Beddington Farmlands Bird Group have beaten a host of London’s birdwachers and enthusiasts to come in second place at this year's Oystercatcher Bird Race.
The race took place on Friday May 14 and teams included the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, London Zoo and the Natural History Museum. They raced to wildlife sites and green spaces across the capital to spot as many birds as possible.
The event, organised by Natural England, aims to raise awareness of London's green spaces and natural wildlife and how accessible they are on the capital's public transport network.
Beddington Farmlands teamed up with the BBC's David Lindo to form Tubbs, The Urban Beddington Birders and designed their own race route across London.
Setting off at 6am they joined twitchers across the capital who travelled to sites such as London Wetlands Centre, Farthing Downs and Sydenham Hill Woods.
The team recorded 86 species of bird, just four short of the 90 species recordered by the winners, London Wildlife Trust.
Peter Alfrey, a member of the Tubbs team, said: “I had no idea what an Oystercard was - I drive everywhere - and because I didn't swipe in and out I ended up spending £20 when I could have got a travel card for £6.30.
“We covered Beddington Park, Beddington Farmlands, Mitchem Common Gun Site, The London Wetland Centre, Hyde Park and even birded in Covent Garden.
“The highlight of the day were the Tawny Owls in Hyde Park.”
The race finished at 6pm at the Natural History Museum's Wildlife Garden where the results were compared and the winners announced.
Alison Barnes, Natural England's director for London said: “Today's event aims to show how easy it is for people to jump onto public transport to see the city's wildlife.
“There is a lot of natural greenery and wildlife in the capital and we want to encourage Londoners to get about with their Oyster card and explore the wild side of London.”
The race, which is supported by Transport for London, is now in it's second year and organisers hope it will become an annual event.
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