by Hi my lovely readers!
We already explored the deer and birds of Bushy Park and today I want to talk about the remaining wildlife that can be spotted in my local park.
The park is full of different mammals, fish and of course plenty of little and almost invisible insects that are totally worth watching and learning more about.
If you have not gone out to explore your local park in more depth, I would highly encourage you to do so. Find out more about the animals and different species that call your local park their home and make it fun and interactive. For example, you could make it a mission to find a rare animal or take amazing pictures of birds.
There is always something to see and learn, we just need to look out for it!
Bushy Park for instance has plenty of ponds and streams across different areas of the park, the waters are bursting with fish such as perch, roach, chub, bream and rudd.
Anglers are invited to come to the park and try their luck at catching some big fish. Back in 2002, it was reported that a 5lb 1oz crucian carp was caught, which is one big fish for its species. Some carp in Bushy Park can weight up to 35lb and can reach over one metre in length.
Anyone want to take up fishing as a hobby?
Due to the variety in flora, the mix of woodlands and many grasslands, plenty of smaller mammals can thrive in the park, too.
The cutest once, in my opinion, must be the rabbits and squirrels. During spring and summer you can see lots of small bunnies running and hopping around, especially during breeding season. The best spot to see them is the Woodland Gardens, but if you are lucky you can see them in open spaces across the park as well.
Other mammals include hedgehogs, voles, mice and shrews. Both hedgehogs and especially the water vole population are in decline though. The hedgehogs can still be found in Bushy Park, but have sadly disappeared from most of the other parks in London. Unfortunately, I was not able to spot a water vole or hedgehog yet, but am still on the lookout for them.
Water voles are under threat here in the UK and their population is in massive decline due to agriculture, mainly loss of habitat and invasion of other species such as the American mink.
Only around 850,000 water voles are left and they became a UK priority species for conservation. Their live span is relatively short, hence it is difficult for the population to recover.
Bats also call Bushy Park their home. The park offers an ideal environment for them as there are plenty of trees located across the park and they can find plenty of food. The park actually offers bat walks to educate the public. Some other parks offer these, too. If you are interested, maybe check with your local park.
Lastly, we have all the small and tiny inhabitants of Bushy Park, the insects and invertebrates. In the summer, you can see butterflies dancing around, I tried to take a picture of some, but they were just flying away from me!
You can come across plenty of beetles, bees and grasshoppers that are very important to the environment and local ecosystem. Again, some endangered and threatened insect and invertebrates are found in Bushy Park, around 123 actually such as the rusty click Beetle.
I am not gonna lie, I am not a big fan of insects, but I will keep on looking out for more birds, bunnies and squirrels during my next park exploration and maybe am lucky to see a water vole or hedgehog one day!
I guess what I am trying to say is, just make the most of what you have around you and try to see it with different eyes and be open for new things.
The other day I saw a little cute doggy dressed in a rain coat, it was a pug puppy and it totally made my day.
Just try to find something good and great, even from the tiniest things and from the things we believe we have seen a thousand times. Nature is always changing with the seasons and so are the animals and the environment around you.
