DawnSE22

All boxes are now allocated. Thanks to everybody who said they wanted one.

One box is still available for installation on the 07/04 following a cancellation. You don’t have to be in for this, as it will be at the front and I will check suitability and agree on a location with you prior to installation. I’ve opened the offer up to a few more roads - 1. The north end of Friern Road from Underhill Rd to the park 2. Bawdale Road 3. Fellbrigg Rd 4. Hansler Rd 5. Shawbury Rd 6. Silvester Rd 7. Crystal Palace Rd between The Actress and Goodrich Road 8. Ulverscroft Rd 9. Heber Rd 10. Rodwell Rd 11.Pellatt Rd 12. Henslowe Road 13. Hindmans Road 14. Lacon Rd 15. Goodrich Rd from Lordship Lane to the school The box will need to be free from trees/overhead wires, be under the eaves, at the front of your home for ease of access/installation and no higher than two stories as we will be using a ladder. Please email me on [email protected]

As you said, the quickest way to attract swifts which works really well is to play swift calls. This is what I did at my home. It’s best to get a player set up via a timer and play 7-12 and then last 2 hours before dark. Alternatively, Sparrows or other species using the box will also help to advertise it to swifts as a suitable nest space. There’s a box on Friern Rd which is being used by swifts, without call playing. https://www.swift-conservation.org/2014-06-21%20swiftcallsinstructions.pdf http://actionforswifts.blogspot.com/p/attraction-call-systems-for-swifts.html?m=1

Just to say that we’ve had a lot of interest already and 13 people (including 2 on Ulverscroft, Sue) have said that they would like boxes - only 7 left!

I’ve added a few more roads (17/3) - Posting on behalf of my husband so please respond to his email - The Dulwich Society is funding a nest box project in East Dulwich to help swifts. They are a declining species, largely because they are losing places to nest when they visit in summer. We will be supplying and putting up 20 nest boxes in the area for free. The installation (probably in April) will be completed by https://dlongroofing.com who have kindly donated a day of their time. As we have a limited number of boxes, we are going to concentrate on the roads that are swift hotspots. Please let me know by email if you would like one installed and live on one of the following roads: 1. The north end of Friern Road from Underhill Rd to the park 2. Bawdale Road 3. Fellbrigg Rd 4. Hansler Rd 5. Shawbury Rd 6. Silvester Rd near Barry Road 7. Crystal Palace Rd between The Actress and GP 8. Ulverscroft Rd 9. Heber Rd 10. Rodwell Rd 11.Pellatt Rd We will then visit your home on the weekend of the 23/24 March (am) to check that your property is suitable for a box and to agree a location. It will need to be free from trees/overhead wires, be under the eaves, at the front of your home for ease of access/installation and no higher than two stories as we will be using a ladder. I hope there are 20 people who want to help swifts in East Dulwich, but if we are over subscribed then priority will be given to the homes with the most suitable locations. Many thanks Steven Robinson [email protected] (please include your address when you contact me)

Bell House is hosting an online talk by Steven Robinson on Swifts in the City this Wednesday July 7 18:30 - 19:30 Sign up for tickets on the link below and find out about the amazing life of this iconic bird and how we can all help to protect them. https://www.bellhouse.co.uk/events/2021/7/7/swifts-in-the-city Steven has been involved in swift conservation for 14 years and has a pair of nesting swifts in his house in Crystal Palace Road. Hope you can join him.

Bell House is hosting an online talk by Steven Robinson on Swifts in the City. Sign up for tickets on the link below and find out about the amazing life of this iconic bird and how we can all help to protect them. https://www.bellhouse.co.uk/events/2021/7/7/swifts-in-the-city Steven has been involved in swift conservation for 14 years and has a pair of nesting swifts in his house in Crystal Palace Road. Hope you can join him this Wednesday July 7, 18:30 - 19:30

I?ve got some trees (2ft whips) courtesy of The Conservation Volunteers to make SE22 greener, fight the climate crisis and to help wildlife. If you would like some please let me know. You can either collect from Crystal Palace Rd or if you are local and not a gardener I am happy to plant them for you in your garden. All the trees (Rowan, Bird Cherry, Hazel, Hawthorn and Crab Apple) are suitable for small gardens.

My son has been going to GG after school club since reception and is now in year 3. My younger son is also joining reception in sept and is due to start ASC then. My eldest has always really enjoyed the club as lots of his friends go and he also gets to know kids from other years. When he started I was very impressed how children in the older years looked out for the reception children. They also do lots of craft, sports and art activities and get healthy snacks and even a meal if they want it. However it's usually oversubscribed so if you want your child to go there you'll probably need to have applied (via the website) by now.

James ? why are you entertaining such an ecologically ignorant request by Bessie1974? People may think that crows and magpies are impacting on songbird numbers, but this is not the case. For more info please see the following research by the British Trust for Ornithology (2010) ? ?In the biggest ever analysis of songbirds and their predators, published today in the Journal of Applied Ecology, scientists look at the role of predators in the decline of species such as Bullfinch and Yellowhammer. Whilst a small number of associations may suggest significant negative effects between predator and prey species, for the majority of the songbird species examined there is no evidence that increases in common avian predators or Grey Squirrels are associated with large-scale population declines.? http://www.bto.org/news-events/press-releases/are-predators-blame-songbird-declines and more recently, Madden et al (2014) ? ?These results suggest that in most cases bird populations are unlikely to be limited by corvid predation and that conservation measures may generally be better targeted at other limiting factors.? http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ibi.12223/abstract Bessie1974's other point is that this is ?a serious noise pollution in the making?. How can she make such a comment when she lives in a busy, capital city? Perhaps Southwark Council should cull traffic, children, planes, music and builders before they start on crows?

I have a khaki Bugaboo bee footmuff for sale at ?20 if you are interested.

BrandNewGuy - why do you think sycamores are "wildlife unfriendly"? One study (Alexander et al, 1996) found them to be the third joint best tree for wildlife in the UK, scoring 31 out of a possible 45 (the best were oak with 39 and birch with 34). Sycamore scored highly for foliage invertebrates (good for birds), leaf litter, pollen/nectar and epiphytes. Ted Green an expert on tree history has even made the case that the sycamore could be a native tree!

It's a bit of a myth that ponds need to be deep unless you want to keep fish. The best organisation for giving advice on ponds is Pond Conservation. They recommend that a pond needs to be no deeper than 30cm. Shallow areas are good for wildlife and this depth shouldn't cause problems with oxygen levels or the whole pond freezing. It should also be filled with rain water and washed gravel or play sand can be used to cover the liner. My own pond is this depth and even though it is only in its second year has been really successful and looks very natural. The highlight so far has been 2 pairs of Large Red Damselfly mating and egg laying in it. http://www.pondconservation.org.uk/advice/makingpondsforwildlife

Unfortunately the very popular Bookstart sessions which run every Wednesday morning in term times in the hall in Bew Court (the estate at the south circular end of Lordship Lane, opposite Overhill Rd) are due to finish at the end of the summer term. Apparently the funding has been cut for Surestart and this means that fewer Bookstart sessions can be run. As a result any sessions not attached to a children's centre (which the Bew court one isn't) are due to end in July when the school term ends. This is a very sad situation as the session is very popular among local parents and carers. I have been going there with my kids for the past four years and it has been a real lifesaver at times to get support from other parents/carers and from the wonderful Lynne and Sue who run the sessions with great enthusiasm and expertise. And of course they have fantastic children's books that you can borrow. We have asked if we can contribute to each session to allow it to keep running (at the moment it is free) but apparently not. I'm sure I won't be the only one that will be very sad to see it go.

After a quick online search the first photo looks like Volucella zonaria, as the first segment on the body is chestnut coloured. Can't see this clearly on the second photo to positively id - I'm no hoverfly expert, but I guess they are the same species? Apparently quite common in London. http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/forums/insects-and-invertebrates/13933-volucella-zonaria.html

From the Norfolk Wildlife Trust - "How to help hornets - Hornets play a vital role in the balance of nature controlling many insect pests. Let people know how wonderful hornets are and help stop their persecution".

It?s funny how the sighting of a hornet can cause such panic, when they are the most docile of the social wasps, which will only sting if attacked. I guess they just can?t shake of their bad rep. Have a read of these links, one from Richard Jones, a local entomologist and the other from the Norfolk Wildlife Trust - hopefully they will help to reassure. I?m not sure why the council would need to get involved by the way, as they pose no threat. Would you like them to destroy the nest? If you do, then they have previous, as this is what happened in Dulwich Park last year when a nest was discovered in the ?Nature Conservation? area of the park. http://www.gardenersworld.com/blogs/wildlife/hornets/3203.html http://www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/Documents/Species-Leaflets/WF_Hornet.pdf

If anybody wants to comment on this application then they need to email Kathy Dinning - [email protected] who is the manager in charge of pharmcacy and optometry's by the 27 August.

Thanks for the advice

James - do you how people can comment on the proposal for a 100 hour pharmacy on Crystal Palace Road? Thanks.

Does anybody know how I can comment on this application? I asked James Barber a while back, but so far I have not got a reply.

I would be very surprised if it was a Small Blue. The nearest colony to us is on chalk download at Hutchinson's Bank, south of Croydon. Do you think it could be Holly Blue instead, a common butterfly found in urban areas? I've also seen a female Common Blue on one occasion in my old garden on Landells rd, but that is my only local sighting.

Yes we are lucky that swifts seem to be doing okay in ed. Ive been keeping records for the bto since moving to the area in 2004 and numbers seem to have remained the same. A few times in July once the juveniles are on the wing I have counted over 50 from my garden! I guess with all the Victorian housing swifts have been able to find nest places despite all of the refurbishment in the area.

Hi Only Me Yes swifts can use nest boxes, while house martins and swallows use nest cups that look like their natural mud nests. It would only be worth putting up swift boxes though as the others do not breed in ed, although there are breeding house martins on Burbage Rd in Dulwich. You won't be able to buy them locally, but can get them online. The cheapest and lightest option would be a wooden box for about ?13 plus p&p or you can buy schwegler ones from Jacobi Jayne for about ?55. These are made from woodcrete so are heavier and have a 25 year guarantee. Have a look at the shopping page on the swift conservation website for links. I volunteer for swift conservation and offer advice to home owners in South London about the different boxes and where to site them etc so you are welcome to pm me if needed.