Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
new river carnage
I was walking back home from Hornsey along the new river yesterday, entrance by hornsey station approach. And was struck by the use of beer cans in this moor hens (is that what it is?) nest.
Anyway an elderly lady appeared and was quite distraught. She started telling me how she had been coming down to feed the moorhens and had seen a glimpse of a couple of chicks under the mother the day before. The next day she said she saw beer cans in the nest and a number of sticks lying across it, no sign of the chicks.
She was really upset, saying she was too scared to come down here now, we looked around at the immense debris of beer cans and plastic bags - there must be a regular posse of drinkers hanging out and creating an absolute disgrace of a mess. I run along it most weekends but never see anyone.
Not sure what or if anything to do, just felt very sad. She said to me as I left 'Thanks so much for listening to me and not telling me to shut up' - she must have been 80+.
Strange times.
Tags for Forum Posts: maintaining the new river path, new river
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Andrea on
-
That's really sad. I had a couple of coots (coots have white almond on face, moorhens have red) busily building a nest across from my garden. Although I didn't see any chicks, the female had taken up residence. Then a few days later, only one coot and no-one on the nest. I don't know what had happened but a few days previously, a group of schoolgirls had climbed over from the railway fields and were screaming and splashing a few yards away. Although they did see the nest and didn't go close, it may have scared the female away.
That said, it could have been the resident foxes or magpies that managed to steal the eggs, so not blaming the girls. It's sad now to see the male coot busily trying to build up the nest again, but still no female in evidence.
Not sure what the mating pattern is, in that if no eggs, the female goes elsewhere, but there's definately only the male around.
It's a good enough reason for me for not opening up further stretches of the New River.
On a good note, the swans now have 2 cygnets!
-
Permalink Reply by pete s on
-
Where have you seen the swans? I was getting a little concerned as I haven't seen any on the New river this year, normally I see at least one pair with cygnets.
-
-
They regularly feed (and get fed) at the bottom of my garden. Between the railway and Umfreville Rd
-
Permalink Reply by Alison P on
-
That's so sad. We'd noticed the nest but hadn't seen the chicks. I walk there a lot and there is a little huddle of guys who drink ther, is prettyt intimidating. I wish that area could be looked after better bit Thames Water have stopped replying to my emails.
I can totally understand why people get upset about, I would be the same.
-
-
In case anyone is interested in trying to get the litter etc cleared a bit more regularly, do email Thames Water. They told me the site is litter picked monthly, but that is utter rubbish. I sent them this email a couple of weeks back, let's see what the response is ..
*****
Dear xx
Thank you for your email.
I am afraid that the site is not cleared of litter anything like once a month. I regularly walk down it and have been passing the same piles of beer cans for months. The worst areas are next to the gates, but there are various piles of cans, plastic bags etc along the path as well. Even worse, the grass was recently cut without any apparent attempt to remove any litter first so now there is even more of it (as what was once a single piece of litter has now been cut into 3 or 4 pieces) as well as dangerously jagged bits of beer can lying around.
I would be greatful if you could let me know who I should complain to about this. The area could be really special, but I know many people are put off using it because of all the litter that collects around the entry points. It has got so bad that my husband was prepared to have a go at it, but the recent grass cutting has made this too unpleasant a job to contemplate without being paid to do it.
Email address is Customer.Feedback@thameswater.co.uk
© 2024 Created by Hugh.
Powered by
