Callington Road Local Nature Reserve A wildlife oasis Photo Ann Power Friends of Callington Road Nature Reserve The Friends Group consists of local residents and They ensure that all wildlife feels welcome by planting works closely with Bristol City Council. trees and wildflowers, like in The Field and Upper Slopes. A dew pond has also been created, which is They work hard to make it easy accessibly for the local visited by dragonflies and damselflies. community. Boundary fences and signs have been erected and paths have been created. If you would like to get involved or find out more, take a look at their website - www.tinyurl.com/focrnr Mark Gundry, Bristol City Council Pam Tanner Mavis and Pete Stone Ruth Gilliam 2 Denis Stuckey, chair or FOCRNR (here with his grand-children), says: «The objective of our Friends group is to preserve and protect the extensive flora and fauna on Callington Road Local Nature Reserve for the benefit of present and future generations. It is our intention that the Reserve remains a peaceful haven in which wildlife flourishes and can be observed by caring members of the public.» History of the Reserve «Where Callington road is, that used to be all fields and Callington Road Local Nature Reserve was made farms. We used to have the little railway running through into a 'Local Nature Reserve' under the National from Norton Radstock, which I could see from the house. Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 on 1st October 2009 to make sure that the natural beauty My first son was 18 months old when we first came here and and wildlife was protected for local people to enjoy. when I heard the whistle I used to run, pick him up and put The Reserve is divided by an ancient public right him on the table so he could see it! You would see it coming of way. 'The Field' lies to the south of the lane and Pam Tanner was formerly part of Imperial Sports down through at the back of Imperial lane.» field and now has Village Green status. To the north of the lane lie the “Upper Slopes”, former allotment land which is particularly rich in wildlife. 3 The area consisted of fields up to the 1920’s when houses were built. As this development took place, the undeveloped part, which is now the Reserve, has remained an oasis for wildlife in a busy urban neighbourhood. The site is now a designated Site of Photos: Denis Stuckley Nature Conservation Interest, and supports urban mammals such as foxes, deer and squirrels, together with a wide range of birds and some amazing insects, including several rare species. The allotment site in the 1980’s and the The results of two wildlife surveys can be seen on the FOCRNR website. same view today. Can you spot the line of conifers that appears on both photos? Treasure hunt J Put on your detective hats and Callington Road Nature Reserve I uncover the secrets of the past... Use 1 the co-ordinates to find your way to ~ H the treasures that provide clues to A B C D E F G the history of the nature reserve. 2 2 Black poplar trees 3 They mark 3 the original Talbot Road watercourse, now underground Allotments 4 Grid ref. C5 4 4 Pond The old pond This seasonal pond was once D E F G H I J used for washing 5 Callington Road carts as people W travelled along the NW ancient right of Grid ref. C4 N way. A SW 6 0 50m 100m Mysterious humps NE B S The town green used to SE be a pitch and putt! E Grid ref. B3 C J Callington Road Nature Reserve I 1 ~ H A B C D E F G 2 2 Row of cypress trees an Italian allotmenteer once 3 planted these as a windbreak around his allotment! 3 Grid ref. F4 Marker stone Talbot Road the original Allotments boundary stone for Bristol. Grid ref. C4 5 4 4 Pond D E F G H I J 5 Callington Road W NW N A SW 6 0 50m 100m NE B S Old allotment site SE The area was important for local The old path E people to grow their food C An original right of Grid ref. E4 way. Grid ref. C4 Your notes and sketches (sketchpad on seasonal floor) Explore the reserve early in the morning to hear a wonderful dawn chorus. Listen for small birds such as wrens, goldfinches, and blue tits, particularly in the trees and bushes of the upper slopes. Find larger birds such as jays and green woodpeckers searching for ants in the field. Look for Golden brimstone butterflies as they emerge from their cocoon in early March. Find their caterpillars Spring feeding on the buckthorn plants on the upper slopes. Smell the pungent wild garlic that fills the woodlands from April. Deciduous trees start to form their fresh green leaves, with plum and hawthorn blossom appearing in late spring. Listen for hedgehogs in the early evening as they come snuffling out of hibernation whilst foxes prowl around, looking for a mate in April and May. Photo Nick Denning Photo Nick Discover a tree. What does it feel like? on tim ti Nest e Hawthorn, Can you describe it? Do a bark rubbing c also known here: A The birds are singing loudly to as the May tree attract a mate. They will after the month need a good nest to lay that it flowers, was their eggs in. Can you traditionally used to make one? What will create garlands for you need? Mayday celebrations. Which is strange, as people thought hawthorn blossom smelled like the J. Doherty J. Great Plague in London. It was later discovered 8 that a chemical present in hawthorn blossom is also a chemical formed in decaying animal tissue. Using moss to make a comfy nest Yuk! Can you find these sensational springtime wild things? Record your findings here Wild garlic: D. Kilbey - Frog spawn: P. Doherty spawn: P. D. Kilbey - Frog Wild garlic: Tiny eggs under/ non a leaf nSomething that jumps nWild garlic nGreat tit nFrog spawn n Hawthorn blossom Did you Elder tree uses over history, mostly for food and drink. Elderflower cordial and know The Elder was also known as the Fairy tree, ‘champagne’ is made from the flowers apparently the best time to encounter faeries which can be dipped in batter and fried as was under an elder bush on Midsummer’s fritters. The flowers are Eve, when the Faery also used to make a skin King and Queen could cleanser and eye lotion be seen passing. There and the berries are used to are many stories and make a rich wine. magical references to elder. It was thought The branches are filled with a soft pith which allows that if you burned elder D. Chapman W. Derek wood you would see children to make elder the devil but if you beads and flutes or, more planted one by your traditionally, as it is thought 9 house it would keep that the name elder comes the devil away. the Anglo-saxon ‘aeld’ meaning fire, the hollow The berries and leaves are poisonous eaten stems could have been used to blow air into raw however, Elder has a great deal of human the centre of a fire like bellows. Record your findings here Blackbird: D. Kilbey - Wren: Gatehouse Studio Wren: D. Kilbey - Blackbird: nWren nElder tree nBlackbird nBrimstone butterfly nSomething soft nBluebells Life C Did rog ycle The Cowslip you F know Spring Equinox Primroses are the first of is the first day of the flowers to appear at the Spring. Named Ostara, sides of the green lane in January. by the Anglo-Saxons They are followed later by cowslips Frog spawn in honor of Eostre, in the field, and Tadpole maiden Goddess of bluebells in the copse Spring fertility. near the dewpond. The name cowslip Eostre Adult frog is thought to have is the spirit come from the Old of the dawning English cūslyppe Tadpole year, new growth, s with ol fresh beginnings, ich meaning “cow dung”, legs S. N Young probably because it is frog renewal, 10 often found growing in cow rebirth. fields. The leaves of cowslips are used as a salad and to flavour country wines and vinegars. «I used to have a little covering on the allotment. There was a Herbalists use it for the treatment of headaches, whooping cough hedgehog there with about 6 young! We had loads of slow worms and tremors amongst other things. and still do now... and loads of foxes.» Ian McCaulder Record your findings here Cowslip (right): K. Giles - Nest: A. PriceCowslip (right): K. Giles - Nest: Tip: I. Chambers - Snail: Gatehouse Studio Orange nCowslip nBirds nest n Something yellow nOrange tip butterlfy nSnail Did Find a beautiful spring flower you . know Don’t pick it but draw a picture to Slow worm remember what it looks like: Slow worms emerge from hibernation in March and look superficially like snakes, but are actually legless lizards. One way to identify them is to see if they have eyelids: lizards do, snakes don’t. Slow worms are a protected species, and spend much of the time hiding underneath objects. They are carnivorous and because they feed on slugs and worms, they can often be found in long grass and other damp environments. Slow worms have the ability to shed their tails in order to escape predators. Ian Chambers However, 11 domestic cats are their main predator which they have no defence against.