An occasional look at the ebb and flow of the Thames
My readers never cease to amaze me with their enthusiastic responses to this column. Last week, I wrote about the diversity of wildlife on our stretch of the Thames and ever since the paper came out, I’ve been bombarded with people telling me their stories about their encounters with wildlife.
It seems that many readers have also observed the huge flocks of birds swooping and wheeling over the river each morning and evening that were mentioned by Nigel Brecknell in Riverwatch a couple of weeks ago.
There are some sights that really bring home to me that autumn has arrived and winter can’t be far behind it – and one of those is seeing the huge flocks of rooks that wheel in acrobatic formations over the Thames mornings and evenings.
I never cease to be amazed by the wonders of Mother Nature. Just when you think you understand her whys and wherefores, she does something completely unexpected. Take the population of eels inhabiting the River Thames, for example.
Two weeks ago, I wrote about Dot Beeson, the lovely lady who runs the Swan Sanctuary in Felix Lane, Shepperton and told the story of how she first became involved with helping injured birds and other wildlife.
Most of us take the Thames very much for granted as a place for recreation and relaxation – but it has a significant role to play in our overall lives as a source of water, as a habitat for wildlife and as a potential flood threat.
Three cheers for the River Thames Guide, the website which provides a comprehensive information service about all things to do with the Thames, which is launching a project aimed at encouraging youngsters to get involved with bird-watching along the length of the river.