Author: joolsjack

Many thanks to our member David Francis who has not only taken the pictures but provided the authoritative text for this article.

Red Campion Silene dioica, seen on the banking below Park Road. These woodland guardians have strong links to myths and mysticism. They are favourites of plenty of woodland insects and bloom a cheerful pink soon after the bluebell has finished flowering. The flowers are important for various pollinating insects, including bees, butterflies and hoverflies.  Look for Red Campions in lightly shaded areas in woodland, along hedgerows, in fields and ditches and on roadside verges. This species is another ancient woodland indicator, so may give a clue to the age of our wood. 

Horsetail Equisetum, seen on damp area above the reed bed and below the path that runs below Rectory Close, off Park Road.  Equisetum is a “living fossil”, the only living genus of its family which, for over 100 million years dominated the understory of the late Palaeozoic forests.  Wet woodland nowadays is one of our least common woodland habitats. 

Garlic Mustard Alliaria petiolata, found at the edge of Dam Head Wood showing through the railings at the side of the path behind Elmwood.  The plant is abundant in damp shaded areas, common in hedgerows and at the edge of woods. It is a food plant of the green-veined white butterfly (Pieris napi) and a site for egg laying. Garlic Mustard seed is important in the diet of many farmland birds.  The flowers open from April to June and peak flowering occurs in mid-May. Midges and bees pollinate the flowers, however, the flowers are self-compatible and may self-pollinate automatically.

Wood Anemone  (Anemonoides nemorosa) seen by the main drive as it drops to the bridge beside the Lost Fountain and is often found in shady woods. The species is common in the British Isles but it spreads very slowly, by as little as six feet per century, so it is often used as an indicator for ancient woodland.

Wild Garlic Allium ursinum.  This was also seen by the main drive dropping down the hill to the bridge by the Lost Fountain.  Wild garlic is common and widespread across the UK. It favours deciduous woodland. You can also spot it in scrub and hedgerows, but it prefers damp areas.  Wild garlic is another ancient-woodland-indicator plant. If you spot it while you’re out exploring, it could be a sign you’re standing in a rare and special habitat.

This is a Rowan or Mountain Ash Sorbus aucuparia. Along the right of the drive heading to Ackhurst Lodge is this tree that has been blown over but continues to grow and flower.  Bane of witches, diviner of the future and producer of jam, rowan is an elegant tree with a mystical history. Its leaves and berries are a favourite for wildlife in woods and towns alike.  All being well this one will produce its red berries in the autumn, the seeds of which will be dispersed by birds.

These pictures are also displayed in the Gallery

About 25 people recently enjoyed the first Bat Talk and Walk of the year in the Park hosted by Friends’ volunteers and led by Harold and Michael from the Merseyside and Lancashire Bat Group. Meeting in the Court Yard as dusk approached, the participants learned about the fascinating lives of bats and had their questions answered. Then, equipped with audible bat detector devices, had a stroll around the Park, first down to the Lost Fountain and the Green Pond before returning to the lakeside. On the dam wall path the best results were achieved with four different species detected – three types of Pipistrelle and Daubenton’s – each distinguished by the calls they make at different frequencies. Many thanks to Harold and Michael.

Friends’ volunteers are sending in more and more photographs to be recorded for the 2024 Wildlife Survey of the Park. Just some of those photographs are featured in this third website article on the topic.

Now in late April bluebells are making a great show across many areas including in some parts of Great Wood, as below.

However, a major threat to the floral diversity of the Park is also starting to make its presence known – Himalayan Balsam… As its name suggests this is not a plant originating in Britain. It was first introduced into this country by John Forbes Royle in 1839, then professor of medicine at King’s College London, and within 10 years had escaped the confines of cultivated gardens to quickly become widespread. This invasive species can grow to over 2 metres tall and has attractive pink flowers. It also has some medicinal and culinary uses. However, because of its adverse impact in crowding out native plants Friends of Astley Park along with many other groups and environmental bodies across the country try hard to at least stop its spread by uprooting the then near-mature plants in high summer. Look out for news of our ‘Balsam Bashing’ work on this website later this year.

The photograph below shows the problem – Balsam plants growing-up through Bluebells, soon to dwarf them on the bank of the River Chor near the Lost Fountain.

Another ‘alien’ species, that was again introduced into British gardens for their spectacular flowers, is the Rhododendron. These were once more widespread in Astley Park but because of their dominant tendency were largely cleared. Below is a surviving specimen on the edge of Great Wood.

Also often seen in gardens but a wild native plant is the Solomon’s Seal. The picture below was taken in the banking down from Park Road overlooking the Reed Bed.

The photograph below of Wood Sorrel was taken near the Green Pond.

Another interesting find is a colony of Ashy Mining Bees. Although these are common across the UK and Europe they are a little unusual in that they nest in the ground. The one below is pictured on someone’s hand – generally docile they are considered to be safe around children and pets. However, the home of this colony may not be that safe as it is very close to stump of the recently cut down (because diseased)  Fern-Leaved Beech tree near the Court Yard and on a well trampled route.

Finally, we have a picture of a bird. It is female Blackbird with an earthworm.

The pictures in this article have also been saved in the Gallery

Following our first river invertebrate sampling training session late last year (see November ’23 post) Friends’ volunteers again took to the water recently to hone our skills ahead of us becoming accredited citizen researchers. This time we were in a stretch of the River Chor near the Lost Fountain. This is a location with a major surface water outfall, a small weir and a range of riverbed conditions making it more susceptible to variations in Riverfly populations. However, by lifting out small river rocks for washing off into the sampling trays we found a wider cross-section of bugs than by just kicking sediment in front of a net. Next time it is off to the classroom for more detailed instruction and assessment! Many thanks to Sam and Samuel from Groundwork for their excellent tutoring to date.

In early spring Magnolia trees make a magnificent sight with their flowers emerging before their leaves. Pictured below is the fine specimen in the Walled Garden.

Photographed below on the edge of the Park near Astley Village but commonly seen throughout the woodlands is a Grey Squirrel. This species, although much maligned for out-competing Red Squirrel (of which none exist in the Park), nevertheless makes for an attractive sight.

Now April has arrived more flowering plants are making their presence visible in the Park. The Primula family includes various species ranging from the wild primrose to numerous horticultural cultivars. The naturally occurring Primrose has a yellow flower, the specimen pictured below stood alone in the woodland near Ackhurst Lodge but there are also individual white flowering plants elsewhere in the Park which may be garden escapees.

Alongside the stretch of the Astley Trail behind the houses fronting Millfield Road Bluebells are starting to come in to flower. However here they are not alone as alongside them are ‘Pinkbells’ and ‘Whitebells’ as pictured below. The latter two are cultivars from a nearby garden.

Not to be confused with ‘Whitebells’ are Snowbells – pictured below. Only a few of these are known to exist in the Park, these were found near the pedestrian entrance next to Rectory Close. The flowers have distinctive triangular stems.

Often thought of as a weed, as they easily spread in the wild and in gardens, is the diminutive Forget-Me-Not. Those shown below were near the steps on the Astley Trail path at the rear of Rectory Close.

Marsh Marigolds are dotted around the Park wherever there is a water margin or boggy ground – pictured below.

Last but not least in terms of interest is a Cordyceps fungus, one of several standing proudly at about 9 inches high on the top of the lake dam. There are many hundreds of species of these throughout the world and they are noted for their medicinal properties but take care!

All the pictures in this article can also be found in the Gallery

On a recent Saturday morning Friends’ volunteers worked hard weeding and pruning the Sensory Garden as its plants come into leaf and flower.

The first Astley Park Bat Walk and Talk of the year is taking place on the evening of Saturday 4^th May starting at 8.30pm from the front door of Astley Hall. It will comprise a short talk by Harold Green of the Merseyside and West Lancs Bat Group followed by a guided walk to see and hear the bats.

There will be a charge of £2.00 for adults with under 16’s free – cash payment on the night. Numbers are limited so advance booking is essential – please contact Maurice on 01257 271507 or via emandbeejay@talktalk.net. The walk will finish at 10pm.

Please bring a torch and wear strong shoes. If you have a bat detector, please bring it.

If it is raining, the event will be cancelled, as the bats will not be flying.

During 2024 Friends’ volunteers are charting the incidence and distribution of the flora, fauna and fungi present in the Park by taking photographs of what wildlife they observe and sending them in for posting on our website. This opportunity to submit pictures is also open to website viewers – just tell us where in the Park you took the photographs. More important than picture quality is the record that is produced.

By better knowing what biodiversity exists we can more appropriately plan and carry out our practical tasks in the Park. All the photographs will be saved for easy future reference in the  Gallery part of our website, but many will initially be featured in news posts like this one.

This first post in the series includes spring flowers, wildfowl on the lake, a fungus and a colourful beetle. Already this year Snowdrops and Daffodils have been featured in previous posts, however most of these specimens have grown from bulb stock that has been introduced into the Park. The Survey will concentrate on wild species.

Taking the opportunity to flower before the dense tree leaf canopy develops, Wood Anemones are now, in late March, blooming profusely in many locations alongside the main path from Ackhurst Lodge and elsewhere. See the picture below that also shows a Wild Garlic plant that will itself soon be flowering.

Less extensive are Celandines – in the same approximate location but again elsewhere in the Park, such as pictured below here under the Lime tree next to the lake.

The lake next to Astley Hall is also home to a variety of wild fowl. Pictured below is first a Mallard and then a pair of Canada Geese (PS both these birds have heads!).

Around the Park there are numerous tree stumps and laid down trunks. These offer ideal opportunities for fungi to grow. Pictured below is a colony of Bracket Fungi on a stump next to the Hallgate car park just outside the Walled Garden.

Finally in this post is an insect specimen admittedly seen last year near the Green Pond behind the Lost Fountain. It is a Hawthorne Shieldbug which is about 1.5cm long – see below.

Over the past couple of days, Friends’ volunteers have planted numerous trees in the park. The saplings were provided by Chorley Council along with the necessary stakes and tree straps.

Last week a class of 30 Year 5 pupils from St Laurence’s C of E Primary School supervised by four teaching staff members and assisted by three Friends’ volunteers took part in a litter pick in the Park. Equipped with litter picker tools and bags supplied by Chorley Council the children carried out their task with much enthusiasm!