Flora and Fauna

Biodiversity

View of the ParkBiodiversity, short for biological diversity, is the term given to all the different varieties of life forms (mammals, birds, fish, insects, plants fungi and micro-organisms). It also includes habitats, places in which species live. The report Biodiversity: The UK Action Plan was published in 1994 in response to the Earth summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.

This report, whilst providing the national framework for biodiversity, emphasised the importance of local Biodiversity Plans and local action.

You can see Greenwich Council's draft Biodiversity Plan and Management Plan for the Park on their website, www.greenwich.gov.uk

We want to ensure Shrewsbury Park continues to be a safe environment for flora, fauna and people. We need to work with others in doing this, and we need to see the Biodiversity Plan for Greenwich before we can make plans ourselves.

We will keep you informed with developments.

Hanging out with the bats

Our Bat walk took place on 4th September 2009. Seventy of us (children and adults) listened to Ed Santry from the Count Bat Project give us information about bats in the area. There are 17 species of bat in the UK, and all British bats eat insects (midges, moths etc).  A common pipistrelle can eat over 3,000 insects in one night. We learnt how to identify their sounds - they use echolocation to find their prey.  Humans cannot heard their sounds, but a bat detector can.  Ed brought along 8 bat detectors and  demonstrated how to use them.

We then set off to walk down the Green Chain Walk to find the bats. Ed was concerned that as it was windy, the insects may not be around.  I assured him they were, I had not put any insect repellent on and they were busy chomping on me!

We did not have to wait long before we heard the bats. We heard both common pipistrelle and the soprano pipistrelle, most people saw them too. The children were delighted when Ed pointed out that the “raspberry noise” at the end was the bat eating the insect. Ed made sure that everyone had a go at the bat detector, and supplied torches for those of us that had forgotten to bring one.

It was a great evening to be out, hanging about with the bats. Everyone enjoyed the fine evening and learnt a lot about bats.  A big “thank you" to Ed for giving up his time and for making the evening so enjoyable.

See photos of the walk on our bat gallery page.

We hope to repeat the bat walk.  Keep an eye on our News and Events page.

Kathy

Better ecology for your garden!

Improve the ecology of your garden by planting nectar-rich plants that will encourage bees and butterflies (they help to pollinate and fertilise).

Listed below are 20 plants that encourage bees and butterflies. Grow them in a sunny, sheltered spot, and plant in clumps rather than as single plants, to give the insects a better chance of finding them.

Annuals, biennials and bedding plants:

Perennials:

Shrubs:

Wild plants:

Wild Service Tree identified

There are at least three Wild Service Trees (Sorbus Torminalis), in the hawthorn hedgerow. The tree, one of the rarest British native trees, was once widespread, but was used by charcoal burners. It is now only found in patches of old woodland in southern England.

The dark grey bark peels off in rectangular strips, producing a chequered effect which explains the tree’s alternative name of chequer tree. It has many-lobed alternative leaves, and creamy white flowers in May and June. Its leathery brown fruit has speckles.

Lesser spotted Woodpecker spotted.

We were pleased to learn from Dave, one of the bird watchers that he had photographed the rarer woodpecker, a Lesser spotted woodpecker, in the Park. The bird, not much bigger than a sparrow is found among the top branches of trees. The male has a red cap (the female is buff), and white bars on its black back. The bird drums on wood to establish territory, the sound usually lasts longer than that of the great spotted woodpecker.

We now have all three types of woodpecker using the Park. Let us know of any bird you have seen in the Park.

New Trees

New trees in Park Greenwich Council have planted five “Populus nigra betulifolia” (the native Black Poplar) in the park, as part of its contribution to biodiversity. They had 60 for the borough, so we were pleased to get five of them. Thank you to Greenwich Council.

Sadly, the five trees “Populus nigra betulifolia” (the native Black Poplar) the Council planted in the park were damaged. If you see anyone damaging part of the Park, please report it (see numbers on our 'Contact' page). Let’s work together to keep our Park safe.

Butterflies

By John Denton

It’s been a terrific year (2006) in Shrewsbury Park this year, if you like butterflies. From the lazy undulating flight of the Meadow Brown amongst the tall grasses to the short but vigorous flittering amongst the brambles of the Speckled Wood, to the aerial antics of the Purple Hairstreak high in the oaks, the park seems to have been alive with these fascinating insects.

We have been treated to a magnificent display of at least 19 different species, with several hundred individuals flying in the early summer heat wave. Of the 58 species of breeding butterfly in the British Isles, many exist only in specialised ecosystems such as sandy heathland or broadleaf woodlands and they are therefore localised, and their breeding colonies few. Both geology and climate are important factors in determining whether the food plant of the caterpillars can grow in a particular location. For this reason we will never see such species as the Mountain Ringlet or Chalkhill Blue in South East London. If you discount the species that will not breed in our area, you are left with the surprisingly low number of 22 or 23 that might. So, 19 species represents an astonishing success, and most were seen in numbers that would strongly suggest that they are breeding here. A consequence has been that several species that are normally associated with grassland, like the Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper, are now spilling over into local gardens and taking up residence there. To my mind this is a strong indicator of the rude health of the park and how it is playing its part in maintaining the bio-diversity of London as a whole.

Admittedly, some species like the Peacock and Comma are strong fliers and may well have originated from outside the immediate area. Indeed the Large White, Red Admiral and Painted Lady arrive from as far a field as North Africa, boosting our resident populations. They may stay for a few days laying eggs on plants in the park or in your gardens, but most have only stopped to refuel, before pressing onwards. The rest are smaller, less adventurous creatures. Never the less they can make use of the corridors like Shrewsbury Park, that link the green areas of South East London, and so colonise new habitats. This natural process has seen the numbers of species of butterflies appearing in Shrewsbury Park steadily increase over the last few years, and through the enlightened stewardship of the Council, the opportunities for these creatures to breed have increased dramatically.

The variety of niches offered by the park produce their own distinct communities. The three species of Skipper prefer the open meadow, roosting in the evening on the seed heads of grasses. The Comma and Speckled Wood prefer the fringes of the wood and pathways patrolling their territories, on the look out for passing females. If you are lucky, you may spot, on a warm July evening, male Purple Hairstreaks jousting in the tops of the tallest oak trees in the hedgerow adjacent to the golf course. A pair of binoculars is useful as these butterflies are no larger than a ten pence piece. They rarely come down to ground level, seemingly feasting on the honeydew produced by aphids in the oak canopy.

So at this time of year little seems to be happening, but eggs are dormant inside grass stems, chrysalis lie hidden amongst the fallen leaves, and some species like the Peacock are hibernating in hollow tree trunks, sheds and garages. Warm winter days may draw these beautiful insects briefly from their slumber to bask in the watery sunshine, but we will have to wait until April before we see the first glimpses of the Holly Blue or the determined flight of the male Orange Tip.

Populations of butterflies fluctuate naturally from year to year, but it is to be hoped that the habitats offered by the park and disused allotments will continue to provide a haven for our wildlife.

Butterflies seen in 2006

If you have seen others, please get in touch.

Meadows and Allotments:

Meadow Brown, Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Essex Skipper, Common Blue Small Copper, Ringlet

Hedgerows, Paths and Woodland fringes:

Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper, Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Comma, Peacock, Red Admiral, Painted Lady Trees: Purple Hairstreak, Holly Blue.

Snow pathDot Hill

situated to the north of the Shrewsbury Park, is a former allotment site that has now reverted to grassland and scrub. There are all sorts of shrub species growing here that attract a variety of birds.