A group of 18 Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards’ members and guests assembled in Trinity House Square Gardens just after 8am for the Company’s inaugural City Bird Walk, led by the Master and guided by David Lindo. The Master was just about to welcome everyone when a pair of Kestrel flew in, one of them landing on the lawn right in front of us before flying off – the other giving excellent scope views in one of the mature London Plane trees surrounding the gardens. We were off to an auspicious start. The Master welcomed everyone and introduced David, who had travelled over from Spain to guide our trip, and Alderman Alison Gowman, herself a very keen birder, who had walked over from the Barbican! Nick then briefly explained our route would be to walk from the Tower of London along the northbank to Southwark Bridge, before heading north to St Paul’s, and then on the Barbican, via a section of London Wall, before lunch at The Globe, Moorgate.
We set off as planned at 08.30, and proceeded to our first stop by the moat of the Tower of London, where we scanned the wildlife flower areas for Linnet, having seen Magpie and Wood Pigeon on the walk down. No finch sightings, unfortunately, but we did see plenty of Starlings on the Tower as well as several Lesser Black-backed Gulls flying around. Walking down to the river we heard the characteristic ‘cheep cheep’ and saw several House Sparrow. We then turned westwards walking along the northbank of the Thames, where David gave the first of his entertaining bird talks. We had timed the walk to coincide with low tide but there were no sightings of waders on the mud banks, just the usual motley collection of mudlarkers. The river was busy with the usual boat traffic and bird activity continued with very good sightings of Herring Gull, Mallard, Coot, Carrion Crow, Moorhen and a Great Cormorant flying east at speed. Our last river sightings as a group, just as we approached Southwark Bridge, were Greylag, Egyptian and Canada Geese but we also got our first two Livery Hall sightings before we left the Thames; Fishmongers’ and Glaziers’. 16 species so far, and well on our way to our target of 20 for the outing.
It was a very warm morning, and so halfway up to St Paul’s, we stopped for a welcome drink and a 15-minute sit-down break. Just before St. Paul’s we popped into a garden with a pond for this group photo, only to find that the gardens at St Paul’s were not only inexplicably closed but locked. Peering in, most of the group saw Blackbirds. Down Foster Lane and several Livery Halls later, we came to the section of Roman wall by Plaisterers’ and saw a juvenile Dunnock, which prompted David to brief us in excruciating detail of the promiscuous sex lives of the Accentor family of birds, which includes Dunnocks!
Crossing London Wall we walked in to The Barbican secondary lake, courtesy of Alison, who had the key. After walking through and around the Barbican, we made it to our last stop the Barbican Wildlife Garden barbicanwildlifegarden.org https://www.barbicanwildlifegarden.org/ where we saw or heard Wren, Robin, Great Tit and Blue Tit. One remarkable encounter just before the garden walking along Fann Street was that David Lindo heard a Black Redstart, which sadly was not seen.
Just after noon, we arrived at our hostelry for an excellent lunch. As is traditional in birding circles at the end of the day, the Master went through the bird list. After lunch some intrepid birders walked on to Bunhill Fields, the former burial grounds just north of the City and came across Rose-ringed Parakeet making the trip total 24.
List of 24 Species (in order of sightings) Town Pigeon, Kestrel, Magpie, Wood Pigeon, Starling, Lesser Black-backed Gull, House Sparrow, Herring Gull, Mallard, Coot, Carrion Crow, Moorhen, Great Cormorant, Egyptian Goose, Canada Goose, Greylag Goose, Blackbird, Dunnock, Black Redstart (heard only), Wren, Robin, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Rose-ringed Parakeet.
Master Maker of Playing Cards, Nick Prentice
Alderman Alison Gowman noted that whilst the walk was very enjoyable it did serve a useful purpose as the City Corporation’s Biodiversity Action Plan does list birds that are target species and it is important that these are logged and recorded. The target species are house sparrow, black redstart, swift and peregrine falcon. It is clear that there is a growing interest in the bird life of the City and these need to be protected alongside our growing natural habitats.