Summer Time Pictures of sparrow fledgelings in a nest box in St George's Park - part of our highly successful wildlife corridor supervised and monitored by FoSGP wildlife officer Gehardt Kruckow. Photos by Barry Davies
A Spring Montage from St George's Park
Beautiful flowers visited by pollinators in the park on the perimeters, in the meadow area and in the beds and rockery. All images in this slideshow from Saturday 30 May 2015 Wildlife Update by FoSGP Wildlife Officer Gehardt Kruckow - Spring 2015
"Well with the wonderful display of snowdrops in the churchyard, daffodils coming into flower in the park and gardens, early nesting birds singing to get a mate or claim a territory and frogspawn in garden pools...I think it is safe to say that Spring is just around the corner (although approximately 2 weeks behind where it was at this stage last year). Things to look out for over the next month or two are early butterflies appearing on warm sunny days - species to spot include peacock, orange tip ans small tortoiseshell all of which will be hatching soon and bumble bees will soon also be in evidence. Please let us know on the website what wildlife you see on what date and where you first saw it. Early nesting birds such as robin, blackbird, song thrush, dunnock and wren can be seen in and around the park with building materials going back and forth. The nest box project now has a total of 46 boxes in the park, churchyard and surrounding gardens and is now in its seventh year since starting in 2008. Mammals seen in the park over the January-February period were badgers, foxes, grey squirrels and hedgehog. This Spring watch out for pipestrelle bats hunting in the park and churchyard at dusk. So, enjoy the next few months everyone, you'll be hearing from me again in the Autumn when I will report on wildlife in the park and surrounding areas over the Summer. " G. Kruckow - 14 March 2015 Spring 2014 Update from FoSGP Wildlife and Nature Officer Gehardt Kruckow
Wildlife Report Over the past 3 years The Friends of St George’s Park have achieved quite a lot in the way of turning the park around, from being an unsafe, dirty piece of urban space into a place where mothers can take their children and a general place the community can be proud of. They have also tried to improve the park for the benefit of wildlife and we are now seeing the resuts for ourselves in the new hedgerows that have been planted (all native species) such as hawthorn and a mixed fruits hedgerow with blackthorn, elderberry, wild rose, bramble and crab apple. Along with this, 2 years ago, a wildflower meadow was created on top-pitch and a meadow management style of maintenance was put in place. This was to leave isolated pockets of ground and unused parts of the park to grow uncut through the spring and summer. Another big success story was with the St George’s Church, also joining the park project to improve the regions wildlife. Sue Tew, from the St George’s Church, has been wonderful in her contribution and commitment to the cause. She has provided another urban space, in the churchyard, where she has created a very important habitat for the various urban species that use this corridor of connected spaces. Two more hedgerows have been planted, one with hawthorn from the tennis court to the corner garden of No. 1 Silver Street, and a second mixed fruit hedgerow along top pitch from the basket ball pitch to the kissing gate. This hedge includes wild rose, elderberry, blackthorn, hazel, bramble and crab apple to name just a few. These hedges will create corridors which, when they mature in a couple of years time, will sustain insect forms, small mammals and provide places for open nest types of bird (eg blackbird, song thrush, dunnock and wren) to nest and roost, and also give a winter crop of food in the way of berries etc. Note: Bats use hedges to navigate back and forth from roost to hunting grounds. The nest box project, now coming into it’s sixth season, has gone from strength to strength. Over this period of time, to the present date, a total of 65 boxes are in place. In the period 2009 - 2013, 719 fledglings have left the nest boxes, including the species great tit, blue tit, house sparrow, nuthatch, robin, wren, pied wagtail, tawny owl and coal tit. One of the best achievements on the project was the house sparrow, the nest box project stabilised the local colony and today it is a strong species locally, (not the same to be said nationwide). Some of the open nesting type birds that have bred on the 2 sites and surrounding gardens over the past 7 years are listed below: 1. Blackbird 2. Song Thrush 3. Mistle thrush 4. Robin 5. Dunnock 6. Wren 7. Chaffinch 8. Greenfinch 9. Goldfinch 10. Bullfinch 11. Long Tailed Tit 12. Goldcrest 13 Pied Wagtail 14 Blackcap 15. Jay 16. Carrion Crow 17. Kestrel 18. Tawny Owl 19. Magpie 20. Wood Pigeon 21. Collard Dove 22. Jackdaw 23. Song thrush The many of species of birds seen over the 7 years, since recording first began, (some just flying over) is numerous and all have been seen in the general region of DY10. You can pick up a list from group meetings and there are some real surprises within the list. Mammals that have been recorded have mainly been seen of a night time or very early morning, and some after snowfalls. By getting out in the early morning, before the first dog walkers and people going to work, you get a good idea, from the tracks in the snow, of what used the sites overnight. Below is a list of mammals who are known to visit the park: 1. Fox 2. Badger 3. Grey Squirrel 4. Hedgehog 5. Pipestrille Bat 6. Common Frog 7. Weasel 8. Brown Rat 9. Field Mouse 10. Field Vole 11. Common Shrew 12. Smooth newt Note: The amphibians 6. and 12. were introduced to the garden pools of numbers 1 and 2 Silver Street. The last couple of years working to create a meadow management and the creation of more wildflower types has resulted in a dramatic increase in the regions butterfly and moth species, especially the moths. When cleaning out the project’s nest boxes, 3 times a year, I have noticed many moths using the boxes, outside the nesting season, as a safe place to roost from predators during the daytime. Dragonflies each August, September and October can be seen hunting over the gardens’ and park’s urban meadows on dry sunny days. The 2 species that are most common are: 1. Common Hawker, 2. Red Darter. Damselflies also can be seen over the last couple of years. The dragonfly lava stay in the pool for up to 3 years before entering the world of flight. With Spring now getting into full swing the park and churchyard, plus the gardens that surround them, are starting to look good. Although early yet, carrion crow, wood pigeon and robin are already sitting on eggs. There has been a bumper amount of frog spawn in garden pools and the nest boxes are alive with the various occupants building nests and early pairs sitting on eggs. Until the Autumn report it is hoped that everyone has a great spring and summer. The wildlife section of the groups various projects can be proud of themselves for making this important and valuable inner urban space richer in every way and now having a healthy and rich food chain. Special thanks to all who have been second to none for their work and contribution in providing a chance for the future natural history commitments and making the area of DY10 a better place to live in. It just goes to show what just a small number of people can achieve, so come on everyone who cares about the environment, join the few, and be part of the Friends of St George’s group. Think what could be done with a larger work force. Gehardt Kruckow Photos by Barry Davis and Rob Brown |
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Wildlife in St George's Park
The wildlife focus of the group was agreed at the very first meeting back in 2008. With my interest in Kidderminster town urban wildlife I have been involved with various projects since 2003, so the forming of Friends of St Georges Park has given me the chance to take this interest a little further. The idea is to try to encourage the local urban wildlife to use our urban spaces (St Georges Park, Churchyard and surrounding gardens) and create a balance between our needs and the needs of wildlife. We also want to improve the chances of achieving this by making improvements to the park and churchyard in line with the needs of our wildlife. In just 2 years we have come a long way to doing just that, with a nest box project now 50 boxes strong and 2 very successful years already under our belts.
The 2 years of this project has already seen over 250 young birds fledge from the boxes including, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Robin, Wren, Pied Wagtail, House Sparrow and Starling (see the rest below). We are also committed as a group to the idea of developing an ‘Urban Wildlife Meadow’ in the park which will provide a much needed habitat not only for the birds but also for the plants, insects and berries they depend upon. In spring 2010 we were asked by Sue Tew and Rev. Hugh Burton to see what improvements could be made in St Georges Churchyard to encourage the wildlife, therefore we decided to try and use a meadow management approach. This gave us the opportunity to work closely with the church and expand the overall wildlife project into the churchyard. This has proven to be a very successful part of our groups' work. At present we are about to plant some native trees and shrubs in the park to assist the resident birds winter feeding, shelter and potential nesting sites.
We are also applying for funding through for our ‘Urban Wildlife Meadow’ project which will be a 1500m2 wildflower meadow and a 50m native hedgerow in the Coventry street end of the park. Hedgerows are also an important part of the improvements with a hawthorn hedge already planted by the group and we will be involved with the planting to continue this hedge even further. The park is undergoing a few changes at the moment and at our monthly meetings we always discuss how these changes may affect the wildlife in and around the park. It’s important to get the balance between the needs of our community and the needs of the wildlife when making changes. Our meetings are open and anyone can attend (for further details click here).
The future for us and the wildlife in the area is now looking brighter and with time we hope to continue to expand, giving our advice and experience to other groups in the area including the local schools. We hope that our project, and Kidderminster as a whole, will get recognition for the work being done to maintain and develop the urban wildlife corridor. Want to help us? Why not collect records of what birds & wildlife you see in your garden, the park or churchyard? We would be very interested to hear what you have seen. This helps us get an overall picture of the region’s bird patterns and numbers.
G Kruckow, FoSG Wildlife Officer
The 2 years of this project has already seen over 250 young birds fledge from the boxes including, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Robin, Wren, Pied Wagtail, House Sparrow and Starling (see the rest below). We are also committed as a group to the idea of developing an ‘Urban Wildlife Meadow’ in the park which will provide a much needed habitat not only for the birds but also for the plants, insects and berries they depend upon. In spring 2010 we were asked by Sue Tew and Rev. Hugh Burton to see what improvements could be made in St Georges Churchyard to encourage the wildlife, therefore we decided to try and use a meadow management approach. This gave us the opportunity to work closely with the church and expand the overall wildlife project into the churchyard. This has proven to be a very successful part of our groups' work. At present we are about to plant some native trees and shrubs in the park to assist the resident birds winter feeding, shelter and potential nesting sites.
We are also applying for funding through for our ‘Urban Wildlife Meadow’ project which will be a 1500m2 wildflower meadow and a 50m native hedgerow in the Coventry street end of the park. Hedgerows are also an important part of the improvements with a hawthorn hedge already planted by the group and we will be involved with the planting to continue this hedge even further. The park is undergoing a few changes at the moment and at our monthly meetings we always discuss how these changes may affect the wildlife in and around the park. It’s important to get the balance between the needs of our community and the needs of the wildlife when making changes. Our meetings are open and anyone can attend (for further details click here).
The future for us and the wildlife in the area is now looking brighter and with time we hope to continue to expand, giving our advice and experience to other groups in the area including the local schools. We hope that our project, and Kidderminster as a whole, will get recognition for the work being done to maintain and develop the urban wildlife corridor. Want to help us? Why not collect records of what birds & wildlife you see in your garden, the park or churchyard? We would be very interested to hear what you have seen. This helps us get an overall picture of the region’s bird patterns and numbers.
G Kruckow, FoSG Wildlife Officer