Thursday 20 March 2008

Stone the Crows ...What have they done to Sefton Park

It’s not a pretty sight, and it’s really quite sad to see the Coot’s making their nesting rafts in the mud, but were told by the council that the Sefton Park restoration will be wonderful. Something hard to imagine when you see just how many mature trees have succumbed to the chainsaw - selective thinning apparently. Yes I can understand a good de-silt (and the removal of hundreds bottles, cans, house bricks and other unidentifiable objects) will certainly benefit the wildlife in the long term: fish, shellfish and birds and there is some water remaining in the the middle of the lake, but it just seems they’ve started it a bit late, I guess the ducks will have to find somewhere else to breed this year. (Maybe it’s just as well as I noticed the part of the fencing was down around the lake and of course unleashed doggies were having a great time chasing the Mallards that were left on the mud)













So why are they doing it : The idea is that the park should to be returned to its Victorian appearance (great if we can restore the structures i.e. the bandstand, aviary café etc and keep the vandals off) but surely their intention with time was that the park would grow and mature into the vistas we see today, or should I say yesterday.... still the council state they are replanting new trees, providing alternative temporary nesting sites, refilling each lake as it completed and consulting with ecologists through out the year …I’m sure we’ll find out if they don’t, as this is certainly generating great debate on Merseyside.

By the way don't really stone the crows, it's much more fun feeding them peanuts instead!
Laura

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes, I do agree - Sefton Park Lake is a right eye-sore and must have an effect on the resident and visiting birds for the nesting period? Any surveys being done? Plus, it was an out of town firm that got the job!! Does anyone know when the lake is going to be replemished and stock returned?

Jackie
LpoolRSPB

RSPB Liverpool Local Group. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales no' 207076, Scotland no. SC037654 said...

I am not at all happy with what they are doing to Sefton Park. I signed a petition against them felling so many trees, but it has done no good at all. They are ripping the heart out of the park, and I don't really think they are doing it with any thought of conservation whatsoever. I think the people of the future (if we ever make it that far as a species!) will look back on the 20th and first part of the 21st Century and call us all maniacs.

Mark