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HELP CLEAN UP THE LOWER RIVER CRAY CORRIDOR !Join FRIENDS OF THE CRAY AT CRAYFORD on FRIDAY 4th APRIL
to tackle litter along the banks of the lower Cray,
Meet 10 a.m. at the junction of Footpath 106 and Barnes Cray Road (see graphic below).
All welcome, no particular skills needed.
Equipment will be provided. Wear appropriate clothing for being out in the open and avoiding stings from Nettles and scratches from Brambles, and bring something to drink.
Photo from last month's session when the group was joined by Bexley Councillor Geraldene Lucia-Hennis
Best wishes
Sarah
THAMES ROAD WETLAND TEAM WELCOMES CHINESE STUDENTSWORK REPORT
Thames21 did its bit for international relations on a sunny 14th March when six Chinese students studying design at Goldsmith's College came down to help out. They have been taking an interest in water pollution issues.
A further nine volunteers turned out, giving a grand total of 15, who delivered 66 and a half person hours of work, mainly clearing all the previously cut and raked up Reed/fragmented debris/silt piles (as well as creating a few new ones).
Suckering shrubs were thinned out in an open area of the Thames Road bank, to benefit reptiles, which was also the objective behind brushcutting Bramble in the south-west corner,. Additional Bramble cutting by the railway will help conserve nice patches of Common Fleabane and Spearmint in a boggy area at the foot of the embankment.
Three of the 'domestic' attendees were new recruits, two of whom said they would come again.
Thanks are due to Thames21 staff member Michael O'Neill brought the van full of waders and other equipment.
Five volunteers were out on 21/3, when the brushcutter again proved invaluable. We were able to significantly reduce the extent of a bramble patch that had spread to the point where there was only a one-horse-width space left between it and the top of the Wansunt riverbank, which was consequently suffering heavy erosion. Four horses were grazing in the Reedmace/Rush beds at the time. They were quick to move in on the fresh grass once we had raked away the cut material.
Reedmace in the east ditch was thinned out with the pole-saw to improve it for Dragonflies and Frogs. Buddleia and Rose by Thames Rd, including stems impinging on the adjacent pedestrian footway, were pruned back.
WILDLIFE
The Blackthorn is now in flower, as are a number of the blue and plum-purple Grape Hyacinths (Muscari neglectum). A volunteer saw a Snipe on a Saturday visit. Our first ever Green Woodpecker within the official boundary of the site was recorded on the 14th.
On the 21st two Chiffchaffs were calling. Coltsfoot was still in flower by the railway end gate. London rarity Hound's-tongue, a biennial, continues to survive in small numbers at the east end, in the same place I first found it in the summer of 2018. It is now re-sprouting and there are also several seedlings. But it doggedly 'refuses' to spread, apart from the odd one that comes up by the nearby roadside fence. I've distributed seeds by hand, and planted out extra plantlets grown from seed at home, but to no avail.
BOOK NOW!
Our next staff-supported event is on Friday April 11th, with Thames21's Michael O'Neill. Book here: book.plinth.org.uk/e/jyHfDWO68FBjh72gDdBv
Chris Rose. Volunteer Site Manager.
LESNES ABBEY WOODS - WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SESSIONSEvery WEDNESDAY 10am to 1pm. Meet at the north side of the Lodge by the yard entrance.
Next Wednesday session will be 26th March.
AND ......
The first SUNDAY of each month 10am to 1pm. Meet outside CHESTNUT'S COFFEE KIOSK at 10:00 am. The group then collects tools and equipment from the yard that is opposite the toilets.
Next Sunday session will be 6th April.
Note: these events tend to involve fairly active work and may require walking with tools to remote parts of the woods, so a reasonable level of fitness is required.
All tools and materials provided.
Ffi see: www.friendsoflesnesabbeyandwoods.com/get-involved/conservation
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Hear about, and get involved with the National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme (NHMP).FREE event. In-person at London Zoo or online attendance.
FFI / to sign up go to:
www.zsl.org
Learn how a national-scale camera trap survey contributes to effective conservation action for hedgehogs and other UK species.
LONDON NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY EVENTS IN MARCH INCLUDE TWO FIELD MEETINGS IN BEXLEYThe LNHS welcomes non-members at events on a 'taster' basis.
Thursday 13/3. 19.00-20.00. Finding London's Ferns. The history, identification and conservation of native ferns of London. FREE. Book at Eventbrite:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/finding-londons-ferns-by-henry-miller-tickets-1071940746629?aff=ebdsoporgp...
Saturday 15/3. 11.00-15.00. FREE. Join Dr. Mark Spencer, one of the capital's foremost botanists, to look at wild Daffodils in Lesnes Abbey Woods and seek out other ancient woodland indicator plant species. Contact Mark at hotfungus.hotmail.com to reserve a space. Note that although no explicit limit has been set on the number of attendees, there may be one in practice if large numbers of people ask to come along.
Sunday 30/3 - FREE. Crossness Nature Reserve with George Kalli. For early migrants and waders. Meet Belvedere railway station at 10.00. Aiming to finish 14.00. Bring lunch.
For more info. about the LNHS, including membership details, please see: lnhs.org.uk/
Finding London’s Ferns by Henry Miller
www.eventbrite.co.uk
Henry Miller will introduce the native ferns of London and guide us through their history, identification, and conservation.
Category Archives: Plants in Bexley
Getting to grips with plant characteristics at Crossness
Yesterday (May 20th) , Tony Wileman, from the London Wildlife Trust, came to Crossness Nature Reserve to educate us on the wonderful world of wildflower identification. Twelve people braved the dark skies and unexpected showers and learned tonnes by doing … Continue reading
Welling botany meeting adds probable new species to Bexley list
Rodney Burton writes: One London Natural History Society member was the only other person who turned up to this April 25th meeting! We recorded about 100 species in each of two monads. The only item of special interest was a good … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley, LHNS, Plants in Bexley, Welling, Woodlands Farm
Tagged LNHS, Welling
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Lesnes Abbey Woods bird walk report, April 25th 2015
RSPB Bexley Group – walk Lesnes Abbey Woods Saturday 25th April 2015 – 0900-1200 After a week of seemingly unbroken sunshine it was a little disappointing to assemble under grey skies and a passing shower – undeterred, 12 members joined … Continue reading
Posted in Heathland, Lesnes Abbey Woods, Plants in Bexley, RSPB
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Colt’s-foot flowers 13 days later than a century ago despite warming climate
According to a paper in the latest edition of ‘British Wildlife’ Colt’s-foot (Tussilago farfara) is flowering much later than it did 100 years ago. It is not yet understood why. The trend with other species is usually in the opposite direction. … Continue reading
Posted in Climate, Danson Park, Plants in Bexley
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Shuttle corridor is Mistletoe magnet and Small Tortoiseshell sanctuary
On my way to the Bexley Park Woods event meeting point yesterday (March 12th) there was a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly on the Shuttle riverbank just to the west of the tree line. Afterwards another was seen by the river at … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley Woods, Butterflies, Mistletoe, Open spaces, Parks, Plants in Bexley, Recording, River Shuttle, Trees
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Ragged Robins, Red Admiral and Wigeon at Danson
I came across two flowering Ragged Robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi) by the rock garden pond at Danson Park today, which according to GiGL’s database is only the second site for it in the Borough, the other having been Foots Cray Meadows … Continue reading
Corky-fruited Water-dropwort: a new record for this very scarce London species in Bexley
On 23rd July 2014 a number of plants of Corky-fruited Water-dropwort (Oenanthe pimpinelloides), a member of the carrot family, and a species of conservation concern for Greater London due to its rarity in the capital, were found in an uncultivated … Continue reading
Posted in Coldblow, Plants in Bexley, Recording
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Galling afternoon adds new species to Cray and TRW lists
The Alder Tongue Gall, which I found on the cones of an Alder along By-way 105 on the lower Cray yesterday (September 9th) may be a new Bexley record. The fact that ‘Britain’s Plant Galls, a photographic guide’ by Michael … Continue reading
Posted in Galls, Plants in Bexley, River Cray, Thames Road Wetland
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Ancient woodland rarity Hypericum pulchrum procreates at Martens Grove
The ancient woodland indicator Slender St. John’s-wort (Hypericum pulchrum), rare in Bexley, has vanished from a number of local woods in living memory – such as Bexley Park and Bursted Woods – probably due to lack of coppicing, though various … Continue reading
Posted in Martens Grove, Plants in Bexley
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