Residents source lovely new nesting rafts for Rotherhithe docks

Thanks to local residents, a sorry history of neglect and decay has a happy ending.  The disgraceful sunken pontoons on Greenland Dock and Surrey Water are being replaced by brand new custom-built rafts funded by Cleaner Greener Safer Awards that were applied for by people living in Rotherhithe who were appalled by the condition of the pontoons, and the unprecedented lack of provision for our local water birds.

Attempting to nest on a semi-submerged nesting
pontoon in 2013. Photo by Andrea Byrnes

In 2013 and 2014, as many readers will recall so vividly, there was a somewhat acrimonious exchange with Southwark Council over the desperate state into which the pontoons on Greeenland Dock and Surrey Water had fallen.  Southwark Council eventually decided to abandon its obligations in this area. This led to various completely submerged and semi submerged pontoons, many of which swans and coots attempted to nest on.  The results were really sad.  At least one nest, with eggs, was destroyed in bad weather on one of the semi-submerged pontoons in Norway Cut, in spite of efforts to secure the pontoon to the side of the dock.  More about this can be read in my posts in 2013: "Plight of Nesting Swans and Coots at Greenland Dock," "Nests abandoned," and, a year later in 2014 "Nesting pontoons still in a ruinous condition." The photo to the left shows a swan on her nest, on a partially submerged nesting pontoon in 2013. 

At that time the whole problem was taken over by local residents.  In the short term, this involved local people shoring up existing pontoons, roping them to dock walls to prevent them sinking, and providing much-needed nesting material (all of which can be seen in the above photograph).  This enabled a family of swans in Greenland Dock to survive (hatching all but one egg) and several families of coots to hatch eggs in Greenland Dock and Surrey Water.  But with 2015 looming, these were temporary measures.

Palatial home for a family of coots on Surrey Water.
Photograph by Steve Cornish.

For the longer term, as the Council were still adamant that funds were not available to repair or replace the nesting pontoons, other measures needed to be taken.  So the same local residents again stepped in and applied for Cleaner Greener Safer Awards, and this enabled the construction of some fabulous new rafts and a couple of very palatial duck houses.  The total amount of Cleaner Greener Safer money allocated to all above was 10.5 K. This was from successful bids by local residents, which is probably the best news of all.

In the photograph on the right (click to enlarge) you can see a very upper class residence for a family of coots on Surrey Water, who are already in there with their nest. There is only one of this type which is on Surrey Water, the others are plain flat rafts, but they are all very well built.  The others will be going in tomorrow, Wednesday 31st March 2015.

Nesting rafts ready for deployment
Photography by Steve Cornish

Between 12 and 20 in number will go along the entire length of Albion Channel. They will be hexagonal shaped.  Approximately 15 will go into Surrey Water - all shapes and sizes. Some of the old waterlogged pontoons will be removed as they have been in there for about six years and have served their purpose.  Approximately 15 will go into Greenland dock.  Some are to be at the Tesco end, where they are disparately needed, some have already gone in at the others end in the middle finger, and two have been placed in Norway Cut. 

Canada water has one side as a nature reserve with nesting facilities and an abundance of reeds and bullrushes for nesting therefore is not as critical as the other three bodies mentioned. It is also a popular fishing area so would be problematical for floating pontoons chained to the bottom which could be highly dangerous for fish being inadvertently feathered by the fishing line if snagged up.

Thanks to Steve Cornish for all the information in this post and for the photographs of the amazing new rafts and duck houses!  As in previous years, Russia Dock Woodland and Stave Hill Ecological Park have joined forces to provide nesting material.

Fantastic news!  And many thanks to Steve and the local residents who applied for the Cleaner Greener Safer Awards and to those who are helping to launch them and fix them into place tomorrow.  It's glorious what people can do when they join forces.

Nesting pontoons still in a ruined condition in Rotherhithe

Thanks to Steve Cornish (Chair of the Friends of Russia Dock Woodland) for raising the issue of the ruined pontoons on Greenland Dock and Surrey Water, again, with Southwark Council.

The photos on this post were all taken over the weekend by Steve.  As you can see, in spite of promises made last year in response to the ruinous state of the pontoons, there has been no work to build more new nesting pontoons or even try to salvage and maintain what we had only two seasons ago. Steve has mailed the Head of Environment and the officers in charge of the peninsula's waterways but has as yet received no reply. Local people have nesting material ready to go, but the pontoons are either half sunken or pressed up against the dock wall where they are unsafe.

As you can see, the waterfowl have already started building and in some cases they have started laying because of the mild winter.  Those of us who monitored the situation last year will remember how nests were submerged due to semi-sunken pontoons, leading to the loss of both moorhen and swan eggs. See my post last year "Plight of nesting swans and coots in Greenland Dock" to see how bad things were for the nesting water birds.  The situation is obviously unacceptable and we are waiting on Southwark Council to explain how they intend to respond to the situation.

Apparently, the Trust For Urban Ecology at Stave Hill Ecological Park used to be paid to upkeep, renew or maintain the pontoons, but after 2012 but that money was withdrawn, and Southwark Council has failed to act to ensure that the necessary work has been carried out by another party.

 

Freedom for an hour

This morning I was up at the Institute of Archaeology at Gordon Square. Not a momentous or remarkable event its own right but the upside was that all the snow that I had heard about on BBC News 24 this morning but hadn't seen outside my own window turned out to be real! There it was, carpeting the areas still in shadow in the pretty park in Gordon Square. Someone had made a tiny snowman and I enjoyed crunching across the remaining inch of snowfall to inspect what was left of it. I would love to see the architect firm's justification for the IoA building - a ghastly block of a thing right in the heart of Bloomsbury.

I managed to leave early, and even though the 188 bus's route through Elephant and Castle is more than a little impeded by roadworks at the moment I was back at home by early afternoon. It was such a gorgeous day that I abandoned my work bag, grabbed my camera and shed the fetters of both home and university lives by heading off to the fabulous autumn shades of the RDW and Stave Hill. After all the rainfall yesterday, and the visible snow in Bloomsbury, it was quite remarkable that the day was so stunning.

I promised myself that to save blog visitors from another deluge of the autumn leaf photographs which have featured on the blog recently I wouldn't click any leaves. I broke my promise, but I only broke the rule for one or two particularly colourful photographs. As usual, if you want to see a bigger version of the photograph just click on it.

I started off wandering down the winding path that starts off at the end of Onega Gate or the Greenland Dock underpass. The sun was doing its thing, filtering delightfully through the leaves. There were lots of birds, most out of sight, but in full voice. Several robins and blackbirds were singing brightly one or two of which could be seen as they sang. The usual mix of magpies, pigeons and the occasional sparrow were there, and there were lots of squirrels. Other than that it was very quiet indeed.

I walked along the edge of the green, where two sets of dog walkers had met to talk whilst their dogs played with each other. I very much enjoyed watching a group of sparrows taking it in turns to bath noisily in a pool of dirty water, and then headed towards the Downtown ponds. The first one that I reached seemed to be rather sorry for itself. The pond vegetation looked battered and sad, probably because of the heavy rainfall, and there was an unpleasent smell of decay. But when I reached the other side of the bridge the story was much more positive. Yesterday's rain seems to have replenished the water to a considerable degree and for the first time in ages there were mallards as well as coots enjoying a float through the reeds.

Globe pond had the usual selection of ducks and coots, and it was there that I bumped into Steve Cornish, with whom I enjoyed a chat about all things local which really helped to elucideate some of the topics that are flying around on email at the moment. You can see a summary of the latest events on the Friends of RDW news pages.

Steve told me that in August a Stave Hill Ecological Park survey had identifified a new type of pipistrel bat in the woodland, one of a rare few to be known to inhabit a London urban park. That is a great piece of information to add to the news that a rare wild orchid was discovered in the ecological partk a couple of months back. Overall, we seem to be looking good on the habitat diversity front!

As Steve and I talked we spotted two foxes, both glowing in the sunshine. One of the Quadron people passed, with strimmer in hand, and told Steve that he had salted the bridges to ensure that they weren't slippery. Good news all round.

Steve went down to see Rebeka at the Trust For Urban Ecology shed and I walked towards the Stave Hill pond. There was no life to see at all there, and the only unusual thing there was a supermarket trolly thrown into one end of it. Some people are completely useless. But looking to the right the reeds were brightly golden in the sunshine and very beautiful.

I did a half circuit of Stave Hill, from which people were viewing the Thames scenery, and headed down Dock Hill Avenue towards Surrey Water for the sad task of photographing the sorry remains of the Nature Girls. Part way down the path that leads from Stave Hill to Dock Hill Avenue is a rather strange dip in the path which contains a small bas-relief sculpture of Tower Bridge at its centre. Stuart Rankin's walking guide to Rotherhithe says that this was once a fountain but that due to repeated vandalism the thing was dismantled. He also says that a fountain that once gave life and light to Surrey Water was stolen. The urge to destroy something both unique and there for the common enjoyment of the entire community always strikes me as incomprehensible.

The remnants of the Nature Girls really were a sorry spectacle to contemplate, with the remaining red shoes amputated crudely at the ankle. There was something quite dreadful about it, and criss-crossed as the remaining shoes were with bright light and deep shadow they were more than slightly disturbing. Sad, because they had made so many people smile.

Steve says that there has been some suggestion that the gorgeous sculptures outside the Surrey Docks Farm on the Thames Path, also metal, should be relocated to a place within the farm. I love them and would be very relieved to see them moved for their safety. I've written more about that plan on the Friends website.

The rest of Surrey Water looked very peaceful, with birds preening on pontoons. I walked back up Dock Hill Avenue towards Stave Hill, where a family were having a chilly picnic on the steps, and walked down the tree-covered avenue towards the RDW that cuts down by the side of the primary school. I cut in from there into the ecological park again, circling round to the butterfly sanctuary.

The bits of the butterfly sanctuary that weren't cut down are now completely dead, and the bits that were given a crew-cut are now recovering. I would have cut the whole lot down in one go at about this time to give the insect life half a chance whilst the plant life was still alive, but TRUE obviously had a different and more informed agenda. Lots of work has been taking place in the general area, cutting back trees, hedges and shrubs and strimming down the grass.

Popping out from a back track onto the top path circling the green I heard a lot of rustling of leaves and branches from the evergreen to my left. I turned my head slowly to see a male chaffinch sitting looking at me. As I slowly raised the camera he took off, taking a whole feathered clan along with him.

It was by now extremely cold, in spite of three layers plus a ski jacket, so I headed back down the winding path and eventually found myself magically in the Moby Dick pub where the heating was on and my friend Garrett had fortuitiously just arrived and purchased himself a pint. A warming hug was most welcome.

I didn't take many photographs, so I'll have to dive out again in the next few days to capture some more. If it doesn't rain!

Friends of Russia Dock Woodland website updated

I've finished updating the Friends website - I've linked to useful contact information on the Phoning for Help page, and I've finally got around to adding photographs to the Photo Gallery page, with sincere thanks to those who contributed photographs. I've also tweaked the Downtown Defence Campaign page, which will hopefully be somewhat easier for newcomers to digest.

The photo on this page is courtesy of Les Butler, but does anyone know what the insect is? You can click on the image to see the full sized photograph.

Recent news items from the newspapers

Oil slick hits dock after Rotherhithe boat sinks

Southwark News writer Jon Surtees reported in this week's Southwark News on the soil slick in Rotherhithe's South Dock, which links both to Greenland Dock and the Thames. It was caused by the sinking of a boat which was moored at the eastern end of the dock last Friday. The oil had already damaged some of the local bird life soon after the slick had formed, and was expected to have a negative impact on fish stocks. The Anglers' Co-Operative Association is looking at the possibility of bringing legal action against Southwark Council. Southwark Council, however, say that they have done everything possible to control the situation in close consulation with the Environment Agency.


Jenny Jones letter re proposed Downtown Development

A letter to the South London Press from Jenny Jones, from the Green Party Group, London Assembly, has raised some of the concerns about the Barratt Homes Downtown development proposals. She writes:

With Southwark Executive's decision to grant Barratt Homes a "new contract" for the sale ot the Downtown site in the north of Southwark, we have moved a step close to losing public land, plus its valuable 300 mature trees. Whilst most people accept that some development is necessary, it seems unwise to do this now, in a time of falling prices and unresolved planning applications with Barratt Homes.

Letters suggest that Southwark News Rotherhithe interview left out key issues

Pauline E. Adenwalla, Chair of the Canada Water Consultative Forum has highlighted various gaps in the interview with Tim Thompson in the June 26th edition of Southwark News. She says that the regeneration interview omitted to mention "a number of very important key issues, namely non river transport, employment, sustainability, poor air quality and commitment to deliver the swimming pool as per the Master Plan. All of which are major inter-related concerns of the current population - before regeneration has really started." Her points about the transport infrastrtucture (or lack of it) are most pertinent, and she adds that the Downtown proposals for over 200 dwellings include plans for minimal family units and limited employment opportunities which would raise overall levels of communter traffic in the area.

Councillors Paul Noblet and Lisa Rajan of the Surrey Docks ward also responed jointly to the interview. Whilst making it clear that they are not against all development discussions they say that they "are opposed to any plans to move Surrey Docks Farm". They go on "We are against plans to redevelop the cinema site and replace it with flats. And if the Quebec Way does not turn out to be the optimum site for the new Rotherhithe Academy, we will oppose any residential scheme which threatens the unique, low rise character of much of the area."

The staff at the Surrey Docks Farm were predictably and understandably angry about the proposals, with Kath Wittham saying that "No one in their right mind would want to get rid of it [the farm] to build another wharf."

See the newspaper for the full letters.


Locations of ten new police bases revealed

David Yuill from Southwark News has reported this week on the new locations proposed for the Safer Neighbourhood bases, to be introduced as part of police modernisation plans. Plans include the Rotherithe police station which will be replaced with a new base "with front counter provisions".


Bermondsey hit by wave of fake £20.00 notes

Southwark News have reported this week that fake twenty pound notes have been cirucalating in Bermondsey.

Leisure Park Developments

I posted about the proposed development of the Leisure Park by Frogmore last week. Southwark News added some details in their 26th June edition - the Odeon cinema, Hollywood Bowl and Gala Bingo, plus the restaurants, would be relocated under the new plans, into a multi-storey leisure complex. This will be located behind the newly enlarged Tesco store and the rest of the land will be taken up with over 400 houses and flats. The full planning application is expected to be unveiled in Autumn.

I still have the Frogmore flyer sitting on my desk - there is no mention of the 400 houses and flats on that page and it will be interesting to see how the space is going to be used when their initial proposals are unveiled on the 11th and 12th July at Alfred Salter Primary School.



Rotherhithe Festival - Saturday 9th August

The main festival is planned to take place in King George's Fields off Lower Road. It will include a live concert, face painting, stilt walkers, a bouncy fun run, Punch and Judy, a balloon race, fancy dress and a fishing competition. There will be food and information stalls which will include police and wardens, Southwark libraries, BL Canada Quays, Barratt Homes, Conrad Phoenix, St Crhisopher's Hospice, Army Cadets and Time and Talents. Opening days on various sites around Rotherhithe will include St Mary's Church, Sands Films, Time and Talents, Brunel Engine House, Lavender Pumphouse, Docklands Settlement, Surrey Docks Farm, Swedish and Finnish churches and Stave Hill Ecological Park.
Nominations wanted for the Our Heroes 2008 awards

Categories for 2008 are

• Child of courage
• Community campaigner
• Young ambassador
• Sport achiever
• Carer of the year
• Good samaritan
• Community project
• Fundraiser of the year
• South London Press Award
• Star of the South, London

Nominations can be submitted online at the South London Our Heroes Awards 2008 web page (or by a form in the newspaper itself). The closing date for nominations is September 19th 2008.

Redriff Primary School Centenary Celebrations

As part of their Centenery celebrations Redriff Primary school are holding two events to which they are inviting past pupils, parents and members of staff. The events are on Wendsday 9th July 2008 and Friday 11th July 2008. They are asking for memorabilia that you might have from any past connection with the school on a strictly loan basis. Contact the School Office on 020 7237 4272.

The threat of the harlequin

A meeting with Steve Cornish (Friends of the RDW) and Rebeka Clark (TRUE) last week was something of a revelation to me - I came away with a notebook full of my vile scrawl and a head spinning with new information and knowledge. Thanks guys - it was great to meet up with you both.

One of the things that Rebeka told me is that the harlequin has been spotted in Stave Hill Ecological Park and the Russia Dock Woodland. I had never heard of it and when I first saw a photograph it looked to me like just another one of many forms of ladybird that I've seen over the road. But the harlequin ladybird (Harmonia axyridi) turns out to be a very different matter - instead of keeping down the wretched greenfly like the "ordinary" ladybirds, it actually predates on the ladybirds themselves, which has a knock-on effect on the good job that the ladybirds do. Sadly I didn't have any knowledge of the differences when I took the above photograph so I don't know if I've snapped the angel or the devil.

The Harlequin Ladybird Survey is a project which seeks to highlight the dangers of this insect. Here's what the website's introduction says:

A new ladybird has arrived in Britain. But not just any ladybird: this is the harlequin ladybird, Harmonia axyridis, the most invasive ladybird on Earth.

The harlequin ladybird was introduced to North America in 1988, where it is now the most widespread ladybird species on the continent. It has already invaded much of northwestern Europe, and arrived in Britain in summer 2004.

The distribution map on the left or the annnual spread maps show that it has spread rapidly north and west from the southeast of England since its first sighting.

There are 46 species of ladybird (Coccinellidae) resident in Britain and the recent arrival of the harlequin ladybird has the potential to jeopardise many of these. The Harlequin Ladybird Survey will monitor its spread across Britain and assess its impact on native ladybirds.

Monitoring ladybirds across the country has never been more important. We want YOU to get involved! Please record your harlequin ladybird sightings

Unfortunately I don't have any photographs of harlequins my own, but there's a useful page on the above website which helps you to spot the difference. As you can see from one of the photographs copied from their page (left). You can download their full Ladybird Identification Sheet from that page or go straight to the Identification Sheet, in PDF format by clicking here.

I hesitate to extend the advice for dealing with them because it scarecly seems species-friendly, but apart from helping the Survey to keep a record of their distribution the only way to fix the harlequin is to eliminate it. The harlequin is to the ladybird what the grey squirrel turned out to be to the red squirrel.