Darley & Nutwood local nature reserve

2016 Chairman's Report

DARLEY AND NUTWOOD LOCAL NATURE RESERVE

Report of activities in 2016 – 2017

Derby City Council

A solid working relationship has continued with the Parks Department in the City Council through the Green Spaces Forum which meets 3 times a year.

The Parks Department secured funding through the Higher Level Stewardship scheme, and the DerwentWise project which have enabled a huge amount of work to be achieved over the last 2 years. David Winslow, Community Parks Officer has continued to provide invaluable expertise, advice and support to the management group.

Higher Level Stewardship Funding

The main aim of this funding is to improve the biodiversity of the main central grassland area through managed conservation grazing. This careful management will have a positive effect on local wildlife and habitat by creating species rich, semi natural grassland.

After scrub clearance around the perimeter over the winter 2014/15, stock fencing was erected in March 2015.

Grazing began in September 2015 with 2 Highland cattle, 6 Jacob sheep and 6 Hebridean sheep, provided by the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust.

This year 2 Highland cows and their calves grazed the site from October to late December and were followed by 23 sheep for about 2 weeks in February 2017. Once again, we are most grateful to all our volunteers who helped with this challenging task.

Extensive scrub clearance on the main part of the site, and on the access paths has continued to be carried out by the Derby Parks Volunteers. We are most grateful to them for the very high standard of their work.

DerwentWise

In addition to the work last year we received support in 2016/17 to manage invasive shrubs in Nutwood, including clearance of huge stands of Cherry Laurel. Thanks to Dave Savage for leading this work.

We also hope to evaluate the feasibility of improving the swamp which is drying up, and of reclaiming the ‘Temple’ masonry from the stream bed. The Temple is now registered by ArcHeritage as a new site in the ‘Heritage at Risk Project’.

Management Plan

  • Revised early in 2013.
  • We have completed all of the management tasks for the year.

Information

  • Our leaflets were redesigned by a group led by Chris Bennett, and printed by the City Council.
  • Our website www.darleyandnutwood.org.uk is regularly updated by Hans Rieder who has also revised the bird and flower registers, and has set up registers for mammals, insects and fungi.

Events during 2016

  • April – spring bird watch. Led by Paul Highman. Again very successful. Over 30 species seen.
  • June – Wild flower walk, led by Alan Willmot and Peter Hill. A great success. 26 people were there, and all 5 orchid species were in flower.
  • August – Bush Cricket and insect hunt, arranged by Felicity Jackson. Numerous grasshoppers and bush crickets found as well as many other insects. Felicity Jackson continues to record insects, some new species again being found in 2016. Also Jean Roberts has carried out a regular bumblebee transact.
  • October – Fungus Foray. Led by Beverley Rhodes, and very well attended.

Open Meeting

  • March – on site; discussed progress with the grazing project, and explored the swamp area and site of the ‘Temple’.
  • November – Methodist Hall. A presentation about the Grazing Project was given by David Winslow and Dave Savage. There was discussion about involving more children and young people in our work and events.

Surveys

  • Birds – 3 new species recorded this year, bringing the total to 100. Paul Highman has continued to record all his sightings, and visits 2 or 3 times a month.
  • Butterfly transect – completed for 8th successive year by Alan Jones. 22 recorded on site with one new species – a single visiting Clouded Yellow.
  • Flowers – 4 new species recorded by Peter Hill, (Adjuga reptans, Bugle; Myosotis ramosissima, Early Forget-me-not and Sonchus arvensis, Corn sowthistle. A total of 143 wild flower species were recorded in 2016 including 4 not recorded for over a decade (Reseda luteola, Weld, previous record (pr) 1988; Capsella bursa-pastoris, Shepherd’s purse (pr 2001); Persicaria maculosa, Redleg (pr 2001) and Rorippa amphibia, Great Yellow Cress (pr 2003).
  • Pyramidal orchid study – Peter and Charlie Hill have continued a controlled study of the Pyramidal orchid patch. It was a poor year for the Pyramidal orchids (52 flowering spikes compared to 113 in 2015); the new growth in November was nibbled down almost to the ground and all that was visible was the concentric crescents of the base of the leaves – pretty much like that all winter/spring. There seem to be more rabbits about and evidence from other nature reserves shows that protection from rabbits improves numbers of flowering spikes – so probably rabbit damage rather than due to the introduction of grazing.

Awards

The Nature Reserve has received two national awards:

  • Award for Innovation in the National Love Parks Award for the Grazing Comes to Town project, for all involved in the project which was led by David Winslow.
  • Green Flag Award made possible, thanks to David Winslow making a detailed submission for the award.

Events planned for 2017 (meeting at Mill View Gardens, Darley Abbey unless otherwise stated).

Open Meeting – Monday 10th April 6.00 – 8.00 pm, meeting at the upper South Avenue entrance.

Spring Clean – Saturday 1st April 10.00 am – noon. Meeting at the river side entrance to the reserve.

Spring Bird Walk – Sunday 23rd April 6.00 – 8.00 am. Led by Paul Highman.

Mini Beast Hunt – Sunday 21st May 10 am to noon. Led by Beverley Rhodes. £3.00 per family.

Volunteer Days: Balsam Pulling – Dates to be arranged by Peter Hill.

Wild Flower Walk – Sunday 25th June 2.00 – 4.00 pm. Led by Drs. Peter Hill and Alan Wilmot.

Bush Cricket and Insect Hunt – Sunday 20th August 2.00 – 4.00 pm. Led by Felicity Jackson.

Open Meeting – Tuesday 7th November 7.30 pm. Methodist Hall, Darley Abbey.

Fungus Foray – Sunday 22nd Oct. 10.00 – noon. Led by Beverley Rhodes. £3.00 per person.

 

Keith Dodd

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