An opportunity for park lovers to join others in a relaxed and friendly group to enjoy time spent outdoors, observing nature through drawing, painting or photography. Bring something to sit on and your own materials (though some basics are provided). The group is free and open to all, whatever your level. 

Watch out for an email to book in advance, or email us to find out more. 

We’ll be cutting and removing the tall grass on the western end of the Anthill Meadow to keep the fertility down which will encourage the wildflowers. Bring shears and gardening gloves if you have them, though we have spares to lend. No special skills needed and refreshments provided.

We work from 10 am to 12.30 pm, but come for as long as you want.

Meet in the Anthill Meadow, or if you're not sure where that is, please email us at AllyParkN10@gmail.com

A seasonal look at some aspect of nature in the park. Meeting place and walk title to follow.

Seasonal Tree Walk in the park. Details to follow.

A well-attended bird walk for Gareth's look around the park for favourite birds (he likes the stock dove) and rarer visitors. We started in the Grove peering up into the trees hoping to catch a glimpse of a spotted flycatcher. Song thrushes were more in evidence.

By the Palace, we were glad to get good views (through binoculars) of two peregrines perching on the mast. Later, by the cricket scrub, some participants got a few glances at a whinchat.

On the reservoir were several different gulls; herring, black-headed and lesser black backed as well as crested grebe and a grey heron.

It looked as if the August work party was going to be a wash-out, but the rain didn’t live up to predictions. We had a pleasantly cool morning’s work, under overcast skies, getting on with bramble control and re-coppicing goat willow and poplar in a central patch of the Anthill Meadow. The flowering season is drawing to a close now, with only the yellow of ragwort giving a golden glow to parts of the meadow. Hopefully, the yellow rattle seeds will have dropped, ready to germinate for next year, so now is the time to start cutting the grass to give them a head start next spring.

On a hot and sunny day, both performers and audience sought the shade of the trees to play and enjoy the music of the 20s and 30s. The audience – more than 70 people – was the largest we have had for music in the Grove. They were delighted by Tony Engles’ sax playing, the steady rhythm from Steve Benaim’s guitar and Martin Appleby’s string bass. But it was the vocals of Tony and Steve that brought out the humour and emotions of the old songs and the applause and whoops from the crowd at the end. 

About 10 of us gathered to look at trees that had grown where the Old Racecourse used to be. In the 50 years since the end of the horse racing, trees have developed with amazing speed: we identified ash, sycamore, field maple, hawthorn, and even a flourishing elm, all distinct, with their own characters. The ash, for example, can grow wonderfully tall, with foliage that lets through light to enable the smaller trees such as hawthorn to establish themselves. The hawthorn itself is developing its haws, those red berries that many birds eat  with enthusiasm. An hour was not enough to absorb all we saw! 

After several requests, a  link to Ghislaine's Sloe Vodka recipe mentioned on the walk after seeing the sloes.

An enthusiastic group of adults and this time very young children were impressed by the number of ladybirds on the Lime Tree where we were based. They were mostly Harlequin ladybirds (adults, larva and chrysalis) and 7-spot ladybirds.

Also found were an orange ladybird and several 16 spot ladybirds.

We found a few odd looking beasts including a young dock bug and a young eared leafhopper.

Pictured left is a flower crab spider.

A fullish list of what was seen.

Some more pictures of what was seen.

A morning walk to look at all things nature. We saw several galls including knopper, spangle and silk button galls (left). 

Taking in quite a few different trees as we walked away from Redston Field. We discussed birds as we approached the cricket scrub and had a look in that area which was new to most on the walk. It was interesting to see which plants were growing up after the dogwood had been largely removed.

July’s work party, on a rather dull day, saw us cutting back the bramble leaders on the south and east margins of the Anthill Meadow. We also opened up a path leading to the Butterfly Meadow. With 12 of us working, much clearing was done, and it was so satisfying to see that this area in the park, with a variety and quantity of wild flowers, can be maintained as a meadow by us.
Despite the very damp spring and summer, butterflies have been rewarding us with their presence. Gatekeepers and meadow browns were the most common butterflies, with a peacock, marbled white and green-veined white also visiting, along with some colourful six-spot burnet moths.

On a cloudy, warm and, crucially, dry day, most of the butterflies we saw were in the Anthill Meadow. Dee pointed out a good number of six-spotted burnet moths (photographed on ragwort by Robert Abbey), including mating pairs. We also saw meadow browns, gatekeepers, small skippers and a green-veined white. When the sun suddenly came out, a couple of marbled whites, at the end of their season, appeared and posed on the knapweed. Meanwhile, Markus had been scanning the oak canopies for purple hairstreaks, and he did indeed spot a fluttery, silvery fragment (the underwing), so the group got a chance to see one.