November 2021

We are informed that the dam safety works by Ward & Burke will start in early December, but there was just the one notice displayed in the park about this and it is remarkably uninformative about what, where and why! On the 30th, when I did my monthly bird count, there were two big vehicles parked in the stadium and a trio of Ward & Burke staff at the northern stadium gate, but no other indication of the impending works.

Two remarkable things in the bird count. For the first time since 1990, I didn't see any Mute swans. It's usual for the resident pair to see off potential immigrants, and their own offspring, in the winter, but most unusual for the resident pair also to be missing. One wonders whether the Swan Project has removed them to avoid harm over the period of the dam safety works? That would not be sensible, because there's plenty of natural food for swans in the lake - the works may prevent public feeding, but that would benefit the swans as their diet would be more natural. The other bit of news is that there were 25 Pochard on the lake. This is a record number for November and 10 more than last year's record November number. This winter visitor has been increasing here since 2003 and the increase continues. Conversely, the six Tufted ducks was a low number for November, so it appears that the recent decline in this species continues. Could these two duck species be competing, I wonder? Continuing last month's results, I saw just one Egyptian goose. This species reaches minimum numbers in winter, but it begins to look as if the increase is over, if not reversed. There were two Great black-backed gulls, one adult, one immature: the first sighting since 2017.

The Glade in Horse Close Wood is looking good after the hard, manual management of the last two months. Quite a lot of small brambles have escaped, so mowing will be required at least twice a year, next time in spring before the flush of growth and flowering. I noticed that someone has cut the ivy stems on the Small-leaved lime that stands within the Glade, probably a good idea, because there's plently of ivy round about and it will cast shade onto the Glade.

Little is flowering at this time of year. Ivy flowering is very largely over and the green fruits are ripening to provide that vital late winter food supply for birds. In the hedgerow beside the golf course in the north, you can see the white flowers of Laurustinus (Viburnum tinus) and Black nightshade is still flowering beside the lower brook and beneath the trees beside the stadium. Leaf fall was complete for the early species, like Horse chestnut, and nearly so for Ash, but the Oaks are only about half way through. There were autumn tints even on the Elm suckers in Horse Close Wood. As last winter, the Mahonias beside the Revelstoke Road entrance are looking good.

The Mahonia

The hedgerow running north from the Revelstoke Road car park has been cut back in formal lines, despite continual urging that this naturalistic hedge is not appropriate for such a formal treatment. It can be kept under control without having a design imposed upon it. Fortunately, the leaf blowing under Ashen Grove Wood is not yet as extensive and silly as last year but, nevertheless, there is no need to blow leaves off the ground into heaps, as has been done. This is much more than is needed to keep the paths clear and prevents the natural action of woodland worms, which enrich the soil. The hedge that screens the golf course tee beside the Wimbledon Park Road entrance has been trimmed, but again not low enough to allow the view that was agreed there when the ugly security gates were installed. This fine view down to the lake and the church beyond is still denied to the public. 

The view from the 6th tee (camera held high above head)