Reserve Manager Shaun Marriott reports on developments at London Wildlife Trust’s Braeburn Park site in Crayford, and the sighting of a Red Kite there:
We’re continuing the Weds and Thurs workday slots over the next weeks, mainly working on both of the acid grassland slopes to thin out broom and encroaching scrub on the boundaries (mostly buddleia, bramble and overhanging trees). The area with hare’s foot clover has been opened up more. On the other slope, off Galloway Drive, we have found several bee orchid leaves peeping through along the ridge, following a third year of clearance work, it’s looking good and hopefully the ground disturbance will produce more.
There’s been a lot of changes made in various areas, mainly from Galloway through to the sand banks at the SW end, where we have opened up the main path, slope around the playground and the sand banks themselves. There are now around six dead hedges on site, one of which is in a new area designated for a forest school which will be starting very soon.
Creating a dead hedge at Braeburn Park.
We’re getting a lot of goldfinches and starlings in the trees around the Galloway end of the playground grass slope and a red kite was spotted recently over the sand banks.
The priorities at present are the acid grassland (leaving the majority of gorse) and some mowing of the paths further down into the reserve.
There is a corporate workday on 7th March but anyone interested in getting out to help will be welcome of course, I just need prior notice as usual, even the day before is fine.
We meet at the tool shed for all the workdays at around 10.30, but volunteers can meet on site at a time after that if preferred, they just need to contact me to find out where we are and not just turn up. We are usually packing up by 4 – 4.30pm, depending on weather and light conditions.
We will also be starting the butterfly transect and other surveys once I have worked out dates. Again, anyone interested in helping with these can contact me.
“Shaun Marriott” <smarriott@wildlondon.org.uk>
Mob: 07710194268
