May 2026

I did the bird count on the 5th. This confirmed that there was just the one Mute Swan on the lake. I guess that the pen and her brood were got by a fox? Meanwhile, the geese all managed to hatch broods. There were three pairs of Greylags accompanying their broods, two sets of Egyptians and one Canada Goose brood. With just the one Great-crested Grebe seen, the hope is that the other was sitting tight on a nest. Swifts were evident most days in the month, commuting to the lake, so there must be some insects emerging to make those commutes worthwhile. Blackbirds, Robins, Song Thrushes, Stock Doves, Woodpigeons and Wrens were all singing, in most cases in the lead up to a second brood, I expect. Some birds were conspicuous commuting between feeding places and their nests, with Starlings most obvious.

Hawthorns were in bloom early in the month. 

At the beginning of the month, the effects of widespread spraying with glyphosate became evident. Despite the acknowledged value of Admiral's Hedge, this herbicide was sprayed onto hedge-bottom plants, so killing off everything growing there. Hedge bottom wildflowers are valuable, but here they get no chance. The perimeter path here is separated from the hedge by a grassy strip which is mown regularly. This is appropriate beside the path, but there is room for a natural hedge bottom on the other side here, instead of the scortched earth that we now have. Here, it seems that natural vegetation is regarded as the enemy.

At the same time, elsewhere in the park, spray was used around the base of trees, poles, fences, hedges and seats. I had planted out some woodland wildflowers in Cecile's hedge, hoping to establish them in the park. Unfortunately I put them near the seats, so that I knew where to look to see if they established. Sadly, almost all of them were sprayed out. Here, there was no need for glyphosate use, as the hedge bottom plants there were shaded by the shrubs of the hedge and so were not tall or invasive at all. 

Glyphosate is licensed for use in England, but I don't imagine parents and carers will be delighted to have their little ones investigating the bottom of the fences beside the children's play areas. Children investigate things in their natural exploratory behaviour and the chemical can take hours to be absorbed when humidity is high. It's my view that there are easy alternatives in most or all of the places that glyphosate is used. One can decide to live with the wildflowers, or use a strimmer.