Comments on: The Birds Of Spitalfields

By: Tony Valsamidis

Tony Valsamidis — Thu, 12 Jun 2014 00:45:30 +0000

The goldfinch was a very rare visitor when we lived in Spitalfields 20 years ago. Now in Whitechapel, we get them all the time – and greenfinches. There’s a jay nesting in a neighbouring garden; today a fledgling got into difficulties and ended up on the ground – will its mother save it? We even have an enclave of sparrows nesting behind some cottages in a neighbouring street – very welcome! We occasionally get blackcaps too, and willow warblers passing through. I remember the spring dawn choruses in Spitalfields were something else – something that used to really surprise visitors. A while ago, I went on a ‘barmy army’ walk in Victoria Park and was amazed at the diversity of birds in evidence there.

By: Pauline Hughes

Pauline Hughes — Mon, 09 Jun 2014 07:18:42 +0000

Good morning,
I just want to let you know that we have had Swifts nesting in our roof every summer since we have lived in our house on Queensbridge Rd, Dlaston and they were definitely nesting before we moved there nearly 8 years ago. So perhaps you’d like to add Swifts to your list of birds in Shorditch.

Kind regards
Pauline Hughes

By: Stephen Barker

Stephen Barker — Mon, 09 Jun 2014 00:04:28 +0000

I think my favourite birds are Blackbirds and Magpies.

Many years ago I visited the Thomas Bewick Museum at Cherryburn the house he grew up in. It is the only museum I have visited where the curator was able to sit by an open fire in what had been the kitchen.

Much as I admire the bird and animal engravings, I think his best work were the small scale vignettes of rural life he produced.

By: Gary Arber

Gary Arber — Sun, 08 Jun 2014 18:31:33 +0000

The House Sparrow !
This is the modern mystery, it was common then and was everywhere until the unexplained disappearance started in the 1980’s it used to be everywhere until then, they nested in our shop blind box, in an old down pipe and all along the eaves. I have not seen a sparrow in Bow for the last 15 years. They used to nest everywhere at Romford, at least 10 nests on my house. No one can explain why such a common bird disappeared. They are, happily now beginning to make a slow comeback, I have a few at my home in Romford but still none at Bow.
Gary

By: Pauline Taylor

Pauline Taylor — Sun, 08 Jun 2014 17:27:23 +0000

More memories for me GA as I wrote my thesis on bird illustrators so, as you can guess, Bewick was high on that list, his engravings are fantastic. Coming from the country as I do I am amazed at how many birds can be found in London, and ravens at Christchurch, how incredible and what a sight that must have been, it is something I too associate with the coastal cliffs of Wales not the East End of London!

By: Annie Martin

Annie Martin — Sun, 08 Jun 2014 13:54:20 +0000

That is a Green Woodpecker. I see those less frequently than Greater Spotted Woodpeckers in my garden – in Finsbury Park.

By: Vivienne

Vivienne — Sun, 08 Jun 2014 12:58:03 +0000

One bird that I was very surprised to see when I lived in Islington was a sparrowhawk, which killed a blackbird on our doorstep and then proceeded to pluck it without any concern for the astonished passersby. It only flew away when the postman arrived! I have subsequently seen them in my garden in East Finchley several times.

There is still an astonishing array of birdlife in London – partly, I think, because of the relatively high level of green space that we still have in parks, remnant forests and places like the Wetlands Centre at Barnes. Plus, the good folk of the city continue to feed the birds, which gets them through the winter and supports them and their fledglings in the summer.

By: the gentle author

the gentle author — Sun, 08 Jun 2014 12:10:38 +0000

In reply to Wendy Feldberg. Thomas says you may

By: Wendy Feldberg

Wendy Feldberg — Sun, 08 Jun 2014 11:48:08 +0000

Thank you for these beautiful birds. May readers have permission to copy them? I would very much like to print them.

wendy

By: ian harper

ian harper — Sun, 08 Jun 2014 11:38:35 +0000

Dear Author,
I have Swifts and huge flocks of Thrush swarming around the Church spire in the past but the most remarkable ‘spot’ was in the Spring from the roof of 3 Fournier st, Jim Howett and I saw two Ravens performing their mating tumbles that you would normally see in Wales by a cliff face –
The birds fell pell mell from the top of the spire of Christchurch to the garden below in what appears to be ragged disorder only to pull out before hitting the ground and fly up again , each seemed to be daring the other to greater escapades . Perhaps these were abscondees from the Tower but to cap it all the two left off to chase a Red Kite which was passing towards the East.
Kites you would associate with the M40 and beyond but this unlikely trio were all in Spitalfields..