Earlier this week I spent the very best a part of six hours sitting within the open air, wherein time I noticed exactly three birds, of three totally different species. The paucity of birds is well defined: I used to be watching tennis on Wimbledon’s famed Centre Courtroom, which is about as near a bird-free zone as you may get. There’s a motive for this. Each morning through the championships, a Harris’s hawk by the title of Rufous is flown across the stands and the grounds, flushing out any birds that occur to be lurking there. Tennis and birds don’t combine, as there are few issues extra distracting than having a hen fly over simply as you’re about to serve, or for a pigeon to land on the court docket with you.
Feral Pigeon: the basic city hen, and an unwelcome one at Wimbledon
Two of the three species I noticed have been fairly predictable: Feral Pigeon and Pied Wagtail. The previous was flying over in a quick, purposeful means, which recommended that it knew about Rufous. The wagtail was flitting across the prime of the retractable roof. I’ve seen Pied Wagtails at Wimbledon earlier than, so this wasn’t a shock. The third hen wasn’t one which I anticipated. It was a Frequent Tern, which flew quick and excessive over the court docket through the match between Sinner and Dimitrov. I’m wondering how most of the different 15,000 individuals sitting around the court docket noticed it?
Pied Wagtail, however not one photographed at Wimbledon
Frequent Terns nest at quite a lot of areas in and round London, together with the Wildfowl and Wetlands Belief reserve at Barnes, which isn’t far, because the tern flies, from Wimbledon.
A Frequent Tern flying over Wimbledon’s Centre Courtroom was a shock
It was when strolling out of the grounds of the All England Garden Tennis Membership that I added a fourth species to my Wimbledon record. This, not like the Frequent Tern, was fully anticipated: Ring-necked Parakeet. A flock of a couple of dozen flew over, their raucous calls drawing consideration to themselves. Although they solely began breeding London round 50 years in the past, these parakeets have grow to be one of many capital’s most conspicuous birds. I’ve but to see one at house in Suffolk, so these birds have been a welcome addition to my yr record, bringing it as much as 181.
Ring-necked Parakeets have been nesting in London for round half a century
When the parakeets first appeared in London, most of the so-called consultants predicted that they might by no means set up themselves, as they might be unable to deal with the British local weather. That wasn’t the case, as London now hosts 1000’s of breeding pairs, as do many different European cities. It was additionally predicted that the parakeets would have a detrimental influence on our hole-nesting native species, comparable to Starlings and woodpeckers, however that doesn’t appear to have occurred, both. What’s fascinating is that they’re one of the city of birds, a lot happier within the metropolis than out of it. I’ve a sneaking liking for them, as they add a contact of the unique to the city jungle.
It’s a protracted drive from my house in Suffolk to Wimbledon, so the night time earlier than our go to to the tennis my spouse and I had stayed at a resort in close by Croydon, once more, not promising birding nation. Nevertheless, I’d finished some research beforehand and found that there was a neighborhood nature reserve, Roundshaw Downs, inside a simple stroll of my resort. It boasts 38ha (91 acres) of unimproved chalk grassland, so I assumed that it warranted a go to. Within the occasion I didn’t make it, as heavy in a single day rain persevered properly into the morning. Nevertheless, after I stepped out of the resort when the rain lastly stopped, I used to be delighted to identify a male Peregrine circling over the MacDonalds subsequent door.
Solely New York has extra nesting Peregrines than London
This was solely my second sighting of a Peregrine within the UK this yr, so was a delightful sight, and a reminder that these falcons are prospering in London. London has the second highest Peregrine inhabitants of any metropolis on this planet, overwhelmed solely by New York. With an abundance of Feral Pigeons the Peregrines are clearly by no means in need of meals, however research have proven that they prey on all kinds of different species, too, for they’re nice opportunists. I don’t blame them, as who would wish to eat pigeon on daily basis?
