House sparrows find happiness in Burgess Park say RSPB
Published 4 April 2011
Sparrows in Southwark are bucking a London trend by flocking to Southwark in greater numbers thanks to meadows planted in Walworth and Peckham, according to an independent annual survey.
A Southwark Council project to plant meadows in Burgess Park and Peckham Rye Park is being hailed for boosting house sparrows in the area by highly respected national bird charity the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
Southwark's parks were singled out for praise by the RSPB in its nationwide annual Big Garden Birdwatch survey.
In it they discovered that sparrow numbers are falling across most parts of the capital, but in Southwark the population has actually increased compared with five years ago.
They also credit the hard work put in by Southwark's parks teams in partnership with the RSPB. In Southwark three newly planted meadows were involved in this project, one in Burgess Park and two others in Peckham Rye Park .
Cllr Barrie Hargrove, cabinet member for transport, environment and recycling, at Southwark Council, said: "It's great that our work across the borough has lead to an increase in the house sparrow population, and it's credit to the hard work of our parks team that this has happened.
"Meadows planted at Burgess and Peckham Rye are not only great for the public to enjoy, it's also wonderful that they're producing such great results for our wildlife. I'm particularly pleased that the meadow in Burgess Park is already attracting these birds, as improving biodiversity levels there is one of my top priorities for the park. Our plans to improve Burgess Park will help build on this success and ensure Southwark's younger residents will continue to enjoy the sight of sparrows."
The RSPB's London House Sparrow Parks Project Officer, Jacqueline Weir, has praised the work of the council but given the London-wide findings a cautious welcome.
"The small rise is great to see but the fall in sparrow numbers is continuing elsewhere, so we've got some way to go before the species can be deemed safe. The council's made huge improvements in the parks, but it is on Southwark's estates and in private gardens that the struggle to save nature will succeed."
In Southwark the most common garden bird is the blue tit, followed by the house sparrow and the woodpigeon. Sparrows have moved up to second place from sixth over the past five years.
Burgess Park is undergoing a £6m redevelopment. The improvement works will give visitors to the park a far more enjoyable experience, with better access to nature by creating a variety of different habitats; attractive horticultural planting; improvements to the lake; removing redundant roads and pathways and making those that remain more user friendly; creating improved entrances and better defined boundaries and above all giving the park a new striking identity.
The current meadow in Burgess Park, planted in 2009 and which is 3,600 square metres will be retained as part of the Burgess Park improvement plans. The council has also planted a further three meadows in Southwark, one in Burgess Park, using a RSPB approved wildflower mix.
For more information please visit the Burgess Park pages.
