I had agreed to meet up with his place in Bexley this morning
for a reciprocal amble around some of his Lockdown patches that he has discovered
on foot. It was warm and muggy and heavy rain was threatened but we ambled out
at 10am anyway with fingers crossed and waterproofs left behind.
Like my own routes it started out completely suburban and
passed through the Sparrow filled roads that I surveys 15 or so years ago for
the RSPB. It was nice to hear that they
are still doing so well in this area. Carl pointed out a Blackcap singing but
confessed to having never seen one so that was on the to do list for the day.
It is very ‘hilly’ round there and the view south showed us
Joydens Wood which would be on the return leg of the walk.
We cut through the park with its Jackdaws and Parakeets and
then cross into Hall Place Park, crossed the River Cray (complete with two
Brown Trout) and then headed across the unnecessarily mown fields to get up to
the railway and A2.
A short section on the busy main road and then we dropped
back down into Braeburn Park which felt like a bit of naturally reclaimed
brownfield with rubble showing through here and there but there were plenty of
flowers and associated bees along with a few hovers and butterflies including
several very fresh looking Small Tortoiseshells. Blackcaps and Whitethroats sang and
Greenfinches where asking ‘whhhyyyyy?’ at several points.
Small Tortoiseshell |
From here it was a wiggle through the wooded section of Dartford
Heath where Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps dominated and it was just not sunny enough
to encourage any ride loving species of butterfly to come out. A patch of
Foxgloves glowed pink in the shade of an Oak.
Foxglove |
A dash across the A 2018 and onto the proper heath complete
with frazzled grass, Heather and Gorse. It was like late summer out there with
everything crunchy underfoot.
Grasshoppers bounced away and a most that I got a good look at appeared
to me Field.
Bell Heather |
Field Grasshopper |
A sandy pathway was dotted with holes but it needed the sun
to come out again to bring out the creators and as hoped in came the Bee
Wolves. These are always one of my
favourites with their oversized heads and powerful jaws.
Bee Wolf - Philanthus triangulum |
A family came by and the little lads asked what we were
watching so much to the Grandmother’s horror I told them fun facts about
catching Honey Bees, paralysing them, grubs and getting eaten alive. They loved it...
Once over the A2 the path went down through Wilmington past
some a stables and closed cattery with the sound of several Nuthatches and the
expected Parakeets in the Sycamores and Ash trees and then out onto Hook Green
which was a superb piece of scrubby grassland with swathes of Hogweed and
Hawksbeard in flower.
A typical urban footpath tunnel! |
The Old Diary |
We found several
Pyramidal Orchids and a Marbled White dashed through and we made our way up
towards the stables where Swallows already had a brood on the wing and Linnets
were singing to start all over again and the citrus scent of Spanish Broom
filled the senses.
Goatsbeard |
Pyramidal Orchid |
Hawksbeard Alley |
Spanish Broom
|
I saw two Dasypoda hirtipes on the Hawksbeard as we went through along with a few common hovers and bees and several Small and Large Skippers,
There was obviously an electricity supply issue going on as
there were at least two large generators plugged into the mains telegraph poles
and Carl joked about needing it heat the swimming pools as the house are quite
palatial. Having Googled our route I think he was correct...
The view from the side of the biggest property looked out and over the Thames and I suspected through my camera that it was 'my' bit of Essex and it would seem that I was correct with the old river out of view in between.
We followed a narrow path between two of these gardens with
woods on either side which included some truly massive Wild Cherries. There were more Nuthatch and a calling Tawny
Owl before we popped out by the Ship Inn on Puddledock Lane. Oh if only it had
been open.
Gean - Wild Cherry |
The path took us across the road and alongside a dwarf wheat
field and then a poisoned yellow barren one.
There was no wildlife to be seen.
Strawberries and Raspberries were being harvested on the other side of
the path but there were no scrumping opportunities to be had.
We crossed Birchwood Road and transacted the golf course
just as the first few drops of rain started but it held off as we entered
Joydens Wood.
There seems to be very little
in the way of native tree species in the wood with big blocks of Spruce and
Sweet Chestnut and the majority of the Quercus appear to be Red Oak or similar.
A pile of what I think are excavated Sarsons Stones piled in the wood |
Eristalis pertinax - female |
Eristalis pertinax - male |
However, it was a pleasant spot and surprisingly hilly and sandy in
places. We found a bench for lunch and
had a male Emperor and Black-tailed Skimmer cruising up and down while a Song
Thrush surveyed us from a log.
Song Thrush |
A Tachinid |
It was now warm enough for the Gorse seeds to start
exploding and we could hear the pinging of pods as we continued onwards. I had been on the lookout for White Admiral
and was chuffed to find at two at some clearing Brambles. Carl found one down
on the path and I managed a few shots before it glided back into the canopy.
White Admiral |
White Admiral |
Wood Ants in their nest |
Once out of the wood we diverted through two large, horse
filled paddocks where a fine old Oak stood and then crossed the A223 and down
Water Lane into Foots Cray Meadows.
And this Sweet Chestnut was even grander than the Oak |
A
Blue Plaque on the wall of Loring Hall proclaimed it as the old residence of Robert
Stewart, - Viscount Castlereagh who was British Foreign
Secretary from 1812 and was (amongst other roles) central to the management of
the coalition that defeated Napoleon.
The Cray is a chalk stream and runs crystal clear through the
meadows. I doubt that anywhere it is over a foot deep and you could see some
good sized Chub swimming, Trout-like amongst the flow.
Chub |
And some fry! Chublings? |
Banded Demoiselles
danced in the dappled shade and a male Grey Wagtail preened on a mid stream
stick before coming even closer to pick for flies on the Water Crowfoot trapped
near the bank. I even managed to show Carl a male Blackcap at long last!
Banded Demoiselle - female |
Grey Wagtail |
Even the families playing in the river did not disturb the
wildlife from doing what it needed to do.
We made it to the Five Arches Bridge and the Grey Wagtail
came and joined us there while some huge Carp cruised in the pool upriver of
the weir with two broods of Tufted Duck practicing their diving
techniques.
Grey Wagtail |
Carp |
Tufted Ducks |
Emperors, Black-tailed
Skimmers and three Damselfly species were around the edges as we retraced our
steps back along the opposite bank before cutting through an area of grassland
that seems to be called Bexley Playing Fields on the maps! If this is what it used to be then the new
look is a great one!
If you like Ring-necked Parakeets then there are certainly enough around... if you don't? Well, sort of tough really! |
Carl has heard Skylarks here before and Swifts zoomed
overhead while I was able to introduce him to what wild Horseradish plants look
like. I could smell them as I went past
and went back for a look.
A Marbled White and Essex Skipper were seen too as we aimed
for St John’s church steeple in Bexley and the final uphill mile back to his
home.
Carl had one last place to show me; a small stream rather
grandly called the River Shuttle although I believe he and his son have another
more onerous name for it. Although not as clear as the Cray it was still clean
running and well vegetated although largely canalised as it is amongst the
houses but no sooner had Carl dismissively pointed at the offending waterway
than a Kingfisher zipped under the bridge and up river.
Seldom short of words,
he could do nothing but laugh. It was
the first Kingfisher he had seen for about 30 years. It sat up out of view but
was calling all the time and zipped back towards us and the looped back into
the watercourse where its calls were joined by another. A quick peak revealed a
very nice sandy bank on the slight bend and it would seem that perhaps they may
well be a regular feature at this spot for him from now on.
That last uphill section was not much of a problem after that
even after nearly 13 miles in the sunshine.
A cup of tea was most welcome.
What a wonderful set of photos!
ReplyDeletethank you mystery person!
DeleteGreat write up H and images 😊
ReplyDeletethanks Alan
DeleteEnvious you can do that distance. Were Hall Place Gardens open?
ReplyDeleteCar park certainly was
DeleteThe White Admiral was a nice find Howard.
ReplyDeletethanks Lawrence. it was a cracker
ReplyDelete