March 2021

I did the monthly bird count on the 20th and lake water sampling on the 22nd. 

Things are changing. There was a line-up of builder's bags of fine sand in the Horse Close Wood car park, but no notice to say what works are proposed there. So, it seems that something big is planned. I suspect that it will be a resurfacing of the car park which LB Merton see as important for money-earning events in the park. There were also various works being undertaken on on the northern section of the golf course. Visible throught he gate near the Wimbledon Park Road entrance is a ramp down from the road through the peripheral woodland strip. This looks like a access route, but what for? 

The public park gates were opened at 08:00.

Elsewhere on the golf course there were explosions every few minutes, which were still continuing on the 24th. These could be heard all over the public park and beyond. I'm told this was to scare off crows (perhaps jackdaws) which are tearing up the turf. However, the golf course has circulated a photograph showing typical turf damage by May beetles or leatherjackets. Birds can readily toss aside damaged turf to obtain their food below. So, the basic problem is that the turf has been damaged by insects and the birds are merely revealing that existing damage. The science behind such bird scaring is well-known and it shows that the method is rarely effective and cannot be restricted to the target species. So, the explosions have public park users up-in-arms, are not addressing the basic problem and are distressing to non-target species, including park users! The walk-in goose trap is still to be seen beside Owl copse on the golf course.  

Work was in progress in the athletics stadium to modify the screen around the hammer throw area, it was reported that this change was necessary to follow revised gudance following a serious safety incident on another site a few years ago.

A positive change was the large number of activities for children organised on the great field on a Saturday. Mini-sports of every kind and many participants. The biggest number were in the part of the great field north of the stadium.

Sadly, some young adults without children were using the play equipment in the children's play areas to attach their exercise kit and were exercising vigorously. One young lady I challenged said that she had permission to do this. I expect not, because distancing requirements mean that this limits access to the equipment by children. But her response was aggressive, so I left well alone.

Blackbirds were singing at 07:00 when the count began, but Song thrushes were silent, doubtless busy with nesting. House sparrows remain in single figures, still only 5% of the numbers that were found in the 1980s before the great decline in the 1990s. The long-term decline in wrens seems to be continuing, six birds being one of the lowest March counts in the 25 years. Last year's young mute swans have left the lake to join a non-breeding flock. The breeding pair doubtless saw them off and are now nesting on the Wimbledon Club lake shore. There may be a reduction in Canada goose numbers, 13 being lower than all but two previous March counts and below the recent March average of around 40 birds. The 10 Egyptian geese, however, is about average for recent March counts, and 45 greylags was the second highest March count. Common gulls belie their name locally, with just the one bird seen. Coot numbers remain high, 50 birds being the second highest count over the 35 years. The anglers will be pleased that there's no cormorants but, of course, this is because they depart to breed elsewhere in March.

Blackthorns were in full flower, allowing the odd bush scattered across Horse Close Wood to stand out and be noted. I cut back the blackthorns invading the long-grass verge between the tennis courts and the hedgerow planting beside the tube line boundary. This will allow Spring and Autumn mowing to keep the invaders at bay. Without this management, we will have woodland across this strip quite rapidly. Hawthorn leaf buds were breaking. The Japanese flowering cherries were in blossom. Weeping willow buds were breaking.

The clarity of the lake water was poor, as is typical at this time of year when increased light and temperature allow microscopic algae to thrive. I found several species of diatom and many Euglena. The latter was once considered an alga, but are now put in a group of their own. But the good sign was that three species of water flea were also in good numbers. These feed on the algae, so we can expect better water clarity by May.