Bulbs open, and songs to be sung
WITH days getting longer and species slowly becoming more active it’s great to see colleagues elsewhere in the local authority embracing the wonders of the natural world.
We are fortunate in Sefton to have a fantastic range of protected wildlife and wild flowers that flourish in the dune system and other habitats, but you don’t have to be deep in the coast’s nature reserves to appreciate that winter’s grip is slowly easing (I know, I know, this “tempting fate” statement will probably prompt an ice age of global proportions).
And to celebrate what’s happening along the borough’s natural coast and in our greenspaces Green Sefton is working to provide a nature calendar for all to enjoy.
You can visit the calendar online at www.sefton.gov.uk/ nature-calendar
It’s early days, but hopefully the calendar will build to highlight what is happening around us as the seasons progress.
Now, spring bulbs are already flowering in sheltered spots, and you should be able to hear Robins, Song Thrushes and Wrens singing in our parks and gardens.
The dawn chorus will get progressively louder over the coming months, but the first songsters are always the most welcome, until they are joined by more and more Blackbirds and returning summer migrants.
The repetitive clarity of Song Thrushes is always a treat and easy to pick out even in urban areas as they repeat song phrases at least three times.
Wrens, though diminutive are the epitome of feisty.
The calendar will also look at what the Green Sefton team is up to – for example clearing invasive scrub and using conservation grazing to improve conditions in the dune system.
As the page develops it will also look at why Green Sefton carries out some works within set periods – scrub removal for example stops in March before the breeding season for most of our wild species begins.
FCERM – the Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management team – also work under the Green Sefton umbrella, and with winter far from over, their pages at https://thefloodhub.co.uk are a great place to check on how to avoid water damage should the coming months turn wet.
Cllr Ian Moncur, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said: “Working on Sefton’s green spaces and along our 22-mile nature coast, much of our Green Sefton teams’ work is determined by the seasons and they have a month-bymonth programme designed to enhance and protect our unique combination of environments, plants and wildlife.
“Ensuring we provide protection for these sometimes means carrying out measures including scrub clearance, which some people may be surprised to see.
“It also sometimes means not doing things people expect we would, such as not mowing in certain areas this month to provide food sources during the lean winter months.
“This year we thought it would be good to share some of those seasonal update elements with Sefton residents telling them what’s going on around them in nature and what to look out for.”
John works for Green Sefton, the Sefton Council service that brings together the coast & countryside, parks & green spaces, flooding & coastal erosion, risk management and grounds maintenance teams for a joined-up approach to the vital management, development and oversight of Sefton’s beautiful coastline, parks and green spaces. This column looks at the flora, fauna and history of the coastline, and the work carried out to protect it.