On the Wild Side

It is easy to get excited about tigers, gorillas and polar bears but has it occurred to you that the wildlife in our cities can be just as enthralling? 

Iain Green has been a wildlife photographer for 15 years and has discovered surprises in the most unexpected places. Most of his talk was about the wildlife to be found in London. A few escaped rose-ringed parakeets in the 1960s have bred happily and there are now estimated to be 10,000 of them in the city. Over Rainham Marsh you can see owls, lapwings, kingfishers, large flocks of black-tailed godwits and even occasionally hoopoes. In Deptford Creek there are grey wagtails, black redstart and thousands of flounder fry in the water. Everyone knows that foxes flourish all over London but did you realise that south London is one of the best places in Europe to find stag beetles? Peregrine falcons nest in tall buildings, including one pair on Charing Cross Hospital. Dolphins, porpoise and seals are often seen in the Thames.

Most amusing of all were Iain’s fabulous photographs of the wildlife to be found in the garden of 10 Downing Street; ducks have nested on the back lawn, two kestrels have made their home on a drainpipe and the fledglings oversee the politics of the nation, a fox regularly passes by the night policeman and takes no notice of him.

The next meeting is on April 4^th at 7.30 pm at Malvern Evangelical Church. Bill Indge will talk about Alfrick, A Village and its Insects. 

Alison, Malvern Local Group