Green
lung in the city
 |
Despite the hustle and bustle of the capital, London
can be a great place to watch wildlife. The
city has the largest urban park in the UK - Lee Valley Park which stretches from
the Thames to beyond the M25. | | Lee
Valley in winter - an impressive green lung close to the city. |
One of the best places to visit is the River Lee Country Park near
Waltham Abbey, just 20 minutes train ride from the centre of London.
These
former sand and gravel pits boast 26 miles of parks and reserves offering a selection
of wildlife jewels.
Lee Valley is the place to see some of the country's
most elusive and impressive wildlife. The Lee Valley Park was created in
1967 when work started on turning 10,000 acres of derelict land into a haven for
recreation and wildlife. The whole area was earmarked as a 'green lung'
for the people of London and Essex. The park follows the banks of the River
Lea from the East India Dock on the Thames in London's East End to Ware in Hertfordshire. The
park has a number of different areas which are perfect habitats for a wide range
of animals. Sand and gravel pits have been turned into wetlands which provide
an important refuge for birds, especially in winter. Lee Valley is one of
the main inland wetlands for water birds to over-winter. Bird
haven  Lee
valley's wetland boasts a variety of birds in winter including 2,500 Tufted Ducks,
Pochards, and Coots.
It is also one the UK's most important sites for wintering
Bitterns, one of the rarest breeding birds in the UK. If you want to see
Bitterns in their natural surroundings, this bit of north east London is one of
the best places in the country. Ten per cent of the over-wintering population
of Bitterns come to Lee Valley. Bitterns were once common in the fens and
broads of eastern England, but land drainage in the 19 Century coupled with shooting
of the birds destroyed their breeding habitat. Today the birds are protected
- Lee Valley Park's hides overlooking the reed beds are great places to watch
them from.
These reed beds aren't natural - tens of thousands have been
planted by hand to encourage wetland birds like the Bittern. Bitterns love
to nest on a platform of reed stems, close to the water level. They move
very slowly and deliberately turning their heads on one side to look for fish
and putting their bills in the water, their eyes almost touching the surface. Seasonal
delights  One
of the brilliant things about Lee Valley is that there is always something to
see.
There are five nature reserves and 10,000 acres of managed habitat
at the park plus bird hides and trails. In the winter there's a chance to
see some of our most beautiful winter visitors including Redwings with the their
distinctive orangey red flanks. At this time of year there are lots of
ducks and water birds including the Great Crested Grebe, with its fabulous plume
of feathers that were once very sought-after for hat making. They were hunted
almost to extinction, and their protection led to the formation of the RSPB. Year
round delights  Lee
Valley is also a perfect place for ducks including the Smew, a sawbill with a
bill featuring a serrated edge to grip fish - look out for the small hook at the
tip of their bill.
These rare and shy birds are highly secretive, but they
are relatively easy to spot because they are very visible. The males are
pure white with a lovely black mask whilst the female is grey with a reddish brown
head.
The Smew breed in forests in Scandinavia, and just a few come to
the UK for the winter. The Lee Valley is a great place to visit throughout
the year. In the summer there are also Dragonflies, Orchids and Nightingale.
It also has a good selection of large and small mammals including Muntjac
Deer and Water Voles.
Credits Main
photograph and Smew courtesy of Lee Valley Regional Park Authority. | 
