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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: Consultations
Community Infrastructure Levy spending consult – deadline 5p.m. Fri March 2nd
Bexley Council is consulting on what the priorities should be for spending money obtained from developers who are given planning permissions. The deadline is 5p.m. Fri March 2nd. E-mail views to SP>eam@bexley.gov.uk You may wish to draw on the following suggestions put … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley Council, Biodiversity Action Plan, BNEF, Consultations, development threat
Tagged Bexley Council, CiL, CiL spending, infrastructure
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Another important Bexley Wildlife site to be built on.
Disapointed but not surprised by Bexley’s Conservatives giving planning permission on yet another important wildlife site. Below Ralph Todd’s verbal presentation. Visual presentation they convinced me… 3. The letter sent to those of us who wrote to oppose the application. Jonathan Rooks … Continue reading
Now Bexley Council officer recommends building on 10% of Crayford Rough, a wildlife site of regional importance.
The onslaught against the most valuable wildlife sites in Bexley is set to continue this week as the planning committee meets on 14th April to consider an application to redevelop the old Electrobase industrial site between Hall Place and Crayford … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley, Bexley Council, Biodiversity Action Plan, BNEF, Braeburn Park, Common Lizard, Consultations, Crayford, Crayford Rough, development threat, Environment, Open spaces, Planning, Plants in Bexley, Reptiles and Amphibians, SINC, Slow Worm, Uncategorized
Tagged BAP, Bee Orchid, Bexley Council, Bexley Council Core Strategy, Bexley Council planning committee, Bexley SINC review, Common Lizard, Crayford Rough, Crayford Strategy and Action Plan Bexley Council July 2005, London Plan, Metropolitan SINC, NPPF, Pyramidal Orchid, Slow Worm, Yellow Vetchling
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Council consultation on selling off 4 specific open spaces. PLEASE RESPOND: deadline 18th September.
Following a ‘technical evaluation’ Bexley Council is pressing ahead with its plan for selling off 26 pieces of open space, and is running a public consultation on moving to dispose of the first four sites. The deadline is Friday 18th … Continue reading
Open spaces sell-off – is Council trying to wrong-foot campaigners and take advantage of ‘summer lull’?
Decisions in principle to sell some sites – including Old Farm Park – to be taken as early as this week, as process moves faster than expected for 5 of Bexley’s parks and green spaces. Campaigners urged to attend meeting. … Continue reading
Key wildlife legislation needs your support – Birds and Habitats protections under threat from narrow-minded view of ‘progress’
The EU Birds and Habitats directives, which have done much to at least slow the tide of wildlife destruction in this country and abroad, are under threat from ‘revision’ at the hands of the EU Commission President who wants to … Continue reading
Posted in Consultations, development threat, Environment, RSPB
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Home straight for Bexley SINC review?
The deadline for comments on the final draft of the 2013 Bexley Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation review document was about 16 months ago, so Bexley Natural Environment Forum recently wrote to Bexley Council asking when we could expect … Continue reading
More research shows lighting negatively impacts Bats – BNEF says Bexley’s proposed budget-driven lighting cuts present an opportunity to tackle the problem
New research has shown that the Common Pipistrelle Bat, often found in urban areas, has its foraging and thus feeding activity disrupted and constrained by artificial lighting, especially where there are larger gaps in tree cover: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3111115/Bats-disappearing-cities-Artificial-lights-creating-ecological-dead-zones.html Bexley Natural Environment … Continue reading
Posted in Andersons Group, Bats, Bexley Council, BNEF, Budget, Bursted Woods, Consultations, Environment, Erith Quarry, Light pollution, Mammals, SINC
Tagged wildlife corridors
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Report of BNEF-hosted open spaces campaign meeting
There was a good turnout of around 20 people to the first meeting of the Save Our Green Spaces Campaign last Thursday (March 19th) in Bexley Library, hosted by Bexley Natural Environment Forum (the umbrella group for ‘Friends’ of parks … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley Council, BNEF, Consultations, Housing targets, Land sales, Open spaces, Parks, Planning
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Council open space sell-off list in full, and campaigner’s current position
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
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