February Stratford Park Biodiversity Newsletter. Hi All,

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1 Stratford Park Biodiversity Newsletter February 2018 Hi All, The first signs of spring are always welcomed as with snowdrops (above), and that transition heralds the emergence of other plant and insect life throughout the park. Although these welcome signs of spring are a reminder of warmer days to come, February can often deliver unpredictable weather and storms. It is reassuring to see the Sensory Garden Project continuing momentum and this month we will be working on extending the paved areas and building a timber pergola. We are considering sowing some wild flower areas throughout the park this year and more trees will be planted. Yet another popular person has left this month, Mark Graham (SDC Public Spaces Officer) who was the inspiration behind the tree bridge in the woodland. Mark has always bee a keen supporter of the park s biodiversity and its development and he will be missed by us all. Mark has taken a position with another local authority and we wish him all the best in his new role. Mike

2 News from the Supervisor s Trap Cygnet re-located to Cardiff Bay It is the time of year again, where we have to intervene and remove young swans from the lake in order to stop them being attacked by their parents. Last year we had three cygnets removed by Swan Rescue based in south Wales, and once again, they returned on 2 nd February to rescue the one remaining cygnet which had been suffering unusually harsh aggression from the two resident swans. Up until 1 st February two cygnets remained on the lake and we observed these being constantly attacked and even trying to be drowned by the adults. We were inundated with enquiries from the public who were watching this aggressive behaviour when feeding the ducks, so we placed an interpretation board by the lake to explain the swan s behaviour and to reassure them that the cygnets were being relocated. However, when Swan Rescue attended only one cygnet remained, the second bird had disappeared. We searched the stream and woodland but think that this second cygnet had somehow made its way downstream and into the river Frome. In recent years we have observed the annual territorial behaviour of the two adult swans but never so aggressively as this year. No doubt this is a prelude to the breeding season next month which will again find us clearing the island and placing nesting material. Habitat Management We recently completed a toolbox talk entitled Habitat Management in the spring which has coincided with our own annual habitat management. I was very surprised and pleased to receive such great feedback from the staff and how the contents of the toolbox talk addressed many of the procedures we already have in place for biodiversity management and development in Stratford Park. It was also good to hear them putting forward suggestions for improving habitats throughout the park and of introducing ways to encourage mammals and reptiles. During the toolbox talk we discussed ways to extend the green corridors and provide shelters for grass snakes and slow worms. This summer we intend to create another grassland peninsula at the far end of the park, an area which receives long periods of sunshine, and we will place corrugated tin and boards for reptiles to shelter. February is an opportunity for us to carry out our annual habitat maintenance duties including the cleaning out of the park s bird boxes. We have cleared the island on the lake of last year s growth and Paul and Shaun have piled this around the perimeters to provide nesting areas for the moorhens. They have sited another two Duck boxes on the island and provided fresh nesting material for the swans, and even planted some buddleias. In other parts of the park we have been clearing vegetation to

3 allow flora to grow. One of the most important habitats in the park is the bank which we call the wildflower bank, and this month we have removed all of the dead teasels and knapweed stems to allow new growth in the spring. This south-facing bank supports the richest community of butterflies in the park, and many day-flying moths. We have surveyed and catalogued the flora growing on the bank which includes over a hundred varieties of plants, and with several species of Lepidoptera feeding exclusively on bird s foot trefoil, we now preserve areas where this grows adjacent to the banks by mowing around these spots. I am pleased to see the team engaging more with the environment and taking some ownership with their habitat management duties, even Shaun is taking more photos and reporting more wildlife which is very encouraging. (The wildflower bank with bird s foot trefoil growing) Sensory Garden progress On 14 th February together with Stroud Valleys Project volunteers and two Stroud College work experience students we started work on the next stage of the Sensory Garden Project. This next phase of work deviates slightly from the original plan, but as a developing project, provides flexibility to accommodate new ideas from all of the stakeholders. We have now decided to extend the original paved area and construct a large timber pergola. This work has been specified and priced separately from the regular body of work by myself and we, (idverde) will be supplying all of the materials and labour. So, on a very wet and miserable day we received delivery of our materials including the large upright support timbers for the pergola and set out the area in readiness to install them. With several SVP volunteers, work experience students

4 and our own staff, all 5 supports were installed in one day. The next step will be to lay the extended paving which will provide us with a safe and level platform to support a small access tower and fix the horizontal bracing and 6x2 beams. When this is completed we will be creating a narrow flower bed extending along the length of the pergola and planting this with climbing roses and clematis. The finished job will appear in a future newsletter. In the meantime Richard Lewis (SVP) co-ordinator has been planting locally sourced native trees at the far end of the Sensory Garden. The whole area, after three years, is now showing some structure, shape and form. Biodiversity features heavily in the garden with flower banks and herbaceous beds all planted to attract pollinators. We will also be laying the top dressing to the paths over the coming weeks. (Installing the support posts 14 th February 2018) Stroud Bee Keepers Buzz Club I recently had the opportunity to meet Peter Lead Chairman of the Stroud Beekeepers Association and to learn about its Buzz Club which aims to educate children of all ages about the importance of honeybees and all pollinating insects. The club was established in 2011 at St Dominic s Primary School. Through their connection with Bees for Development, a charity that promotes sustainable beekeeping as a means of alleviating poverty and supporting education, they have helped to initiate an exciting new project in Ghana Buzz Club Ghana. The Buzz Club were based in the Walled Garden last year where they had a horizontal top bar hive, protective clothing for children to safely look at bees, and the beautifully planted garden where they were

5 able to look at all pollinating insects that visit flowers. Peter and his colleagues also run home school meetings throughout the year to learn about honeybees and pollinators and this year is keen to expand the interests within the club through learning about other wildlife, especially in Stratford Park. With this in mind, I will be taking members of the club on wildlife walks around the park where they will be able to look at the park s butterflies, birds and other wildlife. The first of these is scheduled for 4 th May. The Buzz Club produces a regular newsletter and will provide a link to our Biodiversity Newsletters. This is yet another great example of organizations working together to promote wildlife and educate children in Stratford Park. For more information please visit Leaf miners As a Lepidopterist, I have primarily studied the larger moths or Macrolepidoptera as well as some families of the smaller moths Microlepidoptera. In recent months I have become increasingly interested in leaf-mining Lepidoptera with the objective of recording and cataloguing the park s species. A leaf miner is the larva of an insect that lives in and eats the leaf tissue of plants. The vast majority of leaf miners are moths, sawflies and flies (Diptera). These larvae are protected from predators and plant defences by living within the tissues of the leaves, selectively eating only the layers that have the least amount of cellulose. The pattern of the feeding tunnel and the layer of the leaf being mined are often diagnostic of the insect responsible, sometimes even to species level. I have observed many interesting mines throughout the park on its many species of trees and plants, but until now I have not taken the plunge into their study. A vacated mine can be collected, dried and stored for subsequent identification using keys (a fixed sequence of identification steps, each with multiple alternatives, the choice of which determines the next step). Once positive identification has been made, data can be added to a spreadsheet and shared with national recording groups. I intend to start by identifying mining Lepidoptera from the most popular trees in the park such as oak, birch and beech, then as my knowledge increases, start searching on other trees and flora. Over time, I hope to establish a full list of mining Lepidoptera for Stratford Park including a library of photographs. During the summer months this will mean spending more of my own time in the park at weekends and during evenings to locate and collect the mines, but I feel that this will be important research in adding knowledge to the park s present Lepidoptera fauna. Shown below are some examples of leafmining Lepidoptera. There are many species that are nationally scarce so it would be interesting to see if any of these are found in the park, especially considering that no previous study has been made here.

6 Birch Hawthorn Bramble Honeysuckle Poplar Hazel Oak Rowan Alder Lime Elm Cypress

7 Wildlife to see now in Stratford Park BIRDS: Birds are starting to become very active as they approach the nesting season and this has been evident throughout the park. Great-spotted woodpeckers have been drumming every morning in the false acacia tree by the orangery and Shaun has got a great photo of the bird (below). The two buzzards are still hanging around in the arboretum, and we are hoping that they nest this year. Nuthatches are numerous in the arboretum, especially in the lime tree by the bandstand. Robins are starting to build nests (early). A nice flock of goldfinches was on the top field on 12 th February and long-tailed tits have been foraging with other birds throughout the green corridors. No kingfisher seen this month but a dipper was present on the stream on 9 th February. A sparrowhawk has been a regular visitor to a garden adjacent to the park this month. Lots of goldcrests have been seen in the cedars below the museum. The pair of resident swans is starting to build this year s nest. CONTACT: Mike McCrea Tel: mike.mccrea@idverde.co.uk michaelmccrea2@outlook.com EVENTS: Bird Walk Stratford Park Sunday 4 th March 10.00am. For further information please visit USEFUL LINKS: (Great-spotted woodpecker by the orangery Photo: Shaun Burnham)