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May Bexley RSPB events that still have places available.This content isn't available at the moment
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EARLIEST RECORDED RETURN DATE FOR BARNEHURST SWIFT NESTING ZONE.There were 3 Swifts circling over the northern half of Hillingdon Road this evening (29/4), the same place as the first ones I saw in this area in 2024. This was my first check of the year, so they could have got back even earlier.
Previous 'first dates' for this 'site' are as follows:
2024 - 1/5. None seen in an hour of circuits on 30/4
2023 - 2/5. My first check of the year so they may have arrived earlier. One reported at Crossness 28/4
2022 -8/5 (checked from 28/4)
2021 - 6/5 (had last checked 3/5)
2020 - 2/5 (first date checked)
2019 - didn't monitor
2018 - 7/5 (had checked every evening starting 1/5)
2017 - 4/5 (no prior daily checks)
2016 - 4/5 (no prior daily checks)
2015 - 6/5 (no prior daily checks)
The earliest Swifts in London this year were one at Rainham on April 14th, and another on the same date at Staines Reservoir.
Chris Rose
HELP CLEAN UP THE LOWER RIVER CRAY !Join FRIENDS OF THE CRAY AT CRAYFORD on FRIDAY 2nd May
to tackle litter along the banks of the lower Cray,
Meet 10 a.m. at the junction of Footpath 106 and Barnes Cray Road (see graphic below).
The plan is to go downriver along By-way 105 this week before the undergrowth gets too dense.
All welcome, no particular skills needed.
Equipment will be provided. Wear appropriate clothing for being out in the open and avoiding stings from Nettles and scratches from Brambles, and bring something to drink.
Best wishes
Sarah
CROSSNESS LATEST - PROTECTED AREA WILL REMAIN CLOSED OVER EASTER WEEKENDA brief update to advise that the Protected Area will remain closed over the Easter period - really sorry about this. As hard as we've tried, we can't get a new locking mechanism on the gate before next week, so it is currently padlocked shut so as to not leave us vulnerable over Easter.
I am taking advantage of the upcoming bank holidays to squeeze in some annual leave, so you will not get a notification from me about re-opening, however please assume that the Protected Area is likely to be re-opened by the following weekend.
Karen Sutton
Crossness Nature Reserve Manager
Free webinar on improving Bee 'hotel' design with Prof Dave Gouslon.Tuesday, April 22 · 1 - 2pm
Improving Bee Hotel Design: The Big Bee Hotel Experiment
www.eventbrite.co.uk
Join Prof Dave Gouslon to hear about how the Buzz Club are investigating the effectiveness of different bee hotels for UK bees.
Category Archives: Bexley
Free training available for Dragonfly and Damselfly survey volunteers
The London Wildlife Trust is offering a free Dragonfly and Damselfly identification and ecology workshop at Thamesmead Football Club /Crossness Nature Reserve on Saturday June 3rd, for anyone willing to do a monthly survey at a site, or join LWT’s … Continue reading
Nature history – Bexley conveniently forgets about previous Skylark policy
Over the last year Bexley Council has approved building on two of the three known Skylark nesting sites in the Borough – the only Skylark breeding habitat on Erith Marshes, and on part of the main breeding site at Crayford … Continue reading
Bexley butterfly recording – Mike Robinson provides first dates and a sightings log for early 2017. Transect count volunteers sought.
Local butterfly recorders are beginning to work together to build a better picture of the distribution, flight period and numbers of Bexley’s butterflies. Mike Robinson has been collating available data to produce a list of first sightings for the year … Continue reading
New survey shows 80% of public support less grass cutting as Bexley set to spend £90K on more frequent mowing and hedge-trimming
More than 80% of the public support the idea of councils cutting grass areas less frequently to protect the nation’s bees, according to a survey by Friends of the Earth and Buglife. http://www.publicfinance.co.uk/news/2017/04/councils-urged-save-bees-not-cutting-grass Meanwhile the Bexley Conservative administration is set … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley, Bexley Council, Trees, vegetation management
Tagged Bees, Bexley Council, Buglife, Cutting grass, Friends of the Earth, hedges, parks and open spaces, pollinators
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How Bexley Council voted yes to concreting Crayford Marshes Green Belt and yet another designated wildlife site
Back on February 16th a majority of Bexley Council’s Planning Committee voted with the chief planning officer’s recommendation to approve the Roxhill ‘Strategic Railfreight Interchange’ scheme on the southern part of Crayford Marshes, termed the landfill and agricultural area. This … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley, Bexley Council, BNEF, Crayford Marshes, development threat, Environment, London Wildlife Trust, Open spaces, Planning, Uncategorized
Tagged Alan Deadman, Alan Downing, Ben Thomas, Bexley Council planning committee, Corn Bunting, Crayford Landfill and Agricultural SINC, Crayford Marshes, June Slaughter, Roxhill, SINC, Skylark, Slade Green Community Forum, SRFI, Stef Borella, Strategic Railfreight Interchange, Susan Clark
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Crayford Marshes – crunch time for Bexley Conservatives over poll promise
At the 2016 Greater London Assembly elections, in a leaflet issued by Zac Goldsmith, the Conservative candidate for mayor – which prominently featured Gareth Bacon, now member for the Assembly’s Bexley and Bromley constituency – an ‘action plan’ was promised … Continue reading
‘Kent botany 2016’ published – interesting new Bexley records featured
Kent Botanical Recording Group’s 2016 edition of ‘Kent Botany’, compiled by Geoffrey Kitchener and detailing the most interesting and important finds during the year, includes a number of discoveries made in Bexley – which for botanical purposes falls within Vice-county … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley, Bexley Woods, Hall Place North, Kent, Plants in Bexley, Recording
Tagged Chris Rose, Geoffrey Kitchener, Gnaphalium luteoalbum, Golden Dock, Jersey Cudweed, Kent Botanical Recording Group, Kent Botany 2016, Marsh Dock, Mike Robinson, Moenchia erecta, Persicaria capitata, Pink-headed Persicaria, Rodney Burton, Rumex maritimus, Rumex palustris, Upright Chickweed, Urtica membranacea
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Updated CHECKLIST AND ACCOUNT OF THE ODONATA (DRAGONFLIES AND DAMSELFLIES) OF THE LONDON BOROUGH OF BEXLEY (6th edition) published
This updated guide to the 19 species of Dragonflies and Damselflies of the London Borough of Bexley, compiled by Chris Rose with additional records and photographs from Ralph Todd, Ian Stewart, Karen Sutton, Martin Petchey and Wren Rose, provides information … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley, Crossness, Crossness Nature Reserve, Danson Park, Dragonflies and Damselflies, Recording, River Cray, River Shuttle, Thames Road Wetland
Tagged Chalcolestes viridis, Crossness, Damselflies, Danson Park, Dragonflies, Dragonflies and damselflies of Bexley, Foots Cray Meadows, Lamorbey lake, London Borough of Bexley, Odonata, Odonata of Bexley, River Cray, River Shuttle, Thames Road Wetland, Willow Emerald Damselfly
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Updated ‘PROVISIONAL CHECKLIST AND ACCOUNT OF THE MAMMALS OF THE LONDON BOROUGH OF BEXLEY’ (Edition 4) published
The guide to the mammals of Bexley, compiled by Chris Rose with contributions from a number of local wildlife observers, has been significantly updated to include a number of new Hedgehog records, additional information about Harvest Mice in the Borough, … Continue reading