Wildlife Walk through Docklands

19th January 2019
I'd been planning a route that covered the nature reserves of Docklands in East London, and eventually, my London enthusiasm and my passion for nature combined. This is one of my favourite parts of the capital, because it is a fine example of how an area with modern architecture and a growing population and wildlife can coexist. I got off the Jubilee Line at Canary Wharf, and got on the DLR to Crossharbour. From there, I walked through an Asda car park to a relatively concealed entrance to Mudchute Park and Farm Local Nature Reserve, a city farm which is making efforts to preserve what it calls the 'East London Countryside'. The area is famous for Monk Parakeets, of which there were none seen that day. However, there were some very tame Squirrels, which many people fed! The farm itself is a brilliant place to visit, with a wide range of domesticated animals. The surrounding allotments had many Crows, Goldcrests, Goldfinches, Song Thrushes, Dunnocks and Blue Tits. 

The Mudchute Honeybees

Crow

A ram sitting peacefully. It looks like he's contemplating something

A very tame Squirrel

A Starling singing over the donkey enclosure

Llama

A rooster trying to be a Pigeon

Another tame Squirrel

I then headed to East India DLR station, where I walked across a bridge to a wildlife site called Saffron Avenue Pond, home to the scarce Rudd fish. I didn't see any, but there were a few Cormorants, Herring Gulls and Coots. I then headed along Blackwall Way to East India Dock Basin, one of the best places in London to see migrant Teal- there were about 300 of them! As well as Teal, there were a few Herons, Shelduck and Black-headed Gulls, and a nice viewpoint facing the O2 and Greenwich. 

Coot at Saffron Avenue Pond

A view of East India Dock Basin

Some of the many Teal at the reserve

The view across the river


Shelduck with Teal

After admiring a few old factories which used to make ships and extract iron, I walked through Leamouth, which gets its name from it being the confluence of the Lea and the Thames. This settlement is situated on a small peninsula, and many companies are redeveloping it, and building rooftop open spaces. I crossed red bridge over Bow Creek, and managed to hear one or two Redshanks below, calling from the mudflats. On the other side was Bow Creek Ecology Park, another peninsula which is a nature reserve, dedicated to the wildlife of Leamouth and Bow Creek, and managed by the Lee Valley Authority (as is East India Dock Basin). In summer, this place is usually alive with birdsong, but this time, it was a calm quiet evening, the only species being Robins, Mallards Moorhens, Coots and a few Squirrels. It's a place with a surprisingly varied habitat, such as reedbed, mudflat, woodland and wetland, complete with the DLR running through it. I'd recommend it as a place where you can go for a nice walk, and take in the unseen side of the East End. After exploring the reserve, I headed along the bustling Newham Way to Canning Town Station, back home. This has been an eye-widening experience, visiting sites that are unexpectedly teeming with wildlife, and I hope they can be protected for future generations to enjoy. 

An derelict factory


Bow Creek


Bow Creek


The reserve is surprisingly close to Canary Wharf


The beautifully varied habitat of Bow Creek Ecology Park. I think this should be an example that cities around the should follow- to create an oasis for nature in unexpected places