Spring 2019 Newsletter of Friends of Jesmond Dene

Friends of Jesmond Dene Newsletter Spring 2019

Number 83 Patron - John Grundy

Reg Charity no: 702260 Web Site Address: http//www.jesmondDene.org.uk Postal address: ‘Friends of Jesmond Dene’, c/o Ouseburn Parks' Visitor Centre, Red Walk, Jesmond Dene, Newcastle, NE7 7BQ.

NEW PICNIC TABLES IN JESMOND DENE

Joanna, Sue with Cara the dog using the new picnic tables on the recreation field funded by the FOJD, see more on page 6. Photograph taken by C. Gerrard

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Contents: -

Page number

Annual General Meeting Kingfishers in Jesmond Dene Newcastle Parks Trust News from Pets Corner Picnic Tables Rotary Club Crocus Update for Volunteer Rangers Events and Activities Contact addresses and Membership Information

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Annual General Meeting 2019 Please come to the FOJD Annual General Meeting on Sunday, 12 May at 2:00 pm; this will be in the Classroom at the Visitor Centre in Jesmond Dene. Tea and coffee will be available.

Our thanks to Jeff Mason from the RSPB which has agreed to come and give a presentation on ‘Garden Birds and how to help them’.

The business side of the meeting will include the election of officers, treasurers report, chairman’s report and time to discuss other issues that members / parks users wish to raise.

Election of Officers Current Officers are Chair Treasurer Secretary

Clive Gerrard Jacki Holmes Sue Stokel-Walker

Current Committee members: John Blakemore, Robert Brandt, Geoffrey Carter Sarah Capes is the co-opted representative from Newcastle City Council.

Keith Pringle is Honorary Membership Secretary.

Geoffrey Carter is our Independent examiner for the annual accounts.

Patron: - John Grundy

Yvonne Shannon FOJD

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Kingfishers The Kingfisher is one of the iconic birds of Jesmond Dene. It has blue on the upper body, wings and head, and orange on the front. There is an orange patch behind the eye and white on the side of the neck and under the bill. As it flies away in the sunshine, there is an amazingly bright, electric blue stripe down its back, sometimes hidden by the wings when perched. It is bigger than a Chaffinch but smaller than a Starling. The only visible difference between the sexes, as far as I know, is that the lower bill is black in the male and has a reddish base in the female.

The Kingfisher is a stunning bird, and we’re so lucky to have it in the Dene, just two miles from the centre of Newcastle. In fact, we are lucky to have the Dene at all, thank you Lord Armstrong.

You are twice as likely to see a Kingfisher during September through to March compared with April through to August. There are probably several reasons for this.

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During autumn, winter and early spring, there are fewer leaves to hide the Kingfishers.

Even so, there are plenty of conifers, laurels and rhododendrons along the banks, so finding your Kingfisher may not be easy.

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Kingfishers may not breed in the Dene each year. If they are breeding further up or down stream and are finding sufficient food close to their breeding sites, they may not need to enter the Dene. After the juveniles have fledged and become independent, it may take time for them to discover the Dene.

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During the winter and early spring, Kingfishers are looking for mates. They tend to stay put as people and dogs walk past, in contrast to other times of year when they’d be away like a blue flash.

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So how are our Kingfishers doing in Jesmond Dene? Between 2004 and 2015, you were twice as likely to see a Kingfisher as between 1994 and 2003. Unfortunately, since 2016, sightings have dropped to pre-2004 levels. This may be a part of a general decline and not related to any local changes, but there are a couple of possibilities for local causes: •

In the winter of 2015/6, a large tree in Jesmond Vale, at the bend upstream from White Bridge, collapsed into the river, taking with it a section of the bank that had been a favourite nesting site for Kingfishers for several years. The bank has now been repaired and strengthened with wire baskets full of rocks.

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Are there more people using the Dene than a few years ago? It might only take a warm Easter weekend with its double bank holiday, and if a lot of noisy partying prevents the parents entering the nest to feed their young, that might be enough for the brood to fail, with the young starving to death. Personally, I don’t think there are more people using the Dene now, or that they are noisier than in the past.

I’ve talked to people in the Dene who say they’ve been visiting for years and never seen a Kingfisher. The question is how you can increase yours chances of seeing this elusive species.

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Buy a pair of binoculars and bring them with you whenever you walk in the Dene. Birds tend to stay put if they think they are too far from a person to be seen. If a bird is 30 feet away, to a person with 8x binoculars, they are less than 4 feet away. Use the binoculars. If they’re sitting in a cupboard at home, they’re not helping you find your Kingfisher.

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You can see more of a river when you are standing on a bridge, or on the outside of a bend, looking down or up the river. Scan both banks with your binoculars, looking for anything blue or red on a branch or twig hanging over the river. You’ll find plenty of bits of blue plastic littering the place; they are called kingfisher decoys. You should investigate each one, because the one you don’t check out will be your first Kingfisher, laughing at you!

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The flight of a Kingfisher tends to be fast and direct, leaving the bank, swerving straight up or down river and then swerving back to the bank again. If it’s bouncing up and down as it flies, it’s probably a Grey Wagtail. If it’s big, brown with a white breast then you’re lucky; it’s a Dipper, rarer than a Kingfisher in the Dene these days.

If you are desperate, try going on a public bird walk. Look out for posters before the Big Garden Birdwatch weekend (usually the last weekend in January), the National Nestbox week (usually the February school half term) and the Annual Dawn Chorus walk (beginning of May). The main thing is to keep trying, they are there, I promise you.

MIKE COOK FOJD and Vol. Ranger

Newcastle Parks Trust

James Cross has been confirmed as CEO of Newcastle Parks and Allotments Trust (NPAT) which will come into operation 1st April 2019, he was previously CEO for Natural England and wants to develop similar opportunities for City dwellers. He believes that volunteer groups are very important to the success of his vision. He saw the parks evolving rather than being a U-turn from the current direction.

Ean MacKellar representing the Newcastle Parks Forum has been invited to the NPAT strategy meeting due on 21st March.

Clive Gerrard Chair FOJD

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News from Pets Corner Pets Corner is one of the most popular places for visitors to Jesmond Dene, Claire Mcquade reminds us how lucky we are to have this amenity. Visitors can buy freshly laid eggs from our hens and ducks at the shop. When you visit see if you can spot the animals in the photos!

Claire writes: “So, we might not be the biggest of spaces in the parks of Newcastle, but we are one of the best. I would say that though as after a little over 6 years of volunteering I can proudly say I am one of the newly appointed keepers at Pets Corner in Jesmond Dene. We are only a small team of staff and rely on our amazing volunteers to help us with the day to day chores and challenges that come from running a small petting farm that is open almost every day of the year from 10am 4pm. We are here in all weathers – be it beautiful sunshine or a typically soggy north east day. We are here so the people of Newcastle (and sometimes further afield) can get the chance to see a variety of animals that they might not get a chance to see in real life.

Talula

Ruby

Patches

Pets Corner

We have animals that people are probably familiar with like chickens and rabbits, then we have the more unusual ones like our barn owl and peacocks. If you were to pay us a visit and have any questions about the animals, please don't be shy about asking us – hopefully we will know the answer. Even with the variety of animals we have I would have to say my personal favourite would have to be the Guinea pigs; they are always so chatty in the morning when they get their breakfast and they are also usually really well behaved when we use them for our petting sessions (I have probably just jinxed that now).

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Bambi

Sootie

Beautiful Louie The only thing that we ask of our visitors is that they don't feed any of the animals as they are all on controlled diets, some of the plants in the area are poisonous to them and to be honest we don't want to risk anybody getting their fingers nibbled. Also please don't bring your dog in – don't get me wrong almost all the humans at Pets Corner would love a good doggy cuddle but the animals tend not to be as fond - they tend to get very agitated and sadly we recently lost some small chicks to a dog that ran in to say 'hello'. If you do happen to walk your dog past Pets corner it would be great if you could pop them on the lead just as you are passing us. “

Claire Mcquade Pets Corner Keeper 7

Picnic Tables The tables were bought by the FOJD and installed by Newcastle City Council. They have been sited on the Recreation Field by the pavilion for use by park users. There are three tables and benches with wheelchair accessibility to replace those vandalised and broken.

In addition to the above tables John Blakemore reports the FOJD have also paid for the cutting back of trees to improve the viewpoint from Paddy Freemans looking down towards the Old Mill and bridge. This had become obscured over the years.

Further clearing work has been undertaken by the tree contractors Oliver’s around the waterfall area.

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Rotary Club Crocus Bulbs Thank you to the Rotary Club for their donations to the Dene, David writes :Rotary clubs help to plant millions of purple crocuses every year to raise awareness for efforts to end polio. We’re very nearly there as you can see by visiting http://www.rotarycrocus.com/ The Newcastle Upon Tyne club was delighted that Jesmond Dene was able to plant 1000 crocuses just to left of the Nature Area. Last year trees, this year crocuses, next year - who knows!

David Houpt Rotary Club Update on tasks performed by Jesmond Dene Volunteer Rangers Path clearing The Volunteer Rangers spend many sessions in winter clearing paths in Jesmond Dene. In the Dene the rain washes mud and leaves downhill onto the paths, and this needs to be scraped off by shovels and disposed of wherever suitable. We also had a session during the snowy spell in January when we cleared snow from some of the steep paths and steps so as to prevent the risk of people slipping.

Clearing paths

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Cutting back Whilst the Volunteer Rangers clear the paths, they also cut back the vegetation that is encroaching, plants such as brambles, nettles, ivy and others.

Path edging Some of the paths in Paddy Freemans have gradually narrowed over the years due to encroaching turf.

The Volunteer Rangers have spent several sessions cutting back the turf and restoring the paths to their original edging.

Litter-picking The Volunteer Rangers always do a litter-pick in the area where they are working. It's amazing how quickly litter builds up, so it is best to keep on top of the problem when we can.

Clearing spaces for bulbs In the areas where crocuses and other bulbs have been planted the volunteer rangers have spent time raking away dead leaves so that the bulbs can be seen when they come up. The Picnic Field is one of the places where we did some of this work.

Coleman's Field The Volunteer Rangers have spent several sessions on Coleman's Field working in the area from the picnic tables and along the eastern edge of the field alongside the road. This is the area where we planted some apple trees a couple of years ago. The area had become very much overgrown with brambles and the shrubs there had also become overgrown. It was difficult to gain access because of the undergrowth, but the Volunteer Rangers over several sessions removed the brambles as well as some self-seeded trees and other weeds. They also pruned back the shrubs to a reasonable height. The cutting-back work has uncovered numerous clumps of snowdrops that would otherwise have been hidden by brambles.

Cutting back vegetation on Colemans Field

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Clearing broken glass & tidying up the Pavilion We seem to get a lot of broken glass around the pavilion next to the Picnic Field. This needs to be swept up to prevent children and dogs from cutting themselves.

Graffiti The Picnic Field pavilion often suffers from graffiti as do other parts of the Dene. We have cleaning equipment to remove this when necessary, although it takes a lot of rubbing to make an impact. We also try to keep the information boards clean and graffiti-free.

Tidying up the Old Mill The Old Mill often gets full of dead leaves and litter. The Volunteer Rangers often spend some time sweeping out the Mill and nearby steps.

Clearing out the Old Mill Tree planting During winter the Volunteer Rangers had a session planting saplings in the wooded area next to Cherry Tree Walk. The saplings were oak and some other varieties as well as a horse chestnut. We hope that the young trees will thrive and help fill the woodland there.

Collecting foliage for Christmas wreathes Before Christmas we spent some time collecting yew and holly to be used in wreath making sessions. We ended up collecting several large black bags full of foliage.

Havannah Nature Reserve– Replanting Scots Pine from the heath The Volunteer Rangers spent a session at Havannah Nature Reserve removing Scots Pine that had selfseeded on the heath area. We try to keep this area free of trees. This time the trees that we removed were taken to a section at the western edge of the nature reserve and we replanted them so as to provide a boundary when they have grown a bit.

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Big Waters Nature Reserve – Planting new boundary trees We also did some boundary planting at Big Waters Nature Reserve. Mark the Ranger provided an assortment of small saplings for the Volunteer Rangers to plant together with canes and protective tubes against rabbits.

Walker Riverside Park – Litter picking and cutting back The Volunteer Rangers often spend sessions at Walker Riverside Park litter picking and cutting back along the paths. This is usually carried out along Hadrian's Way which is well used by hikers and cyclists. We also try to keep the car park there tidy and litter free.

Armstrong Park and Heaton Park The Volunteer Rangers have had path clearing and cutting back sessions in Armstrong Park. Heaton Park is looked after by the Friends of Heaton Park, who do litter picking and path clearing. Some of the volunteer rangers from Jesmond Dene often help them at their weekend sessions.

The Nature Area Near the end of winter, the Volunteer Rangers visited the Nature Area, across the river from Pet's Corner to do a general tidy-up ready for spring. There is usually a lot of weeding and cutting back to do as well as sweeping dead leaves from the paths. It is also necessary to rake excess floating weeds from the surface of the two dipping ponds.

Weeding in the Nature Area Armstrong Bridge Market Some of the Volunteer Rangers run a stall at the market that is held on Armstrong Bridge once a month.

The stall sells plants donated by volunteers as well as bird boxes, bird feeders, insect hotels and bags of logs. The stall also displays information leaflets about Jesmond Dene, upcoming events and volunteering opportunities. The money from the plant sales goes to Volunteer Ranger funds.

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Dave Poste FOJD and Volunteer Ranger 12

Please see up to date activities and events on the FOJD Facebook page or webpage http://www.jesmondDene.org.uk Ouseburn Parks Events 2019 April Sunday 7 April 1 – 3pm (First Sunday of every month, April - October) Meet the animals Pets’ Corner Jesmond Dene Suggested donation £1 per child This is a drop-in event where you will be able to handle and meet some of the animals in Pets’ Corner.

Monday 8 April 1.30 – 4pm Nature Area Open Day Jesmond Dene Donations welcome (Across the River from Pets Corner – look out for the signs) Come and explore our Nature Area, take part in pond dipping, minibeast hunts and watch the birds at the feeding station. This is a drop-in event and all children must be accompanied. Please contact the Visitor Centre for more information 0191 281 2082.

Wednesday 10 April 1.30 – 3.30pm Easter Treasure Hunt and Crafts Jesmond Dene Donations welcome (Hop over to the gazebo on the field next to Pets Corner!)

Cracking crafts with the Rangers! Paint your own egg and make Easter themed badges. There’s also an Egg-cellent Easter Treasure hunt!

This is a drop-in event and ALL children must be accompanied.

Please contact the Visitor Centre for more information 0191 281 2082.

Sunday 28 April 1.30 – 3.30pm Heaton Park Walk £3 per person Explore the history of Heaton Park, on this guided walk in the company of volunteers who are passionate about the parks. Meet at the Pavilion. Booking preferred to avoid disappointment.

Please phone 0191 2812082 to book.

May Sunday 5 May 1 – 3pm (First Sunday of every month, April - October) Meet the animals Pets’ Corner Jesmond Dene Suggested donation £1 per child This is a drop-in event where you will be able to handle and meet some of the animals in Pets’ Corner.

Saturday 11 May 1.30 – 3.30 pm St Mary’s Chapel and Well £3 per person (Part of the Jesmond Community Festival) Learn about St Mary’s Chapel and Well, as well the surrounding area on this guided walk in the company of volunteers who are passionate about the parks. Meet at the Visitor Centre. Booking preferred to avoid disappointment. Please phone 0191 2812082 to book.

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Sunday 12 May 4.30 – 7.30am (yes, am! The walk will be about 2 hours.)

Dawn Chorus (Part of the Jesmond Community Festival) Ouseburn Parks – Jesmond Dene £7.50 per person To celebrate International Dawn Chorus Day, join the Rangers and Volunteer Rangers on this early morning walk through the Dene to listen to the delightful sounds of the birds. We’ll come back to the Visitor Centre for a breakfast roll, a hot drink and show you some footage of other wildlife in the Dene. Suitable for adults and older children (12+). Booking essential. Please contact the Visitor Centre on 0191 2812082 to book your place and for more information.

Sunday 12 May 10am – 12pm Nature Area Open Morning (Part of the Jesmond Community Festival) Nature Area Donations (Across the River from Pets Corner – look out for the signs) Come and explore our Nature Area, take part in pond dipping, minibeast hunts and watch the birds at the feeding station. This is a drop-in event and you can stay as long or as little as you like.

Please contact the Visitor Centre for more information 0191 281 2082.

June Sunday 2 June 1 – 3pm (First Sunday of every month, April - October) Meet the animals Pets’ Corner Jesmond Dene Suggested donation £1 per child This is a drop-in event where you will be able to handle and meet some of the animals in Pets’ Corner.

Sunday 2 June 1.30 - 3.30pm Armstrong Park and Jesmond Vale £3 per person Learn about Robin Sheep’s cave and visit the Shoe Tree on this guided walk in the company of volunteers who are passionate about the parks. Meet at the pavilion in Heaton Park. Booking preferred to avoid disappointment. Please phone 0191 2812082 to book.

Saturday 22 June 12 – 4pm Garden Party (Part of the Heaton Festival) Heaton Park Lodge Join the Friends and Rangers to find out more about the past, present and future of Heaton and Armstrong Parks. The Friends will be offering refreshments as well as selling plants and books to raise funds. Please contact the Visitor Centre for more information 0191 281 2082.

July Sunday 7 July 1 – 3pm (First Sunday of every month, April - October) Meet the animals Pets’ Corner Jesmond Dene Suggested donation £1 per child This is a drop-in event where you will be able to handle and meet some of the animals in Pets’ Corner Wednesday 3 July 6.30 – 8.30pm Jesmond Dene Walk £3 per person Explore the history of Jesmond Dene, on this guided walk in the company of volunteers who are passionate about the parks. Meet at the Visitor Centre. Booking essential. Please phone 0191 2812082 to book.

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August Thursday 1 August 1.30 – 4pm Nature Area open day Jesmond Dene Donations welcome (Across the River from Pets Corner – look out for the signs) Come and explore our Nature Area, take part in pond dipping, minibeast hunts and watch the birds at the feeding station. This is a drop-in event and all children must be accompanied. Please contact the Visitor Centre for more information 0191 281 2082.

Saturday 3 August 1.30 – 3.30pm Paddy Freeman’s and Wild Jesmond £3 per person Find out about the Freeman Family and see some less well-known sites of Jesmond Dene on this guided walk, in the company of volunteers who are passionate about the parks. Meet at the café kiosk. Booking preferred to avoid disappointment. Please phone 0191 2812082 to book.

Sunday 4 August 1 – 3pm (First Sunday of every month, April - October) Meet the animals Pets’ Corner Jesmond Dene Suggested donation £1 per child This is a drop-in event where you will be able to handle and meet some of the animals in Pets’ Corner Tuesday 13 August 1.30 – 4pm Nature Area Open Day Jesmond Dene Donations welcome (Across the River from Pets Corner – look out for the signs) Come and explore our Nature Area, take part in pond dipping, minibeast hunts and watch the birds at the feeding station. This is a drop-in event and all children must be accompanied. Please contact the Visitor Centre for more information 0191 281 2082.

September Sunday 1 September 1 – 3pm (First Sunday of every month, April - October) Meet the animals Pets’ Corner Jesmond Dene Suggested donation £1 per child This is a drop-in event where you will be able to handle and meet some of the animals in Pets’ Corner Friday 13 September (Evening - time to be confirmed on booking) Bat walk Heaton Park £5 per person Learn about the different species of bats that live in the UK on this walk around Heaton and Armstrong Park and Jesmond Vale. Don't forget your torch! Suggested age 8+, children must be accompanied. Booking essential. Please contact the Visitor Centre on 0191 2812082 to book your place and for access details.

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FOJD Committee list: Chair Treasurer Secretary Members Membership Sec. Newsletter Team

Clive Gerrard Jacki Holmes Sue Stokel-Walker Geoffrey Carter, John Blakemore, Robert Brandt Keith Pringle Maggie Dowman, Yvonne Shannon

Sarah Capes (Ranger, 0191265 0564) sarah.capes@newcastle.gov.uk mobile 07966 264391 Webmaster Carlton Reid http://www.jesmondDene.org.uk Patron

John Grundy

Next Newsletter contributions or any other queries to: Friends of Jesmond Dene, c/o Ouseburn Parks Visitor Centre, Millfield House, Red Walk, Jesmond Dene, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE7 7BQ or email as above.

Subscriptions are set at a flat rate of ÂŁ5 p.a. for households. This is paid by standing order. Our Membership Secretary is available if you need help or advice on how to join - contact Keith Pringle, FOJD at the address above. Details you will need to set up the standing order are the bank details for the Friends bank - The Sort Code / Account Number you will need are 30 93 55 / 01464356. Would you also please ask them to assign a payment reference of your own full name (forename and surname) so that we can correctly identify your payment.

To join the FOJD contact Keith Pringle, at the address above.

To join the Jesmond Dene Volunteer Rangers or if you are interested in the Adopt-a-Plot scheme please contact Sarah on 0191 2650564 or email sarah.capes@newcastle.gov.uk

(please keep an eye on Facebook and/or website for other events not listed here)

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