Heswall Dales Local Nature Reserve

Alan Irving (Reserve Manager for Cleaver Heath) recently wrote an article about Heswall Dales for RECORD to put in their newsletter.

Heswall Dales

Heswall Dales Local Nature Reserve (LNR) is owned and managed by Wirral Borough Council and forms part of the Heswall Dales SSSI (Site of Specific Scientific Interest). Access is from Oldfield Road, Heswall CH60 6SN (SJ 2595 8242) where there is a notice about both Heswall Dales LNR and Dale Farm. The nearest parking is on Oldfield Road itself. The Friends of Heswall Dales website contains information about what can been seen there. You can find maps both for locating the reserve and for navigating the main paths. Look particularly at the ‘Your Visit’ page where there is a season-by-season guide to flora and fauna.

The main Dales LNR occupies 70 acres of which some 50 are classified as lowland heath. It overlooks the Dee Estuary and is popular with local residents, particularly dog-walkers, who are encouraged to stick to the main paths. Thus there is quite a lot of undisturbed habitat for recording purposes which, conversely, means access to the dedicated recorder can be quite challenging, requiring stout footwear and thorn-proof clothing. As well as attractive heather, Western gorse (Ulex galli) and Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) panels, there are sandstone outcrops, dense scrub areas and birch/oak woodland. The Council web page also contains a copy of the Dales Management Plan. Amongst other things, this contains an overview of the physical characteristics of the Dales and the SSSI citation.

Botanical surveying taking place at Heswall Dales

Botanical surveys of the SSSI are conducted on a 10-year cycle, the last one of which was in 2020. In these, non-plant species are not systematically recorded but only as occasional observations. A small area near the Bush Way entrance (south-east corner) is designated as a Site of Biological Importance.

Complete species bird counts over a fixed route along the main paths have been conducted throughout 2020, yielding some 50+ species. These have been logged using the BTO BirdTrack system. In the breeding season there is plenty of activity by the visiting warblers, and in the winter, Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) are known to be hiding out and are occasionally flushed during conservation work. Various raptors are found all year round including Sparrowhawks (Accipiter nisus), Tawny owls (Strix aluco), Kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) and Buzzards (Buteo buteo), which make use of the healthy small mammal populations. Other mammals known to be present are Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), Badgers (Meles meles) and bats about which little is known. Local birders fondly remember the Dartford warbler (Curruca undata) found once in the Dales leading to traffic jams in Heswall, so one never knows what might show up.

Views of heathland and woodland at Heswall Dales

It is not well known how much other recording has been done historically, so there is plenty of scope for further work. We are particularly keen to find out more about invertebrates of all kinds, including butterflies, moths and beetles. The heather is thought to be rich in spider species and merits a proper survey.

For more information about the latest state of recording and further local advice, check with the Friends of Heswall Dales (see their website for contact details) and the Ranger

(christopherwerney@wirral.gov.uk).

The reserve is open 24/7 all year round.

Poulton Hall Garden Opening - 3rd July

Fruit trees in the Walled Garden at Poulton Hall

On Saturday 3rd July, from 2pm, we have kindly been offered the use of Poulton Hall Walled Gardens to raise awareness and funds for Wirral Wildlife and New Ferry Butterfly Park. Poulton Hall is situated just north of where the valley of the Clatter Brook joins the River Dibbin.

Caroline and Scirard Lancelyn Green, our hosts, are fervent wildlife supporters. Cheshire Wildlife Trust manage three of the Poulton Estate’s woodlands, namely Foxes Wood, Thornton Wood and Intake wood, which are all part of Dibbindale SSSI and are being the finest examples of ancient woodland in Merseyside. Cheshire Wildlife Trust also manages a small wildflower area for the Estate known as Tom’s Paddock which acts as woodland glade for Foxes Wood.

Hedgerows and trees in the Poulton Hall gardens

Wirral Countryside Volunteers have used the hall grounds to host four very enjoyable and successful hedge laying training days when a mixed hedge of nine shrub species was laid and an example of each species left as a standard tree. Although some of the species do not normally form standard trees, this has been achieved. Why nine species of shrub? One species of shrub for every century the family have resided here. This 400metre hedge is hand trimmed with secateurs by staff at the hall. This dedication to detail and aftercare much impressed the Wirral Countryside Volunteers, no split ends here.

Wildflower meadow at Poulton Hall gardens

Adjacent to this species rich hedge bedecked with a diverse species of standard trees lies a colourful wildflower meadow with some notable species such as early purple orchids. Guided tours of this area will be given as well as a self-guided trail being available. Have a go hedge-laying mock ups will be available as well as have a go with a scythe. You can make a newspaper pot and sow a seed to take home to nurture. All this wildlife to enjoy even before you have crossed the ha-ha and walked into the more formal gardens.

Classical Garden at Poulton Hall

The series of gardens are an eclectic mixture of themes with literary connotations from Greek mythology, Beowulf, Arthurian legends, Shakespeare, Alice in Wonderland to a Dalek. There are over 40 interesting artistic features to view in the garden with four new features to spot this year.

Spot the Viking head

There's a witch in the garden

The shrub and flower collections are colourful, impressive and inspirational. There will be various activities such as pond dipping and a costume jewellery sale. There will be story telling every half an hour following the chimes from the set of the 32 bells at the hall.

Fountain and willows

To walk around the garden and meadow taking in all these fascinating features is about one mile and will take about two hours, but you may like to take the opportunity to sit down and enjoy a cream tea and soak up the atmosphere before heading round to view more of the gardens. There is a children’s themed garden inspired by nursery rhymes.

Narnia themed garden at Poulton Hall

For entrance to the gardens and to make sure there is a cream tea waiting for you and your friends book online. Admission £6 for entrance, £9.50 for entrance and cream tea, under 16s free.  

http://www.poultonhall.co.uk/GardenOpenings.html

Pergolas in the garden at Poulton Hall

We look forward to welcoming you to these wonderful gardens.

Protecting Landican's Hedgerows

It's National Hedgerow Week

 

The Tree Council's National Hedgerow Week is 29th May until 6th June.

Hedgerow in Landican

It would be wonderful to get the hedges at Landican protected as a Local Wildlife Site. Protection of valuable species-rich hedges through the planning system is something that gets little attention in many Local Authorities. Hedgerow Regulations 1997 apply to rural hedges, but often there are no data on individual hedges until planning proposals arise, and sometimes they get cleared before the planning application goes in.

However, all areas have Local Wildlife Sites (or equivalent names) as a tier of wildlife sites below the national one of SSSIs, which are protected by Local Plan policies. The criteria for these are set locally and can include hedges, as those for the Cheshire Region do.

Hedgerow at the edge of a field in Landican

In Wirral we have just put our first set of hedges forward for protection as a Local Wildlife Site, located in farmland in Landican. The Wirral Local Wildlife Sites Partnership has agreed this and it now goes forward in the Wirral Local Plan. This ensures the hedges get on the Local Plan maps and the planning department Hazards maps. Since the process involves landowner consultation, it also makes sure the landowner and tenant know the value of the hedges. Hopefully if the future Agricultural Act funding really does give `public money for public goods' then having a LWS on the farm may become valuable in money terms.

Hedgerow in farmland in Landican

Very few areas have comprehensive hedge surveys, but if individual species-rich hedges are known, then LWS designation can be used to highlight and hopefully protect them. The LWS designation can also be used for urban hedges if they are species-rich (perhaps an old rural hedge swallowed up by a housing estate). Hedgerow Regulations do not apply to urban hedges at present.

New Gates For New Ferry Butterfly Park

The gate design for the entrance of New Ferry Butterfly Park

New gates are being made for New Ferry Butterfly Park to celebrate its 25th anniversary. They will be installed this autumn.

To raise some extra funds we have set up a Crowdfunder page.

Would you be able to make a small donation to help us reach our target? Any contribution would help us tremendously.

For more information please see:
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/silver-jubilee-gate