Even colourful cats and birds
Category Archives: Wildlife Area
Blossom in the Park
What do you mean “this isn’t blossom”?
New plants
We had a very industrious couple of hours work today.
Steve from Continental Landscapes gave us some witch hazel and lavender to plant today and some hops that Claire potted on, to strengthen before planting out.
If you can, take a closer look at the witch hazel. It is such an interesting plant.
Errol kindly helped us inflate the tyre on our barrow.
Here are Alison and Simon planting the lavender.
The daffodils springing up amongst the euphorbia was an inspired bit of planting, thanks to Charlotte’s suggestion.
Winter tidying
Neil refilled the bug hotel and Ray laid some woodland walk path where people are cutting through.
A father brought his 3 year old son and they were wonderfully helpful by picking litter, and came back with a huge bag full!
Our next session is on Saturday, 16th February from 10am until 12, noon.
Please sign up for our emails or check this page on our website.
Information about recent animal poisoning
You may have read on social media and neighbourhood forums, that there have been incidents of extreme sickness and even mortality in various open spaces, including our very own Queen’s Park Gardens.
Our heartfelt sympathies are extended to the owners of any pets who have suffered as a result of this awful sadness.
Local resident, Crissie Chambers of Canine Culture and our local Westminster Warden, Nuno Reis have been working together to keep local residents informed and you may have had an educational notice through your door if you live close to the park.
We thought it would be helpful to put it on our website. Please feel free to share this on your own social media. Thank you.
How Many Birds?
With great thanks to the vast knowledge of Andrew from the RSPB, we had a glorious bird count in the park for their Garden Birdwatch.
Our friends, the Cheeky Rascals Child Minding Group were also counting in the Wildlife Area, where we began. The children were so energised and interested.
We were there for 11 mins & saw:
2 Blackbirds
2 Carrion Crows
2 Goldfinch
2 Great tit
4 Blue tits
1 House sparrows
1 Robin
5 Wood pigeons
1 Feral pigeons
We moved over to the Rose Garden for a more sustained session for the prescribed one hour, and this is the count submitted to the RSPB.
4 Blackbirds
5 Blue tits
2 Carrion Crows
5 Goldfinch
5 Great tit
15 House sparrows
1 Robin
8 Wood pigeons
8 Feral pigeons
1 Dunnock
1 Coal tit
1 Chaffinch
1 Common Gull
1 Grey Heron (flying overhead)
Why not consider becoming a member of the RSPB to support all the great work they do and learn much more? Andrew came to us from the Central London group who hold a variety of meetings and talks.
These were our results last year.
RSPB Garden Birdwatch in the park
We will begin the count in the Wildlife Area at 11am and it will last an hour, on Monday, 28th January 2019 to do our count. Someone from the RSPB will be in attendance and you are welcome to join us.
More information about the RSPB Garden Birdwatch here.
Start the Year in the Park
Astrid and the team are gardening in January and we’d love you to join us.
We are planning gardening sessions on Saturday 12th and Saturday 19th January between 10am and 1pm weather permitting (if it is raining it will be cancelled at short notice).
Hopefully we’ll see some of you at one session or another. Any queries please use the contact form.
Click for more details.
Please remember to take your completely undressed Christmas trees to the collection pen on Ilbert Street (by the Rose Garden gate). Do no fly-tip – it diverts council funds that could be better used elsewhere. Details Here.
Paths Refreshed
Thank you to everyone who joined us on Saturday morning in the chilly breeze.
The main purpose was to spread the wood chip generously given by tree surgeons working locally and the magnificent effort certainly warmed everyone up!
The paths look great and are much nicer to walk on now.
Armistice events at St John’s Church
Everyone is welcome to support and join in with these events. If you’ve never experience live, classical music, Friday’s event is a wonderful opportunity for a short taster. The events are free but donations will be most welcome.
Pupils and staff from Ark Franklin, Kensal Rise and Bales College will visit the church over three days to see the war memorial and reflect on themes of war and peace.
On Friday 9th November there will be a free classical concert at 7.30pm (more details at the bottom of this post) followed by refreshments, in support of the Royal British Legion and on Saturday 10th November there will be a coffee morning at 11.30am. A sing along with Sue Kennet of popular songs follows at 4pm with Afternoon Tea.
On Sunday 11th November the two minutes silence and wreath laying takes place at 11am in church.
Fr David Ackerman, Vicar of St John’s says:
“We mark this year the centenary of the end of the First World War and on the 11th remember all those whose lives were given in the service of others. Remembering means not forgetting. Not forgetting the freedoms we enjoy or the peace we can take for granted, but also not forgetting those who have died fighting for our freedom.
The concert on the 9th November will include piano music written after the war for one hand, a reminder of the human cost of war. I hope especially that many will come to this concert and it has been planned for under an hour so that families might come.
All our events support the work of the Royal British Legion, which does so much for ex-servicemen and women today”
Friday’s concert will be as follows:
Piotr Rozanski – piano
Romana Szczepaniak – violin
Jaga Klimaszewska – violina
Stella Nedeva – viola
Sophie Gledhill – cello
Programme:
A.Skriabin – Preludium and Nocturne op.9 for the left hand
R.Ryterband – Souvenir d’un bal for left hand – UK premiere
W.A.Mozart – Divertimento in D major K.136
E.Elgar – Nimrod – Enigma Variations
E.Elgar – Quartet in E minor