Issue 7 Summer March Wildlife Walk

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1 Issue 7 Summer 2017 With the frost of winter behind us it is now time to look forward to the long balmy days of summer with warmer temperatures and plenty of sunshine. Birds are now in the process of rearing their young, our native mammals have offspring of their own and hedgerows and meadows are dotted with colourful flowers. Trees are now clothed in foliage of varied shades of green and the combination of showers and sunshine bring forth a profusion of fresh growth. This time of year provides so much to see and is a wonderful time to wander around our green spaces, pathways and woodland. Jill Prior March Wildlife Walk Black and white tufted ducks, joined moorhens, coots and mallards on the choppy grey waters of Upper Lake as a solitary lesser black backed gull stood guard on a wooden post on the central island. As a small flock of black headed gulls circled overhead our path took us towards Lower Lake passing the curious sight of a bleeding ornamental cherry tree, this was found to be gummosis which can result from injury, environmental stress or disease of the tree. Through Bluebell Wood and around Dippons Lane where due to flooding and a fallen tree the footpath was impassable but the diverted route was rewarded by the sight of a glorious rainbow over the distant pasture where a jay joined a small flock of redwings, as a pair of grey herons took flight. Fresh green buds cover many of the trees and shrubs, alders alongside the River Penk are covered in yellow catkins, daffodils are in bloom and the brilliant green spikes of bluebells are showing through last year s leaf litter. Blackthorn shrubs are now covered by frothy white blossom, yellow celandine and cuckoo pint have emerged, and birdsong fills the air. Library Tidy Photographs of Perton Library taken by Keith Elder Early March and Keith, Ann, Jill, Andy and David on a drizzly Sunday morning took to scrapers, trowels and brooms to clear the entrance area of Perton Library of accumulated moss, dead leaves and weeds, along with a collection of bottles, cans and litter that had found its way under the nearby bushes. Despite the rain, just over an hour s work made a startling difference, creating a large number of bags of assorted garden waste to be taken away and disposed of by Andy.

2 April Wildlife Walk The resident mute swans, mallards, moorhens and coots on Upper Lake are now busy nesting, and a little grebe, an occasional visitor, could be seen frequently diving beneath the waters of the lake. Golden marsh marigolds are growing along the banks and catkins and fresh green buds are in evidence all around. Along Dippons Lane, chiffchaffs called from high in the treetops, notoriously difficult to spot, a charm of goldfinches flitted through the boughs together with both long tailed and blue tits and the squeaky wheel call of their larger relative the great tit could be heard. Four buzzards lazily circled on the thermals overhead, jackdaws called from a mature oak and a wren chattered noisily from the undergrowth before perching in full view on a bramble nearby. Crossing into Tettenhall Wood, we made our way to the source of the River Penk, where a rustic bridge over the fledgling waterway was a delightful place to halt for a while to listen to the ever present birdsong. Passing lime trees with their vivid acid green foliage and the black poplar which straddles the Penk, the low call of a tawny owl could be heard from the adjacent mature woodland, maybe it had been disturbed from its roost by the squabbling magpies nearby? Traffic Island Weeding Ann Sadler led Keith, Jill and Councillors Gill and Phil Davies to carry out a much need spring clean of the traffic island leading to Wrottesley Park Road. The island planted with ornamental grasses and dotted with rocks was weeded thoroughly over a number of sessions, the grass was given a hair cut and the finished result was impressive. This of course is an ongoing project with regular weeding required to keep the traffic island looking at its best. Garden Visitors There is a huge diversity of insects to be found in our gardens and green spaces which upon closer inspection are fascinating creatures. Cockchafer or Maybug, harmless but formidable looking, the hummingbird hawk moth and a variety of butterflies including the stunning peacock and tortoiseshell are just some of the visitors to our gardens during the summer months.

3 Dawn Chorus Walk 2017 Photograph of the intrepid walkers taken by Graham Riley from Perton Library Twelve brave souls led by the RSPB s Theresa Dorrance assembled bright and early at 4am at Perton library on an extremely wet May Day morning to hear nature s symphony at its best. However the local birdlife must have seen the weather and decided not to emerge as the chorus only reached its crescendo around 5am.Sidestepping a number of common frogs traversing the wet footpath, robins and blackbirds were the first birds heard, swiftly followed by the song thrush, great tits and blackcaps. The high pitched call of Britains smallest bird, the tiny goldcrest could just be heard along with blue tits, wrens and chaffinches. As woodpigeons clattered their clumsy way through the boughs, chiffchaffs called their name repeatedly chiffchaff, chiffchaff. The walk continued past Brownies nursery where a pheasant called and a small flock of jackdaws passed overhead. The wonderful evocative song of the skylark could be heard from the pasture and with the onset of dawn a whitethroat s scratchy little song emanated from the bushes nearby. On Upper Lake, coots, mallards and Canada geese along with the resident pair of mute swans and their new cygnets were seemingly oblivious to the steady rainfall. Back at Perton Library breakfast and welcome hot drinks were waiting, so special thanks must go to Yvonne for providing such a welcome feast. Birds seen and heard were; Crow, magpie, jackdaw, pheasant, coot, Canada geese, mallard, mute swan, black headed gull, goldcrest, blue tit, great tit, chaffinch, goldfinch, blackcap, whitethroat, chiffchaff, skylark, wren, robin, blackbird, song thrush, dunnock, woodpigeon, sedge warbler, 25 species in total. May Wildlife Walk New life has miraculously appeared Canada geese, coots, moorhens, mallards and mute swans all have precious youngsters now, all very aware of the ominous lesser black backed gulls which regularly patrol the lake. Birdsong is in the air, from the familiar calls of robins and blackbirds to the unfamiliar chattering call of the sedge warblers, hidden deep in the rushes at the water's edge. A profusion of wild flowers border the footpaths, bluebells complimented by the pink flowers of campion and the white blooms of stitchwort. Tiny blue speedwell and pink tinged daisies dot the grass verges and along Dippons Lane, the pale green spears of cuckoo pint can be seen, clumps of comfrey are now in bud and Jack by the hedge is dotted with fresh white flowers. The kok kok call of pheasants could be heard from the adjacent pasture and the tinkling song of goldfinches emanated from overhead. Back through Penk Meadow where ransomes, also known as wild garlic is now in flower, the heady scent of its leaves emphasised by the heat of the May sunshine.

4 Spring Festival Photograph of eagle owl and pond dipping taken by Barry Proffitt, all other photos taken by Jill Prior Perton Spring Festival in and around Perton Library is a free community event, organised by Wild About Perton together with Staffordshire Library Service and South Staffordshire Council is now in its 11th year and its aims are to engage local people in what s best about in their local environment. Despite the frequent rain showers, over 1200 visitors came to enjoy the displays of a variety of environmental organisations. The Owl, Falconry & Wildlife Park at Shipley brought along a variety of animals, from rescued baby barn owls to meercats and snakes. There were fascinating informative displays of fossils from the New Lapworth Museum of Geology and Wolverhampton Art Gallery with the Black Country Geopark along with the Central Orchid Society, WatersideCare and Staffordshire Dragonflies. There were interesting and thought provoking stands provided by South Staffordshire Beekeepers, Staffordshire Badger Conservation Group, Wrottesley Park and Physic Health, together with the diversity of Staffordshire wildlife with Butterfly Conservation and Staffordshire Mammal Group. Perton Art Group held a master class in drawing; Perton Gardeners provided a brilliant display of home grown plants and Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and the RSPB had lots of information about our local wildlife. There were woodland crafts from Forest of Mercia, former racing dogs with the Retired Greyhounds Trust, local history with Wolverhampton Archaeology and plenty of information from Chillington Divers and Friends of Kingswood. Robot Cossey created a stunning sculpture of a frog using a chainsaw and children and adults alike were fascinated by the sticklebacks, bloodworms, larvae and water snails found in our local ponds and river.

5 About Us Wild About Perton are a group of residents working with Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, South Staffordshire Council and Perton Parish Council to protect and enhance Perton s green spaces for wildlife and the community. We have no political affiliations. Our policies, plans and activities are agreed collectively by a steering committee, which meet at Perton Library each month. The group organises free events which the public are welcome to attend. We try to ensure that the events are welcoming, safe, interesting, educational and above all fun! We meet for wildlife walks on the first Saturday in each month at 2pm outside Perton Library, come rain or shine! Each walk around Perton s wonderful green spaces lasts around two to two and a half hours and as these may involve muddy paths, fields, styles and gates, sensible footwear is recommended and suitable clothing for the time of year. For further information contact Keith Elder on