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Norfolk Hawker dragonfly spotted in Sidcup for the first time
uk.news.yahoo.com
Eric Brown reports on the rare Norfolk hawker dragonfly reaching Sidcup, marking a significant expansion for one of Britain’s most protected species.
Woodlands Farm meadow flower survey postponed due to heat ....The plant survey set for the afternoon of Thursday 25/6 has been rescheduled for the following Thursday - 2nd July - due to high temperature warnings. It will be at 2pm.
(See 17/6 post for location details).
UPCOMING WOODLANDS FARM WILDLIFE SURVEYSA few more dates for the diaries:
Thursday 25th June, 2pm - Meadow Plants Survey
Wednesday 8th July, 9.30pm - Bat Survey
Friday 10th July, 2pm - Bee Walk
Please let me know if you are able to attend these, especially if coming to the bat
survey.
Thank you.
Hannah Ricketts
Education Officer
Working Days: Monday and Wednesday - Friday.
The Woodlands Farm Trust
331 Shooters Hill
Welling
Kent
DA16 3RP
Tel: 020 8319 8900
Danson wildlife walk, 28/6. Pre-booking essential. Not sure if still places left, but may be worth asking if there's a 'substitutes' list if places all nominally taken ....
A special community screening: The People’s Emergency Briefing film, taking place at Castle cinema, Sidcup. Sat 20 Jun 2026 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM.What’s happening with climate and nature, and what does it mean for everyday life in the UK?
Join us for a screening of the People’s Emergency Briefing - an eye-opening film bringing together leading UK scientists and experts with the latest evidence and why it matters for things like:
🌧️ Extreme weather
🍞 Food security
🏥 Health
💷 Cost of living
Buy tickets – People's Emergency Briefing, Castle Sidcup Community Screening – Castle Sidcup
www.tickettailor.com
People's Emergency Briefing, Castle Sidcup Community Screening – Castle Sidcup, Sat 20 Jun 2026 - 📢 A special community screening: The People’s Emergency Briefing #PEBuk What’s happening with...
Category Archives: Reptiles and Amphibians
Karen welcomes student visitors to Crossness Nature Reserve
I entertained some very enthusiastic (despite the rain) young naturalists at Crossness Nature Reserve last week. Students from Hertfordshire’s Simon Balle Academy came all the way over to south-east London when they heard about our Slow Worms. Two very clever … Continue reading
Posted in Crossness, Crossness Nature Reserve, Erith Marshes, Reptiles and Amphibians
Tagged Crossness, reptiles, student project
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Bexley Natural Environment Forum submission on Old Farm Park housing and ‘landscaping’ proposals
Conservation group (full submission below) reiterates its objection to the Old Farm Park sell-off and sham consultations, highlights the need for new developments to be zero carbon, criticises the fact that one sixth of the land being taken over will … Continue reading
Lizards and butterflies herald spring at Thames Road Wetland
So warm and sunny was it on March 15th at Thames Road Wetland that although it felt like the kind of day the Lizards would start to come out in force, they didn’t begin to show on the old tyre … Continue reading
Posted in Butterflies, Reptiles and Amphibians, Thames Road Wetland
Tagged Comma, Lizard, Small Tortoiseshell, Snipe, Thames Road Wetland, Water Rail
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Erith Quarry – work begins without Bexley Council’s promised consultation on biodiversity ‘management plan’
Bexley Council has failed to fulfil its written undertaking to consult Bexley Natural Environment Forum and London Wildlife Trust, prior to construction works beginning, about the biodiversity management plan for what little will be left of the important Erith Quarry … Continue reading
Marsh Frog (Pelophylax ridibunda) at Thames Road Wetland – Jason Steel gets quality photos
Jason Steel captured a juvenile Marsh Frog at Thames Road Wetland a few days ago and took these photographs, easily the best of the few ever obtained of this species at the site. These non-native frogs, which were introduced to … Continue reading
Thames Road Wetland latest – Mk2 Harvest Mouse ‘safety’ tubes, Brown Argus confirmed and dumped car reported to police
Much time was spent yesterday (7th September) replacing Mark1 Harvest Mouse monitoring feeding tubes with a much safer Mk2 version that is also attached to a bamboo cane rather than in-situ vegetation. The new design features an ‘escape’ hatch at … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley Council, Butterflies, Dragonflies and Damselflies, Reptiles and Amphibians, Thames Road Wetland
Tagged Bexley Council, Brown Argus, Cetti's Warbler, Grass Snake, Harvest Mouse, Marsh Frog, marsh sow-thistle, Migrant Hawker, Police Crayford Safer Neighbourhood Team, River Wansunt, Thames Road Wetland
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Lizard species in Bexley – there could be one in your garden, or both on your allotment site ….
With Bexley one of the three best Boroughs in London for our declining reptile species, but the Council repeatedly approving building on their prime habitats – all the while making lazy, complacent and unsubstantiated claims that their populations will not … Continue reading
Now Bexley Council officer recommends building on 10% of Crayford Rough, a wildlife site of regional importance.
The onslaught against the most valuable wildlife sites in Bexley is set to continue this week as the planning committee meets on 14th April to consider an application to redevelop the old Electrobase industrial site between Hall Place and Crayford … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley, Bexley Council, Biodiversity Action Plan, BNEF, Braeburn Park, Common Lizard, Consultations, Crayford, Crayford Rough, development threat, Environment, Open spaces, Planning, Plants in Bexley, Reptiles and Amphibians, SINC, Slow Worm, Uncategorized
Tagged BAP, Bee Orchid, Bexley Council, Bexley Council Core Strategy, Bexley Council planning committee, Bexley SINC review, Common Lizard, Crayford Rough, Crayford Strategy and Action Plan Bexley Council July 2005, London Plan, Metropolitan SINC, NPPF, Pyramidal Orchid, Slow Worm, Yellow Vetchling
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Newts in the spotlight: Smooth (or Common), Palmate and Great Crested in Bexley
All three native species of Newt can be found in Bexley. Only the Smooth (or Common) is widespread and likely to turn up in an average garden pond. The Palmate and Great Crested have restricted distributions in the Borough. Joe … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley, Reptiles and Amphibians
Tagged amphibians, Great Crested Newt, Palmate Newt, Smooth Newt
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Absence makes the heart grow fonder – Little Egret shows up at Thames Road Wetland
The first Little Egret ‘on the deck’ at Thames Road Wetland since winter 2014/15 was seen in the ‘west pool’ on the 30th March. This apparent absence (though for much of the time the site is unmonitored) is perplexing given … Continue reading