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DOUBLE DOSE OF FRIENDS OF THE CRAY AT CRAYFORDDue to the amount of rubbish dumped along the river below Crayford, there are two upcoming opportunities to join the friends group in clearing up the resultant mess.
29th November - removing litter from Footpath 106 (not done last month as we were working on 105)
6th December - tackling the fly-tipping at the Maiden Lane end of By-way 105 by the bridge over the Cray, which has long been a favoured location for criminals to dump garbage. Arrangements have been made for the council to take the extracted material away.
Both events will start at the group's usual rendezvous point, which is the junction of Footpath 106 and Barnes Cray Road (see graphic below) as it is easier to park the vehicle carrying the equipment at this location.
All welcome, no particular skills needed.
The necessary equipment will be provided. Wear appropriate clothing for being out in the open and avoiding stings and scratches from Brambles and Nettles, and bring something to drink.
Best wishes
Sarah
NORTH WEST KENT COUNTRYSIDE PARTNERSHIP - DECEMBER CONSERVATION EVENTS AT RUXLEY GRAVEL PITS NATURE RESERVE.The reserve is a SSSI on the Bexley-Bromley border, and normally off-limits to the general public, so besides helping out, this is an opporunity to visit somewhere you may not have seen before.
Wednesday 4th, Thursday 4th and Saturday 14th– Ruxley Gravel Pits, Edgington Way, Orpington, BR5 3HY
We will be clearing scrub and burning the arisings on a bonfire.
Led by: Lucy Sawyer-Boyd (07809 334071)
Meeting Time and Place: 10am at the site (lifts from Hall Place not currently available due to the group's vehicle being under repair).
The gate must be kept locked, if there is no-one there to open it, please call Lucy’s mobile. Follow the track and park underneath the A20. Plenty of parking. Toilets are available at the local Tesco (but it is far from site).
On Saturday 14th we will be working with Kent Wildlife Trust volunteers. Please bring your own refreshments if joining on this day. On this occasion there will be a portaloo on site.
LOCATION:
goo.gl/maps/S2NBZUfT2mTkbgX17
What3words:
Entrance: ///noises.sheet.reject
Parking: ///hopes.gender.gums
Just a quick reminder that any volunteers who plan to meet us on site should let the member of staff leading the task know as soon as possible so that they can pack the correct number of tools and inform them of any task changes/delays that may occur.
If there are any updates or changes with the programme, we will update it regularly on the volunteer page on our website (www.nwkcp.org ). We will also contact the regular volunteers by phone if any last-minute changes to the location of the task happen.
Please remember to bring with you; suitable clothes for the weather conditions, a packed lunch and suitable footwear (we insist working boots with steel toecap and mid sole are worn at all times to comply with health and safety and insurance considerations). We will supply all other equipment, gloves and safety equipment and also hot drinks and biscuits throughout the day.
Each project will be led by a NWKCP member of staff who will be more than happy to answer any questions that you have throughout the day. A health and safety talk will also be given at the beginning of each project. If you are planning to come out on a project for the first time this month then please let us know beforehand which day that will be.
We write a risk assessment for each task day, and a copy of this will be brought to the site and available for you to read if you wish.
51°24'41.7"N 0°07'10.5"E · 51.411583, 0.119583
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If the council said it was going to concrete/tarmac/pave over Danson Park, there would be uproar. But vastly more greenspace/wildlife habitat in the Borough has been lost to cars in recent years.Why the loss of front gardens matters - to cut flood risk, reduce health-harming heat, restore our depleted nature, and raise resilience.
Lunchtime online discussion on Thurs 14 Nov. FREE.
Front gardens on the frontline - CPRE London - Tickets
cpre-london.eventcube.io
Front gardens on the frontline at Tickets and Information
Bexley RSPB autumn/Christmas fair this Saturday.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.
CROSSNESS NATURE RESERVE WORKS AND FUNDRAISER (tickets still available)From Site Manager, Karen Sutton.
Contractor activity over the next couple of weeks:
I wanted to make you aware that there is work going on this week on both Crossness sites, but access remains open as usual.
28/10 saw the start of remedial work on the Crossness Southern Marsh to assist (non-public) safe access across the fields, so you will see work going on in the distance, but nothing impeding access. And 29/10 sees the start of a phased fencing project beginning with replacement of fencing in the grazing paddocks at the east of
the reserve. There are a further two fencing projects to come later, involving fence replacement down Public Footpath 2 as it runs from the Protected Area south to Eastern Way, and then a more extensive replacement project in the paddocks on Crossness Southern Marsh.
Fundraiser this Saturday (2/11):
I look forward to seeing those of you that are attending the Save Crossness Nature Reserve (SCNR) fundraiser this Saturday at Lesnes Abbey Lodge.
**** Three tickets left as of 31/10 if you'd like to come along to hear the Wild Bexley presentation by Ralph and Brenda Todd (founder of Bexley RSPB); a presentation from me about what Crossness Nature Reserve special, and from Laurence Pinturault from the SCNR campaign about the threat from Cory and the public inquiry process (hearings begin next week) and ultimately the reason the group is raising funds and running this event. There will be an opportunity to purchase raffle tickets, JD Swann's signed Best Beaks, and to purchase some wildlife-themed items (including artwork from the artist that created the RSPB logo) and non-wildlife items that are collectable and/or would make great Christmas presents. All monies raised help SCNR fight the development threat.
Buy your tickets here and I look forward to seeing you on Saturday: Wild Bexley at Lesnes Abbey Lodge event tickets from
TicketSource
<https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/scnr/wild-bexley/e-bvjgkq>
BBC launch 'Your Voice, Your BBC News'
The BBC has launched 'Your Voice, Your BBC News' asking for people to suggest issues that they'd like to see the BBC reporting on. This was brought to my attention by a member who has taken the opportunity to submit something on the Cory threat to Crossness Nature Reserve, and suggested that others might like to do the same in an effort to get a bit of news coverage about the issue. If this sounds of interest, please see details here: Your Voice, Your BBC News: Tell us what issues matter to
you - BBC news:
<https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd0z0y2z3mjo>
Category Archives: Bird watching
Bexley RSPB Foots Cray Meadows 6th December bird walk – report
Ralph and Brenda Todd report on the 6th December Bexley RSPB bird walk at Foots Cray Meadows, which attracted several members new to the group’s outdoor meetings. 28 species were seen including Little Egret, Kingfisher and Gadwall. http://www.bexleywildlife.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/RSPB-Bexley-Group-Walk-Foots-Cray-Meadows-December-2016.pdf
Bexley RSPB – report of Danson bird walk, October 27th
An illustrated report from Ralph and Brenda Todd of birds seen on the Bexley RSPB walk around Danson Park on 27th October: http://www.bexleywildlife.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/RSPB-Bexley-Group-walk-Danson-Park-October-2016.pdf
Posted in Bird watching, Danson Park, RSPB
Tagged Bexley, Bexley RSPB, birdwatching, Brenda Todd, Danson Park, Kingfisher, Ralph Todd, Yellow-legged Gull
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Bexley RSPB visit to Thames Road Wetland
Just 6 of us turned out early on a dull morning with rain forecast, for a walk down the river Cray from Crayford town centre and around Thames Road Wetland, but it’s probably about the best number for keeping people … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley, Bird watching, Crayford, Plants in Bexley, Reedbeds, River Cray, River Wansunt, Rivers, RSPB, Thames Road Wetland
Tagged Bexley RSPB, River Cray, Thames Road Wetland
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Ruxley Gravel Pits 2015 Bird Report
http://www.bexleywildlife.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/BIRD-REPORT-2015-Ruxley-Gravel-Pits.pdf
Posted in Bird watching, Ruxley Gravel Pits
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House Martins still at home on Shearwood Crescent
The House Martin colony nesting on properties along Shearwood Crescent, Crayford, next to Perry Street Farm and Stoneham Park, has at least 9 nests this year, of which 3 were in definite use when I had a quick look when … Continue reading
Posted in Bird watching
Tagged amber-listed, Crayford, decline, House Martin, Perry Street Farm, Shearwood Crescent, Stoneham Park
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Online Borax Fields petition launched as Friends of Crossness NR and BNEF slam Cory claim that the rarer something is in Bexley, the less important it is to protect it.
Following a second, but still grossly inadequate ‘ecology report’ from Cory ‘Environmental’s Riverside Resource Recovery arm – that once again misses out red-listed breeding birds, and offers no credible onsite ‘mitigation’ or creation of off-site ‘compensatory’ habitat for the losses … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley Council, Biodiversity Action Plan, Bird watching, BNEF, Crayford Marshes, Crossness Nature Reserve, development threat, Erith Marshes, Extinction, Invertebrates, Planning, SINC, Sustainability
Tagged Bexley Natural Environment Forum, Borax fields, Chris Rose, Cory 'Environmental', Crossness, Friends of Crossness Nature Reserve, petition, Ralph Todd, Ringed Plover, Riverside Resource Recovery Ltd, Save our Skylarks, Skylark, sustainability
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London Bird Report 2014 provides useful data on Bexley’s species of conservation concern
The London Natural History Society’s team behind the annual London Bird Reports have been doing a grand job of catching up with themselves after things had fallen a few years adrift, and have recently mailed out the 2014 edition, which … Continue reading
Hall Place Hiders make first group visit to Thames Road Wetland
Wildlife photography enthusiasts from the growing Hall Place Hiders group joined Chris Rose, Thames Road Wetland Site Manager, on 21st May for a walk from Crayford Riverside, down to and around the wetland, so as to gain an appreciation of … Continue reading