Trivia - Railway Station Nests and other Wildlife

[leytongabriel]

The BBC has reported a goose nested and laid an egg in an eerily quiet York station last weekend. Any other reports of birds and beasts coming in and making themselves at home? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-52355561

A flower bed in an unusually tranquil railway station appeared to be the perfect spot for a goose in need of a nest.

British Transport Police (BTP) officers spotted the bird and egg inside the entrance of York station on Sunday.

However, station staff said on Monday there was no sign of the goose or egg.

The station usually attracts thousands of travellers and commuters every day, but is now extremely quiet due to government restrictions on travel.

 

[Iskra]

There are a number of station cats now, Felix of Huddersfield starting a trend.

Network rail also have birds of prey for moving-on pigeons.

 

[randyrippley]

A few years back Grange-over-Sands had problems with a pair of seagulls nesting on the entrance canopy and attacking anyone entering the station. Not pleasant - one managed to draw blood on my head

 

[Rick1984]

Not a station, but the goats have come down off the Great Orne and taken over the streets of Llandudno

Goats take over empty Welsh streets during coronavirus lockdown – video

A herd of goats have taken over the deserted streets of Llandudno, north Wales, where the residents are in lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic

www.theguardian.com

 

[PHILIPE]

Just after Christmas in 1979 there were several camels wandering around Cardiff Central station in the space between Platform 7 and the old Riverside platforms. We were on our way home from the Isle of Wight and there had been very heavy prolonged rain and the River Taff had burst it's banks resulting in heavy flooding. At the time there was a circus in Sophia Gardens on the banks of the Taff and a group of camels fled the scene and finished up via the streets at Cardiff Central.

 

[30907]

A badger has been sighted at Sheffield.

Escaped from Barrow Hill?

 

[bramling]

The BBC has reported a goose nested and laid an egg in an eerily quiet York station last weekend. Any other reports of birds and beasts coming in and making themselves at home? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-52355561

Dduallt on the Ffestiniog Railway often has birds, sometimes swans keeping guard. A very peaceful spot most of the time.

 

[Penmorfa]

There were goldfish is the water tank at the end of the platform at Battersby, bur this was some years ago. Goats are often seen at Tan Y Bwlch on the Ffestiniog.

 

[trentside]

There used to be a group of goats that visited Gainsborough Lea Road station and the tracks near there. Heard rumours of a pig being seen as well. Kept nearby to the station but insecurely - not seen any of them for a long time.

Cleethorpes station had a fairly bold fox, and I’ve seen another on and off at Grimsby Town early in the mornings.

 

[arb]

There was a dove nest, with chicks, in Ely station last year. It was in the rafters of the canopy over platform 2, outside the waiting room, which is not one of the quieter parts of the station! It always amazed me how many people seemed completely oblivious to its presence.

 

[Black Lane]

In this Youtube video (not mine) a rabbit runs from under the buffers at York.

 

[Calthrop]

Not a station, but the goats have come down off the Great Orne and taken over the streets of Llandudno

Goats take over empty Welsh streets during coronavirus lockdown – video

A herd of goats have taken over the deserted streets of Llandudno, north Wales, where the residents are in lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic

www.theguardian.com

About domestic rather than wild, "life"; but I've heard of -- decades ago, when Blaenau Ffestiniog was more of a forsaken "ghost town" than is now the case -- sheep freely roaming around the streets of said town, foraging out of dustbins, and such: reckoned by visitors, to be "wherever" on the general charming-to-squalid scale... Blaenau now-as-opposed-to-then, tidied-up and chi-chi-ised, and free-range sheep no longer a feature.

Again in times past, lower down on the Ffestiniog Railway's route: a smallholding set thereon, had a small herd of goats; which tended to wander around the adjoining stretch of FR track as though it were their own domain -- bods doing permanent-way maintenance, were sometimes held to ransom by these beasts: come up with food or be butted, or sometimes both anyway...

 

[eastwestdivide]

I've seen a stork's nest on an overhead line support near Rotterdam.

 

[RichT54]

While waiting at Norden station a few years ago, I saw a couple of deer wander onto the line just beyond the disused overbridge. They had to scarper quickly as the first train of the day from Swanage suddenly came steaming into the station.

 

[Elecman]

I've seen a stork's nest on an overhead line support near Rotterdam.

There were at least 3 large nests on the WCML OLE structures last year

 

[Lemmy99uk]

A contractor installing the Harrington hump at Braystones was bitten by an adder.

 

[InOban]

There a quite a few ducks in Oban station. Not surprising since the staff feed them.

 

[abn444]

I saw a birds nest at London Road (Guildford) station last July, there was a young one in there as well.

 

[Gathursty]

I fondly remember driving to Kinbrace at 2am one Summer morning years ago and seeing deer, rabbits, squirrels and some ducks just outside the station probably outnumbering the population of that village.

Hindley station's peacock is Not there anymore.
Pemberton had a peasant on the platform last week during my daily walk.

 

[ess]

Plenty of pigeons cr@pping on passengers at Hayes & Harlington. It really needs a wire mesh in the canopy

 

[SiggysigAah]

Used to regularly see deer in the fields surrounding Horwich Parkway when waiting for an early train into Manchester.

 

[6Gman]

Pemberton had a peasant on the platform last week during my daily walk.

There's no need to be rude about the locals.

 

[6Gman]

I'm assuming the OP was looking for examples of wildlife taking advantage of the current lockdown, but since we seem to be casting the net wider . . .

Gulls nest on lots of station roofs - e.g. Rhyl.

As previously mentioned nests on OHLE structures are not unusual. There was a crow on the gantry at the southern throat of Basford Hall a few years ago.

Some years ago a pair of Kestrel nested at the tunnel portal of the Manchester Independent line below Nantwich Road at Crewe. A reasonably quiet location. Little did they know that the station was closing that summer for remodelling - it turned out a lot busier !

 

[Lloyds siding]

I used to see sand lizards round Formby station (and they lay eggs!).

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Foxes are a very common sight on and around the railway. These two were at Woodgrange Park in Barking on 7th October 2019.

 

[Romsey]

Many years ago on night duty at Southampton, it wasn't unusual for a Tawny Owl to fly along the Up Main platform. Nowadays you may well see ring necked parakeets which seem to have moved into Southampton from South West London.

Country signal boxes were and still are superb bird watching hides. Exminster was good, I think it became an RSPB hide for some years after closure. Dean Hill gave a superb view of buzzards thermalling over the military base at a time that buzzards were still rare in Hampshire. Arnside must have a superb view across the estuary and all the wildfowl in the winter.

Foxes have already been mentioned, there used to be a large earth in Clapham Cutting, roughly level with signal W120. They used to commute into the station and shopping area at night walking along the track. There was also an earth under Chessington South Sub station and the families used to patrol the station in the evening looking for food dropped by passengers returning from the zoo.

 

[Esker-pades]

There was a small nest in a corner of the shelter roof at Sandplace (Looe Valley Line) a couple of summers ago. It was quite fun watching the parents flit around getting food.

 

[webbfan]

Just after Christmas in 1979 there were several camels wandering around Cardiff Central station in the space between Platform 7 and the old Riverside platforms. We were on our way home from the Isle of Wight and there had been very heavy prolonged rain and the River Taff had burst it's banks resulting in heavy flooding. At the time there was a circus in Sophia Gardens on the banks of the Taff and a group of camels fled the scene and finished up via the streets at Cardiff Central.

 

[Whisky Papa]

I've seen a stork's nest on an overhead line support near Rotterdam.

On a birdwatching trip to southern Spain a few years ago, the minibus pulled up alongside a small freight yard north of San Roque so we could see the storks nesting on every lighting tower - there were at least twenty nests, I think.

The White Stork is currently being reintroduced to England as a breeding bird. Perhaps we will need a new delay category in a few years ?

 

[Romsey]

There was a small nest in a corner of the shelter roof at Sandplace (Looe Valley Line) a couple of summers ago. It was quite fun watching the parents flit around getting food.

Looks like a swallows nest