Tidal Thames river food

Herring gull carrying what should provide a hearty meal

There are said to be 125 different species of fish in the tidal River Thames from Teddington Lock to the Thames Estuary, and some of them end up as meals for birds and seals that live there too. Here below are a few action pictures taken during walks along Lambeth Reach.

Gull files off with its fish

Eel Meals
Eels found in the River Thames (Anguilla anguilla) are known as European eels. “They possibly have the longest migration of any fish species in the world.” A report on ‘Eels in the River Thames’ by the Institution of Environmental Studies goes on to explain that “the European eel begins its life in the Sargasso Sea, over 6,000 kilometres from the Thames Estuary.” Their eggs hatch into transparent, 5-8 millimetre long eel larvae called leptocephali, which float on the Gulf Stream for roughly one or two years before arriving on the shores of western Europe. As there has been a dramatic decline in their numbers during recent years, they are now a protected species.

However, being a protected species, doesn’t save them from predation. Larger fish, and as you will see here, seabirds and seals will catch and eat them if they can.

Caught, and now the struggle begins
On the way down
After much effort the eel is almost swallowed and can be seen going down the cormorant’s neck

Seeing cormorants grappling with eels is quite common if you spend any time by the river but rarer is catching a seal making a meal of one.

Seal making a meal of an eel

Shell snacks
Judging by shells left on the foreshore, exposed by falling tides, birds feed on a variety of shellfish, including cockles, mussels and native oysters.

Black headed gull alighting on Victoria Tower Gardens’ embankment wall with something in its beak
Young gull flying past with a shellfish
Young herring gull with a shell in its beak. Next step: crack it open

Spend any time by the river at low tide and you might well see both crows and gulls dropping shells onto a hard surface in order to crack them open. Some fly and drop their shells from a height and some attempt a sharp crack onto the ground. It doesn’t always work and juveniles having seen adults dropping shells, sometimes mistakenly drop their shells back into the water. But they learn…

Herring gull attempting to break its shell
Crow with a shell that needs opening
Crow, having dropped and opened its shellfish, is pestered by someone wanting a share
Crow with a crab

The scavengers
As always, there are beaks ready to profit from what the river has to offer in the way of dead animals. Lesser black-backed gulls seem to be first in the pecking order.

Lesser black-backed gull with a barely recognisable carcass of a squirrel or rat
Black-backed gull approaching a fish carcass. Quite a large fish with its tail fin spread out across the stones
Black-backed gull pecking at the fish carcass, which is attracting attention from a crow and a juvenile gull
Black-backed gull pulling at the wing of a dead crow

It is possible that the crow got into trouble in the water and drowned before being before being attacked, though I have seen a description of such an event here: Seagulls vs a crow.

Black-backed gull continuing to struggle with the body of dead crow

Miscellaneous meals
Yet there is other food too. Crows, ducks, geese, gulls, pigeons, and swans find alternatives in the water or on the foreshore.

Herring gull eating some of the algae growing on a Palace of Westminster marker
Black-headed gulls on wash waves, waiting for nourishment floating upstream with the flood tide

Black-headed gulls appear to wait in certain spots on Lambeth Reach, treading water, catching tidbits coming in with the tide for as long as they can. If they’re carried too far upstream, they fly back to where they were, where supplies were plentiful, and the process is repeated. They can also be seen flying over the water, catching insects, particularly on warmer days.

Egyptian goose family foraging on the foreshore
Canada goose family nibbling on the foreshore
Pigeons find lots to eat on the tideline

Pigeons will eat almost anything and here, close to Lambeth Bridge, they find food on the foreshore, specially brought up on the flood tides.

Swans finding food

Among their mainly vegetarian diet, swans will eat green algae, which is what they’re doing here, bending their long necks into the river bed at around low tide.

Three swans on a visit to Lambeth Reach

The above gallery is just a snapshot of bird feeding activity I’ve observed along Lambeth Reach, and to know more, you can explore the sites listed below.

Sources and further information
Article ‘Eels in the River Thames’ Institution of Environmental Studies
See: British Trust for Ornithology
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
The Thames Rivers Trust Community Eels Project
Swan Lifeline
The Swan Sanctuary

March for Clean Water, November 3, 2024

After years of ever more shocking reports and disgusting images of sewage spills fouling our beaches and rivers, environmental groups and individuals gathered by the River Thames in Central London to demand action from the Government. Roughly 15,000 demonstrators marched from the Albert Embankment, across Westminster Bridge, and down Whitehall to a rally and speeches in Parliament Square.

I met a few of the many individuals and environment organisation representatives taking part, photographing them on Albert Embankment before moving to Westminster Bridge to catch them as they crossed to the North Bank.

The images mostly speak for themselves and there’s a list of useful links at the end of this piece.

Advocates from Wales and England for the River Wye and Caswell Bay

The River Wye has hit the headlines over the last few years, and not in a good way. Running through both Wales and England this beautiful 153 mile water course is suffering from increasing pollution, described by Save The Wye as: “a chemical cocktail of excessive agricultural nutrients (over 70%), sewage (22-24%), microplastics and superbugs.”

Banner highlighting the protest against chicken excrement bleeding into the River Wye from several sites
Traditional lave net fishermen from the River Severn bringing their concerns to London

The tradition of lave net fishing for salmon on the River Severn has been passed down through the generations. The nets are fixed in the long-established way to a Y-shaped structure made of willow, and some fishermen still knit their nets using a strip of wood and a needle.

A number of pets were brought along. They too suffer if they swim in foul water
A group from Henley, whose Council voted unanimously to protest against Thames Water’s sewage in the River Thames
Thames Water came in for a lot of criticism
A river goddess, maybe…
… or a river spirit
A plea for nature
Representatives of The Women’s Institute holding their banner high

The Women’s Institute has been active for some time in raising awareness of the plight of our rivers. They were “pleased to see to see that the new Government had heard calls for a comprehensive review of our water system”, adding that “it paves the way for transformative legislation that tackles the water crisis once and for all.” They intend to keep up pressure on the Government to ensure this opportunity is not wasted.

Banner representing many of the groups affected by the water quality of our rivers
On their way to the march assembly point. People were still arriving as I moved downstream to Westminster Bridge
A latecomer, kindly posing against the River Thames and the Palace of Westminster
The March leaders with Chris Packham among others
Bubbles…
“Water’s for Life Not for Profit” summed up the feelings of many on the March

Water supply in England and Wales was privatised in 1989, when the regional public water companies were sold off by the Thatcher government. They are now mostly owned by foreign shareholders who, as normal with private companies are paid dividends from profits, but due to lack of control, leaving insufficient funds in the water industry for development and upgrades.

“Clean Rivers for People and Wildlife”: a carefully made banner
“Sick of Sewage” or sick of illness caused by sewage…

Members of The RSPB joined the March for Clean Water to “turn their anger, frustration, and disbelief into action”, and to show the new Government that cleaning up our beaches and waterways must be a priority. They welcome the ‘Water Bill’ and will be keeping a close eye on all aspects of its progress.

Marchers from the RSPB, crossing Westminster bridge, holding their Avocet aloft

The Secretary of State for the Environment, Steve Reed, appointed in July 2024, has launched an Independent Water Commission to review the state of the water industry. He acknowledges that there are “severe failures of regulation and governance” and that it “was failing to keep up with the public’s expectations, particularly around sewage.” He went further saying: ” I share the public’s anger about the appalling state of our waterways”, which is why he has introduced new laws to “ban the payment of unfair bonuses to polluting water bosses” and to bring criminal charges against persistent law breakers.

Jellyfish floating towards thePalace of Westminster

In the meantime great progress has been made on Tideway, the new “Super Sewer”to protect the central London Thames from sewage pollution. Work began in 2016 on several construction sites in London, from Action in the west to the Abbey Mills Pumping Station in the east. In May 2024, the first four of twenty-one sites came into operation and work is on track to be completed in 2025.

One of the banners heightening awareness of the 125 species of fish living in the Thames

However, as you will have seen on banners paraded in the March for Clean Water, and in a myriad of press stories, there are many rivers and beaches across the country in urgent need of cleaning up. An article by Shaoni Bhattacharya on July, 5 2024, posted by the BBC, declared that “Just 14% of England’s rivers meet the standards of a ‘good ecological status’ under the Water Framework Directive for England and Wales.” The article explores some of the mitigation being undertaken by the development of wetlands but the project is way off the original target.

The March banner

Among the many groups that I came across were Friends of the Dart; supporters of the Rivers Kennet, Pang and their catchment area; and the Thames Mudlark Collective. The design of the Mudlark banner created by mudlark Mark Sowden, incorporated words expressing what we seek from the connection with our rivers: sanctuary; stillness; solace; space – history; harmony; heart; and hope. And in spite of everything, as in Pandora’s Box, there is still Hope.

Sources and Further information
March for Clean Water
https://marchforcleanwater.org

RiverActionUK
https://riveractionuk.com

Action for the River Kennet (ARK)
https://www.riverkennet.org

Thames21
https://www.thames21.org.uk

Rewilding Britain
https://www.rewildingbritain.org.uk

Waterways Protection
https://waterwaysprotection.org

Thames Rivers Trust
https://www.thamesriverstrust.org.uk

BBC article by Shaoni Bahattacharya: The UK’s rivers are riddled with sewage pollution – new wetlands could help clean them up.

Article in The Times by Ellie McDonald

RSPB Action
https://www.rspb.org.uk

Friends of the Dart
https://www.friendsofthedart.org