Falmouth leading the way with easy access to section of South West coast path

 Although the South West Coastal path runs for 630 miles the only part allowing access that meets all the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act is found in Falmouth. Not only does this allow wheelchair users all year round access to the stunning views across Falmouth Bay, it also enables other users such as young families with prams and buggies to enjoy the scenery as well.

This unique section that runs from Falmouth’s Gyllyngvase beach to the viewing platform above Swan Pools was created in 2022. The project was a partnership of Natural England and Cormac with inputs from Cornwall Disabled, Penny Hodgson, Cormac's Countryside Ranger for the west and the Boscawen Fields Group.

Construction work that included the widening of the original footpath to allow two wheelchairs to pass each other was carried out by Cormac. The project also included the installation of new benches with adjacent space for a wheelchair to allow people to rest and take in the view.

The Boscawen Fields Group since its inception in 2014 have raised an amazing £52,500 to fund various projects that have enabled a wider range of people to enjoy the area. These include creating steps with stainless steel handrails to improve access from Boscawen Road into two of the fields that lead down to the coastal path.

The group has also funded the placement of wooden seats in two fields with a further two on the coastal footpath. Sitting on one of these on one lucky day I spotted a pod of dolphins or porpoises jumping in the Bay, a truly magical sight.

Offering panoramic views of the coast and sea, this area is a very popular part of Falmouth, with two of the fields being a favourite place for dog walkers to exercise their dogs. One field is kept dog free and in this the group funded the installation of three stone picnic tables and benches.

As well as their impressive record of fundraising, the group also carries out a variety of tasks themselves. The group meets on the first Saturday of each month to carry out litter picking and work on other projects in the Boscawen Road fields and along the coastal path.

In addition to enhancing the area for the local community and visitors alike, the group has also been involved in work to benefit wildlife such as the creation of the native perennial wildflower areas in 2019 as part of the charity Buglife’s Urban Buzz project.

This year the group has undertaken the creation of wildflower areas alongside part of the new coastal path and from the photos who can see that they are a mass of colour. Sitting on the nearby bench I witnessed the enthusiastic reaction of walkers as they came upon them, many stopping to admire and take photographs.

Just as importantly was the constant attention they were receiving from a variety of insects such as butterflies together with both bumblebees and solitary bee species. Taking an ecological view, I was equally pleased to see a nearby hedgerow covered in bindweed flowers. Not everyone’s favourite wildflower but one that has evolved for millions of years playing its part in the web of life.

The roles that our urban green spaces play is also changing and are much more varied today than twenty years ago. Many local residents have been persuaded by people such as David Attenborough who ended Planet Earth II with the words, “It's surely our responsibility to do everything within our power to create a planet that provides a home not just for us, but for all life on Earth”.

However, we live in one of the most nature depleted countries in the world, we have lost more biodiversity than any G7 country, and we are in the worst 10% globally. Perhaps surprisingly, many towns now have more varieties of bee species than are found in the nearby countryside. So, adapting our green spaces can play an important part in helping wildlife to survive and hopefully one day to recover.

Although the Boscawen Fields Action Group is relatively small in size it has accomplished some impressive achievements. With support from our town council, its activities help to care for and protect this beautiful area of Falmouth for locals, visitors and Nature.

LINKS:

Boscawen Fields Action Group’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile/100076476815163

Falmouth Nature Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/falmouth.nature.uk

Falmouth Nature Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/falmouth_nature/

Falmouth Nature Twitter: https://twitter.com/FalmouthNature

Surprise discoveries in Fox Rosehill Gardens

 

I am not a great lover of winter, I do not look forward to
its arrival with joy. At best it offers a rest from the activity of the other
seasons. With shorter days and generally uninviting weather I spend more time
indoors. One of my favourite places to visit in Falmouth during winter is Fox
Rosehill gardens. Its collection of plants from around the world ensures the
gardens provide something of interest throughout the year. In this short film I
explore some of its attractions as I explored the gardens in early December.

 

New Video celebrating the Urban Buzz Wildflower Meadows in Falmouth

The restrictions imposed as a result of Covid-19 made the summer of 2020 very different. One change was to prevent the holding of the ParkLive festivals that normally held each month from April to September in Kimberley Park. In response the dedicated team behind the festivals moved them onto YouTube to streamed them live with an option to view later - you can find their channel here: ParkLive YouTube Channel

The Parklive festivals are built around live music performance from local singers and groups with the inclusion of other performing arts such as dance and spoken word. The move to streaming on YouTube allowed short films to be included which is when I received a phone call from Parklive Producer Simon Neild. Although surprised by the call, Simon has such energy and enthusiasm that I readily agreed to produce several short films.

With the meadows in each location now showing their individual character and potential they were the perfect subject for a short film. So without further ado, I proudly present my celebration of these magical meadows that truly are bringing something special to our town. 

 

 

Summer 2020 Guide to Falmouth's Urban Buzz meadows and wildflower indentification

This
is the second summer for our wildflower meadows and they are showing
their potential with over 30 wildflowers species appearing in various
meadows. This guide was produced as an introduction to the meadows and
to provide help to anyone trying to identify a wildflower. You can
download a free copy here, https://bit.ly/2SZRH9a

Surprise discovery in Prislow Woods

Stream dipping in the Bickham Stream, Prislow Woods

I was only slightly late arriving at Prislow Woods and the sound of excited children guided me towards a spot where the stream dipping was already in full swing. A group of parents were gathered on a bank with the children in the stream using nets to explore the water. Suddenly a roar of excitement came from upstream, an eel had been caught. A group of children came splashing down to deliver their prize to County ecologist Bruce Forest who was leading the event. All eyes watched as the eel was transferred to the finds tray and began to swim around. 

This eel could spend 20 years in the stream before return to the sea

This wonderful creature had begun life in the Sargasso sea on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. Emerging from an egg the larvae can take three years to drift across the ocean to the UK, a distance of 4,000 miles. As the larvae approach the coast they develop into glass eels, then entering freshwater they darken and become elvers. Eels can spend up to twenty years in rivers and streams growing into mature adults before undertaking a one way journey back to the Sargasso sea to reproduce.

The European eel is listed as Critically Endangered, the number of glass eels arriving in Europe has fallen by 95% over the last forty years. So finding several juveniles in the Bickland stream highlights the importance of the conservation work being carried out by several local community groups to safeguard the stream. The Prislow wood group is hoping to receive training from  the South West Rivers Trust that will allow them to monitor the water quality in the stream.

County ecologist Bruce Forest led the stream dipping

Finding the eel was also significant as they have not been recorded in Falmouth before according to the National Biodiversity Network Map, see below. So not only did the children have plenty of fun that day, they also contributed valuable citizen science data.

NBN map showing records for the European Eel (Anguilla anguilla)

The stream dipping was organised by the community group #prislowwoods who carry out conservation work such as the removal of non-native invasive species in the woods. For more information visit their Facebook page at, https://www.facebook.com/groups/962446477276694/

Special thanks to Jennifer Carter for permission to use her photographs.

Urban Buzz - New Wildflower Areas in Falmouth

Sowing seeds to create wildflower meadows marked a wonderful start to this year. Under a clear blue sky the day began in Boscawen Road next to the tennis courts. Arriving I was immediately impressed by the maze cut out in the grass. A brilliant design by Howard from Cormac and Jacqui from Falmouth Town Council and Cormac.

The brilliantly designed wildflower maze by Boscawen Road

Once volunteers had gathered we were introduced to the Urban Buzz project by Laura from the charity Buglife. She went through the methods to be used to sow the seed as well as explaining how the plants chosen would help the meadow develop as the perennials established themselves. Once Laura had added sand to the mix of seeds the sowing began. The sand helps achieve an even distribution as well as being a good indicator of the area sown to help prevent bare patches.

The maze design will allow people to walk among the flowers

Walking round the maze it was easy to imagine how wonderful it will look in the summer. It really is a wonderful design that will enable people to walk among the wildflowers. I expect to be spending quite a bit of time there recording and photographing the insects visiting the flowers. Especially as it is so close to the beach, toilets and ice-cream, field work is rarely this good.

Laura Larkin from the charity Buglife giving volunteers a talk
before sowing began on the Gyllyng street terraces

The afternoon sowing took place on the terraces above Gyllyng Street in the centre of Falmouth.  This time as well as sowing seeds, plant plugs were also planted in the selected area. Again Howard, Jacqui and the Cormac team had done extensive preparation work on the chosen areas. They had also planted trees and shrubs beneficial to pollinating insects in the terraces.

The sites had been prepared by Howard, Jacquii and the
team from Cormac

The planting attracted volunteers from both locals and students from the nearby campuses of Falmouth and Exeter universities.  With such a good level of support both areas were sown and planted with plenty of time to spare. It was a very enjoyable and successful day and I am looking forward to seeing these areas come into flower this summer.

The level of support and enthusiasm of the volunteers
ensured the planting was accomplished early

The Urban Buzz project was created by Buglife, the charity that works to safeguard and promote knowledge of invertebrates. Initially it ran in selected cities in England and Wales and in four of these it created or enhanced 138 hectares of land, that’s the equivalent of 220 football pitches.

Last year four towns in Cornwall, Falmouth, Truro, St Austell and Wadebridge joined the project. In Falmouth the areas selected for creating wildflower meadows are, parts of the fields alongside Boscawen Road, the terraces above Gyllyng Street and part of the playing fields adjacent to Dracaena Avenue.

Falmouth is one of four towns in Cornwall participating in
the charity Buglife's Urban Buzz project

You could be wondering why this is happening in urbans areas rather than in the countryside? There are a number of reasons why, the first being is that farming practices have changed dramatically over the last few decades. These changes in our countryside are reflected in declines of certain species, for example farmland birds have declined by 56% in the UK since 1970. Looking at solitary bee species a survey in 2015 found more species in Northampton than in the surrounding countryside that included three nature reserves. Mounting evidence suggests that urban areas are now an important refuge for a variety of wildlife.

Nature can flourish in towns and cities - a leaf cutter bee in
Kimberley Park

Another important consideration is that having a connection with Nature can offer both physical and mental health benefits to the local community. The science behind this is a growing area of research covering such areas as the ways our brains responds positively to engaging with nature to how chemicals released by plants can improve our immune system.

While these wildflower meadows will provide the opportunity to connect with Nature to everyone whatever their age they are especially important for children growing up in an urban environment. Hopefully these areas will stimulate their natural curiosity and help them develop an interest in wildlife and the natural world.

Access to the natural world to stimulate a child's natural
curiosity is an essential part of their childhood.
Photo: Bug Hunt held in Falmouth Cemetery 2018

I am certainly curious to see what insects will be attracted to these areas and will not be surprised to discover species so far unrecorded in the town. I am also hopeful that over time, species that are rarely seen will become more common. One species I will be looking forward is the four banded flower bee. A related species, the hairy footed flower bee is a common sight in Kimberley Park during the spring. The four banded bee flies between June and mid-August and is a rarer sight. With their flight period corresponding to the peak flowering time for the new wildflower meadows I am hoping to see an increase in their abundance over time. They are quite fast moving bees so not the easiest to film. Hats off to Charlotte Rankin who filmed this one on Cliff Road last summer.

With the seeds sown and the plants planted the clocking is ticking down towards enjoying a wonderful summer watching these areas blossom. 

Reflections on 2018

A selection of photos from 2018 - click to enlarge

There are, I am sure, good lessons to be learned from the six months of silence since the last post. While I reflect on what they might be and announce that I will try harder to post more regularly in 2019, let’s take a look at the highlights of 2018.

I will start with the wonderful news that Falmouth Town Council is partnering with the charity, Buglife in the Urban Buzz project. This will see areas of the town planted with wildflowers to help pollinator insects in the town. I am so looking forward to seeing these areas flowering for the first time this year.

Three participants in the 2018 Bug Hunt

As part of the Urban Buzz project last August there was a bug hunt organised by Buglife and the town council in the old parts of Falmouth cemetery. The event attracted families who were given sweep nets and were soon capturing a variety of interesting insects and invertebrates. There were also pooters available to try, these are a bottle with two tubes – one to suck on and the other to collect an insect and place it in the bottle. The hunt was so successful that plans are being made for another one this year.

 The two display boards placed in both parts of Falmouth's old cemetery to raise awareness  of its importance to wildlife and the local community.

A major factor in the success of conservation efforts depends upon raising awareness in the local community. In August the Town Council placed two display boards in both parts of Falmouth’s old cemetery. They inform visitors of its importance to wildlife and the fact that it contains several rare species of solitary bees. They also display information on conservation efforts both in the cemetery and the town.

Apart from being excited over the Urban Buzz project there were two personal recording highlights this year. The first was discovering a new species of bee in Falmouth, Anthophora furcata. Not only was this a new record for this part of Cornwall but it is an interesting bee in that it is one of the few species to make its nest by burrowing into dead wood.

    A male Anthophora furcata, captured and released in a
    garden near Kimberley Park.

My second find was seeing my first European Hornet in Falmouth, only saw one and only once. This is our native species and is impressively large and unlike the Asian Hornet not a threat to beekeepers and their hives. Despite its size it is usually a docile creature that often hunts at night.

 Our native hornet, a new record for Falmouth, will we see
 more of them in 2019?

Another fantastic find was shown to me by Simon Penna, Head of Maintenance for Falmouth Town Council. A number of solitary wasps were making their nests in a dead Ash tree in Kimberley Park. Now although solitary, that is the female usually makes an individual nest some species will share the entrance that then leads to their own nest. This was the case with this species, Ectemnius cephalotes and there were steady streams of female wasps bring back captured flies to the entrance. It was fascinating watching them carry the fly beneath them and manoeuvring it into the hole. Each egg that the wasp lays is provision with several paralysed flies for the larvae to feed on when it hatches. Paralysing the fly keeps it fresh for the larvae, an interesting alternative to refrigeration but please don’t try this at home.

A female Ectemnius cephalotes solitary wasp returns to her

nest with a paralysed fly for her larvae to feed on. As an

adult wasp they will feed on nectar.

Most people only encounter and would recognise social wasps, who like honey bees live in a nest with female workers and a queen. In Falmouth the two species usually seen are the Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) and the European wasp (Vespula germanica). In October Storm Callum damaged one of the conifers in the lower part of Falmouth cemetery. One of its lower branches was almost completely torn from the tree. This caused a common wasp nest to fall from its original position to be caught lower down. Thanks to the skilful work of the cemetery manager, Matthew Brotherton and the maintenance crew not only was the branch safely removed but the still active nest also survived. This gave a rare chance to see the intricate design of the nest and watch the activity of the common wasps for several weeks until the colony came to the end of its lifecycle.

The Common Wasp nest revealed after the damage caused
to a tree by Storm Callum.

The biggest impact made by the weather this year was made by the beast from the east, an influx of cold air that saw snow falling and settling in Falmouth. The effects of this unusually cold spell in March were immediately seen on tender plants such as Alexander that were hit hard. Many queen bumblebees delayed establishing a nest and new colonies by up to four weeks and many butterfly species appeared later than normal.

  Solitary bee (Andrena fulva) on Alexander flowers. Being

  introduced by the Romans from the Mediterranean, 
  Alexander was hit hard by the unusually harsh weather.

Generally I saw a fall in the abundance of insects this spring and to a lesser extent in the summer. My hope is that it was a result of this cold spell and it is not repeated in 2019 to allow populations to recover. Certainly with local conservation efforts the prospects look very promising for this year. It is though a reminder that climate change is something we all should be concerned about. 

Spear-leaved Willowherb - Epilobium lanceolatum

Discovered a few of these wildflowers growing in Park Rise today. Generally it is found in open habitats, such as the base of hedges and walls in towns, waste ground, quarries and mine spoil heaps. 

Falmouth Cemetery - 30 Days Wild

30 Days Wild - Falmouth Cemetery

Many of us lead busy lives, so much so that it is easy to let our connection with Nature slip away. This lack of interest in our local wildlife has many consequences, for what we cease to value can be so easy lost, sometimes forever.

30 days lost is a initiative by our Wildlife trusts to encourage people during June to get out and about to experience the natural world. Not only does this benefit our wildlife as people's connections with Nature are strengthened but it has measurable health benefits for those that participate.

Let's go wild in June.

Ashy Mining Bee - Kimberley Park, Falmouth

Nature in Falmouth - Kimberley Park

The first in a series of short videos showing wildlife, flora and fauna, in and around Falmouth.

Fox Rosehill Gardens, Falmouth - Plants flowering in Winter

I confess that it is my interested in bumblebees that draws me to Fox Rosehill Garden each winter. The garden's various varieties of Mahonia are pretty well guaranteed to attract winter active buff-tailed bumblebees from November through to the end February. While a bumblebee visit to a Mahonia flower is almost certain, some days entail quite a lot of waiting for a visitor to arrive. This allows me to take a look at its other attractions.

The garden is home to a variety of exotic plants from around the world. Quite a few of these flower during in the winter. I am not very knowledgeable on ornamental plants but with help from Robbie Blackhall- Miles from Fossil Plants and Helen Brown at Little Ash Gardens I have managed to put a name to the plants in my photos.

Bumblebee on Mahonia flowers

Fuchsia microphylla

Amaryllis belladonna

Impatiens tinctoria

Sparmannia africana

Correa glabra var. turnbullii

Salvia corrugata

brugmansia x Lutea

Clerodendrum trichotomum
- these are fruits not its flowers

Lambertia formosa

Dance of the Faeries

It is a magical spectacle of the autumn, swarms of the cranefly Dicranomyia chorea dancing in patches of sunlight towards sunset. These were filmed in Fox Rosehill Gardens in November and I have also seen them in the old parts of the cemetery above Swan Pool in early October. Could they be mistaken for faeries or pixies? I think it likely that they are one natural phenomena that may have supported the folklore. 

November Wild flowers

November can seem like a rehearsal for winter as the days shorten, temperatures fall and deciduous trees make their final preparations for shedding their leaves. It is not though a month entirely of gloom with Nature snuggling down to sleep through the long nights. A few wild flowers can still be found adding colour to the landscape in the milder parts of Britain.

The plants I discovered on a walk at the beginning of the month can be divided into four groups. The first would be the last remnants of species that mainly flower in September and October such as Ivy and bramble flowers. The second group are those species that take advantage of Falmouth’s mild coastal climate to flower for much of the year, examples of these would be Red Campion and Ivy-leaved Toadflax. A few individual plants of spring flowering species can be enticed into flowering in autumn by mild weather, the primroses and wood sorrel flowers I saw for example. Finally there are the winter flowering species that tend to be garden escapees for example Winter Heliotrope.

In all I spotted twelve species flowering, a reasonable count for early November.