the river Cray from Crayford town centre and around Thames Road Wetland, but it’s probably about the best number for keeping people … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley, Bird watching, Crayford, Plants in Bexley, Reedbeds, River Cray, River Wansunt, Rivers, RSPB, Thames Road Wetland
Tagged Bexley RSPB, River Cray, Thames Road Wetland
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Thames21 team brave rain to clear river and plan Thames Road Wetland work
Cray River project boss Michael Heath, Chris Rose, Ray, Ron Pearson and Wren Rose turned out for a planning meeting at Thames Road Wetland on Wednesday 16th, despite the persistent rain, but first cleared a blockage of rubbish in the … Continue reading
Ruxley Gravel Pits SSSI working group announces autumn/winter dates
Ruxley Gravel Pits is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Come and help conserve the key features of this important wildlife site on the Cray by the Bexley/Bromley border. The birds have flown but the buddleia & the brambles continue … Continue reading
Posted in Reedbeds, River Cray, vegetation management, Volunteering
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QWAG members enjoy ‘back to nature’ experience at Thames Road Wetland
Seven members of the Quaggy Waterways Action Group, a river restoration organisation, and the Secretary of Friends of Sutcliffe Park, all from Lewisham, visited Thames Road Wetland on Saturday July 18th to learn more about the possibilities for enhancing wetland in … Continue reading
‘Conservation grazing’ at Thames Road Wetland
It’s been a while since the local ponies were on the site when I was around, but last week (June 23rd) I was intently studying the spread of the rare Brookweed when there was a quiet rustling right behind me. … Continue reading
Spring into summer at Thames Road Wetland
Things were hotting up at Thames Road Wetland on Tuesday (June 16th). Reed Bunting bred on site in 2013, but last year the male seemed to spend most of the summer singing, with no apparent success. Now he is back … Continue reading
Marsh Harrier drops in for Crossness briefing
Crossness showed with impeccable timing, just what makes it one of the very best wildlife sites in Bexley today, as Karen Sutton – recently promoted to Biodiversity Team Manager for Thames Water – showed two new members of her team … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley, Bird watching, Crossness, Crossness Nature Reserve, Erith Marshes, Raptors, Reedbeds
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Ruxley team in coppicing action to maintain reedbed
Martin Watts reports on yesterday’s action (Jan 18th) from Ruxley Gravel Pits SSSI, just over the Bexley border in Bromley: ‘Sunday morning saw a light drizzle but it didn’t deter a party of nine from getting stuck into the re-growing willow … Continue reading
Posted in coppicing, Reedbeds, Ruxley Gravel Pits, Volunteering
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