Stratford Park Biodiversity Newsletter

September 2018

(Entrance bed at Stratford Park Photo: Mike McCrea)

Hi All, Autumn is on the way. The picture shown above is of one of the flower beds at the park entrance. There is no doubting that it gives a great ‘wow factor’ but keeping it weeded and irrigated has been very time consuming during the recent hot weather. Now that we are coming out of those very hot conditions, it has made us revaluate the park’s bedding. Annual bedding can provide some spectacular colour throughout the summer, but this is dictated by the weather, and this year, our flower beds have suffered, making them labour intensive through weeding and watering. Retaining colour can be achieved in a more sustainable way by creating perennial and herbaceous beds which are self supporting. After discussing this with SDC, we will be converting a few of the flower beds into pollinator friendly herbaceous beds and creating new ones too. Some of the park’s formal bedding will remain, but those that have not fared well during the heat wave are being cleared and planted with flowers sourced from other parts of the park.

In dividing and re-planting these during the coming autumn, we will not only save money which can be spent in other areas of the park, but create permanent, low maintenance flower beds. At the time of writing there is already a noticeable early morning chill in the air which indicates the prelude to autumn and another cycle of falling leaves. Mike

News from the Supervisor’s Trap Moth Event Friday 31st August 2018 Tonight’s moth event date somehow struck my sub-conscious; Friday 31st August was a date way back in the 1980s when I experienced one of the most amazing field trips at nearby Edge Common with Jack Newton, the then County Moth Recorder, and a huge inspiration and mentor to me. It prompted me to delve back into my note books and there I found the log for that evening, a hot balmy night on August 31st 1982, where we recorded close to 200 moth species. Sadly, catches such as these are now rare with climate change and habitat loss. During my years working in the park I have seen moth numbers plummet, which surprises me for the habitat has remained relatively unchanged during the last few decades. So, back to the present and our second moth event of the season has a change of location. To attract more moths I decided to bring a portable generator and set up the moth lamp by the model railway. Arriving just before 8.00pm a steady stream of visitors was arriving at the museum and by 8.20pm a large group of people had arrived, this event was well attended. The weather had been overcast during the day and this continued until dusk with a good amount of cloud cover. The previous evening I had taken an old lady moth at sugar, so I brought this in to show everyone. This species was one of our target species for the night. A sugar round was established on the perimeter of the woodland but this proved unsuccessful tonight. However, our moth lamp was bringing in a steady number of species including two old lady moths, which were doing their best to avoid the overhead bats. We watched bats trying to intercept the moths as they arrived at the lamp. Most of the ‘regular moths’ were coming to the sheet including September thorn and copper underwing. By 10.30pm the temperature had dropped considerably as did the number of moths and by 11.00pm we decided to pack up for the night. This was a very well received and well attended moth event. We hold our last moth

event of the year on Friday 21st September. I would like to thank Abigail (Museum in the Park) for assisting with this event.

New book from Stratford Park Biodiversity Action Plan Author In 2011 Stroud District Council commissioned the ‘Stratford Park Biodiversity & Landscape Action Plan’ to facilitate it’s commitment to developing and conserving biodiversity and habitats throughout Stratford Park. The Action Plan has been regarded as the benchmark for ongoing development in the park from extending green corridors, addressing sustainable tree planting, enhancing habitats and the restoration of the lake. Its author Paul Rutter, has now written a book entitled ‘Yesterday’s Countryside Tomorrow’s Choices’ by Mereo Books and is an account of his life living and working professionally in the countryside for over 45 years in a wide range of roles including deer management, badger ecology, as a National Trust countryside manager and more recently as a woodland adviser for Plantlife. During his career he has overseen the management of many iconic open spaces around the country (including Stratford Park) which is mentioned in the book, as well as sites across the Cotswolds. With his broad perspective on our landscape and wildlife he uses his observations and experience to highlight the threats our familiar countryside face and makes recommendations on how the countryside needs to be managed in future after the political landscape changes post BREXIT. I have known Paul for many years and he has always supported and praised the biodiversity work that we have done in the park. I am sure that his book will be an interesting read for those who are passionate about our wildlife and the preservation of this. The book is available from Stroud book shop or www.mereopublishing.com

Stroud Valleys Project 30th Anniversary celebrated in the Sensory Garden Stratford Park

On Wednesday 12th September a large gathering of people assembled in the Sensory Garden to celebrate Stroud Valleys Project’s 30th Anniversary and also to celebrate the progress of the Sensory Garden. Park staff joined others for a celebratory lunch along with SVP volunteers, local councillors and other supporters. I must admit to feeling a sense of pride as those attending praised the work we have done to date. The whole project has been a galvanizing experience and a testament to the hard work put in by all the volunteers and park staff including our volunteer Gill who has maintained the herbaceous beds since July. When Clair Madahoyne (Chief Executive) of SVP made her address to the crowd, no one was aware of the fantastic news she was about to deliver. It was revealed that on this very morning she had been notified that a recent bid for funding had been approved in the sum of £130,000 for ongoing work to the Sensory Garden and other local projects. This was met with much applause where after she looked over to me and said “Mike, you are going to be busy”. We had recently come to an end with the garden and its future appeared financially uncertain so this was a hugely welcome announcement. It now looks like we will be revisiting the plans to consider the next stage of work.

(Claire Madahoyne delivers the good news)

(Paul & Gill enjoy a sandwich) (Rob Griffiths SDC well prepared)

BTO Project Owl BTO Project Owl is an ambitious initiative covering several years and including different schemes to study our owl species, their habits and habitats. The project has now launched and the first Tawny Owl surveys have already started. The project is of interest to me because we have one resident pair of Tawny Owls breeding in the woodland. Historically, pre 1975 Tawny Owls bred in the oak tree that remains in what is now, the main car park. For several decades the owls were absent from the park until we provided purpose made nest boxes for them in the park’s woodland. Since 2010 they have nested successfully each year. The BTO survey involves visiting a known site for Tawny Owls in the two hours after sunset and record for just 20 minutes, split into two consecutive 10 minute intervals. You record the number of Tawny Owls you hear hooting or calling during 10 minutes, then start again and record for another 10 minutes. The methodology enables comparisons with previous surveys. The recording period is between August 15th and October 15th. A visit to the Tawny Owl site should be on a calm, dry evening, and you record the amount of cloud cover. Clear nights near full moon are apparently best! There is also an option to record other nocturnal birds and mammals. I will be visiting our Tawny Owl site over the coming weeks and adding our data to the survey. All the information is online at www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/project-tawny-owl-point-survey

Stratford Park awarded another Green Flag This July Stratford Park was awarded another Green Flag. It has retained Green Flag status for the last 10 years of our tenure here and is a fitting tribute to the team and all of the other organizations and individuals who make Stratford Park such a great place to visit.

It’s another Gold Award for Stroud in Bloom I am extremely happy to announce that Stroud in Bloom has won another gold award for three years in succession. This has been achieved despite great adversity caused by this summer’s heat wave. During this time, everyone struggled to clear weeds in hard, compacted soil and many floral areas around the town and in the park suffered through the heat. As a Stroud in Bloom Committee Member, I see what goes on behind the scenes and of all the hard work and effort put in by its small membership and volunteers. Of course, Stroud in Bloom is important to me due to its close connection to Stratford Park which plays an important part of the judging process, from hosting the lunch and contributing to the overall score sheet through its floral beds, heritage and biodiversity. That Stroud in Bloom has achieved gold status for three consecutive years despite only having a small nucleus of members makes me wonder what could be achieved with more supporters and volunteers. Sadly in this day and age, people are not as forthcoming to provide their time, or to commit to causes such as this which play an important role in galvanizing community spirit. Much of the town’s success is also determined by finances and as local and district councils continue to cut back on spending, many parts of the town’s ‘judging route’ have suffered through lack of planting or maintenance. This can also be said for Stratford Park, as we have this year, had to change the judge’s route to avoid areas where previously we would have had funding for flowers. A town is only successful on the merits of its residents, volunteers and available funds, so it is even more amazing that this year, with limited resources and council cut-backs, Stroud has won gold again. I am once again proud of the idverde team here in the park and our volunteer Gill who have all shown exemplary commitment to this beautiful park and delivered once again for Stroud in Bloom.

Redwings arriving in October Anyone visiting the park on a clear night next month may hear the high, thin sseee notes of redwings passing overhead. The piercing call of a migrant redwing (to be repeated every time a wintering bird is disturbed from its feeding) is highly distinctive and tells us that winter visitors to Britain are on the move. Redwings breed in north-west Europe and move south-west in autumn. In Britain and Ireland they can be seen almost anywhere, but are unlikely in the high, exposed parts of Scotland, northern England and Wales. The fringes of these areas, though with quite bleak upland pastures and hedgerows, can be excellent, especially when later on when wintering redwings in England tend to move farther west and on into Ireland. 2017 was a bumper year for redwings in Stratford Park with the Beast from the East bringing in thousands of birds, many of which came into the more populated parts of the park in search of food. To see them by day in the park during autumn and winter take a walk through the green corridors around the park perimeters where hawthorn berries are bountiful and also the arboretum where later in the winter they will eat holly berries along with fieldfares and blackbirds.

(Redwing in Stratford Park February 2018 Photo: Mike McCrea)

Wildlife to see now in Stratford Park

BIRDS: Winter visitors will be arriving next month including redwings and fieldfares. The lake has seen more birds visiting, since the profiling was done. Common sandpipers are occasional visitors along with mandarin ducks. 2 male tufted ducks were on the lake on 12th September and grey wagtails are visiting the lake in larger numbers. In the woodland, tawny owls have been heard calling at night (see Project Owl article). Common buzzards are over the park daily, especially on clear days where they take advantage of rising thermals. A Peregrine was seen flying over the park during my Sunday litter duty on 2nd September. Great-spotted and green woodpeckers have been among the large black poplars most mornings. Flocks of mixed gulls are on the main field along with pied wagtails. Nuthatches are in the arboretum and woodland.

BUTTERFLIES: With ivy blossom almost in flower, species such as red admiral and comma will be seen feeding around the orangery and in the service yard during October. A late, brimstone was seen flying by the mansion house of 27th October and some peacocks and large whites are still flying by the orangery and green corridors. Speckled wood is still in the woodland.

CONTACT: Mike McCrea Tel: 07833091294 E-Mail: mike.mccrea@idverde.co.uk michaelmccre2@outlook.com USEFUL LINKS: www.museuminthepark.org.uk www.stroudvalleysproject.co.uk www.idverde.co.uk www.stroudnature.co.uk www.birdhols.com www.thebto.org www.butterflyconservation.co.uk www.stroudinbloom.co.uk www.cathhodsmanwildlifeartist.com www.theaes.org idverde Safety Day Stratford Park 28th September 2018

Congratulations to our Greens Keeper Paul Woodward who recently won idverde employee of the month Moth event in the park 31st August 2018