Bexley Wildlife

Two Cetti’s Warblers winter along lower Cray

Posted on 10/03/2015 by Chris Rose

Two Cetti’s Warblers were again heard along the lower Cray on Monday (March 9th) , one in the scrub between the Cray and River Wansunt just below Maiden Lane, and one on Thames Road Wetland. The species first bred in Britain in 1973, and now winters here in some numbers, though is still confined to south and south-east England. It has been frequent at Crossness for some time, but would now appear to be establishing a secure foothold in the Cray corridor. It is a bird more often heard than seen, and is to be found in scrub in and around wetland habitats.

A Water Rail was heard in the Reedmace-filled pool south of the Wansunt, opposite the Samas-Roneo development on the old Vickers site by Maiden Lane. Another called from Stanham Farm south of Thames Road Wetland, and a third from the Wetland itself, where a Grey Heron and Common Snipe (Amber-listed due to a steep population decline in southern lowland wet grassland in the last 25 years) were flushed. A couple of Teal were also on site.

Thames Road Wetland on a grey March day can still boast Water Rail, a vocal and highly mobile Cetti’s Warbler, Common Snipe, Teal and Grey Heron. (Photo: Chris Rose)

There was a rather depressing amount of ‘winter wash-out’ litter in the Cray along by-way 105, plus four car tyres and sacks of rubbish. The Bexley citizenry could save the Council a lot of money and free up much volunteer time to do more for wildlife by acting responsibly, instead of treating the wider environment as a rubbish dump.

Winter wash-out, caused by heightened water levels dislodging litter from the reduced bankside vegetation, along with dumped car tyres that have been thrown into the river, disfiguring the lower Cray by By-way 105. (Photo: Chris Rose)

Posted in Bexley Council, Crossness, Litter, River Cray, Rivers, Thames Road Wetland | Leave a comment

Conservative MP ducks issue in response to park campaigners.

Posted on 05/03/2015 by jonathanrooks1@outlook.com

Old Manor Way Park campaigners are disappointed to receive a letter from their local Conservative MP which indicates he is not interested in going against Conservative Bexley Council to save park for his constituents.

David Evenett’s letter has upset many at the Facebook site set up by those trying to prevent the sell off of public open space by Bexley Council.

Petition at: http://democracy.bexley.gov.uk/mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?ID=14&RPID=9222266&HPID=9222266

Posted in Bexley Council, Parks, Planning | Leave a comment

Thames21 River Cray Project announces forthcoming events

Posted on 04/03/2015 by Chris Rose

Michael Heath, River Cray Project Officer for Thames21, has published the following series of events. To get involved or for more information, contact him at michael.heath@thames21.org.uk or ph: 07968 805751.

Events during March

Thursday 5th March 2015 Assessment and repairs to the damaged fence around pond nine at Foots Cray Meadows and using some coppiced materials (bring your own pruning saws) we will be on site from 1100 to 1430 with an opportunity for a ‘last of the summer wine’ tea break at the centre. Our meeting point will be at the Information and Visitors Centre, Access from Rectory Lane DA14 5BP (follow the lane from the car park).

Friday 6th March 2015 In Stream River Cray Habitat Enhancements at Foots Cray Meadows. We will reconvene this project with ongoing repairs to the eroded river bank. Some coppicing for materials will be done (bring your own pruning saws) We will be on site from 1030 to 1530 so come along and join in. Our meeting point will be at the Leafield Lane Gate onto the Meadows, Leafield Lane DA14 5EB (Off the North Cray Road beside the old Scout Hut). The ground is still unsuitable for the van so we will meet at the lane and transfer materials and kit to the river. Please do contact me prior to event for confirmation of activities and location. The Digger is on site on Friday.

Thames21 are funded for this river enhancement project by the Veolia Environmental Trust. This funded project for the River Cray at Foots Cray Meadows will continue to the end of the summer. More materials are on order including coir mats with plants and 3000 plug plants which we need to plant in the coming weeks ready for a long hot summer! This project is due to be completed later this summer with a series of end of project information/promotional events.

Tuesday 10th March 2015. Crayford Depot & Volunteers Session of Kit check, yard tidy etc. & Byway 106 clean up Meet at Thames21 Depot, (100m along Byway 106 walking from Barnes Cray Road towards Crayford) DA1 4NR. 1030 to 1430.

Tuesday 24th March 2015 and Wednesday 25th March 2015. In Stream River Cray Habitat Enhancements at Foots Cray Meadows. Continuing the repairs to the eroded river bank. Some coppicing for materials (bring your own pruning saws). We will be on site from 1030 to 1530 come along and join in. Our meeting point will be at the Leafield Lane Gate onto the Meadows, Leafield Lane DA14 5EB (Off the North Cray Road beside the old Scout Hut). If the ground is still unsuitable for the van we will meet at the lane and transfer Materials and kit to the river. Please do Contact me prior to event for confirmation of activities and location. The Digger is on site both days.

Thursday 26th March 2015. It will be a pleasure to be again joining up with the Friends of the Shuttle with a community River Clean at the confluence of the Rivers Shuttle and Cray (this is situated beside the A2 Road on the Bexley Village side). Meeting at the Dartfordians RFC Ground, Bourne Road, Bexley DA5 1LW at 1030 finishes Please contact me if you wish to take part.

Advance Notice for your Diary

Sunday 10th May 2015 Erith Town Centre Fore Shore Community Clean Up, working with Friends of River Side Gardens Erith we will again be removing the shopping trolleys in the estuary mud and other rubbish in and beside the Thames.

Saturday 13th June 2015 The Crayford Rotarians Fun Day, Waterside Gardens, Crayford; Thames21, River Cray Volunteer River Keepers are delighted to be marshalling the world famous ‘Crayford Duck Races’

Many Thanks

Michael Heath

Posted in Cray Riverkeepers, Crayford, Friends of the Shuttle, River Cray, River Shuttle, River Thames, Thames21, Volunteering | Leave a comment

Thames Road Wetland – then and now.

Posted on 03/03/2015 by Chris Rose

For what will have long been considered a fairly inconsequential piece of ground on the road from Erith and Slade Green to Dartford, Thames Road Wetland has generated an interesting, if somewhat limited legacy of photographs that pre-date the wetland creation. The earliest is a aerial photograph from July 1928, where the site can be seen in the distance, followed by a 1940 aerial image now on Google Earth. A ground level photograph taken in April 1983 by Ray Gray has just come to light. This is presented along with a photograph taken today (March 3rd) from a similar viewpoint, and another from 2006 just before the site was re-modelled to create the wildlife-rich wetland it is now.

The east end of what was to become Thames Road Wetland some 23 years later. Note lack of trees on Sewer Pipe Embankment to the right of the car, and on the railway embankment. The site looks to be suffering from over-grazingby horses. It is presyujme dthat a reduction in grazing by these animals, and perhaps Rabbits, couple with colonisation by the railway embankment by Elder and Buddleia, which Rabbits leave alone, took place at some later date. Note the good old BR blue and grey slam-door EPBs hurrying to and from Dartford. Those were the days ... (Photo: Ray Gray. Kindly scanned by Michael Heath).

The east end of what, some 23 years later, was to become Thames Road Wetland . April 1983. (Photo: Ray Gray. Kindly scanned by Michael Heath).

Very similar viewpoint 31 years later on March 3rd 2015. (Photo: Chris Rose).

Very similar viewpoint 32 years later on March 3rd
2015. (Photo: Chris Rose).

Note the lack of trees and only a very few shrubs to the right of the car on the Sewer Pipe Embankment, and on the railway embankment, in the 1983 view. The site looks to have been suffering from over-grazing by Horses. It is presumed that a reduction in grazing by these animals, and perhaps by Rabbits, coupled with colonisation of the railway embankment by Elder and Buddleia, which Rabbits leave alone, took place at some later date. Meanwhile, there go some good old BR blue and grey slam-door 4-EPBs hurrying to and from Dartford. Those were the days …

A similar view again, but from somewhat further from the railway line. Thought to have been taken in 2006 shortly before the wetland was created. (Photo: Rupert Cheeseman, Bexley Council).

Google Earth image, said to have been taken in 1940.

In this wartime image the River Wansunt can clearly be seen cutting through the Sewer Pipe Embankment, with the pipe ‘bridge’ evident. There is a second drainage channel to the left, and another along the east margin of the site at the foot of the railway embankment. No trees or shrubs! The pathway over the east end of the Embankment is as evident today as it was then.

Posted in Thames Road Wetland, Trees | Leave a comment

Volunteer’s letter to local press on parks sell off

Posted on 02/03/2015 by jonathanrooks1@outlook.com

Letter to the editor: Like hundreds, probably thousands, of others I am appalled that Bexley Council is even considering the sell-off of 27 of its open spaces.

For almost 20 years, I and many other volunteers have worked to help the council promote parks and open spaces, encouraging residents and those from outside the borough to enjoy the activities and wildlife of these special places.

Bexley Council has always been quick to accept the plaudits when accepting green flag awards for its open spaces, rarely giving full credit for the hundreds of hours a year given by volunteers.

Bexley Council was also quick to try to establish “friends” groups for many of its open spaces, and those groups would be happy to help the council save money, while saving these wonderful places – what incentive is there when the council will not engage in a dialogue with those groups – unbelievable given a preamble to the budget consultation states: “The council is also exploring new ways to deliver a wide range of services, including the use of volunteers who are prepared to devote their time to contribute to the well-being of their community.”

The council will not tell us which of the 27 park/open spaces are on the list.

It goes go on to advise policy to improve “at least” 15 parks for conservation, but we do not know which it is talking about or how it intends to achieve it.

It is brilliant that you have run a poll and 89 per cent of respondents (to date) wish to see a “cut in overall maintenance budget for the open spaces” – clearly your readership is more enlightened than Bexley Council – being fully aware that a sell off would be a short term solution with a long term loss of precious open spaces.

Bexley Natural Environmental Forum, friends’ groups, volunteers and, I am sure, park users are willing to give their time to preserve our natural heritage.

We have offered many ideas for reduced maintenance – stop the unnecessary shrub clearances, reduce grass cutting, leaving more and better places for our wildlife and for people to enjoy.

Perhaps Bexley Council should recall what King George VI said some 70 years ago: “The wildlife of today is not ours to dispose of as we please. We have it on trust. We must account for it to those who come after.”

The same must be true of the habitats in which that wildlife lives.

RAPLH TODD, Bexley

Ralph Todd hard at work on compiling the 'Bexley Bird Report'.

Ralph Todd hard at work on the January – June 2014 issue of the ‘Bexley Bird Report’.

Published in News Shopper, 25th February.

http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/opinion/11816370.Appalled_Bexley_Council_is_considering_sell_off_of_27_open_spaces/

Posted in Bexley Council, News Shopper, Open spaces, Parks | Leave a comment

FOI request reveals a £10 m valuation on sale of parks.

Posted on 02/03/2015 by jonathanrooks1@outlook.com

A Freedom of Information request by Caroline Ellis has revealed the Council expect tom gain £10 million by selling off parks.

***

Following your alerting us to the proposed disposal of park and open spaces, I put in a Freedom of Information Request for a list of the 27 spaces and an estimate of the receipts from their sale.

As you know, the list has now been published on the council website and this was the answer to the receipts question:

“At this stage the receipts are only estimated as full feasibility work has not been undertaken. Furthermore, in order to ensure any future marketing exercise is not compromised, it would not be prudent to disclose individual site valuations which could influence and constrain future offers. However, I can confirm that should the Council dispose of all the sites on the list it is estimated that the receipts would be expected to produce a sum of circa £10m.”

***

Our expectation is that this will predominantly be derived from the sale of the large park at Old Farm Park East. Doesn’t seem much when you consider how many houses are going to be likely squeezed on to the site.

We also can’t see how just £10m is going to secure the future of all the other parks. Undoubtedly, if the Council get away with this sell off of the ‘family silver’, they will argue they need to sell more open space in the future.

In the meantime we will continue to oppose the sell off of our open spaces.

Large park at risk of development. Houses or open space?

Posted in Bexley Council, Land sales, Open spaces, Parks | Tagged Old Farm | 2 Comments

Crossness team clear major roadside eyesore

Posted on 27/02/2015 by Chris Rose

Today (Feb 27th), despite a cold and frosty start, the sun shone on 9 of us as we undertook a major litter pick adjacent the Crossness Southern Marsh.

Some recent illegal grazing under the flyover next to the southern marsh, revealed a horrendous amount of wind-blown litter from the Eastern Way flyover above. It was an absolute eyesore; an eyesore that I had to see every day on my way into work.

Before the clean-up got underway ….. (Photo: Karen Sutton)

As we made our way into the area, I saw hearts sink at the appalling mess and the challenge of clearing it all. In fact somebody commented on the fact that it was the worst accumulation of litter that they had ever seen, and that it would weeks to clear it all. But clear it they did! Fifty-five rubble sacks full, plus large items (car bumpers, crates, water tanks) that weren’t baggable.

Hard at work …. (Photo: Karen Sutton)

It has transformed the area and I am immensely grateful to those hardworking volunteers for brightening up this little area.

After the clean-up operation. (Photo: Karen Sutton)

A hay bale remained from the illegal grazing. This, coupled with a ‘men at work’ sign from among the rubbish, made for a good photo opportunity at the end of what was a very challenging, but productive, volunteer event.

Karen Sutton – Biodiversity Team Manager, Thames Water Crossness Nature Reserve

Posted in Crossness Nature Reserve, Environment, Fly-tipping, Litter, Open spaces, Volunteering | Leave a comment

FotS cleans Shuttle and Wyncham in rain and wake of Council’s ‘extreme maintenance’

Posted on 26/02/2015 by Chris Rose

At FotS’ latest litter pick yesterday [Thursday 26th Feb] along the Hollyoak Wood section of the Shuttle and the adjoining Wyncham stream, volunteers worked stoically in pouring rain to extract 16 bags of rubbish, two safes and assorted bits of metal. We also reported a serious fly tipping incident along the Wyncham.

FotS volunteers seek temporary shelter from the rain under some overhanging shrubbery. Yikes! Cut it back at once!

Some of the rubbish removed from the Wyncham Stream and River Shuttle by FotS volunteers

Sadly, this stretch of the Shuttle bears the scars of the Council’s latest bout of ‘extreme maintenance’, with the far bank almost completely stripped of mature trees and vegetation, just before the nesting season. As Joni Mitchell said (or rather sang) ‘You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone’!

Mandy Stevens, Friends of the Shuttle.

Posted in Bexley Council, Environment, Friends of the Shuttle, River Thames, Volunteering, Wyncham Stream | 2 Comments

Council open space sell-off list in full, and campaigner’s current position

Posted on 25/02/2015 by Chris Rose

Bexley Council has now made public the list of 27 pieces of land it is contemplating selling off (appended below), 10 of which are classed as ‘Open spaces’ and 17 ‘Highways land’.

We have yet to see the ‘voting’ figures from the Council’s consultation, but in a News Shopper poll there was an overwhelming majority for less maintenance instead of sell-offs

The campaigners involved so far are discussing what should be done next, but the position at present is as follows:

– The Council made the consultation about selling off open spaces one of ‘principle’, and refused to publish the list before the vote. It was necessary to respond in that context and oppose the proposal. In addition any site could have been on that list and therefore under real and immediate threat. We did not claim that any particular site was on it. Any concerns about misinformation in that regard should be directed at the Council’s handling of the ‘debate’.

– Whilst the sites proposed for sale are not the most important for wildlife in the Borough, never-the-less any loss of green space will reduce the abundance of plants and animals at a time when even ‘common’ species are in decline. We will need to look at the smaller spaces in more detail once we have looked at precise maps of the areas concerned. There appear to be some – including areas classed as highways land – onto which buildings could be squeezed, but only with the loss of existing trees and a further diminution of the ‘green and pleasant’ nature of the Borough.

– The proposed sale of Old Farm Park, Sidcup (Eastern half) would represent the largest single offloading of land. It is probably the site that the Council said they could get half the total monies from. A key point is that in the 2013 Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation review (which the Council has been sat on for a year now, and has still not ratified), the London Wildlife Trust recommended that the whole of the southern margin along the railway line should now be included in the Sidcup rail linesides Borough Grade 2 SINC because of the tree and shrub belt planted there – presumably by Bexley Council or with its approval.

– The Friends of the Shuttle group is looking at the Berwick Crescent sites and the implications for the river, which is proposed for promotion to Grade 1 SINC level in the stalled review.

– We recognise that other sites may have an important local aesthetic or recreational value. The small Old Manor Way park, for example, with its fairly new play equipment, is well used.

– The background agenda from Boris Johnson at the GLA of ‘densification’ and Bexley Council’s five-fold hiking of its house-building target, coupled with the Government’s basic position that progress = more concrete, the likely continued reduction in central government grant and cap on Council Tax, means this could still be the thin end of the wedge.

– This therefore needs to be treated as a wake-up call, and it is important to build the number of sites covered by Friends groups, and the strength and activity of existing ones.

The proposed sell-off list. Bexley Council says that there will be further consultations over each site it may decide to sell. If a planning application followed, that would also be open to public objections.

1 Berwick Crescent (triangular site to east), Sidcup (Open Space)

2 Bexley Road, Erith ( Open Space)

3 Millfield Open Space, Crayford (Open Space)

4 Wilde Road East, Northumberland Heath (Open Space)

5 Wilde Road West, Northumberland Heath (Open Space)

6 Hook Lane Open Space, Welling (Open Space)

7 Land adjacent to 115 Frinsted Road, Erith (Highway)

8 Gable Close and Maiden Lane, Crayford (Highway)

9 Land adjacent to 44 Maximfeldt Road, Erith (Highway)

10 Land adjacent to 1 Holly Hill Road, Erith (Highway)

11 Land adjacent to 1 Slade Garden, Slade Green (Highway)

12 Land adjacent to 14 Stuart Rd Welling (Highway)

13 Junction of Napier Road and Wellington Road, Erith (Highway)

14 Land fronting 11 & 12 Court Avenue, Belvedere (Highway)

15 Land fronting 65-69 Blackfen Road, Sidcup (Highway)

16 Land adjacent to 246 Bedonwell Road, Belvedere (Highway)

17 Land adjacent to 95 The Grove, Bexley (Highway)

18 Land at St James and North Cray Road, Sidcup (Highway)

19 Land at Gayton Road adjacent to 28 Wilton Road, Abbey Wood (Highway)

20 Land adjacent to 154 Upper Abbey Road (Highway)

21 Berwick Crescent (two corner plots to south west), Sidcup (Open Space)

22 Old Farm Park, Sidcup (Eastern half) (Open Space)

23 Old Manor Way Playground, Barnehurst (Bexleyheath) (Open Space)

24 West Street Small Park, Erith (Open Space)

25 Erith Station/Stonewood Road, Erith (Highway)

26 Land at junction of Fraser Road and Alford Road, Erith (Highway)

27 Land adjacent to 1 Pearswood Road, Northend, Erith (Highway)

___________________

Posted in Bexley Council, Consultations, Environment, Housing targets, Land sales, Open spaces, Parks, Planning, SINC | 1 Comment

Great Crested Grebe courtship display was highlight of 33 species Danson bird walk

Posted on 25/02/2015 by Chris Rose

Report by Ralph and Brenda Todd.

It was a cold wind that blew across the Stables car park on Tuesday morning (24th Feb) but it didn’t deter the 15 members of RSPB Bexley Group accompanied by Friends of the Shuttle, Danson Park and Crossness. The sun was shining with blue sky so we were optimistic of a pleasant walk.

We began in the shelter of the old rose garden, Brenda’s keen ears picked up goldcrest but none of us saw it. Magpies, parakeets and a lone great tit out-shouted the tiny goldcrest. Moving north of the children’s playground the ground became very wet and sticky (as was much of the park away from the formal paths) – there was very little moving/calling in the woodland, a couple of chaffinches, blackbird and occasional blue and long-tailed tits. However a constant call was that of nuthatch which was eventually glimpsed by most as it either flew between or moved in the tree tops.

Nutchatch Bexley woods March 2012 Ralph T

Nuthatch. (Photo: Ralph Todd)

A green woodpecker was heard but not seen and a single redwing skulked/fed in an ivy covered mid woodland tree and again, only briefly seen by some.

It was much the same story as we wandered through the woodland to the western side with more long-tailed and blue tits, wren and dunnock showing reasonably well and then a single stock dove took up position on a high branch – viewable through the telescope. Some had a brief view of great spotted woodpecker as it flew high amongst the trees.

We continued around to the Bog Garden where evidence of bird feeding was obvious and the presence of many brown rats (of various sizes) hurried around picking up the scraps – two robins and a wren were feeding by the stream alongside a moorhen but no sign of the elusive water rail. A couple of dozen mallard were also enjoying an extra feed. The pond in the Rock Garden provided one of the morning’s highlights with 4 or 5 stock doves enjoying the morning sun showing off their beautiful, subtle plumage and the iridescent colouring on the neck – two birds emerged from a gaping hole in the dead trunk so hopefully they will be able to nest without disturbance from the ever present parakeets and a large gathering of carrion crows – there must have been 30+ in this one area.

Along the south side of the Lake we came across two single gulls on the grass very close – one a black-headed (without the black head) and a common gull (not very common in these parts outside the winter season). Everyone sorted them out and was able to sort through the larger flock nearby quickly noting a 3^rd species – a 2^nd winter herring gull. Our attention was drawn to the lake itself with a family feeding the ducks (which included a very odd pair of Indian runner duck) – a few Canada geese were joined by a pair of Egyptian geese. Two mistle thrushes flew over. It was mostly black-headed gulls on the lake though a couple of cormorants flew between the island trees and feeding forays in the lake. Two grey heron, a single lesser black-backed gull (4^th gull species of the morning) were pointed out as were up to six little grebes (these proved more difficult to spot as they continually dived for food), two male tufted ducks drifted away from us but all was overshadowed when we saw our target species – a beautiful pair of great crested grebes doing what we’d hope they might – courtship display – head shaking at its best, seen in the lovely sunlight of late morning was an added bonus. Eventually they chased each other across the lake to perform right in front of us – wonderful.

Bird walk attendees had a great view of these Great Crested Grebes indulging in their courtship display on Danson lake. (Photo: Richard Spink)

[More of Richard’s photos here: https://www.facebook.com/richard.spink.332 ]

Even the grebes couldn’t disguise the fact that the wind was increasing and with it the cold and ominous black clouds so we decided to retrace our steps past the Bog Garden to the car park where a most enjoyable, if sticky and a sometimes frustrating lack of small birds walk ended at 12 noon.

Birds seen/heard: Great crested grebe, little grebe, cormorant, grey heron, mallard, tufted duck, Egyptian goose, Canada goose, moorhen, coot, lesser black-backed gull, herring gull, common gull, black-headed gull, stock dove, woodpigeon, green woodpecker, great spotted woodpecker, carrion crow, magpie, great tit, blue tit, long-tailed tit, nuthatch, wren, mistle thrush, blackbird, robin, redwing, goldcrest, dunnock, starling, chaffinch. (33 species).

Posted in Bexley, Bird watching, Danson Park, Friends of the Shuttle, Open spaces, Parks, RSPB | Leave a comment