Tooting Common Nature Page

			Friends of Tooting Common			Nature


Appeal for Records of the Ivy Bee	The Bee, Wasp and Ant Recording Society have put out an appeal for records of the Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae). The bee is easy to identify and is on the wing very late in the season, through September into November, feeding on Ivy flowers (out now!). A factsheet can be found here: http://www.bwars.com/colletes_hederae_map.htm			Any help you could give would be very much appreciated


Egyptian Goslings		One Appleyard Duck	Two Black East Indian Runners	Shoveller Ducks

Bramble Clearance	Autumn	In Graveney Woods to allow the bluebells to flourish and spread. Amazingly there is a sparrow hawk nesting in the vicinity of our chosen patch so we have to avoid work in the area until the young are self sufficient. They should be due to fledge around the middle of June, generally leaving the nest around one month later. We are now looking at doing this bramble pull sometime in autumn.		Was to be in June / July

		Those of you who were out in Graveney Woods in April will have seen some spectacular displays of bluebells around and about. Most of these are native English bluebells. Sadly, there are many areas where the bluebells are trying their best for us but are being beaten by brambles. We have located one particular trial site where in a few weeks, after the bluebells have set their seeds, we will do a bramble pull and remove some of the saplings. Then next year this small patch of bluebells should look as spectacular as the ones on the bank near West Drive. Next spring we will locate more sites to have the brambles removed. Eventually we aim to have a spectacular bluebell wood.


*Monthly Bird Reports*	They are available on the web at: http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/info/745/biodiversity_and_wildlife/1053/bird_walks click on "tooting common" in that page Click here to view: Jan2011

*Wild Honeysuckle*	Sometimes called Woodbine, honeysuckle is a native of hedges and woodlands, and will look wonderful if you plant a few along your hedge line or over a fence or shed. In early Spring the new shoots are popular with black fly which in turn are a valuable food source for ladybirds, lacewing and birds. Honeysuckle bark is used for nestbuilding and the tangle of branches are great nesting sites for a variety of birds too. The dormouse is reliant on honeysuckle and hazel climbing together to provide food and nesting sites. Honeysuckle flowers in June and it’s strong nighttime scent is attractive to moths – especially hawk moths. In the day bumble bees with long tongues can reach the nectar. The autumn berries are poisonous to humans but are really valuable to birds and a real favourite of the bullfinch.

*Plant Record list*	Click here to view

Saturday evening 15 May 2010	Moths and bats watch report (click)


Wetlands		The main lake continues to improve slowly but surely. It supports a range of nesting waterfowl including mute swans and again, the exotic looking Egyptian geese. Siltex (a white powder) was put into the main lake during the winter. This dissolves the silt at the bottom of the lake and will deepen the water and improve it's quality. More will be added later in the year. Discarded fishing line is regularly removed from the edge of the lake and island. The debris often amounts to 3 black dustbin sacks full. This can be damaging to both fish and waterfowl and we have in the past lost several birds as a result of discarded tackle. We urge all of you who own dogs to please keep them on a lead around the lake, during spring and summer to try to reduce the number of ducklings killed. The reed bed on the corner of Elmbourne Road now hosts reed bunting and house sparrow. A large colony of sparrows has also been identified in the shrub areas surrounding this patch. The MAC sub-committee is liaising with the council to assess ways of accommodating a permanently open patch of water within the reedbed to broaden the biodiversity.
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Grasslands RSPB Newsletter		The grasslands have been monitored to compare changes in extent and quality. During 2008 the California brome was managed, by cutting just before the seed ripened. This appears to be successful and this will be continued throughout 2010. The acid grassland areas have been assessed as part of the London Biodiversity Action Plan for this habitat. The results of this are due imminently and management practices will be reviewed in the light of these. We are also participating in the RSPB project to assess the biodiversity benefits to house sparrow populations of different long grass management actions. This will result in changes to the grassland management on the Emmanuel Road field for the next 3 years. Some management practices have already been altered resulting in a new area of long grass. The first surveys of birds and invertebrates began in June 2009.

Woodlands		Links have been made with the local Safer Neighbourhood Teams of the Met Police who have appreciated the approach taken to woodland management and who now find policing of the woodland to be improved as a result.
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