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pearl1 Wrote:

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> There's a little duck on Peckham Rye pond at the

> moment that doesn't look like a mallard. It's much

> smaller and has a whitish head with a darker cap.

> Does anyone know what it is or is it just a

> regular juvenile duck?


It'll be a hybrid. Several duck species are very close genetically and can interbreed ? so you can get half-mallard, half-tufted duck offspring etc. Sometimes you'll get a mallard crossed with an escaped farmed mallard, which may have very different characteristics. Promiscuous lot, ducks :-)

  • 1 month later...
Now that the weather is finally changing, and before there are any too sharp winds, those who haven't should catch the autumn colour in Court Lane. There are some very fine trees, particularly maples, which are tremendous - but which will have little more now to give, I fear.
  • 5 weeks later...

lavender27 Wrote:

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> Can anyone tell me what the trees/bushes are with

> tiny red berries on them, I was led to believe

> they were poisonous, is this true?


Certainly true that many but not all red berries are poisonous.


Br aware though. some red berries that are a tasty snack for birds, are poisonous to humans.


Probably don't taste too good. Best left well alone.


DulwichFox

I thought that, but I've never seen a Rowan bush (only trees) and their berries are usually orange.


I don't think they are poisonous though, in fact I think you can make jelly from them. Will look it up!


Here you go:


http://britishfood.about.com/od/recipeindex/r/rowanjelly.htm


This recipe does describe Rowan berries as red. Has pics at the end too so you don't poison yourself!


But many other trees/bushes have red berries.


If the berries are very small, Cotoneaster springs to mind.

Rowans will certainly grow into trees (as will, e.g. hazel) - but I have what is definitely still a bush, self sown, in my garden. Some species have bright red berries, others do have orange. Rowans are deciduous (I think all of them are) so if the 'bush' is loosing/ has lost its leaves then it may be that, Cotoneasater is evergreen (see illustration)
Goldfinches these days are much more common in London than they used to be and will flock in winter. Chaffinches are relatively rare around here, though ? there's a pair or two in and around Dog Kennel Hill Wood and almost certainly a number in Dulwich and Sydenham Woods.
  • 2 weeks later...
Just a bit of a local heads up, for birds the best place locally to view a wide variety of species is actually the River Pool (apologies to those who already know this and have posted about it) at Lower Sydenham. From behind the giant Sainsbury's you can walk all the way to Lewisham almost all off road alongside the river (crossing the south circular in the smelly foot tunnel by Catford Bridge Station (by Halfords). Birds commonly seen here include kingfishers, little egrets, herons, water rail, all three woodpeckers, plus yer usuals. Bullfinches have been seen here too. It is thought that the river (and the Ravensbourne river), which runs from somewhere near Keston to Deptford Creek, forms part of a migration route for birds. Nearby gardens boast coal tits, goldfinches, chaffinches (in good numbers), house sparrows etc. Greenfinches have sadly disappeared, having been really common up until about 2007.

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