Coming up in Rushcliffe

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SPRING & SUMMER OUT & ABOUT WITH WILDLIFE PROGRAMME

Thur 4th Jul – Gotham Sandbanks Nature Reserve site visit for mid summer wildflowers. Meet 7 pm at the bench outside the British Legion. (Gordon Dyne 0115 8784842 or gordon.dyne@gmail.com)

Wed 17th Jul – Wilwell Cutting Nature Reserve in summer – with Tim Williams looking at a variety of wildlife found on the reserve both obvious and obscure. Meet 10 am at road entrance, on the right just after going under the ring road along the B680 between Wilford and Ruddington. (Gordon Dyne 0115 8784842 or gordon.dyne@gmail.com)

 Sun 21st Jul – Cotgrave Forest in Summer – with Neil Pinder (07981 928402). Meet 9.30 am Lamming Gap Lane entrance, parking where the Lane turns sharp right (Lane on left off A606 Melton Road after the Normanton on Wolds exits).

Sat 10th Aug – Flora along the River Soar at Sutton Bonington with David Wood looking at the flora along the river margin and taking in Sutton Bonnington Nature Reserve. Meet 10 am  at the Sports Field car park on the right (behind the childrens play area, just after the fields)  coming through Sutton Bonnington from the Nottingham end. (Gordon Dyne 0115 8784842 or gordon.dyne@gmail.com)

Grizzeled Skippers on the Great Central Railway

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The attached article looks at the work of the Grizzeled Skipper project along the East Leake section of the Nottingham to Loughborough line in promoting and expanding the habitat for the nationaly important Grizzeled Skipper butterfly. Rushcliffe is one of the most northerly outposts of this creature and they are particularly assocaited with railway lines, as there are further colonies along the Bingham to Melton line (and branch lines). The whole project is a great example of practical conservation at work and there are plans to expand into the Vale of Belvior. Article for GCR newsletter Feb 2019

WILDLIFE TRUST ACTIVITY IN RUSHCLIFFE

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For a good few years now Rushclife Borough Council have been funding us under a Service Level Agreement to undertake additional work in Rushcliffe in terms of engagement, practical conversation etc. Follow this link Service level agreement report Jan -Dec 2018 for the 2018 report which gives quite a good idea of the range of work undertaken with Friends Groups, schools and landowners. It is fair to say even without SLA funding NWT would have undertaken some of this work from core funding (such as membership income), but a specific funding stream allows our Southern Conservation Officer (Ben Driver) to allocate more time to the area. And when you add on reserve management on our own reserves (not funded by RBC) you get some idea of the range of work undertaken. The Rushcliffe SLA is unusual in Nottinghamshire and I think only one or two Boroughs do anything similar.Service level agreement report Jan -Dec 2018

Rushcliffe Wildlife WATCH Summer Programme

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Please find the new Spring to Summer programme for Rushcliffe Wildlife Watch  Wildlife Watch programme Spring to Summer 2019.  Based at Rushcliffe Country Park WATCH Is for children between 8 and 13 years old.

Even if they don`t come to WATCH they can still participate in ‘30 days wild‘ in June. 30 Days Wild is all about doing a ‘random act of wildness’ each day during June to bring you closer to nature. Our 30 Days Wild web page has information about last year’s activity and a few blogs to inspire you to get involved. This will be updated as we go through the campaign. So, we would like to encourage all of you to sign up online here: https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/30DaysWild.

In addition to our regular programme, you will notice that we have a very special event in August during the school holidays. The Wilder Woodland Gathering at Skylarks Nature Reserve is a free family event starting at 1:00pm and going through till 7:00pm and there will lots of fun activities running right through. So put the date in your diaries now so as not to be disappointed on the day!

We look forward to seeing you all on Saturday 11th May at 11:00am. Don’t forget your coats and wellies in case it is a bit wet as we will have lots of fun out in the park.

WHATTON PRISON WILDLIFE PROJECT RECIEVES NATIONAL RECOGNITION

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Numerous projects have been carried out in the grounds of HMP Whatton in Rushcliffe, including creation and management of extensive wildflower areas, installation of bird feeding stations and nest boxes for birds (including swift and owl boxes) and bats manufactured in the craft workshop, shrub beds, walkways, small ponds and water gardens, bug houses, log piles and a wormery. These projects very much link to and support the biodiversity of the local area, with Bingham Linear Park and the River Smite being very close by.

The staff and prisoners are closely involved in all projects and the work closely ties in to rehabilitation, skill development and wellbeing, with the prisoner’s having an increased awareness of wildlife and the natural environment.

HMP Whatton has closely involved and engaged with external local partners on these projects, including Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, Nottinghamshire Birdwatchers, Swift Conservation, Rushcliffe Barn Owl Project and Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust.

Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust organised and delivered a presentation/ demonstration event, centred on ponds and amphibians and further activity and projects are being planned for the future. The prisoner’s take part in monitoring wildlife, for instance recording bird and small mammals found in the habitat areas.

We are very pleased that HMP Whatton has received national recognition for the excellent nature conservation projects they are carrying out in the prison grounds. Their achievements have been recognised through the Ministry of Justice as they recently won the National Offenders Management Service (NOMS) Wildlife awards as outright winners in 2018. As partners, Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust was pleased to attend a celebration event at the prison in September.

Ben Driver  (NWT Southern Conservation Officer)

 

WILWELL CUTTING NATURE RESERVE OPEN DAY

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Visit the reserve in early summer, the Southern Marsh Orchids will be in flower along with a host of other wildflowers. We will be labelling many of them up, but in addition volunteers will run several guided walks round the site and will also have the South Notts nature table out. The open Day is on Saturday 1st June from 10 am till 4 pm and the reserve can be found on the B680 on the left just before the ring road bridge between Ruddington and Wilford Village. The entrance to the car park will be signed (Post Code NG2 7UT will get you very close, but not spot on. For a map of the reserve and general location see https://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/nature-reserves/wilwell-farm-cutting-nature-reserve

Gordon Dyne (Reserve Warden)

 

SOUTH NOTTS RINGING GROUP – 2018 REPORT

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The bird ringing group have published thier annual report covering thier principal rinnging sites at Attenborough and Holme Pierrepont, see SNRG Report 2018  for details. But this year the ringing group have agreed to hold an “open morning” where people can come along and see thier work (and the birds) at close hand. This is on Sundaty 18th Aug at Skylarks Nature Reserve BUT numbers are limited in timed groups and to reserve a time slot please contact Gordon Dyne on gordon.dyne@gmail.com for more details.

RUSHCLIFFE REPTILE & AMPHIBAIN SURVEY

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Under the ausoices of the Nottinghamshire Amphibain and Reptile Group (NARG) we are putting out an appeal for records of amphibains and reptiles seen in Rushcliffe. These can be posted online (  https://groups.arguk.org/nottsarg )  and will add to our understanding of these species distribution within Rushcliffe and the county. All that is required is date, species, number and location and a photo if possible (particularly important if it is something very unusual like an adder, sloworm or common lizard). And of couse records of the young ie tadpoles etc are equaly good evidence of presence.

Although you might think your few records from a garden pond say are not important, they can contribute to a much bigger picture confirminmg presence in an area and contributing to a better view of abundance.

For more infornation about the survey and reptile and amphbians in Rushcliffe see 2019 Rushcliffe Amphibian Survey final -v2

Why trees have been felled at Sharphill Wood

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Ash dieback, the tree disease currently attracting most attention, is unfortunately not the only disease that affects trees. Sharphill Wood has been struck by a number of other fungal infections that have weakened many mature trees including Ash, which is common in the wood. In recent years many trees have fallen or been blown down, but a number have had to be felled because they pose a danger to the public using the footpaths and the many organised school groups who play in the wood. The sight of so many fallen trees has understandably attracted concern from visitors to the wood.

The Friends of Sharphill Wood have been consulted by Rushcliffe Borough Council, the wood’s owner, on the need to remove the dangerous trees and we rely on them to clear any trees that fall blocking the footpaths. We have recently been donated some new trees, which go some way to replacing the lost trees. Much more planting will be required to replace all the lost trees and we hope to meet with Council officers and Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, with whom we operate a management plan for the wood, to discuss how we can regenerate the wood to ensure its continued amenity value to the area.

The award winning Friends Group have been working to maintain the wood for the past 10 years and this latest challenge, together with mitigating the impact of the new housing development, places unprecedented demands on our volunteers. If you would like to help save this iconic landmark for future generations you can contact us through our website www.sharphillwood.org or on facebook. It would be marvellous to hear from you.

Bill Logan

Friends of Sharphill Wood

Notts Wildlife Trust in Rushcliffe

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A few months ago NWT briefed Rushscliffe Borough Councilon NWT activities in Rushcliffe, which in part is funded by the council under a Service Level Agreement to promote nature conservation localy. This link Rushcliffe SLA Presentation to RBC June 2018  is the slide set from that and gives a very good idea of the range of activities being undertaken, both by staff and volunteers in 2017, but you can assume that 2018 is similar.