Wildlife Circus

 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 ...

Scything workshop TCFMM Butterflies did not do so well in the wet early summer period, but the sunshine in the past week has bought them out. The highlight is the white-letter hairstreak seen across the Surrey boundary near Ewell Court Park; this species can be found in selected places along the Hogsmill by the keen-eyed. The change in grass-cutting regimes has assisted grassland species, although skippers have been hard to find. Tolworth Court Farm Moated Manor has been especially good for marbled whites :) ornamental carp with chub We have been undertaking a reptile survey at TCFMM, which so far has not priduced any reptiles, but short tailed voles, pygmy shrews and woodmice have enjoyed constructing their nests under these refuges. This ornamental carp was spotted underneath the bridge along the A240-along  with a chub with the dark tail-, which can just be seen in the photograph. At the next bridge - the one with the passing places that leads to Riverhill- we r...