Protecting London's wildlife for the future - WINTER 2017 I 114 I COOL FLURRIES - London Wildlife Trust
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Protecting London’s wildlife for the future WINTER 2017 I 114 I COOL FLURRIES
News in brief
Wild London WINTER 2017
Welcome to the winter edition of Wild
London, bringing you a fresh perspective
of the capital’s wild side! We were excited
to celebrate the opening of Walthamstow
Wetlands this autumn, working alongside
Waltham Forest Council and Thames
Water. This huge wetland reserve is easily
accessible on the Victoria Line and is
justly famous for its feathered visitors at
this time of year! The reserve also has an
excellent visitor centre, café and viewing
terrace and it is, of course, free to visit.
Talking of visitor centres, change
is afoot at Camley Street Natural Park,
our pioneering urban ecology park in
King’s Cross. The current building dates
from 33 years ago and is badly in need of
replacement. With funding from Heritage hawfinch © Andy Morffew
Lottery Fund and other partners, we are
about to create a new eco hub to serve this London skies ‘irrupt’ with rare hawfinches
iconic reserve. This essential work means Britain’s largest finches flew over London and southern England in their thousands this
the nature reserve will remain closed autumn, providing a stunning opportunity to sight a bird on the Red List of Birds of
throughout 2018, but will reopen with a Conservation Concern.
stunning new visitor centre in 2019. Hawfinch numbers have declined dramatically over the past half-century, and they
At London Wildlife Trust we are have probably not bred in London for at least two decades. They can be hard to spot, even
looking forward to the coming year. by expert birdwatchers, and recent estimates suggest there are fewer than one thousand
Wildlife conservation can be a challenging breeding hawfinch pairs in Britain.
business, but, working together with our However, in late October and early November, this beautiful bird with a large conical
extensive volunteering team, supporters bill turned up all over London. Some will have now dispersed, but others can still be seen
and partners, we will continue to make a in London’s woodlands.
difference! Migrating birds were flying in from northern Europe, and appearing at locations
including Regent’s Park, Parliament Hill, Greenwich Park, and even in dense urban areas
Gordon Scorer, Chief Executive
such as Aldgate and Tottenham.
Tony Wileman, Senior Ecologist for London Wildlife Trust, said: “Every autumn the
British hawfinch population increases as birds migrate to Britain from typically colder
countries around the Baltic Sea. However, these numbers are unprecedented – for reasons
London Wildlife Trust is the only charity
that we do not fully understand. The hawfinch is known to prefer to eat wild cherry
dedicated solely to protecting the capital’s wildlife stones, cracking them open with its powerful bill, and these mass migrations events,
and wild spaces, engaging London’s diverse known as ‘irruptions’, are often driven by a lack of food. It could be that wild cherries have
communities through access to our nature reserves,
campaigning, volunteering and education.
failed in parts of Europe where hawfinches are very common, but whatever the reason
there is probably no better time to try to find one in your local park or woodland area.
Contact us Dean Bradley House,
52 Horseferry Road, London SW1P 2AF They can be found on the tops of trees, so make sure to look up!”
www.wildlondon.org.uk A population of hawfinch have settled in Ruislip Woods and are likely to over-winter there,
enquiries@wildlondon.org.uk feeding on the seeds of hornbeam and other trees, before leaving in springtime to breed.
Tel: 020 7261 0447
Editor: Ian Tokelove
Front cover: Canada geese over Walthamstow Wetlands © Penny Dixie
Design: Metalanguage Design
Top banner: cormorant © Phil Amesbury
Registered charity number 283895
Spider! Thirty years in the Wilderness
This new book is a warm, funny look at one of the most Wilderness Island is a beautiful nature
fascinating mini-beasts. “I hate spiders!” says Rafael. At reserve in Carshalton, bordered by the
least, he thinks so. But when he really gets to know the sparkling waters of the River Wandle.
BIG, HAIRY, SCARY SPIDER he finds a new, eight-legged In September, we celebrated 30 years of
friend. conservation work at the Island, where an
This hilarious, action-packed look at spiders will captivate enthusiastic and talented volunteer team
young children and parents alike, with plenty of spider facts does a great job protecting wildlife. Local
and figures throughout the book to entertain and delight. MP Tom Brake and Marlene Heron, Deputy
Spider! is written by award-winning actress and London Mayor of Sutton, joined us for an event
Wildlife Trust ambassador Alison Steadman OBE, and we featuring speeches, tours and cake!
have one special, signed copy to give away! Wilderness Island supports wetland,
If you are an aspiring young artist simpl send us a copy of your best spider painting or wildflower meadow and woodland, and
drawing by Friday 12 January 2018 and Alison will choose the winner herself. is well worth a visit if you are walking the
Email entries to members@wildlondon.org.uk or post to: Freepost RTHS - JTEZ – Wandle Trail.
GCKR, London Wildlife Trust, Dean Bradley House, 52 Horseferry Road, London SW1P www.wildlondon.org.uk/reserves
2AF. Don’t forget to include your name, age and address so we can contact you. We will
announce the winner in the New Year.
short-snouted seahorse © Anna Cucknell/ Thames seahorse © Anna Cucknell/
Zoological Society of London Zoological Society of London
Surge in seahorse sightings
Many of us would associate seahorses with far-off, tropical waters, only seen in colourful
nature documentaries. However, our colleagues at the international conservation charity
ZSL are discovering seahorses living in the River Thames and its estuary. This year they have
found six individuals, including their most recent sighting, a short-snouted seahorse recorded
Wilderness Island
by an ecological survey team working at Greenwich, on behalf of Tideway. They have also
found spiny seahorse, suggesting that two species may now be calling London’s estuary home.
join us online
Surveys have found seahorses before, but usually only one or two a year, so the new finds
help to underline the importance of the Thames and its estuary as a haven for wildlife.
Commenting on the team’s latest discovery, Anna Cucknell, Estuaries & Wetlands @wildlondon
Conservation Manager for ZSL said: “Both species tend to prefer shallow coastal waters and
estuaries, so we shouldn’t be too shocked to find them here. But the fact both species typically LondonWildlifeTrust
have small home ranges, and don’t tend to travel far, gives reason to believe that the seahorses
we’ve found recently are permanent residents rather than occasional visitors.”
flickr.com/groups/londonwildlifetrust
These seahorse sightings are just the latest indicator of how important the Thames is
for a wide range of marine species. More than 125 species of fish, including the critically
endangered European eel, swim in these waters, and they in turn support apex predators such wild.london
as harbour seal and grey seal. www.zsl.org/conservation
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Hedgehog sightings help us
map their whereabouts
Londoners have submitted more than 250
hedgehog sightings to us this year, as part
of the Trust’s latest project, Urban Urchins.
Launched in September, the project seeks
to discover where in London hedgehogs
are living. By locating hedgehog hotspots,
we can work out how best to reverse their
startling decline in numbers. A team of
volunteers have also begun building the
first of hundreds of hedgehog footprint
tunnels, with which we will survey habitats
around the capital.
If you would like to help us protect
London’s ‘hogs, we need volunteers to
help us run six Hedgehog Discovery Days
this coming spring and summer. We will
also be running two tunnel-building
bug hotel at Centre for Wildlife Gardening © Magnus Andersson workshops at Woodberry Wetlands on
26th January and 23rd March. Drop a line
Busy year for outdoor learning to our project officer Emma Pooley at
More than 2,800 schoolchildren enjoyed a visit to a nature reserve this year, thanks to epooley@wildlondon.org.uk if you would
support from the players of People’s Postcode Lottery (PPL). This is the second successive like to join in – everyone is welcome!
year that our outdoor learning programmes at the Centre for Wildlife Gardening and We are working on Hedgehog
Woodberry Wetlands have enjoyed the support of PPL, and we are pleased to say this support Detective Kits for use in London gardens,
will continue through 2018. and on a smartphone app to enable
The numbers of visiting schoolchildren exceeded expectations, and shows the growing Londoners to log their hedgehog sightings.
popularity of nature reserves as exciting locations for school lessons. Such children might Both should be ready in spring.
otherwise lack access to nature, and miss out on the chance to discover the wildlife that lives If you would like to report a hedgehog
around them. Many have never seen a frog or newt, and even a slimy slug can be a fascinating sighting (even from years ago), register
discovery for a small child! your interest in a kit, or get more
The Trust also runs other outdoor learning programmes across London. To find out information, please visit
more, visit wildlondon.org.uk/outdoor-education www.wildlondon.org.uk/hedgehog.
Shaping London’s growth
The Mayor of London recently published a draft version of the latest London Plan – the
strategy that shapes and moulds the spatial development of Greater London. This will be the
third iteration of the London Plan, first published by Mayor Livingstone in 2004, and revised
under Mayor Johnson in 2011.
The Plan sets out the key vision for how the capital could develop, while “relieving the
pressure on land, infrastructure and the environment”. Khan’s draft Plan is based on ‘good
growth’ principles, primarily growth that is socially inclusive, healthy and environmentally
sensitive, and which will deliver the homes, infrastructure and jobs that Londoners need.
Whether ‘good growth’ is possible, while also protecting the Green Belt and other green
spaces, remains to be seen. London’s population is likely to reach 10.5 million by 2041, and
Khan has said the target for the number of homes built every year will inevitably rise from
29,000 to 66,000 in order to accommodate this growth.
If there is a shift to building more within the suburbs and around key transport nodes;
creating lots of small-scale in-fill, there is a danger that poorly designed developments could
lead to an accumulative loss of green space – a ‘death by a thousand cuts’.
We work with planners and developers to ensure that new development is genuinely
beneficial to nature and wildlife, as well as local people. The growth of London can be a
positive force for nature, if we manage and resource it, correctly.
We will be responding to this consultation, and aim to engage with the process through to hands-on help for London’s hedgehogs
adoption. You can also take part and have your say, just visit www.bit.ly/londonplan2017 @ Emma Pooley
4
vision of the new visitor centre by Erect Architecture
New visitor centre planned for Camley Street Natural Park
Change is afoot at Camley Street Natural Midlands was transferred from railway adults every year. Meanwhile, other visitors
Park, the wild heart of King’s Cross. After hoppers to waiting canal barges, carts and will be able to explore the reserve, and have
more than 30 years, it is time to replace the lorries. Following demolition in the 1960s, the opportunity to learn about nature and
reserve’s visitor centre with an up-to-date local people, supported by the Trust and the wildlife conservation.
eco hub, which will serve the reserve over Greater London Council, stepped in to save Camley Street Natural Park will close on
the years to come. the wasteland as a nature reserve, which 23rd December and we expect the reserve to
Installed in 1984, the wooden ‘cricket fully opened to the public in 1985. remain closed throughout 2018. Our site staff
pavilion’ is no longer fit for purpose. Visitor Camley Street Natural Park is now and volunteers will continue to look after the
numbers have risen by almost 50 per cent over a much-treasured space for nature, and reserve during this period. We know that the
the past five years, and will continue to rise, as tranquillity, less than ten minutes’ walk from temporary closure of the reserve will sadden
the rapid development of the area continues. King’s Cross and St. Pancras stations. More many of our staff, volunteers and supporters,
The new facilities will enable us to manage the than 20,000 people visit the park every year, but the work is essential. However, we look
increasing pressure on the reserve, ensuring where they can see species that are rare for forward to re-opening, with a stunning new
that wildlife continues to thrive at this small central London – including birds such as visitor centre, in 2019.
oasis, despite increasing footfall. Cetti’s warbler and kingfisher; and amazing
The creation of a new visitor and learning insects such as willow emerald dragonfly.
centre is possible thanks to the support of Building work is due to commence on
National Lottery players through an award site in March 2018, subject to final planning
of £1,098,000 from the Heritage Lottery approval from Camden Council in January.
Fund (HLF), with support from other During this construction period, the
partners (see box). The fully accessible reserve will remain closed to the public. The
building will include an education studio footprint of the new building is no larger
with multi-functional learning space, a than the existing visitor centre, and it will
café and facilities for volunteers. Exterior remain one storey tall. It will boast excellent
features will include wildlife-friendly spaces sustainability credentials, including super- the original building in 1984 © John Davies
for nesting swifts and bats, and there will be insulated walls and roof, water-source heat
new views across the nature reserve and the pumps extracting solar energy from the We are grateful for the support of
Regent’s Canal. canal, and the ability to recycle rainwater National Lottery players and Heritage
The design of the new building will throughout the nature reserve. Lottery Fund, the Stavros Niarchos
celebrate the site’s industrial heritage and When the new visitor and learning centre Foundation, Thames Water, Garfield
transformation into an award-winning opens in spring 2019 it will enable the Trust Weston Foundation, the Taurus
nature reserve. The area was once a ‘coal to deliver an exciting activity programme Foundation and Camden Council
drop’, where coal from the north-east and that will reach almost 7,000 children and
5
London’s new wetlands
London’s wildlife-friendly water supply
“As Europe’s largest urban wetland nature reserve, Walthamstow Wetlands is a truly
special space in London. It is an important refuge for the wildlife that lives there including
overwintering wildfowl and breeding birds and it also offers a unique opportunity for
visitors to access and engage with the distinctive industrial heritage and nature of the site,”
Walthamstow Wetlands © Silvia Dobrovich Veronica Chrisp, Director of Walthamstow Wetlands
6
bird hide at Walthamstow Wetlands willow warbler © Greg Morgan
Just 15 minutes from central London, Walthamstow
Wetlands delivers a wildlife bonanza
Walthamstow Wetlands officially opened watch for stealthy herons, patiently stalking opportunities, for people of all abilities and
on 20th October 2017, with thousands of the margins and reedbeds. You may even see ages. Volunteering is a fun way to take part
visitors braving a drizzly weekend to explore a peregrine falcon, perched upon a pylon, in rewarding work that genuinely benefits
the nature reserve, created around ten drawn to the Wetlands by potential prey. wildlife and local people. If you want to
wildlife-friendly reservoirs. Having stretched your legs, why not find out more, just visit the Walthamstow
This is the largest urban wetland in Europe, head to the restored Engine House and Wetlands website.
and it is free to visit. Located just 15 minutes visitor centre? Here you can refuel at The Wetlands are the result of a special
from central London via the Victoria Line, the excellent café, or browse the shop partnership between London Borough of
the Wetlands provide a home to important and exhibition space. All profits support Waltham Forest, Thames Water and London
numbers of over-wintering waterfowl. Tufted conservation work and help to keep entrance Wildlife Trust, with invaluable funding from
duck, gadwall and shoveler dabble and dive free, so that everybody has a chance to enjoy Heritage Lottery Fund. Over winter, the
in the sheltered waterbodies, having flown in nature in the city. Wetlands are open between 9.30am and 4pm
from Eastern Europe and Russia. These same London Wildlife Trust will be running every day, with the exception of Christmas
waters also supply clean drinking water to 3.5 a wide range of events at Walthamstow Day and Boxing Day. We would love to
million Londoners, courtesy of Thames Water. Wetlands, including family-friendly see you there; this is an astonishing site for
Stroll along one of the many Wetland paths events for children, educational activities London and well worth a visit!
and you may spot an exotic flash of colour, for local schools, and guided walks for
as a darting kingfisher patrols its territory; or grown-ups. We also have many volunteer www.walthamstowwetlands.com
long-tailed tits © Matthew Rich Engine House © Phil Amesbury
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9
Snapping urban wildlife
Catching nature in the camera lens
Penny Dixie
shares her love
of urban nature
photography
London Wildlife Trust will be running If you have received copies of Wild London
photography workshops with Penny during over the past three years, or checked out
2018. To keep up-to-date with these and other London Wildlife Trust’s social media or
opportunities, subscribe to our monthly emails at website, you will probably have seen and
bit.ly/wild-sign-up enjoyed the photographs of Penny Dixie.
Penny, who lives in Stoke Newington,
is a freelance outdoor photographer with a
passion for nature and wildlife. She is one of
many photographers who support our work,
providing inspirational images that capture
the importance of what we are doing.
Snapping urban nature is Penny’s
speciality, and she was a frequent visitor
to Woodberry Wetlands, as we worked
with partners to transform an operational
reservoir into an accessible wetland
nature reserve. Similarly, her images of
Walthamstow Wetlands, prior to its opening,
have helped us demonstrate its stunning
value as a site for waterfowl.
However, it isn’t just her wetlands
photography that you are likely to have seen.
Penny photographs nature around London,
and particularly enjoys the challenge of
capturing the city’s nocturnal wildlife.
“The beginning and end of the day
usually provide the photographer with a
special, softer light,” says Penny, “but I love
taking photos when it’s really dark. Many
photographers pack up and go home when
the light drops but I like to push my camera
to the absolute limits.
“Modern cameras are incredible and I’ve
never been afraid to push technological limits
night watch on the Embankment © Penny Dixie
in order to get the shots I want. Sometimes,
8
fly agaric © Penny Dixie wren © Penny Dixie
when I check a picture on my camera screen, There is something very magical about fly Does Penny have any other useful advice for
I am amazed at the quality of images the agaric, especially when they are growing budding wildlife photographers? “I always try
camera can capture in low light, and I will in a fairy-tale-like ‘carpet’ on reclaimed, to work out why I’m taking a photo before I
then continue to play and create”. industrial land! actually pick up the camera. What will be the
Penny is a former teacher and is keen “If I’m asked ‘what’s the best camera?’ I purpose of the picture? What is the intended
to encourage others to learn photography always say ‘it’s the one in your hand’. There is audience? If the light or the circumstances
skills. As she says: “I want my photography no point in having a fantastic, fancy camera are not working, I sometimes just leave my
to inspire children and families to look at if it’s at home. Modern phones are amazing camera in its case. There is nothing worse
nature in an urban context, and to see things and it’s possible to take extraordinarily good than wasting hours in front of a computer
differently. I always hope that a child might photos with them.” trying to process mediocre, poor or boring
be excited and inspired by a photograph of a Penny argues that having an photographs. Processing can enhance a good
bat, a spider or a bird.” encyclopaedic knowledge of species is not image, but to my mind, you cannot process a
Sometimes photography can be a rather necessary for wildlife photography, and bad image and turn it into a good picture.”
solitary pursuit, but Penny says this does not admits that she herself often struggles to As for the personal benefits of
have to be the case. “I do lots of photography identify what she has seen. “I try to learn photography, Penny says: “Photography is
on my own but I also enjoy taking pictures names of species but it doesn’t come easily important to me because it can take me into
with friends, when the whole process, and to me. I am certainly no expert. I can tell a special world, where I can leave my cares
the discussions afterwards, become a much a reed warbler from a chiffchaff, but I will and concerns behind. I can become lost
more social activity. For instance, one of my happily admit that waders can confuse me! in the moment, just concentrating on the
most enjoyable day trips was with fellow I am quite looking forward to the day when camera screen, adjusting settings, holding my
photographer Brett Lewis, to photograph there’s an app on my phone that will easily breath. For me it’s an escape and incredibly
fly agaric near Bluewater Shopping Centre. identify species via the camera.” relaxing… in an exhausting sort of way!”
We are always looking for great pictures to
help us enthuse Londoners about wildlife,
and ensure better protection for the wild
species that live alongside us. If you would
like to donate photographs or even film to
our work, just drop us a line at
pictures@wildlondon.org.uk
urban deer © Penny Dixie
11
9
Hutchinson’s Bank
Butterflies and orchids shine in New Addington
small blue on kidney vetch © Penny Frith
Sun-kissed slopes At Hutchinson’s Bank nature is preparing for
winter. The bright speckles of wild flowers
Traditional grazing methods became
uneconomical in Britain decades ago, and
are gone, and the nature reserve is reverting consequently many chalk grassland sites have
support rare wild to its winter coat of ochres and browns, with been lost as landowners left their pastures
only the magenta berries of hips and haws untamed and neglected. London Wildlife
species providing a glimmer of colour.
A small flock of hardy sheep, a mixed
Trust took on Hutchinson’s Bank in 1987,
recognising its value to wild species that were
herd of Jacobs and Beulah Speckled Face, rapidly becoming rare within Greater London.
graze the chalk grassland slopes, overseen Scrub control is down to the visiting
by the experienced eyes of Shaun Marriott, sheep, as well as small flocks of goats. We
one of our two Senior Reserves Officers. The have also used Dartmoor ponies, but sadly
sheep’s constant nibbling helps us to control too many visitors were giving them ‘treats’
the woody scrub that would otherwise and making them unwell, so we’re keeping
overwhelm the reserve, their munching them away for now. Our hard-working staff
making short work of the eager shoots of and volunteers also undertake physical
hawthorn, blackthorn and dogwood. cutting, with the invaluable help of staff
from supportive companies, who join us for
wild workdays.
10volunteers have been active on the reserve since 1984 stoat © Tristan Bantock
We do allow some scrub to grow, it is a critical, symbiotic role in the lifecycle of at
useful wildlife habitat in its own right – but least seven butterfly species, nursing their
the chalkland is too valuable to allow it larvae in their nests. Without the ants, there
to be overgrown. By carefully managing would be far fewer butterflies.
the grazing and cutting, we have created On a warm, sunny day, Hutchinson’s
a patchwork of open grassland ‘paddocks’, Bank buzzes with love songs as meadow
optimising the reserve’s wildlife interest. grasshoppers and bush-crickets loudly
Come spring and summer, the sun- stridulate for mates. Their theme tune provides
warmed slopes, unshaded by scrub, erupt in a backdrop to common lizard and slow-worm,
a profusion of wild grasses and flowers. Up which bask on bare soil patches and in sun-
to 40 different species can grow in just one catching hollows. In the past, adders were
square metre – providing shelter and food Bee orchid
present, but ©
areMike
nowWaller
locally extinct.
for some of our rarest wildlife. Insect species The reserve provides breeding space
flourish here, including butterflies, moths, for birds including kestrel, blackcap, lesser
grasshoppers, beetles, and hoverflies. whitethroat, and the green woodpecker,
More than 30 species of butterfly have which hunts for ants using its long, sticky
been recorded, including the dark green tongue. Buzzards are increasingly common,
fritillary, the grizzled skipper, and the soaring high above. Roe deer frequent the
nationally rare small blue. As a caterpillar, slopes, while smaller mammals include
the small blue depends on kidney vetch, a common shrew, field vole, bank vole and
plant of chalk grasslands, sand dunes, and rabbit, as well as a fast and nimble predator, man orchid © Brian Eversham
cliffs. Kidney vetch is rare in London but the stoat.
grows well here. It is easily recognisable as Like our neighbouring Chapel Bank
clusters of small yellow flowers, sitting atop nature reserve, Hutchinson’s Bank is also a How to get here
little woolly cushions. Hutchinson’s Bank is great place to spot wild orchids. Bee orchid,
also home to more than 300 species of moth, pyramidal orchid and the nationally rare Hutchison’s Bank is a short walk from
including the feathered gothic, garden tiger man orchid all grow here, and are usually at New Addington Tram Stop, served by
and small emerald. their best during June. trams from Croydon and Wimbledon.
Moths are not the only insect to make Hutchison’s Bank is just one of 41 nature Follow the footpath from the Tram Stop to
the most of this special landscape during reserves that London Wildlife Trust protects North Downs Road, and then past Fisher’s
the night. Glow-worms gather around the across the capital, each one providing a Farm recycling centre, before turning left
northern tip of the reserve each June, the foothold for rare and important wildlife on to the woodland path. There is a metal
kissing gate at the reserve entrance. We are
females emitting a bright, greenish glow, as a species. Your support as a member of the
grateful to Viridor Credits Environmental
beacon to attract passing male glow-worms. Trust ensures that together we are protecting
Company, who have helped to fund recent
Ants also have their part to play. Yellow the wildlife on our doorstep, creating an
conservation work at the Bank, through
meadow ants create tussocky anthills, while environment that is better for nature, and the Landfill Communities Fund.
abundant red and black ant species play a better for London. www.wildlondon.org.uk/reserves
11Of mice and voles
Uncovering the secret life of urban woodlands
London is fortunate to have a relatively
high number of woods; they cover 4.5%
of the capital. Our woodlands, many of
which are likely to be ancient in origin,
provide a home to significant numbers
of the capital’s wild species. They are also
lovely places to visit at any time of year!
bank vole © Phil Winter
Our study shows In spring 2016, a hardy bunch of volunteers
began getting up at the crack of dawn, to
research – and early morning rises – the
‘Vole Patrol’ team found strong evidence that
that west London survey the woods of west London. Using a
combination of safe live trapping, remote
small mammal populations were thriving in
some of London’s woodlands.
cameras, and footprint tunnels, these Vole Patrol was a first-of-its-kind study
woodlands provide dedicated wildlife enthusiasts were taking that sought to discover which species of
part in a study of mice, voles and shrews. vole, shrew and mouse were populating
a lifeline for secretive These largely nocturnal mammals play
an important, but often overlooked, role
nine woodland sites across four London
boroughs. The investigation looked at how
shrews, voles and in the ecosystem, and are an important
prey item for some of London’s rarer wild
the character and management of our
woodlands can determine the numbers and
wood mice predators, such as stoat, weasel, kestrel and
owls. During 18 months of painstaking
types of mammals that live in them. More
than 80 volunteers took part.
12common shrew © Huma Pearce
Gutteridge Woods, Hillingdon yellow-necked mouse © Phil Winter
Now, we can reveal the results. High numbers of wood mice and bank vole, alongside lesser
populations of common shrew, pygmy shrew, yellow-necked mouse, and field vole, were
recorded. The habitat type most favoured by these small mammals is a woodland that isn’t too
‘tidy’, and which isn’t completely isolated by roads and buildings, allowing wildlife to move
safely to and from nearby wild spaces.
The most common small mammal found across the surveyed woodlands was the wood
mouse, with 1,212 recorded across all nine sites. Bank vole were found at eight sites, with 595
recorded, while 28 yellow-necked mice were found at two sites.
Common and pygmy shrews were recorded at five sites, with 38 in total, while field vole
were only found at Tentelow Wood, where 19 were recorded.
The survey also suggests that for a small mammal, a wood with a richly-vegetated and
somewhat untidy structure, with open sunlit glades, plentiful fruit and nut-producing trees,
along with plenty of leaf litter and fallen branches and tree stumps, is close to a perfect home.
While the results from Vole Patrol show the resilience of London’s small mammals, they
also highlight the importance of wildlife-friendly conservation work if the city’s woodlands
are to continue to serve as a critical refuge for small mammals.
The nine surveyed woodland sites were Gunnersbury Triangle in Chiswick, Perivale Wood,
Tentelow Wood and Long Wood near Southall, Ten Acre Wood and Gutteridge Wood in
Hillingdon, Denham Lock Wood near Uxbridge, Ruislip Woods, and Pear Wood in Stanmore.
Of the nine sites surveyed Tentelow Wood and Long Wood, managed by Ealing Council, and
Pear Wood, managed by Harrow Council, were judged most habitable for small mammals.
Vole Patrol was made possible by funding from National Lottery players through the
Heritage Lottery Fund. We would also like to thank all of the volunteers who took part. A
detailed report will be published in 2018. little owl © Phil Winter
13
7Trees share their bounty
The nutty goodness of London’s woodlands
Autumnal seeds
and nuts deliver a
feast for wildlife
As autumn draws to a close and the bare
branches of trees stand stark against
wintry skies, we find ourselves on the tail
end of a mast year for London’s acorns. In
September, oak woodlands such as Ten
Acre and Sydenham Hill Wood were so
bursting with acorns that it almost became
a health & safety issue, as tough little acorns
rained down from the branches, onto the
unsuspecting heads of passers-by.
Mast is another name for nuts or seeds,
with beech nuts often referred to as ‘beech
mast’. Mast years occur when the weather
in spring and summer has created the right
conditions for bumper crops of nuts and
seeds. It is a useful reproductive strategy for
trees, as during the lean years the lack of
seeds and nuts ensures that the numbers of
animals that like to eat the mast remain low.
When the bumper crop comes along, fewer
hungry mouths means that more seeds can
germinate and grow.
We may not find this year’s bumper
crop of acorns palatable, but to jay and grey
squirrel, it is a nutrient-packed feast. Jays
will stash as many as 5,000 acorns in a single
season, making small holes in the ground
in which to hide the nuts, or caching them
in fissures of bark or other hiding places.
Grey squirrels compete with the jays, hiding
thousands of acorns across woods, gardens
and parkland.
This ‘squirreling away’ of acorns
and other nuts has been one of the most
important drivers of woodland creation,
and enabled oak woods to colonise Britain
jay swallowing an acorn © Phil Winter and Europe after the end of the last glacial
14oak seedling © Alan Price sweet chestnut © Amy Lewis oak galls © Penny Frith
period, some 12-14,000 years ago. Acorns a number of chambers, before emerging Much of the autumnal crop of seeds and
that were not retrieved by squirrels or jays in June and July. Known as oak apple galls, nuts has now been cached away, but there is
could sprout and grow, and with luck, might these once provided a key ingredient, gallic an easy way to find this hidden harvest - just
grow into new trees. Those that failed to acid, used in the creation of ink. Such ink watch grey squirrels. With noses twitching
grow would decompose, their nutrients once penned almost all major doctrines and and tails flicking they sweep the woodland
enriching the soil around them. The new political agreements, including the Magna floor, unearthing buried treasure. They are
trees developed into new woodlands, Carta and the American Declaration of messy eaters, anxious to quickly cram in
eventually forming great woody landscapes. Independence, as well as the Forest Charter the calories, and are always on the move.
Across Britain, most of these ancient forests of 1217. It was only in the 1970s that the With luck, this season’s bounty will see them
have now been lost, but valuable fragments German government stopped using oak gall through winter and into the warmer days of
remain, including Epping Forest, the Weald, ink for use in all official documentation. spring, when the cycle can begin again.
the New Forest, and even south London’s Other notable tree seeds are those of
Great North Wood. horse chestnut, beech and sweet chestnut. Daniel Greenwood, Project Officer at
In North America, entire cultures of Horse chestnuts, our familiar ‘conker trees’, Sydenham Hill Wood
Native Americans depended on acorns are no relation to sweet chestnuts (which are
for nutrition. By grinding the nuts, they actually part of the beech family). Although
could create flour, coffee and even jelly. common, neither tree is truly native to
Here in Britain, the hazelnut was a much Britain. Deer and wild boar will eat horse
more important food source for our chestnuts, and grey squirrels may store them
ancestors, especially before the advent of as an emergency food cache, but they are
farming, when hunter-gatherers relied on mildly poisonous to most British mammals.
foraging to survive. Archaeologists have Sweet chestnuts, on the other hand, provide
found regular evidence of hazel nutshells at a meal to a wide range of woodland wildlife.
prehistoric settlement sites, sometimes in Deer, boar, squirrel, badger, fox and wood
vast numbers. There is also evidence that our mouse will all tuck into these tasty nuts.
ancestors cooked hazel into a paste, for easy Away from the woods, street vendors sell
transportation on long journeys. roasted sweet chestnuts at Christmas, and
Acorns are not the only treasure they are fun to collect and eat, but beware
produced by oak trees. In spring, tiny gall their painfully spikey shells, similar to the
wasps climb oak trees to lay their eggs horse chestnut, but pricklier! Beech mast
in young leaf buds. The buds swell, but also provides an autumnal boost for wildlife.
instead of maturing into leaves they grow Mice, voles, squirrels and woodpigeon all eat
into globular galls, as much as 5cm across. the three-sided nuts, which in a good year horse chestnut © Amy Lewis
Inside each gall, up to 30 larvae grow within will litter a beech woodland floor.
15Squawkers of the waterways
Honk if you’re a herbivore
Greylag have significantly increased in
numbers in Britain, undoubtedly assisted
by changes in agriculture. In the past, fields
were usually bare over winter, but they now
sprout with the nutritious shoots of winter
cereals and rapeseed, perfect fodder for
hungry beaks. Flocks in southern England
are largely composed of birds descended
from reintroduced stock, or feral escapees,
originally raised for their ornamental value
upon a country lake, or raised as gamebirds
to be shot for sport. Truly wild, native
greylag are now restricted to Scotland,
where they are joined by over-wintering
flocks from Iceland.
The Canada goose, the largest goose in
Britain, boasts striking looks, with a long
black neck, and a black head undercut with a
white chinstrap. However, as they are now so
common across many of London’s parks and
Egyptian goose © Penny Dixie waterbodies, familiarity has tended to blunt
their handsomeness. Introduced to Britain in
1665 by King Charles II for his ornamental
London’s geese, from home and away bird collection at St James’ Park, they were
breeding wild by the end of the 18th century,
Large, bulky, and sometimes aggressive, Their long necks give them the opportunity but were still rare until the 1920s and ‘30s,
London’s geese never seem to have been to keep an eye out for predators such as fox when numbers began to rise. By the early
entirely embraced as welcome denizens of and stoat, as well as dogs; and most flocks 1950s the British population was estimated to
our waterways. Not that they have noticed – will graze with a few adults keeping watch. be between 2,200 and 4,000 birds.
they are generally big enough to look after They are gregarious birds; numbers give In London, numbers of Canada goose
themselves. them protection, and at a hint of danger, increased during the 1960s, following
There are two goose species resident in they will take to the air in a mass clapper- deliberate introductions in many parks. As
London, greylag and Canada. Occasional wing flap. A large flock is quite capable of these geese bred, their young goslings were
migrant visitors to London, usually in winter, devastating a broad range of cereal and not wing-clipped, so many were able to
include four other species, the pink-footed, vegetable crops on farms, so they are not fly off and establish new territories. There
the white-fronted, the brent, and the barnacle always welcome. were at least 23 breeding pairs in London
goose. A third resident, the Egyptian goose, The greylag is our native, resident goose. by 1970, and they have increased ten-fold
is more closely related to shelduck, and is not With salmon-pink beak and feet, and barred since then, with more than 230 breeding
considered a ‘true’ goose. brown/silver-ish plumage, pale on the pairs in London in 2014. However, their
Geese are herbivores, grazing on underneath, it is a stately if plumpish bird. Often population growth has now slowed, and
waterside vegetation, as well as grasses. They found around larger park lakes and reservoirs in some areas, numbers have stabilised or
may seem out of place as they nibble on the throughout the year, they tend to be semi- declined. Their high mobility, often visiting
grass of a London park, but as far as they are tame and tolerant of people. Domesticated several waterbodies in a single day, gives the
concerned, it is just one big buffet. geese, reared for their meat, fat, eggs and impression that they are more numerous
feathers, largely originate from greylag. than they really are.
16Angel Wing
Everyone knows how much ducks and
geese love eating bread. However, all those
extra calories can seriously affect their
health, with deadly results. Too much
bread, or other unsuitable food, can lead to
a syndrome know as angel wing, in which
the last joint of the wing twists awkwardly,
with the wing feathers pointing out to the
sides, instead of lying against the body. In
Greylag in flight © Zsuzsanna Bird adult birds, the disease is incurable and
usually leads to an early death, as affected
Flocks of Canada geese will prodigiously plumage, green and white wing-bars, orange birds can no longer fly properly.
graze park grasslands, reducing vegetation to legs and a distinctive, piratical eye-patch.
bare soil, and producing huge amounts of wet, Native to the Nile region of Africa , this
tubular dung in the process, spoiling lawns was another introduction by Charles II
and waters alike. This does not make them to St James’ Park, in 1678, and enjoyed
popular with everyone. They are bold birds, later adoption by other landowners on the
rarely shy of people. Sometimes perceived as ‘gentleman’s ponds’ of their grand estates.
aggressive, this is largely due to their behaviour In London, a small number of individuals
during the breeding season, when the adults were living wild by the 1930s, and they were
are hissingly protective of their young. firmly established and breeding at a few
Considerable work has gone into waterbodies by the late 1990s. Although the
understanding how Canada geese populations national population is unlikely to be more
behave in London, in order to limit the adverse than 1,500, numbers have risen in London in
impacts they can have on a site. The focus is recent years, with currently about 30 breeding
largely on managing habitats to make them pairs, with large numbers at Hyde Park and
less favourable to the geese (eg: allowing the Kensington Gardens. We often see a pair
grass to grow longer), and if needs be by the close to our central Westminster office, close
‘pricking’ or removing of eggs. to Vauxhall Bridge and the MI6 building.
However, around London’s three airports Somewhat surprisingly, and unlike true geese,
it isn’t their grazing or defacation that causes Egyptian geese nest in trees, often using old
concern. A large goose hitting an aeroplane is crows’ nests, and can be seen in the boughs
a serious cause of concern, and neighbouring around the lakes in Regent’s Park.
land managers – including the Trust’s own To see greylag, Canadian and Egyptian
staff at Huckerby’s Meadows (Heathrow geese, along with multitudes of other
Airport) and Saltbox Hill (Biggin Hill waterfowl, visit Walthamstow Wetlands. Greylag © Penny Dixie
Airport) – are required to adopt measures to This huge wetland reserve, just 15 minutes
prevent geese roosting in numbers. from central London, is free to visit and is What is the difference
The Egyptian goose is another handsome open every day between 9.30am to 4pm. between ducks and geese?
bird, with a russet, mushroom and chestnut www.walthamstowwetlands.com
Geese and ducks, along with swans,
belong to the family Anatidae. However,
some key traits of geese are that they tend
to be bulkier than ducks and have longer
necks. They are drabber in plumage than
ducks, with little difference in colour
and markings between male and female,
and tend to noisily ‘honk’ rather than
the ducks’ flatter ‘quack’. But splitting
the differences is difficult, especially as
some species look like a little like both,
such as shelduck.
Canada goose © Derek Moore
17Life in a London park
Meet the tiny residents of Peckham
Parent bug with her eggs
18Warwick Gardens Shield bug-hunting wasp
Colourful close-ups of city life
We share our city with over 13,000 species of animals, plants and fungi, the vast majority being out
of sight and out of mind. And yet most of our green spaces, especially those that are allowed a little
bit of room to grow wild, provide refuge for an amazing diversity of life. Just under half of London
is ‘green’ or ‘blue’ space, and over 1570 sites (covering almost a fifth of the city) are identified
as being important for biodiversity. But nature is not confined to these sites; every whisper of
vegetation provides potential, and none more so than for insects, from hoppers and hoverflies to
beetles and butterflies.
Warwick Gardens is an ordinary park in Peckham, south east London. It is not a nature reserve,
but like many other green spaces in London, it harbours more wildlife than meets the eye. Penny
Frith is a south London DJ, graphic designer and photographer, who has spent six years exploring and
photographing the insects that live in this small, unassuming park. Her remarkable survey of Warwick
Gardens is a showcase of surprises, including regional rarities, species new to the country, and some
astounding-looking insects, such as jewel wasps, camouflaged weevils, and thick-headed flies.
In her new book, Insectinside: life in the bushes of a small Peckham park, Penny features all 555
species she has found so far, keen to highlight the diversity of insect life, and to show in close-up
these tiny creatures that often flit away before you can get a better look at them. She inspires us to
look closer at the world around us, whether in your garden or your local park.
This multiplicity of invertebrates in our parks and gardens, each going about their daily lives
largely invisible to our eyes, provides a critical service to the capital by aiding pollination, keeping
pests and pathogens at bay, helping to maintain our soils, and sustaining other wildlife. Without
Capsid bug
them, we would lose the song of the blackbird, the night-time flit of a pipistrelle bat, and the
multi-coloured spectrum of flowers along a hedgerow. Insects are the essential ‘eco-net of things’
without which our lives would crumble. Insectinside casts an insight into some of their secrets, and
highlights the importance of considering and including the ‘wild’ when managing and designing
our parks and greenspaces.
Insectinside: Life in the bushes of a small
Peckham park by Penny Metal is available
from www.insectinside.me
Thick-headed fly Chalcid wasp All images © Penny Frith
19An act for nature
Wilder lives are healthier lives
Canada geese at Walthamstow Wetlands
Imagine taking a train journey through
Together, The Wildlife Trusts are the countryside in 25 years’ time. From the
window, you see red kites gliding across
calling for an Environment Act: an act beautiful farmland and woods. Bees are
buzzing in the vibrant field margins and
that would give our wildlife a unique thriving hedgerows.
You whizz past a vast wetland, teeming
opportunity to recover with egrets, herons and, although you do not
see them, water voles. There are no stories
about flooding in the news – the recent heavy
rainfall has been locked into the landscape,
caught upstream.
When you went to the seaside for a
summer holiday,, the beach was pristine: no
plastic bottles, rock pools full of life. Seabirds
were fishing just offshore. The fish and chip
shop was doing a roaring trade selling local
catch – since the seas have been recovering,
Stephanie Hilborne OBE is Chief Executive of both people and wildlife have benefited.
The Wildlife Trusts Whales, dolphins, vast shoals of tuna – they are
a regular occurrence now.
20What would it
When you arrive in the bustling city, the
air you breathe is just as clean as it is in
the countryside. Above the urban hubbub,
look like?
blackbirds, robins and dunnocks are singing
loudly. You stroll over a river: earlier this
morning, an otter swam beneath this bridge,
a fat brown trout in its mouth. In a park
across the street, schoolchildren are having An Environment Act to:
a lesson in the shade of the trees. They are
happy and focused. • Set ambitious, measurable, long term aims for nature’s recovery
This does not have to be a dream. We have • Establish the key environmental principles that should guide
a chance to act now, together, to give wildlife decisions at every level including the principle of access to nature
a real chance to recover. If we are ambitious
enough, we really could be the first generation
to leave the environment in a better state than
we inherited it. Restore nature Set limits:
A wildlife-rich world is important for
• Make sure vital wildlife • Control emissions and
its own sake, but we also know it is the
foundation of our society and economy.
sites are protected on discharges of pollutants
Ultimately, everything we eat and drink; the air land and at sea • Minimise use of natural
we breathe; our fuel, clothes and shelter derives • Set plans for expanding resources like water and
from the natural world. So does everything we and joining up habitats sand
value: our health, wellbeing and possessions. • Map out where new • Restore the health of our
Yet, we have taken it for granted; mined habitats should be soils in hills and floodplains
the natural world mercilessly. Isn’t it time for established
us to enter a new era in our relationship with So that:
nature? Acts of Parliament are an expression of So that there is: • Air and water is clean
what a nation values.
• A greater diversity and and our soils high quality
Acts have ushered in healthcare and
education for all, and made us safer in the
abundance of wildlife • Future generations can
workplace. The National Parks and Access to everywhere grow food
the Countryside Act 1949 and its successors • More wildlife-rich woods, • Heavy rainfall causes
have protected some vital rich wildlife sites. meadows & wetlands less flooding
However, we know this is not enough, and • More thriving seagrass
soon we won’t have the safety net of the EU beds and reefs at sea
courts either.
The UK and each country within it needs
visionary legislation that explicitly aims for
nature’s recovery on land and at sea. Only
governments can ensure there is a long-term
framework that puts nature back into our Achieved with:
landscapes, townscapes and society.
We all deserve a world-class environment: • Highly effective regulators
clean air, clear water, a stable climate, healthy • Serious investment from both private and public sectors
seas and thriving wildlife in the places we • Financial incentives for environmental benefits
love. So do future generations. If we all make • Evidence-based, tailored advice and guidance
enough noise, and explain this is what we
want, it can happen.
Checked by:
What you can do • Airtight accountability and transparency
• Regular monitoring of progress towards targets
If you think there should be more nature in all • Appropriate penalties
our lives, write to your MP and let them know:
• Access to environmental justice through the courts
all the details are on
www.wildlifetrusts.org/environmentact
21A decade of dedication
Ecological expertise helps guide our work
in Lambeth, and many in Enfield and Bromley,
covering more than 1,000 different locations.
“The Bromley surveys were something
special,” says Tony. “It was great to be able
to survey such a rich range of habitats. The
chalk grassland sites were buzzing with life,
and the ancient woodlands and hedgerows
boasted trees that were three or four
centuries old. There was plenty to survey!”
A year later and Tony was working as an
ecologist with the Trust, and taking on more
responsibility. He now scrutinises planning
applications on behalf of the Trust, and
writes reserve management plans – vital for
ensuring we, and others, do a good job of
protecting wildlife. “My job is probably one
of the most varied roles in the organisation.
Tony Wileman is a post to consume its kill. Fascinated by
wildlife from a young age, Tony is now one
It includes everything from responding to
public enquiries to supporting projects such
of our top experts, with an encyclopaedic as the Great North Wood. The work can be
Senior Ecologist knowledge of the natural world around us.
Tony’s first role with the Trust was as
challenging, but it’s never dull!”
What is Tony’s highlight from working
with London a summer play-worker at Camley Street
Natural Park, back in 2003. “I had just
at the Trust? “I’m proudest of our work at
Greenwich Park, working with the Royal
Wildlife Trust finished my degree and was looking for
work in the conservation sector,” says Tony.
Parks to restore large areas of acid grassland
after the Olympic horse riding events. The
A lifelong passion for wildlife and a desire to “I just wanted to get my foot in the door, grasslands support many rare London plant
help others connect with nature is enough but it was really good working with children species, and although the plants are small,
to offset four hours of commuting each day, there, they loved visiting the reserve.” they are incredibly important.
according to one of our longest-serving staff “At the end of that year I was fortunate “We protected the grassland by seeding
members. to have the opportunity to step up and it with tough perennial rye-grass, which
Senior Ecologist Tony Wileman, who become the project manager at the reserve. out-competed the rarer plants but withstood
has been with us for 10 years, says the many The Channel Tunnel Rail Link was under the horses’ hoofs and heavy footfall of the
hours racked up on tube and train journeys construction at the time, and the area Olympics. After the event, we removed the
from his home in Hertfordshire are worth around us was a massive building site. The rye-grass and re-seeded. Not only did the
it: “In a way I have the best of both worlds. construction kept visitors down, but the grassland fully recover but we also found the
Working in London is never boring and I wildlife didn’t seem to mind, and we still horses’ hoofs had churned up long-dormant
really believe in helping others benefit from had school groups visiting. I really enjoyed seeds. Birds-foot, which is very rare for
nature and wildlife. That is what keeps me working there, and I still have a great London, is now back at Greenwich Park!”
working in the capital.” fondness for the reserve. When asked to name his favourite
Tony remembers watching a kestrel After a short break, Tony returned to the London nature reserve, Tony does not
hunting when he was a young boy, hovering Trust in 2007 to help deliver a contract for hesitate: “Chapel Bank in south London; it
almost motionless in the air as it scanned the Greater London Authority, undertaking has a wonderful mix of woodland, scrubland
the rough pasture below, before making habitat surveys across London. Over two years, and chalk grassland. There is always
a successful kill and landing on a nearby Tony surveyed every single public green space something to see, even at this time of year.”
22Explore wild London
Enjoy wildlife events across the capital
Sydenham Hill Wood
This beautiful, wooded nature reserve in
south London is always a good place for a
walk, especially when you have one of our
experts to guide you! We have winter tree
© Hayley Bray Photography
and bird walks planned for the New Year,
Woodberry Wetlands and family events, including one special day
Our Hackney nature reserve is proving a big aimed squarely at dads and their children.
hit with little ones as well as adults. From
February, we will have lots of cool, free Centre for Wildlife Gardening
activities for children, including under 5s If you live or work near Peckham or East
art workshops, creative writing and nature Dulwich this hidden gem is well worth a
storytelling, and the chance to build your very visit. Children in particular love to explore
own bird feeders and bug hotels. We also have the gardens, and the reserve is popular with
a range of on-going paid events that support local families. We have regular ‘nature tots’
our conservation work, including a guided sessions on offer and we have Beautiful Birds
winter bird walk with breakfast on Saturday and Extraordinary Eggs two day courses for
20th January. The fantastic Coal House Café parents and children.
is also open every day, serving warming
drinks and delicious food, and is well worth a Christmas closing
visit if you are in the area. Many of our staffed reserves will not be
On Thursday 25th January, we will be open during the festive period, so please
take-away hedgehogs! kicking off a series of ‘late talks’ at the Coal do check if you are planning a visit.
House, with London Wildlife Trust experts. Details of all events and closures can be
Hedgehog discovery days Our first evening will feature ecologist Mike found on our website www.wildlondon.
Join our hedgehog experts at nature reserves Waller discussing orchids and his co-founded org.uk or call 020 7261 0447
all across London and learn all about the research project ‘The Ghost Orchid Project’
capital’s hedgehogs. Little ones can make and - a research initiative seeking to locate the Find out more
take home their own clay hedgehogs, tackle extremely rare ghost orchid in British woods.
the footprint challenge, and try to make it to Hedgehog specialist Emma Pooley will also We have more events listed on our
the end of our hedgehog survival game! You be giving insight into her role within the website at www.wildlondon.org.uk
can also make your very own hedgehog house Trust and the Urban Urchins project that we along with further information on the
to take home with you! are currently rolling out. activities listed here. Some events do
require advance booking. Some events
Members’ only evenings Walthamstow Wetlands require payment and donations are
We offer special members’ evenings at our What adventures will you and your family always welcome – any profit we make
nature reserves every month. These free have at this new nature reserve? We have goes towards protecting London’s
events are a great opportunity to meet popular under 5s activity days where you wildlife. Keep up-to-date with what’s
wildlife experts and learn more about can join us for wildlife activities and nature- on offer by subscribing to our monthly
London’s nature. To keep informed, sign inspired craft activities. Enjoy creative email newsletter. Just go to www.bit.ly/
up to our monthly supporters’ newsletter stories about birds and mammals, create wild-sign-up. You can unsubscribe at
at www.bit.ly/wild-sign-up or contact our your own leaf prints and willow wands, or any time and you will only hear from
membership team by calling 020 7803 4272 track down mini-beasts and spot birds. Free, London Wildlife Trust – we don’t share
or emailing membership@wildlondon.org.uk but booking advised. your information with anyone else.
23You can also read
