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Authors: Stephen Moss
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cheering the crews of the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. But on this day at the end of July it was quiet and peaceful, and I discovered one of Londonâs best-kept ornithological secrets: Lonsdale Road Reservoir.
Over the next three years or so I was a faithful visitor to what soon became âmy local patchâ. In that time I recorded a grand total of 89 species: nothing out of the ordinary, but including enough âgoodiesâ to keep me interested. All in all, I made almost 300 visits to Lonsdale Road, which given the relative lack of unusual birds may seem a trifle excessive. So what kept me going? The best way to describe a birderâs relationship with a local patch is that the more you go, the more you want to return. Somehow the very act of getting to know somewhere and its birds in minute detail reinforces the pleasure and interest you derive from each visit.
It was the break-up of my marriage, and a move elsewhere, that took me away from my patch. Of course I missed the place, and felt the odd pang of regret at the ending of my visits there. But as the final chapter of this volume shows, I did eventually find another â even better â local patch, a few miles down the road.
Looking back, it was a memorable three years: as much for the people I met as the birds I saw. As one of them told me, in a backhanded compliment: âI enjoy your articles; but remember, itâs not just
your
patch, itâs
our
patch too!â
First visit
AUGUST 1994
A local patch can be anywhere. The top of a mountain, a coastal marsh, a city park â all have their own unique and fascinating birdlife. Of course, some patches are more productive than others, but wherever you choose, thereâs always something interesting going on. And as the birds come and go, from day to day and from season to season, you are on hand to witness the changes.
A recent move across London means that I have a new local patch. Lonsdale Road Reservoir lies alongside the southern bank of the RiverThames, to the west of Hammersmith Bridge in south-west London. Built by the Victorians, it has long fallen into disuse as a working reservoir and is now a local nature reserve.
It may not rival more glamorous sites, but it still has a lot going for it. It is small â about half-a-mile long and a hundred yards wide â and self-contained. The lake itself is ringed by a footpath giving good views of the water, so you can cover the area thoroughly with just a pair of binoculars, instead of the vast array of optical equipment carried by some of todayâs birdwatchers.
Much favoured by dog-walkers, duck-feeders and courting couples, Lonsdale Road has another advantage: the birds are used to people, so are quite happy to sit still and be counted. This means that comparisons can be made and changes documented, providing a small but useful set of statistics in the battle for bird conservation.
So what birds are found here? Well, as you might expect from a former reservoir, waterfowl predominate. On my first visit at the end of July, Mallards, Tufted Ducks, Coots and Moorhens were all present with young. I also saw Great Crested and Little Grebes, along with a few Cormorants, drying their wings after fishing in the nearby river.
My first surprise was a family party of the notorious Ruddy Duck, including three males, sporting their russet plumage and bright blue bills. A few days later I discovered a female with no fewer than seven tiny chicks, obviously hatched only a day or two earlier. Whichever side of the Ruddy Duck debate you favour (and I am, I must confess, a defender of this alien upstart), it is hard not to enjoy such a sight.
At this time of year, of course, the place is full of young birds â from the Reed Warblers at the northern end of the lake, to the Song Thrushes and Blackbirds in the brambles along the footpath. However, after their young have fledged most birds stop singing, so the patch can appear rather
Over the next three years or so I was a faithful visitor to what soon became âmy local patchâ. In that time I recorded a grand total of 89 species: nothing out of the ordinary, but including enough âgoodiesâ to keep me interested. All in all, I made almost 300 visits to Lonsdale Road, which given the relative lack of unusual birds may seem a trifle excessive. So what kept me going? The best way to describe a birderâs relationship with a local patch is that the more you go, the more you want to return. Somehow the very act of getting to know somewhere and its birds in minute detail reinforces the pleasure and interest you derive from each visit.
It was the break-up of my marriage, and a move elsewhere, that took me away from my patch. Of course I missed the place, and felt the odd pang of regret at the ending of my visits there. But as the final chapter of this volume shows, I did eventually find another â even better â local patch, a few miles down the road.
Looking back, it was a memorable three years: as much for the people I met as the birds I saw. As one of them told me, in a backhanded compliment: âI enjoy your articles; but remember, itâs not just
your
patch, itâs
our
patch too!â
First visit
AUGUST 1994
A local patch can be anywhere. The top of a mountain, a coastal marsh, a city park â all have their own unique and fascinating birdlife. Of course, some patches are more productive than others, but wherever you choose, thereâs always something interesting going on. And as the birds come and go, from day to day and from season to season, you are on hand to witness the changes.
A recent move across London means that I have a new local patch. Lonsdale Road Reservoir lies alongside the southern bank of the RiverThames, to the west of Hammersmith Bridge in south-west London. Built by the Victorians, it has long fallen into disuse as a working reservoir and is now a local nature reserve.
It may not rival more glamorous sites, but it still has a lot going for it. It is small â about half-a-mile long and a hundred yards wide â and self-contained. The lake itself is ringed by a footpath giving good views of the water, so you can cover the area thoroughly with just a pair of binoculars, instead of the vast array of optical equipment carried by some of todayâs birdwatchers.
Much favoured by dog-walkers, duck-feeders and courting couples, Lonsdale Road has another advantage: the birds are used to people, so are quite happy to sit still and be counted. This means that comparisons can be made and changes documented, providing a small but useful set of statistics in the battle for bird conservation.
So what birds are found here? Well, as you might expect from a former reservoir, waterfowl predominate. On my first visit at the end of July, Mallards, Tufted Ducks, Coots and Moorhens were all present with young. I also saw Great Crested and Little Grebes, along with a few Cormorants, drying their wings after fishing in the nearby river.
My first surprise was a family party of the notorious Ruddy Duck, including three males, sporting their russet plumage and bright blue bills. A few days later I discovered a female with no fewer than seven tiny chicks, obviously hatched only a day or two earlier. Whichever side of the Ruddy Duck debate you favour (and I am, I must confess, a defender of this alien upstart), it is hard not to enjoy such a sight.
At this time of year, of course, the place is full of young birds â from the Reed Warblers at the northern end of the lake, to the Song Thrushes and Blackbirds in the brambles along the footpath. However, after their young have fledged most birds stop singing, so the patch can appear rather
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