East Finchley Parakeets

I've been listening and watching these ring-necked parakeets flying across our allotments for months now but a walk in next door Coldfall Wood a little over a week ago and there they were all roosting in the trees. I know they're an exotic arrival but they've managed to adapt and survive here in London town quite successfully and I admire that.

Anyway I like the variety of explanations as to how they got here including that they escaped from Shepperton Studio during the filming of The African Queen in 1951 or they were accidentally released when the aviaries were damaged at London Zoo during the '87 storm. My favourite is that they were set free by Jimi Hendrix.

View from the plot 27th January 08

View from the other side

On a rare sunny January day I took these pictures of the plots on the other side to us, rows B & C, it always surprises me just how big East Finchley Allotments actually are.

Foggy Plot

View of East Finchley Allotments in the Christmas fog, rather beautiful really.

Fog on the plots

Went to the plots two days before Christmas to pick up some Xmas veggies and the whole of East Finchley Allotments was engulfed in a mysterious Sherlock Holmes style fog.

Two views from East Finchley Allotments

7th December up the plot, cold but clear, beautiful day.

View of East Finchley Allotments

Sort of panoramic pics of the plots on the right-hand side.

Coldfall Wood - Stream

Just like our allotment, Coldfall Wood sits on the slope of a hill and has a rainwater run-off/stream meandering through it. Over the course of the summer they have created a water system using shallow pools and dams and what I think is a reed bed, its brilliant. We have an issue with our streams as they have pollution running into them from the houses on Creighton Avenue but I've been thinking of ways to filter the water as it runs through the allotments and this 'bed' system looks like a good idea, using gravel and plants, maybe even charcoal. Anyway, its an idea that needs more ponderance.

Coldfall Woods Autumn

East Finchley Allotments are right next to the most beautiful wooded area called Coldfall Wood. We take the dogs in there sometimes. It is absolutely stunning this time of year, took these photos on the 29th September. We are so lucky to have an old wood like this on our allotment doorstep, that you can be in the heart of London and be surrounded by trees.

8th July Rainbow

As we were leaving on Sunday, it started to rain but the sun was still shining thus creating the wonder that is a rainbow. This is a view of East Finchley Allotments at about 7.30pm, in the approximate direction of the south east.

Two views of East Finchley Allotments May '07

View of the tree tops and clouds from 'the other side', on the path between rows B and C. And my purslane seedlings in the little greenhouse on my plot E7.