A new friend

There are many things that take over our towns and city's at night, I love watching the BBC's two series spring and autumn watch. These programmes look at the different animals that are around a live documentary that the viewer can join in with. I had not got my camera with me as i walked home last night but did manage to get this 

A young fox who more or less walked me home, I sat watching it for a while till it got too cold for me, to get this close was so good. I really was as close as the picture seems to suggests. many of those who live alongside us have had to adapt and overcome. Some have done it better than others. Urban foxes often get a bad press, but I'm really glad to have them around.

Urban farm

I wrote a few time now about the local city farm here in vauxhall it's been great to get to know the team that works there over the last few months. Today coming back from visiting in the community there was a sight I wasn't expecting. Now i am used to seeing the pony and horses being walked around the estate or even ridden. but to see two cows walking down the middle of the street was something very new. I love it :). whats so great is that in a inner city area the children get to touch and see so many different animals. I grew up going away on holiday or getting out of the city some weekends so saw animals in the feilds or on the farms. many children and families don't get that when most weeks they are finding it difficult to make ends meet. having the farm in the community brings them a place to go and meet the animals and for a short time get a brake form the city. a brief respite from the daily grind.

Sunset over London

This was the view from my balcony last night, the last few days have been grey and cold here but this last night was a real respite from the gloom and damp today its been back to the rain. 3 or 4 storey blocks around here cast shadows and block out the sun at the best of times so its often seems darker than it really is. Yet yesterday for a few moments light broke through the darkness and that hope was seen, people seemed to be a bit more cheerful even if it was horribly cold. Today the sound of the sparrows and house-martins filled the air I wonder if they were complaining about the damp too. 

walking around the estate I heard another noise the rustling of leaves looking down  their at the bottom of a tree was a squirrel with a mouthful of leaves I guess mr squirrel wanted extra blankets today too.

critters !!!!!

As most know, just down the street from my flat are the Spring gardens... I had to smile today, walking through the park. Two workmen were trying to cut down a Horse Chestnut. ... and not finding it a easy job. They did have a large group watching from a distance!

I loved Horse Chestnuts as a kid and would go conkering.

There were lots laying around beneath the tree

As a kid these wouldn't have stayed very long on the trees or the ground. Today though they were coming down faster than normal.... why? Two very noisy critters were not happy about the destruction of their patch... these two little squirrels had weapons of mass destruction in their paws, and were happily hitting passersby with conkers!

All creatures great and small :) Today, though they may have lost a tree, the squirrels for me defiantly came out on top...

Bin Radiers

On the way home yesterday from Lunch and Theatre with a friend one of our resident furry critters was tasting the delicacies of the park bin....


even furry critters like the left overs from the local coffee shop

It's amazing the way these neighbours have adapted to life with humans, the scaffolding that had been around the block of flats had provided a great playground for these furry critters.

They live side by side and adapt, the sad part of that is so often we as humans destroy the natural living spaces, to so a degree that many are struggling to survive.  Maybe there's a lesson to learn from these little critters in my patch  about sharing environments and resources 

I'm sure there are many more critters living in this urban forest than I've seen yet.

More strange happenings

Have you every stopped to look at what else lives in your patch... The furry or feathered critters who come out when we go home..

As I drew the curtains last night looking out the window a strange shadows were playing on the grass below..

Now I know it was way to late for the mischievous squirrels

Instead this time was a young urban fox....