Trip reports

South Norwood Country Park : Local Walk 2007

Friday, 16 March 2007

On the bright sunny morning of 16th March, 18 people were greeted by the song of a chiffchaff (for many the first of the year) and the promise of a pleasant morning stroll. Some present were old enough to remember the sight (and smell) of the much cherished Elmer's End Sewage Works with its associated filter beds, sludge tower, culverts, reed beds, wet meadows and of course flies. Before that, in the 1860s the area was rich farmland, growing crop after crop of rye grass to be sent to London to feed the horses. As horse transport gave way to the motor car and as the population of Croydon grew there was an acute need for sewage disposal and a sewage farm was built on the site. The extensive filter beds, reed beds and the flies, not to mention the trees and shrubs in the adjacent crematorium proved irresistible to a wide range of resident breeding and migrating birds ; the higher urban winter temperatures pulls in the winter visitors. The species list since 1969 numbers 162 and a display inside the visitors centre (which opens at week ends and during school holidays) shows the range from tree sparrows and corn buntings to red-backed and great grey shrike. It also has an interesting collection of old photographs showing the past glories of the site and notable local celebrities.

After the war part of the site had become a tip for war damage rubble and the sewage farm had gone into decline so Croydon Council drew up plans to redevelop the site to provide leisure and wildlife facilities . The area was re-landscaped preserving the wetland and scrub but creating a fair sized lake at the Elmer's End corner of the site with pitch and putt and picnic areas at the other end. This new nature park was opened in 1989 and is now an established part of the scenery living proof that a 'brownfield site' is not a wildlife desert as the government and developers would have us believe. In total 32 species were seen including several kestrel, kingfisher, reed bunting, shoveller, grey heron and of course ring-necked parakeet. Wrens were very evident, belting out their song and appreciating the extensive brushwood 'hedges' that had been recently created. It was good to see some of the less experienced members of the group taking advantage of the good light, the lack of foliage, the clarity of bird song and the expertise on offer from the older and wiser in the party.

Alas the water rail did not perform for us and the whitethroats, blackcap, reed and sedge warblers had not arrived, so a visit later on in the season is a must. My thanks to Dave Dack the warden who opened up the visitors centre and toilets for us, and was such a font of knowledge about the wildlife. To quote a much used cliché 'A good time was had by all'.