Meet in the car park at twilight for an introduction from bat-wise FSP members who will lead this adventure through the Park using our eyes, ears and bat detectors!
Walk is free to members, £2 others (but free to join on the day)
Wear sturdy shoes and appropriate clothing for the weather
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Walk lasts about 1 1/2 hours and torches are helpful
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.
If it rains neither the bats nor us will be coming out!
We met at the car park in perfect weather for Butterflies, sunny, warm but with some cloud.
John Denton led us on a fascinating tour of Shrewsbury Park, pointing out the best habitat for different species. In the brambles and hedgerows we saw Large Whites, Small Whites, Green-veined whites, Large Skippers, Small Skippers and an Essex Skipper (not that common) lots of Ringlets and some Comma’s, one of which was very obliging and allowed John to get some really good photographs. We were also fortunate enough to see a Red Admiral and a Holly Blue!
In the meadow, there were lots of Meadow Brown butterflies, often in pairs flying in and out of the tall grass.
John had brought with him a folder of his own excellent photographs, many taken in his garden, which gave us the opportunity to look at the butterflies we were seeing up close, which made identification easier for us amateurs. One or two species eluded us, but that will make me, for one, more vigilant.
I would like to thank John on behalf of the Friends of Shrewsbury Park for giving up his time and for passing on some of his vast knowledge which, I’m sure, will make our walks much more interesting.
Tree ID Walk 16 July
Written by Kris Inglis
How high is that tree?
John Denton began with the basics of what we would find, how we could identify or compare species and how the Park tree population continues to evolve. He led us from elder to strawberry tree to ash to horse chestnut, explaining leaf shapes and hybridisation. Clutching different leaves for use later we also learned about judging a tree’s age; the first big oak at the top of the Green Chain walk is about 128 years old, determined after measuring it two ways – girth and height. John pointed out bark as a means of identification and how to tell a crack willow by promptly disappearing into the undergrowth and snapping a twig which gave an obvious ‘CRACK’.
At the end of our wander we were shown the mystery tree, one of two giants in the Rowton Road open area. This is very probably a native British black poplar, it’s neighbour is a male hybrid poplar – and John’s open air story all came together.
As Iris said about the butterfly walk, it will encourage everyone to be more vigilant on their walks. Thanks to John’s and Jane’s research and preparation, the two hour excursion was very rewarding. If you have a favourite tree, why not watch it over the seasons or take a picture for next year’s photo competition.
In case you missed it, we enjoyed a fascinating wander amongst the trees last Saturday, discovering so much about the Park’s treasured trees and habitats. Following that successful walk, John Denton will be leading a butterfly walk this Saturday.
He aims to help you:
1) Identify the summer butterflies in the park.
2) Try to observe the differences between the sexes.
3) Link their behaviour to the different habitats in the park.
Meet by the carpark notice board. Route will be off and on the paths, so please contact fspdog@hotmail.com to help us accommodate mobility issues. This is a very much a weather dependent walk, and if the forecast is for heavy cloud, rain or showers it will not take place.
FSP would like to thank Stuart Banks very much for an entertaining wander through the park on the morning of 30 April for nearly two hours. The walk was well attended on a beautiful, bright Saturday and once we got our eye in the birds appeared; everything from a long-tailed tit to a kestrel. And of course there were the local parakeets in full song.
Green pair
The bird population is very active right now so get out and have a listening walk through the park yourself.
New notice board
We are also grateful to a member of the Management Committee, Ron Senkus, for bringing the carpark notice board back to life. And it will take decades for this one to go weak at the legs!
New notice board
Please note, and tell others you may see, that this board and the other Park notice boards are only for Park events or other local environmental/leisure community events. Commercial advertising will be removed.
Start the day with something different and invigorating! Join our bird walk on Saturday 30 April led by Stuart Banks, an active member of the RSPB and local resident. Nesting season has begun and there is plenty of birdlife to discover this month.
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.
