Wildlife Circus

    The 111 bus will go as far as Park Road at Hanworth Park where you can comfortably walk back to Kingston in four hours along the Longford river, which is owned and managed by the Royal Park's Authority. The River was created to divert water 12 miles from the river Colne  to Bushy Park and Hampton Court Palace, where it reaches the Thames  near Teddington Lock. It supplies all the water features in Bushy Park including the Water gardens. Although the river is mostly culverted in Hanworth park it is possible to obtain views at the north west and north east extremities -as well as around Hanworth Park House- where we spotted a high flying buzzard. Hanworth Park House dates back to 1802, wings and a clock tower were added in the early Victorian period. This mansion replaced a Tudor building, burnt down several years earlier, that had been used a hunting lodge by Henry VIII to access Hounslow Heath.     The House became a military Hospital du...

 Members of the Richmond Biodiversity Partnership enjoyed a walkover of the paddocks at Hampton Court Park (aka Home Park) to see the newly created wetland habitats- including  sluices to aid control of the Longford River-  installed over the last two years. Part of good stewardship of the wildlife in this  oasis- is the control of mink - prevalent in this catchment, particularly in the river Mole and our stretch of  the Thames.   Male mink skin The  skins emphasised the size difference between  the male and female, with the latter able to gain access to a water vole burrow.The wildlife officer demonstrated the use of the mink rafts, which are in use at many wetland sites in  south-west London. mink raft with the lid off    This one is missing the roof to demonstrate the wet clay, which serves to reveal footprints of the visiting animals, to warn of the possible presence of mink. We were told that the rafts are no longer ...