I cheered, then my heart sank, then it soared again, finally it swelled with pride. This was all while listening on a crackly mobile phone as RSPB Local Group leader Bob Husband explained where he was and what he was doing.
He was in a field in Barnet, near the M1. It’s normally home to some horses from a nearby stables but is also frequented by skylarks. Hence, Bob’s presence; accompanied by fellow North West London RSPB Local Group volunteer, Fay Broom.
They’d come across three pairs of nesting lapwings (cheer) but the field was about to be harrowed and rolled (heart sank). Bob and Fay had safely scooped up the chicks and were keeping them safe until the work was done (heart rises and swells). The stable owner, Susie Lloyd and farmer Clive Baldwin aided by his son Peter, were all helping with this rescue and restore operation.
Lapwings are an amber listed species, which means their future is in doubt because their population has fallen significantly. Breeding records show there haven’t been lapwings breeding on the site for forty years. The care and effort that went in to looking after the lapwing chicks is amazing. If we all took their actions as an example, London would be the world’s most biodiverse city. These are the sort of actions the Queen's birthday list should reward.
Buoyed by this fantastic story I set-off to meet Ros Saunders, one of the founders of a new community garden in North London. King Henry's Walk Gardens are an amazing mix of allotments, woodland and community space with education resources for local schools, voluntary groups and the adjoining youth centre. It's a mosaic of fresh, healthy looking salad, fruit, veg, grasses, trees and shrubs. It was buzzing with wildlife and there are plans to install bird and bat boxes. A wildlife pond is under construction and the organisers are seeking more funding to make this space work even harder. They've an open day coming up on the afternoon of Saturday 28 June.
On the same day, but halfway across London in Wimbledon Park you'll be able to chat to some RSPB staff and volunteers about the diverse range of wildlife sharing our City. It's another one of our Aren't birds brilliant events, find us by the main lake every day from 21 June right through to 6 July. It is of course Wimbledon week, so expect some showers.
Meanwhile, our Tate Modern peregrine chicks have fledged and are being taught by Mum and Dad how to hunt, play and generally look after themselves. The three boys and one girl will join some fourteen other juveniles in the skies over London. They hunt mainly in the mornings and evenings, which is when you're most likely to hear their harsh cries.