Friends’ film: Please share the links below to the film ‘teaser’ and the specially created website with all your friends and relations. They are well worth seeing. Already they have been shared with over 25,000 people.
QUIETWAY The Royal Parks are continuing this month with roadworks on the middle road (between Ham cross and Pen Ponds car park) and the pedestrian crossings at Ham Cross and Sheen Cross. This is in preparation for its designation as a cycling Quietway.
PHOTOS FOR 2018 CALENDAR A reminder, if you would like the chance to have your photos included in the next Friends Calendar, the closing date is 13 April. Full details here.
DAWN CHORUS WALK Our bird Dawn Chorus Walk this year is on Easter Bank Holiday Monday, 17 April – meet at Sheen Gate at 5am.
Groups will be walking pre-set routes to cover the whole park and hopefully all the potential bird species; then meeting up at the Pen Ponds coffee kiosk mid to late morning to compare notes and make the final count (69 for 2016 and 72 for 2015). If you would like to join them, just turn up at one of the locations.
CENTENARY WALK IN RICHMOND PARK 20 MAY Led by members of the London Geodiversity Partnership in collaboration with the Friends of Richmond Park and the London Natural History Society. Full details here.
ROAD WORKSThank you for bearing with us whilst the improvements to the Park roads are made. The final period of disruption will be when traffic lights are installed from 10th – 22nd April at Sheen Cross whilst the 3rd raised crossing point is installed.
THE ROYAL PARKS CHARITY On 16th March the organisation that manages the 8 Royal Parks ceased to be a government agency and became a charity. It has taken on the role of generating the £36m that it currently costs to manage the parks. Of this 65% is currently generated by income and 35% from government, which continues to be reduced each year. A Chairman and Trustees were appointed prior to the new organisation being formed and they are due to appoint a new Chief Executive in April with other staff arrangements following on. Later this spring The Royal Parks Foundation is due to transfer into the new charity.
WARBLERS They are, generally speaking summer migratory birds that fly to the UK and breed here. Many of them are small and brown and similar looking and not easy to tell apart unless you are an experienced birdwatcher. However they do have differing calls and some can be quite distinctive. Chiff-Chaffs, White-Throats, and Black-Caps are reasonably easy to hear in Richmond in the summer and with very little time listening to recordings on-line visitors can quickly get to know the birds that punctuate their routine walks.
OAK PROCESSIONARY MOTH – PESTICIDE SPRAYING In early April the eggs of the invasive insect pest, Oak Processionary Moth, start hatching. The eggs over winter on the twigs of oak trees and the young caterpillars emerge as the weather gets warmer and the leaves on which they feed unfurl. The caterpillars may cause extensive defoliation of the host tree and also carry toxic hairs which can pose a serious threat to human and animal health. Early season management of this challenging pest includes targeted pesticide spraying in some areas of the park. Much of this takes place at night to minimise inconvenience to park users. However, day-time spraying is sometimes necessary, particularly where ground conditions are unsuitable for night-time working. Please avoid the proximity of the spraying operation and follow any instructions given by the ground crew accompanying the spraying rigs.
THE STREAMS The Streams are bright with Marsh Marigolds, (Caltha palustris). The yellow hooded spathes of the American Skunk Cabbage, (Lysichiton americanus), which precede large rank leathery leaves, are conspicuous along the stream from the Still Pond.
CAMELIAS Camellias are still flowering throughout the Garden. They are mainly older Camellia japonica cultivars and a number of Williamsii hybrids.
RHODODENDRONS Along the Bluebell Walk, opposite the Acer Glade, look out for the bright purple flowers of the deciduous R. reticulatum. This month the Japanese azaleas start into flower. They are usually at their best during the last week of April and the first week of May.
R.racemosum grows down the path from the Still Pond, it is a medium sized shrub that bears pale to bright pink flowers.
Rhododendron 'Quaker Girl' grows in the glade set back from the path at the top of Thomson's Stream and bears trusses of stunning white flowers with a deep crimson throat.
Look out for Rhododendron 'Bibiani' growing in a number of areas in the garden, this shrub produces compact trusses of rich crimson funnel shaped flowers with maroon spots.
Early evergreen azaleas are beginning to flower throughout the garden look out for 'Kirin' a pale pink "hose in hose" (flower within an flower) and 'Sylvester' which has small deep pink flowers.
In a glade set back from the Main Stream and other locations around the Garden are the blue flowering Rhododendrons from the Triflorum series these are Rhododendron augustinii and the R,chasmanthum hybrid Rhododendron 'Electra'.
MAGNOLIAS Throughout the gardens pink and white forms of Magnolia soulangiana come into flower.
Along the Bluebell Walk are two small pink hybrids of M. stellata, called M. X loebneri 'Leonard Messel'. A larger one is set back by the Scots Pine to the far side of the Acer Glade.
Magnolia 'Heaven Scent' one of the Gresham Hybrids grows in a ride off the Main Stream and has goblet shaped flowers, pink on the outside and white inside. Its flowers have a strong lavender scent.
THE BOG GARDEN Look out for the clusters of white or pale pink flowers borne on white-haired stems which are those of the "Umbrella Plant", Darmera peltata which flowers before it produces foliage.
The next walks – dates available soon at: www.frp.org.uk "April Park News"