Recent news

It is a great time to get out into the woods and enjoy the start of Autumn. Simon Mott's recent photos show what is emerging now in Crofton Woods.

Fancy offering a couple of hours a fortnight to support your local wild space? Then why not come along on alternate Tuesday mornings and join our Work Group. 

Equipment and instruction provided. Both energetic work and light tasks avalable. 

A great way to get fresh air, meet local people and learn about woodland management. Here is our programme - the first session of the season is on 2 September.

Contact friendscroftonandsparrowwoods@gmail.com to join our mailing list and get location reminders.

The RSPB's Luke Blanchard had a clear sighting of the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in late July. This bird used to be a well known resident of the woods, but hasn't been seen for years beyond one suspected sighting, so it is very exciting to have a report from a good birder of a clear sighting. (He didn't have time to get a photo, so the ones here are David's from Herzogovinia!)

Rumour has it that the spread of Ash dieback has lead to a lot of standing dead wood which the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker likes, so they are being seen more often in the UK.

Whatever the reason, we are delighted to ba able to share the news. We also had a reliable report of a Willow Warbler heard in August.

An eagle-eyed walker reported to us that they had seen a caterpillar nest on an oak treee in Sparrow Wood. Checking on line it is confirmed as Oak Processionary Moth - we knew we had it in the London Borough of Bromley, but this is the first reported sighting in Crofton and Sparrow Woods. 

The caterpllars are covered in small hairs which can cause health risks in humans. To minimise health risks:

• Do not touch or approach oak processionary moth caterpillars or their nests.
• Do not let children or animals touch or approach the caterpillars or nests.
• Do not try and remove the caterpillars or nest yourself.
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Come and hear the RSPB's Luke Blanchard about his work with idverde in Bromley to make a difference to our wild spaces.  All welcome.

Refreshments available.

The hall is behind 34 Woodhurst Avenue, but there is no parking, so you'll need to park in the surrounding streets.

The talk will be folowed by a short review of the Group's year with AGM fomatities. 

This is a great time of year to spot our local badger population - look out if you are out at dusk or dawn!  A Group member took this delightful video when out in her garden backing onto Sparrow Woods.

Join us on Tuesday 17 June 2025 at 7pm at the Garden Estates Association Hall, Woodhurst Ave, Petts Wood, Orpington, BR5 1AR 

The talk will be by local RSPB/Idverde expert Luke Blanchard .  

Join us for an interesting talk about sites across Bromley from woodlands to some of the most valuable chalk downland in the world at Hangrove. Including ponds, monitoring biodiversity on allotment sites, butterfly banks, nature-friendly verges and various other habitats in the Borough. 

All welcome – join us for a hot drink and cake . (Followed by short FoC&SW AGM)

We are pleased to announce that the March 2025 e-newsletter has a whole new format which is much easier to read on line, and is now out with members. 

Packed with news about local nature and activities, subscribe to receive your copy. 

https://files.cdn-files-a.com/uploads/4677567/normal_639349341c2ff.pdf

We have a record of the birds seen in Crofton and Sparrow Woods stretching back many years. If you see something that is not on the list, please do take a photo so that we can confirm the ID, and send details of the date and location to friendscroftonandsparrowwoods@gmail.com and we will add it to our records. 

We had the first Tree Creeper of the year reported last week, and a Sparrowhawk the week before.

If you'd like to see the record, here is the PDF of the list.

The next in our occasional series of Saturday Work Groups will take place on Saturday 22 February 2025. The meeting point is the open field area just in from the footpath access at the end of Broadcroft Road.  

We are working on restoring this area as ex-arable grassland to provide better butterfly habitat for our diverse but struggling butterfly population. We start at 10am, and try to do a couple of hours unless the weather defeats us!

Please bring a spade and loppers if you have them - a small stock will be available to borrow if not,. You will need old clothes and gloves. All ages and abilities welcome. 

This is not on Bromley Coucil land, so the work will be undertaken at our own risk. 

We are pleased to publish our planned schedule of work between now and July 2025. Do come along and join in.

Just occasionally we have to change the meeting point due to unexpected priority work - you can always confirm the locatrion  by emailing friendscroftonandsparrowwoods@gmail.com. 

Congratulations to Sue for spotting a Redwing, and to Pat for spotting a Little Egret, this month both at the Eynsford Close Recreation Ground. That takes our 2025 bird species count to 25 already - only three weeks into the month!

The full list so far is included as a table here.  If you see anything else, send us the details with a photo - however dodgy! - to confirm your ID.

Let us hope 2025 will be a good year - although Nuthatch and Dunnock numbers already seem lower than usual this year.