March 2026

On the 8th, I found out why one of last-year's brood of Mute Swans had been lost from the lake. I had assumed that the, now full-sized, youngsters were seen off by the resident Cob as he came into breeding condition.

 

A regular dog-walker had reported, however, that one of the youngsters had been carried off by the Swan Sanctuary because it had been seen in a distressed state out on the lakeside promenade, prevented from returning to the lake by the Cob. That day, indeed I watched this happen to a second bird. I was told that the Cob prevented it from returning to the lake and it was threatened by dogs, so she was going to carry it off to be released to the non-breeding flock on the Thames at Barnes. I was concerned at this, as a fit youngster is quite capable of returning to the water and of fending for itself against most dogs, and would make its way off elsewhere when ready. I suggested that if it could not fend for itself, it should be taken into care to return it to strength. It would be at greater risk released in a weak state into strange surrounds already occupied by large numbers of fit competitors. My suggestions were ignored; the volunteer told me that people were worried for the swan's welfare. Well, so was I! The bird was last seen being carried off to the volunteer's car for this supposed rescue.

In mid month a 45-year-old double-flowered Wild Cherry beside the Watersports building was felled.  

The stump showed clear signs of rot, so its useful life would have been short, even though it presented no real hazard.

Another management action, however, seemed rather pointless. In mid month the vegetation growing on the fence in the middle of Ashen Grove Wood was strimmed. This fence is in the middle of this tiny ancient wood and the vegetation removed was wildlife habitat: mainly Ivy, which provides valuable food and nest sites in Spring, and one Elder which would have flowered and fruited, if left. Whilst the harm was little and the place will recover, it's not obvious to me why this needed doing.

There were a few plants of Spring Squill and one of Spring Starflower flowering in the Revelstoke Road Car Park border. Although the Squill is native on western and northern coastal cliffs, both were certainly planted here, but I don't recall anyone declaring they had done this.

Spring Squill

 

Spring Starflower

 

 

 

 

Later in the month Dave Welch and I added some bark chippings to the main path in Horse Close Wood beside two of the larger English Oaks. The idea was to add cushioning to lessen ground compaction that might harm the roots of those old trees. We used the occasion to narrow the path, leading people away from a close approach to the trees. For this we used heavy branches.

The Blackcap is increasingly overwintering in England, but the first song was heard on the 19th. 

 

November 2025

 The Black Swans left mid month, after a stay of some six weeks.

February 2026

At some expense, I have subscribed to the international Freshwater Watch citizen science programme, as this gives nutrient sampling kit for 12 months. Previously, we used the free Thames River Watch and other one-off citizen science schemes, but this restricted us to their programme for one-off samples, preventing enough sampling for a good overview. The anglers have sampled lake water quality, but somewhat erratically. The kit arrived a bit late and my first sample was made on the 4th, rather than in January, when it theoretically began. The results were interesting, as the phosphate concentration was the highest I have seen in the 30 samples taken since 2017 and well into the range regarded as nutrient pollution. Although sewage or agricultural runoff are the usual causes of high phosphate, in urban areas road runoff can contribute. No regular sampling is undertaken of the tributaries of the lake. In contrast, the nitrate pollution was low and not indicative of pollution, so there seemed to be a source which adds phosphate but not nitrate. Feeding excess bread, or other food, to the birds is ruled out on those grounds, but it's possible that birds feeding on the grassland and returning to the lake to defecate could mimic sewage pollution. We can also rule out atmospheric deposition, as this would bring nitrates, not phosphates. So, we don't know the source of our high phosphate. We should, and it's reprehensible that AELTC, who own land uphill from the lake and have a drain going direct to the lake, don't admit to carrying out any monitoring. Our lake would be in a terrible mess, were it not for the low concentration of nitrogen constituting a limiting nutrient here.

Then, I did the second sample at the end of the month. The results were startlingly different. Whilst nitrates remained low, the phosphates had come right down, suggesting that the high values were from some brief cause, perhaps an otherwise unreported pollution incident or a seasonal factor coming to an end. So the next months' results are eagerly awaited.

 

This month reflects the end of winter and first signs of spring. The Blackthorn flowers and Hazel catkins were dying back and most Ivy fruit had been consumed, despite low numbers of the Blackbirds that consume most of them. By the end of the month Alders were flowering, Hawthorn buds were bursting and the first few Hawthorn flowers were seen. Weeping willows are the first trees to break bud and there were fresh leaves on them by the end of the month. 

It seems that there are few small fish to be had in the lake, as there were still no Great Crested Grebes there yet again.