Mega-rare Bird Spotted as Campaigners Gear up to Save Scrubs Wood

Locals bidding to save Scrubs Wood, an inner London wildlife haven in west London, from destruction have launched new flyers to raise awareness of the campaign.

Concern is growing over proposals from Mayor of London Boris Johnson to bulldoze the habitat to make way for skyscrapers of private flats.

The new flyer is a response to feedback from many residents that they were unaware of the Transport for London public consultation. The front of the flyer is above, and the back below.

Campaigners intend to distribute them in Hammersmith and Fulham to raise awareness of the threat to wildlife. See my letter to Boris Johnson outlining my concerns.

In other developments TV celebrity birdwatcher David Lindo, known as ‘the Urban Birder’, found an extremely rare Common Rosefinch on the Scrubs yesterday (see picture) which was also seen by visiting twitchers.

It is believed this is only the fifth sighting of this rare migrant in London ever recorded.

Juvenile Common Rosefinch on the Scrubs yesterday, a mega-rare visitor

There are around 150 species of bird that have been seen on Scrubs Wood, making it one of the best places to birdwatch in central London.

Over 1,900 have signed a petition to the Mayor demanding that the wood is saved. Please sign it here!

I am told that the Mayor was challenged about the issue on his Ask Boris show on LBC radio and responded that he had cycling past Scrubs Wood and admired the wildlife and greenery. 

Now he has been reminded of the beauty and ecological significance of the area hopefully he will think twice over Phase 4 of the planned Old Oak development which would involve the total flattening of the wood.

You can visit the campaign website here, and the Twitter page here.

I have written several posts on this blog about the issue, the latest is “Boris plan to flatten wildlife habitat may flout law.”

Back of campaign flyer