Author Archives: Chris Rose

Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation report ‘in the long grass’ for over a year – is Bexley taking biodiversity seriously?

Posted on 10/03/2015 by Chris Rose

Having recently been subject to considerable criticism over its vegetation management on sensitive wildlife sites, we would normally welcome Bexley Council’s apparent enthusiasm for some long grass, but not when it is (metaphorically) being used as a repository for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bexley Council, BNEF, Budget, Danson Park, Erith Quarry, Land sales, London Wildlife Trust, Open spaces, Planning, SINC | Leave a comment

Bexley allotment sites now registered as ‘assets of community value’

Posted on 10/03/2015 by Chris Rose

Bexley is the first Council area to have all of its allotment sites registered as ‘assets of community value’ under the Localism Act 2011, thanks to Bexley Federation of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners (BFALG). This does not prevent them being … Continue reading →

Posted in Allotments, assets of community value, Bexley Council, Gardening for wildlife, Land sales | Leave a comment

Two Cetti’s Warblers winter along lower Cray

Posted on 10/03/2015 by Chris Rose

Two Cetti’s Warblers were again heard along the lower Cray on Monday (March 9th) , one in the scrub between the Cray and River Wansunt just below Maiden Lane, and one on Thames Road Wetland. The species first bred in … Continue reading →

Posted in Bexley Council, Crossness, Litter, River Cray, Rivers, Thames Road Wetland | Leave a comment

Thames21 River Cray Project announces forthcoming events

Posted on 04/03/2015 by Chris Rose

Michael Heath, River Cray Project Officer for Thames21, has published the following series of events. To get involved or for more information, contact him at michael.heath@thames21.org.uk or ph: 07968 805751. Events during March Thursday 5th March 2015 Assessment and repairs to the damaged … Continue reading →

Posted in Cray Riverkeepers, Crayford, Friends of the Shuttle, River Cray, River Shuttle, River Thames, Thames21, Volunteering | Leave a comment

Thames Road Wetland – then and now.

Posted on 03/03/2015 by Chris Rose

For what will have long been considered a fairly inconsequential piece of ground on the road from Erith and Slade Green to Dartford, Thames Road Wetland has generated an interesting, if somewhat limited legacy of photographs that pre-date the wetland … Continue reading →

Posted in Thames Road Wetland, Trees | Leave a comment

Crossness team clear major roadside eyesore

Posted on 27/02/2015 by Chris Rose

Today (Feb 27th), despite a cold and frosty start, the sun shone on 9 of us as we undertook a major litter pick adjacent the Crossness Southern Marsh. Some recent illegal grazing under the flyover next to the southern marsh, … Continue reading →

Posted in Crossness Nature Reserve, Environment, Fly-tipping, Litter, Open spaces, Volunteering | Leave a comment

FotS cleans Shuttle and Wyncham in rain and wake of Council’s ‘extreme maintenance’

Posted on 26/02/2015 by Chris Rose

At FotS’ latest litter pick yesterday [Thursday 26th Feb] along the Hollyoak Wood section of the Shuttle and the adjoining Wyncham stream, volunteers worked stoically in pouring rain to extract 16 bags of rubbish, two safes and assorted bits of … Continue reading →

Posted in Bexley Council, Environment, Friends of the Shuttle, River Thames, Volunteering, Wyncham Stream | 2 Comments

Council open space sell-off list in full, and campaigner’s current position

Posted on 25/02/2015 by Chris Rose

Bexley Council has now made public the list of 27 pieces of land it is contemplating selling off (appended below), 10 of which are classed as ‘Open spaces’ and 17 ‘Highways land’. We have yet to see the ‘voting’ figures … Continue reading →

Posted in Bexley Council, Consultations, Environment, Housing targets, Land sales, Open spaces, Parks, Planning, SINC | 1 Comment

Great Crested Grebe courtship display was highlight of 33 species Danson bird walk

Posted on 25/02/2015 by Chris Rose

Report by Ralph and Brenda Todd. It was a cold wind that blew across the Stables car park on Tuesday morning (24th Feb) but it didn’t deter the 15 members of RSPB Bexley Group accompanied by Friends of the Shuttle, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bexley, Bird watching, Danson Park, Friends of the Shuttle, Open spaces, Parks, RSPB | Leave a comment

Provisional checklist and account of Bexley mammals published at ‘Bexley Wildlife’ website

Posted on 24/02/2015 by Chris Rose

Mammals as a group are poorly recorded in London and their distribution is not well understood, partly because many species are small and largely nocturnal. Information about the status of mammal species in Bexley is limited and widely scattered. In … Continue reading →

Posted in Bexley, Biodiversity Action Plan, Bursted Woods, Crayford Marshes, Crossness, Danson Park, East Wickham Open Space, Erith Marshes, Erith Quarry, Extinction, Foots Cray Meadows, Friends of the Shuttle, Gardens, Hall Place, Harvest Mouse, London Wildlife Trust, Mammals, Martens Grove, Recording, River Cray, River Shuttle, River Thames, Ruxley Gravel Pits, Thamesmead, Woodlands Farm, Wyncham Stream | Leave a comment