Local Wildlife Site

Wildlife

Recently developed nature areas and an abundance of fine mature trees provide the main conservation interest of Mountsfield Park. The nature areas are mostly located along the perimeter of the park on all but the eastern edge, which is given over to amenity use. The wildlife areas have been planted with a range of mostly native trees and shrubs, including field maple, alder, silver birch, wild cherry, hawthorn and various willows. Bramble and non-native buddleia are also plentiful. Wild flowers include yarrow, lesser burdock, mugwort, creeping thistle, great willowherb, lucerne, bristly oxtongue, ribwort plantain, meadow crane's-bill and common ragwort. A few bee orchids appeared in one meadow area in 2004. The grasses found in these locations are just as varied and include creeping bent, common bent, false oat-grass, cock's-foot, red fescue and perennial rye-grass. Additionally, dead wood is left in situ. The overall result is that invertebrates occur in abundance, particularly beetles, grasshoppers and butterflies. Amongst the species in the latter group are meadow brown, speckled wood, gatekeeper and small and Essex skippers. The park contains a large number of mature trees (both native and exotic) including several copses of mature pedunculate oak, some hawthorn scrub on the banks of the sports fields to the south and an old hedge of hawthorn and elm besides the playground. Additionally, there are considerable areas of dense, planted shrubbery. This leads to a good number of birds being found here, many of them familiar in parks and gardens. Perhaps most notable is an abundance of house sparrows; this species has suffered significant population decline in London in recent years and is a priority species in both London and Lewisham Biodiversity Action Plans.

Facilities

No information available