Bushy Park – Monthly Diary

Bushy Park – February 2024 Diary

Tree Work

Throughout the year The Royal Parks specialist arboricultural team undertake a condition
survey of the trees in the Park to assess the safety and health of the tree stock. Tree work
may be specified to individual trees which might be anything from the reduction pruning
of individual branches to the felling of diseased, dangerous or dead trees.

Arisings and deadwood from this work is kept in the Park as far as possible. Deadwood,
where it presents minimal risk, is retained in tree canopies, as ‘monoliths’ or on the
ground as it is an important habitat for many insects, and in turn supports the bird
population.

Winter storms do cause damage which also needs attending to. Trees may be
uprooted, have stem failure or lose sections of the crown or individual branches. We
clear, make safe or leave storm damaged trees, again determined by an
assessment of risk.

Bird News

If we happen to have some days with clear blue skies, then birds like the Skylark will take
to the sky to sing their beautiful song; actually, locating the songster can be very difficult
but is worth the challenge. The only black and white woodpecker now seen in Bushy
Park is the Greater Spotted Woodpecker, who can be heard drumming.

There is another songster that can be heard and isn’t dependant on fine sunny days,
that is the Storm Cock or to give it its common name the Mistle Thrush. Males can be
heard singing on the most atrocious of days.

Woodland Gardens

The Woodland Gardens are starting to spruce up this winter due to a huge array of
bulbs popping up through the grass and in our borders. A mixture of daffodils,
crocus, snowdrops and bluebells will make appearances through the gardens so
keep your eye out.

You may have noticed a large area within the Pheasantry
Plantation that we have marked off with a low hazel fence, this is a new project to
reintroduce native wildflowers to the woodlands. We have removed the turf and
added sand to help reduce nutrient levels and improve drainage. The beauty of this
new woodland meadow will be visible from spring all the way to late summer,
providing colour and texture beneath our dense green canopy.

The Waterhouse Plantation is getting some much-needed TLC in the form of new fencing and path
renovations to help improve the overall landscape within the gardens.

As always please ask our gardeners any questions as we’d be happy to help.

The Woodland Gardens Team