Tag Archives: flora and fauna

Events, featured, Organised walks

Bird Walk gets 5 star rating

Saturday’s bird walk led by Tim was well worth starting at 8.30am!

Before even leaving the carpark we watched a pair of Sparrowhawks being hustled along by a Carrion Crow. Obvs a local territory dispute. The group quickly got into birdspotting and a couple other accomplished photographers joined in. So any new photos are welcome on this page, or perhaps as an entry in the calendar competition…

The walk finished about an hour later, and we got to hear (but sadly not see) the tiny little Firecrest who likes to flit around holly trees.

Apparently the earlier you get into the woods on a spring morning the more birds you will discover so there’s a challenge.

Environment, Events, Organised walks

Morning Bird Walk

Saturday 5 April – 8.30am start

Spring is here! The birds know and you can share it with them on this guided walk led by Tim Rymer, our own knowledgeable birdwatcher.

Meet in the carpark off Plum Lane ready to go at 8.30am. BYO binoculars (not essential) but sturdy shoes are. The walk is free and lasts approximately an hour.

No dogs please.

It’s an offroad route through the woods and might not be suitable for all wheels. Please contact werfsp@gmail.com with any questions about accessibility.

Bus 244 stops by the fire station, 5 minute walk to the carpark entrance on Plum Lane.

TICKETS click https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/morning-bird-walk-tickets-1259698725799?aff=oddtdtcreator

Environment, Events, Organised walks

Fabulous Foraging

On Saturday 13 May, we gathered to discover what edible delights the park has to offer! Experienced, self-taught, and local forager, Kevin Godby from GCDA led us around the park, introducing us to lots of plants, bushes and trees that have edible parts.

Kevin had a great list of tips to share, including not foraging at a low level, to avoid contamination, never consuming too much of one kind of forage, being mindful of the time of year and ripeness of plants. As a general rule of thumb, younger seeds, buds and leaves are juicier and tastier!

We look forward to welcoming Kevin back to the park in another season to learn more!

Events

Park Inspirations

Don’t miss these!

It started as a creative competition and grew into a proper Exhibition at the Summer Festival. There was too much variety and mixed media to choose one winner so here’s the gallery where you can enjoy all the entries…

All the creators are FSP members of 18+ yrs

 

Environment

WHO LIVES IN THE PARK? #2 – Results from October hedgehog survey

Have a look at this latest link and see a native resident of Shrewsbury Park on one of its nocturnal rambles.

This October a small band of members assembled and set out hedgehog tunnels at three likely spots in the park, all next to wildlife water bowls. As a result of the tracks recorded we put the FSP nature camera trained on this hog house donated a few years ago by two members. This is just one of videos that resulted. Lots of other critters use the water bowls and forage nearby.

Stay tuned for more videos every few weeks…

Environment

WHO LIVES IN THE PARK? #1

The FSP nature camera has been sited in various parts of the park undergrowth over the summer. First one to share was  captured on film visiting one of the wildlife watering bowls…

Watch the website for more critters in the coming weeks!

If you are interested in helping with a HEDGEHOG SURVEY this autumn please get in touch via werfsp@gmail.com. I know a few people have already offered, please send your contact details. First job is to construct some hedgehog tunnels near the feeding station to record tiny footprints of the hogs – or whatever else is mooching about.

Environment

Help for thirsty creatures

Have you noticed any water bowls tucked into hedges or by trees when walking in the park since that midsummer heatwave?

Thanks to two loyal creature/critter supporters these provide some water in what can be a very dry environment. Hard to believe at the beginning of 2021 but now…

If you would like to help, take a bottle of water with you when you walk in case they are empty. Especially when the weather gets warmer. Please leave the stones are in to provide escape route for wildlife falling in the dish – frogs, insects etc)

THANK YOU!

Environment

THE HEDGEHOG DIARIES: JUNE

As we learned last month, May was when the hedgehog breeding season started to get into full swing.  Once pregnant, it will be around four weeks before a hedgehog mother gives birth to her litter. The number of hoglets born will normally be between four and five.

For those mothers who started the breeding season early, their hoglets may already have started to emerge from the nest. It’s more likely that you’ll start to see babies in July, but keep your eyes open because you never know when they’ll be about.

Did you know that a hedgehog can live for up to 6 years? Find out MORE HERE.

Here are our top hedgehog tips for this month:

SPOTTED A HEDGEHOG?   If you spot a hedgehog either in your garden or somewhere in the local area, please let us know. It would be really exciting to build up a picture of where and when they are being seen locally.

You can also log your sightings with Hedgehog Street (project run by the Hedgehog Preservation Society) who are building up a national picture of the state of our hog population. Find out MORE HERE.  ‘Make a hole, make a difference!’

CONTINUE TO PROVIDE FRESH WATER    Although we’ve had a lot of rain in recent weeks, fresh water remains an important resource. Continue to put out a shallow dish in your garden and keep it topped up with fresh water throughout the month.

GARDEN PONDS    If you have a pond in your garden, you may get hedgehogs visiting for water and to find yummy invertebrates to eat. Always make sure that there is an escape route, with a gentle shelved area to allow any animals who fall in to the water a to get out easily. Hedgehogs can swim, but may drown if they are unable to climb out of the water.

LITTER PICK    Sadly, there have been instances of littering in our parks and open spaces. If you’re out and about and see something that could be harmful to wildlife, please consider carefully picking it up and placing it in a bin. Always be aware of vital hand hygiene, though, and it’s recommended that you wear gloves. Thoroughly wash your hands for at least 20 seconds if you touch anything that has been discarded.

Some of the things that can be particularly harmful to animals like hedgehogs include:

  • Discarded elastic bands: they can be an entanglement risk
  • The plastic holders from multipack drinks cans: they can be an entanglement risk
  • The plastic/foil/cardboard tubes that some savoury snacks come in: these represent a suffocation risk to small mammals such as hedgehogs

NOT BUILT YOUR HEDGEHOG SUPER-HIGHWAY YET?    Don’t forget that it’s a simple case of cutting a 13 cm x 13 cm hole at the bottom of a fence panel to create one. This gives hedgehogs the chance to roam between gardens, find suitable nesting spaces and a plentiful supply of health food and water.

Check out recent VIDEO HERE Got any grub….

If you spot a hedgehog out during the middle of the day, they may well be in trouble. Contact Willow Wildlife for advice on 07956 472284 or Michelle (on behalf of Friends of Shrewsbury Park) on 07849 534759.

More from the Hedgehog Diaries next month.

Thank you Michelle!