Immigration is a hot political topic in the UK but we often overlook how small the world has also become for fauna and flora.  The last ice age (the Devensian) ended ‘only’ 12,000 years ago and that covered pretty much half of the UK.  This means that many of what we understand to be native species are, relatively speaking, rather recent ‘comers in’.  

Rolling forward somewhat to recent times we have seen many new species turning up on our shores.  Some have been accidentally introduced or released from captivity (e.g. Himalayan Balsam, American Crayfish, Chinese Mitten Crabs and Mink) , some have made it under their own steam (birds like the Great and Little Egrets spring to mind) and the climate changes.  

One very noticeable newcomer is the ring-necked parakeet.  This is Britain’s only naturalised parrot.  Originally it is a tropical species from Africa and India.  It has been breeding in the south east of England since about 1969 and is now recognised as a naturalised British species.  The west of London is a particular stronghold and they can be seen here in large flocks.  These were photographed in Richmond Park yesterday.  They form a curiously dissonant tropical backdrop to the red deer rut in the park; bright green birds flying into misty autumnal bushes and trees to strip bright red berries.