FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Autumn walk spots birds and bugs
Autumn 2005
TONY Drakeford, Commons Conservator, naturalist and author of The Wildlife of Cannizaro Park (above left), led a second guided walk of the park on 24 September.
Birds either seen or heard during the two-hour tour included the swallow, goldcrest, blue, great and long-tailed tits, greater spotted and green woodpeckers, jay, magpie, wood pigeon, mallard, chiffchaff and nuthatch. The last of these was spotted high on a Sassafras albidum tree which seemed even more striking when what seemed to be a salamander appeared at the root. Sadly this was a false hope: the surprise reptile turned out to be an abandoned toy!
Butterflies also put in an appearance - the speckled wood, red admiral and small white were all seen, benefiting from a late summer which saw only the beginnings of colour change amid the park's many tree species and no leaf fall as yet.
Several large mirror carp were seen in the pond where Merton Council is finally about to install the aerator the Friends have been requesting for the past year to raise oxygen levels and help the water life.
Extensive work on the Water Garden and the future of lavendar on the Cannizaro House terrace were other major topics of the tour, as Tony advised the group (see above).
For More Information Contact:
Friends of Cannizaro Park
Willow House, 35 High Street, Wimbledon Village, London, SW19 5BY
Email:
tony.matthews@blueyonder.co.uk
