Dunnock singing on Ham Lands 8 March 2015, noon

The red deer rut in Richmond Park takes place against the backdrop of park visitors, aeroplanes and parakeets...

Red Deer rut In Richmond Park  27 Oct 2015 LS110414

Announced by noisy parakeets, cars doors and shouts, gradually the drone of the bumblebees in the strawberry tree take full stage.  I was surprised by this activity late on a Saturday afternoon in SW London, October (6/10/2012 c. 17:30), but still the bees keep coming to the flowers; there were a few visitors even on this gloomy day today (17/11/2012) and also on 1/12/12.

Autumn Bumblebees in a Strawberry Tree with Parakeets

I can't remember hearing owls in our street before (or not for a very long time) but on Sept 15 2012 (23:45)  the screeching of an owl woke me up; I had been reading The Great Animal Orchestra, so I thought perhaps I was dreaming!  But it was the same day as the great River race and more likely the owls had been disturbed from their usual haunts.  Incredibly, a few days later (October 1, 2012 at 22:54) they were back, this time I ran out to record them. Life on the street didn't stop for the calls - you can hear dustbins being set out for the next day by neighbours.

Tawny Owl before Dustbin day

Starlings are fascinating birds, and the sounds they make are incredible.  I came across this group late one Sunday afternoon in Richmond Park (28/10/2012 16:22).  In autumn they gather in small groups and gradually join with other groups until vast murmurations are formed.  I found that after listening to the recording a few times my ears are now tuned in to starlings and I notice them around during the day even when they are only in ones and twos.

Flock of 270 Starlings preroosting in Richmond Park

Four weeks after hearing the previous large flock of starlings, we visited Richmond Park again, late on a Sunday afternoon just as the Park was to close.  Again a flock of starlings (this time around 120) had gathered on the top of tall tree near the pond.   Last time I recorded from quite a distance.  This time I stood under the tree.  At the end you can hear the wings flap as all the birds take off (with audible gasps of awe from my hubbie too!)  There are other sounds that give the sense of time and place.  Have a listen.  Also you may like to listen to "Starlings settling down to roost in a Lime tree" to hear what happens next.

Preroosting starlings in Richmond park (16:01 25-11-2012)

After circling around in a flock for a while and hesitantly settling on a tall tree a few times, some starlings flew down and rested on densely packed, suckering branches of a Lime tree (Tilia). It was clear all 120 were going to roost in that dense thicket for the night and very quickly most birds were well hidden.  The spot was a good choice – sheltered from the wind by a bank, and obviously used regularly, going by the strong odour of guano.  Here is a recording I took standing under the tree.  I was expecting their whistles and clicks to continue, but it is mainly flaps of wings, knocking on the branches as they jostle for position, or are occasionally disturbed by walkers returning home, that are heard.  A rhythmic pair of very noisy Egyptian geese can also be heard.  The wheezing of the male is impressive.  Towards the end of the recording a Kingfisher darted past, I wonder was this heralded earlier?

Starlings settling down to roost in a Lime tree serenaded by Egyptian Geese

These are incredible, percussive sounds of two foxes in our back garden recorded 12/1/13 20:45. We don't often get foxes visiting our garden, but we saw 2 foxes exploring two mornings before this recording and one fox again the morning before.  Which might suggest a little forward planning?!

The recording was opportunistic through an open window with no time to even put in headphones! 

Foxes gekkering (mp3 extract)

In this recording you can hear a robin and a parakeet battling it out for sound space! At first, as the robin attempts to sing, the screeches of the parrot are intrusive, almost comically so.  However, as time passes it almost seems as though they learn to take turns.  Fanciful?  There’s also an amazing range of parakeet sounds here.
This was recorded in an area of shrub land near to the Thames, flanked by tall poplar trees on 6 January 2013 at 12:50 p.m.  It was a damp, dank day with low cloud, not particularly cold (c. 8 °C) and a slight breeze.  Many robins were singing.  


Parakeet and Robin in competition?

Ham pond is positioned near to a cross roads and frequently the noise of the traffic stopping and starting at the junction mixes with the birds at the pond.  Sometimes the sounds morph.....  Occasionally the traffic sound dissipates, but somehow there is always tension anticipating its return.

Cross Roads at Ham Pond - traffic and birds morph

Urban nature is often overlooked despite the majority of us living in towns and cities, so the focus of these recordings is Nature in the City, well particularly in the suburbs of Ham and Petersham in the London Borough of Richmond. Here, you won’t find any recordings of pristine wilderness. There will always be human noise: an overhead plane, the general hum of traffic, an occasional bad gear change, screeching of brakes, or an emergency siren, but hopefully you will also find sounds of a city alive with nature.   


Wild Ham and Petersham

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