Our Facebook Posts
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
This content isn't available at the moment
When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it, or it's been deleted.
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.
HELP THAMES21 REMOVE NON-NATIVE INVASIVE PENNYWORT FROM THAMESMEAD CANALSMarch 5 @ 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Join us for an important conservation effort in Thamesmead as we team up with Peabody and the Environment Agency to combat the invasive floating pennywort threatening our local canals. This fast-growing aquatic plant can quickly overtake water surfaces, harming water quality and local biodiversity. These events are a key part of our broader strategy to protect our waterways.
This hands-on event offers a fantastic opportunity to make a tangible difference in our local environment. No prior experience is necessary—just bring your enthusiasm and a commitment to protecting our natural spaces. We’ll provide all the necessary equipment, including gloves, waders, and refreshments.
If you plan to enter the canals, please enter your shoe size on the registration form so we can provide appropriately sized waders. Volunteers are encouraged to wear suitable outdoor clothing, and preferably water proof clothing or bring a spare pair of clothes as you might get wet.
The day will start with a brief introduction to floating pennywort and its ecological impact, followed by a safety talk and removal techniques. We’ll then head to the water to remove as much pennywort as possible, with a lunch break at 12 PM. The matts of pennywort can be pulled apart and then thrown on to the banks to break down, similar to what the canals teams do but by hand instead of mechanically.
Children are welcome to come, but adult supervision is required.
By joining us, you’ll play a vital role in preserving Thamesmead’s waterways for wildlife and future generations. It’s also a great opportunity to meet like-minded people and learn more about local conservation efforts.
Please sign up to the event on our Plinth page by clicking this link:
book.plinth.org.uk/e/bbtujFsEahRiUrVmsr4k
For further information, please contact Tyler Randall at Tyler.Randall@thames21.org.uk.
book.plinth.org.uk
<p>Join us for an important conservation effort in Thamesmead as we team up with Peabody and the Environment Agency to combat the invasive floating pennywort threatening our local canals. This fast-gr...
** THAMES ROAD WETLAND - SIGN UP NOW FOR THE NEXT STAFF-SUPPORTED HABITAT MANAGEMENT SESSION - FRIDAY 14th MARCH .... plus SITE WORK AND WILDLIFE UPDATE.Thames Road Wetland in Barnes Cray, on the Inner Crayford Marshes, may only be 2 hectares (5 acres), but it takes a lot of work to maintain its high value for species such as Marsh Sow-thistle, Brookweed, Hairy Dragonfly, Reed Warbler, Harvest Mouse, Water Rail and Water Vole.
Birds will be breeding soon, so our mid-March session is the last time we'll be able to have a lot of people out in the water from where we need to remove the remaining piles of previously cut Reed, raked up detritus and silt. We are a bit behind because 3 volunteer-led Jan/Feb sessions had to be cancelled due to adverse weather forecasts.
This is a free event. Could you help us catch up by coming down for up to 4 hours? Booking here helps our advance planning:
book.plinth.org.uk/e/jyHfDWO68FBjh72gDdBv
We will have staff support on the 14th and be able to kit everyone out in waders, though we'll only be paddling in a few inches of water. Wear warm work clothes. All other equipment is provided, plus modest refreshments. Health and safety and first aid back-up assured.
Bookings are also open for April 11th.
RECENT WORK AND WILDLIFE
There were 6 of us on 14/2, plus staffer Michael. A couple of people were unable to come at the last minute, but we welcomed back Jonathan after a long absence. Much cut material was removed from (now) open water in the north-west corner, and near the junction of the main and south ditches. 27 and a quarter hours of volunteer time was given.
The volunteer-only session on 21/2 concentrated on thinning out vegetation in the main ditch for Odonata and Water Voles, using a pole saw and rakes. Three of us (Clare, Elio, Chris) delivered nearly 13 person-hours of work.
28/2 saw five of us (Pamela, Ray, Elio, Ian, Chris) put in 26 hours 15 mins, mainly opening up the drawdown zone at the railway end of the site, to favour regionally rare Brookweed, cutting back Buddleia and chopping up and stacking the large amount of brash, and clearing a substantial amount of litter blown/tossed over the fence from Thames Road.
Local contact Richard kindly let me know he'd seen 2 Common Buzzards and a Red Kite over the site on 30/1. I hadn't seen a Buzzard here for some months, and only one Red Kite ever, but there was a Buzzard flying over on 14/2, and then another on 28/2, to which I was alerted by a 'mewing' call. It was flying very low and being harassed by a lone Crow.
Teal were heard on 14/2, and 1 or 2 Water Rail, of which there have been 4 present through the winter months.
On 21/2 there were a few Lesser Celandine in flower. A couple of Cetti's Warblers were heard. As were 2 Song Thrushes. A Crow was chasing a large Sparrowhawk. A Harvest Mouse nest and a Water Vole latrine were found. On a sunny day, the first two Common Lizards of the year were seen.
28/2 started off almost cloudless, the sun and warmth bringing 6 Lizards out from as early as 09.50. A small Wild Privet (Ligustrum vulgare) seedling (which is a new site record), noticed only recently, was showing signs of damage, possibly horse trampling. It was moved to an area they can't access, though it was rooted in an awkward spot and we'll have to see if it survives.
Chris Rose. Volunteer Site Manager.
Category Archives: Reptiles and Amphibians
Karen welcomes student visitors to Crossness Nature Reserve
I entertained some very enthusiastic (despite the rain) young naturalists at Crossness Nature Reserve last week. Students from Hertfordshire’s Simon Balle Academy came all the way over to south-east London when they heard about our Slow Worms. Two very clever … Continue reading
Posted in Crossness, Crossness Nature Reserve, Erith Marshes, Reptiles and Amphibians
Tagged Crossness, reptiles, student project
Leave a comment
Bexley Natural Environment Forum submission on Old Farm Park housing and ‘landscaping’ proposals
Conservation group (full submission below) reiterates its objection to the Old Farm Park sell-off and sham consultations, highlights the need for new developments to be zero carbon, criticises the fact that one sixth of the land being taken over will … Continue reading
Lizards and butterflies herald spring at Thames Road Wetland
So warm and sunny was it on March 15th at Thames Road Wetland that although it felt like the kind of day the Lizards would start to come out in force, they didn’t begin to show on the old tyre … Continue reading
Posted in Butterflies, Reptiles and Amphibians, Thames Road Wetland
Tagged Comma, Lizard, Small Tortoiseshell, Snipe, Thames Road Wetland, Water Rail
Leave a comment
Erith Quarry – work begins without Bexley Council’s promised consultation on biodiversity ‘management plan’
Bexley Council has failed to fulfil its written undertaking to consult Bexley Natural Environment Forum and London Wildlife Trust, prior to construction works beginning, about the biodiversity management plan for what little will be left of the important Erith Quarry … Continue reading
Marsh Frog (Pelophylax ridibunda) at Thames Road Wetland – Jason Steel gets quality photos
Jason Steel captured a juvenile Marsh Frog at Thames Road Wetland a few days ago and took these photographs, easily the best of the few ever obtained of this species at the site. These non-native frogs, which were introduced to … Continue reading
Thames Road Wetland latest – Mk2 Harvest Mouse ‘safety’ tubes, Brown Argus confirmed and dumped car reported to police
Much time was spent yesterday (7th September) replacing Mark1 Harvest Mouse monitoring feeding tubes with a much safer Mk2 version that is also attached to a bamboo cane rather than in-situ vegetation. The new design features an ‘escape’ hatch at … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley Council, Butterflies, Dragonflies and Damselflies, Reptiles and Amphibians, Thames Road Wetland
Tagged Bexley Council, Brown Argus, Cetti's Warbler, Grass Snake, Harvest Mouse, Marsh Frog, marsh sow-thistle, Migrant Hawker, Police Crayford Safer Neighbourhood Team, River Wansunt, Thames Road Wetland
Leave a comment
Lizard species in Bexley – there could be one in your garden, or both on your allotment site ….
With Bexley one of the three best Boroughs in London for our declining reptile species, but the Council repeatedly approving building on their prime habitats – all the while making lazy, complacent and unsubstantiated claims that their populations will not … Continue reading
Now Bexley Council officer recommends building on 10% of Crayford Rough, a wildlife site of regional importance.
The onslaught against the most valuable wildlife sites in Bexley is set to continue this week as the planning committee meets on 14th April to consider an application to redevelop the old Electrobase industrial site between Hall Place and Crayford … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley, Bexley Council, Biodiversity Action Plan, BNEF, Braeburn Park, Common Lizard, Consultations, Crayford, Crayford Rough, development threat, Environment, Open spaces, Planning, Plants in Bexley, Reptiles and Amphibians, SINC, Slow Worm, Uncategorized
Tagged BAP, Bee Orchid, Bexley Council, Bexley Council Core Strategy, Bexley Council planning committee, Bexley SINC review, Common Lizard, Crayford Rough, Crayford Strategy and Action Plan Bexley Council July 2005, London Plan, Metropolitan SINC, NPPF, Pyramidal Orchid, Slow Worm, Yellow Vetchling
Leave a comment
Newts in the spotlight: Smooth (or Common), Palmate and Great Crested in Bexley
All three native species of Newt can be found in Bexley. Only the Smooth (or Common) is widespread and likely to turn up in an average garden pond. The Palmate and Great Crested have restricted distributions in the Borough. Joe … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley, Reptiles and Amphibians
Tagged amphibians, Great Crested Newt, Palmate Newt, Smooth Newt
Leave a comment
Absence makes the heart grow fonder – Little Egret shows up at Thames Road Wetland
The first Little Egret ‘on the deck’ at Thames Road Wetland since winter 2014/15 was seen in the ‘west pool’ on the 30th March. This apparent absence (though for much of the time the site is unmonitored) is perplexing given … Continue reading