It was a still and warm April evening… The bat walk was about to begin. Les Clark had kindly agreed to lead the walk along a revised route that proved to reveal even more bats than usual.
The weather was ideal for tempting out the insects – and the bats were ready for a feast.
BORROW A BAT DETECTOR
If you fancy doing your own bat walk in the park or your back garden remember that we have some FSP detectors to borrow for a week at a time. Go to BATS page under FLORA AND FAUNA in the menu and scroll to the end of the page for details and form.
Meet in Plum Lane carpark for the first walk of 2022!
Tim Rymer, an FSP member, will be leading us around the park to identify birds, their preferred habitats, behaviours and much more.
Check out the Bird page under Flora and Fauna on fspark.org.uk beforehand for a preview of which birds you may see. Wear sturdy shoes and warm clothing – binoculars are helpful too.
Dogs are not allowed on this walk which lasts approximately an hour. The walk is free, but donations are welcome to FSP projects.
The route for this walk begins on paved paths but then goes off-road, not very suitable for wheels. A gentle, accessible walk may be planned for summer birdsong in May. TBC
Bus 244 stops by the fire station, short walk from the carpark entrance
Gather next to the notice board by the Plum Lane car park. After a short intro Les Clark will lead us through the woods and glades where the bats hang out. Bat detectors supplied. Thanks to the Lottery Grant last year we have 3 more of our own. And these are available for a week’s loan (see BATS under FLORA and FAUNA in the menu bar)
*Wear sturdy shoes and weather-appropriate clothing
*Children must be accompanied by an adult
*Walk lasts about 1 ½ hours and small torches are useful
*Dogs must be kept on a lead
*Please respect social distancing guidelines when walking with other individuals or groups, or wear a mask
If you have mobility issues or enquiries please contact us on werfsp@gmail.com and we will help you participate. The trail is a mix of paved path, gravel and grass.
We will meet at the Garland Road gate at 9 for the annual bird walk led by Stuart Banks, friendly RSPB expert. Set aside an hour or two and join us for a gentle ramble to rediscover the birds who live in the Park and see how they are preparing nests, whistling their hearts out and claiming territories.
Ideal for kids, but not for dogs please. We will be on and off paths depending on access and the walk will go ahead even if it’s a light drizzle. So wear boots and appropriate clothing. Binoculars are helpful.
After a short intro, next to the notice board by the Plum Lane car park, Les Clark will lead us through the woods and glades where the bats hang out. Bat detectors supplied.
If you don’t have internet access you can put a note through the door at 189 Plum Lane to book places.
*Wear sturdy shoes and weather-appropriate clothing
*Children must be accompanied by an adult
*Walk lasts about 1 ½ hours and small torches are useful
*Dogs must be kept on a lead
If you have mobility issues or enquiries please contact us on werfsp@gmail.com and we will help you participate. The trail is a mix of paved path, gravel and grass.
The Sunday afternoon foraging walk with Kevin Godby delivered! The plants, the warm sunshine, the good humoured ramblers and our amiable and knowledgeable guide came together – and a good time was had by all. By now some of you know Kevin brings along experimental tidbits from his foraging using the local plants and he didn’t disappoint!
There may be another walk in the autumn, depending on how dry the summer is – or isn’t. Watch this space!
And thank you to Angela and Sandra for the photos…
Today’s Tree Walk was a huge success! We had more than 20 people along to hear John Denton’s wise words. Although it rained a bit, it didn’t put us off learning about the amazing varieties in the park. We were introduced to different kinds of trees – Gmynosperms (naked seeds) and Angiosperms (enclosed seeds).
One young man took on the task of collecting a leaf from every tree we stopped to look at, and he ended up with a very full bag.
Starting in the car park we saw a Common Lime, a Box Elder, a Copper/Purple Beech we moved on to look at a Holly and a False Acacia – in all there were more than 20 trees identified.
“On the walk a lady (sorry I didn’t ask her name) asked me to identify a tree which was next to the car park behind the Lime Tree. At the time I hadn’t a clue but I’m now sure that it is a variety of “Flowering Ash”, properly called Manna Ash. “
Local enthusiastic amateur, JohnDenton, will lead us on a walk through the park – introducing you to local flora and fauna, you’ll learn more than you ever dreamt of about the trees in the park, how they’ve survived and thrived, how old they are and much more!
Sunday 28 April at 2pm
Meeting point : Notice Board by the car park. Binoculars and magnifying glass would be handy. Sturdy footwear would be an advantage.
This photo is of the eager Bat-seekers that came along for our annual Bat Walk 7 September. Les had more bat facts for us and as usual a pipistrelle buzzed the crowd prompting the walk to start!
We explored the different environments in the park, getting our night vision sorted out and enjoying the pleasant weather. A tawny owl followed our progress for awhile (looking for mates not humans) and bats came out to display their aerobatic skills while gobbling their evening meal!
Thank you to everyone who managed the pre-booking. Please keep an eye out for another walk in May if you missed this one. And thanks for the donations on the night, these go towards a second bat detector.
If you would like to borrow the FSP detector for a week please follow link http://fspark.org.uk/…/Terms-and-conditions-for-loan-of-FSP-bat-detector.docx
Have a look at the Bat Conservation Trust website for loads more about these important creatures. www.bats.org.uk
Formed in 2006, the Friends of Shrewsbury Park encourage the use of Shrewsbury Park and support the development of facilities for recreation, education and amenities for local people and to encourage a sense of community around the park.
