Today we went to the Wildlife Recording day run by the Friends of Victoria Park and Merseyside Biobank. They armed us with clipboards, recording sheets and pens, and offered a variety of ID guides. We thought we were OK with birds, trees, bumble bees and butterflies, but borrowed a copy of Blamey and Fitter’s wildflower book. And then we just wandered about writing down everything we recognised.
Most things we were able to name but some of our insects were simply written as “spider” or “wasp”. Many insects were on Ragwort, clearly an important plant for them, including the first black and yellow striped Cinnabar moth caterpillar I have seen for a number of years.
We lunched in an ornamental part of the park with plenty of “garden” flowers, which we didn’t list. The Friends have put out hand-made signs warning of dire consequences for anyone caught vandalising their precious plantings.
After lunch we had an opportunity to visit the Waterloo Community Forest Garden on the other side of Somerville Road, squeezed into a small strip of land next to the railway line. They cater for school groups wanting nature encounters and were rated “outstanding” in the 2022 Britain in Bloom competition.
It’s mostly wild, but they have planted some small apple trees, a patio Mulberry and a rare native fruit tree, a Medlar, with developing fruit, about an inch (2.5 cm) wide.
Some of the Biobank staff were in there rootling around and had spotted some rarities, a Puss Moth caterpillar and a member of the orchid family that they thought was a Broad-leaved Helleborine, growing through Ivy beside a narrow shady path.
At the end of the day we handed in our lists. We had recorded 83 species as follows: 1 mammal (a Grey Squirrel); 9 birds (Robin, Blackbird, Wren, Collared Dove, Wood Pigeon, Carrion Crow and Magpie, a Herring Gull and Swifts overhead); 10 insects, including Large and Small White butterflies and a Meadow Brown; 27 species of tree and shrub and 36 kinds of wild flowers. After I had dropped off the others I re-crossed the park on the way home and found a second, smaller mulberry tree, groaning with fruit, with a sign inviting all comers to help themselves. I didn’t need asking twice!
Public transport details: Bus 47 from Queen Square at 10.15. arriving 10.43 at Crosby Road North / Sycamore Road. The others returned to Liverpool on the train from Waterloo Station at about 2.15.