The Friendship Bridge at Whiteknights Park, Reading. Oh, and a swan on a nest.
Reading University’s main campus is at Whiteknights Park, 1.3 square kilometers of woodland, lakes, fields and parkland 2.5 km from Reading town centre. The park has a colourful history as the grounds of the aristocratic Whiteknights House. It still contains many reminders of this romantic past, including an abandoned ice house, a grotto and scattering of exotic plants.
Waterloo Meadows
On 23 March the Government published stricter guidance on staying at home and away from others that superseded the advice in place at the time of writing on 21 March.
What a month of weather February turned out to be! We had two storms, Ciara and Dennis, as well as sleet, mild, warm, cold and windy weather. The average temperature for the month was 11ºC. 22 February was the warmest day at 16ºC and 27 February the coldest at 5ºC. Despite the crazy weather, my Whitley garden was not short of wildlife and there was an unusual level of activity for the time of year.
Kennet in January 2020
Reading does not currently have a biodiversity action plan (BAP). The 2005-15 plan has expired but the Reading Borough Council (RBC) Strategic Environment, Planning and Transport Committee may approve a new one for public consultation tonight, 16 March. The illustrated document is a fascinating overview of Reading’s natural environment.
What a crazy start to 2020’s weather! Still, it has been heartening to see and record an abundance of wildlife in my Whitley garden, and I am optimistic that spring will be very busy.
The Coley Park black poplar after storm Ciara, February 2020. Photo: © Adrian Lawson.
The great Coley Park black poplar was, for me at least, one of the most iconic trees in Reading.
The MERL’s new yarn bomb
Thank you to all our readers and regular and occasional contributors for making it a wonderful year on Katesgrove Hill. We hope that you continue to enjoy reading or contributing to the Whitley Pump in 2020.
Mouse. Photo © David Turner
My Whitley garden was burgled in September, leaving me with very little equipment with which to record wildlife. Fortunately, I still have one working camera which I move about the garden each week and, of course, I have my trusted Fuji camera permanently strapped to me!
David Turner’s monthly diary of Whitley wildlife was interrupted one night in September when somebody stole some of his garden monitoring equipment and vandalised the rest. Nobody was hurt, and both Bubbles the hedgehog and the fox family were left unmolested, but there could be no further wildlife photographs from mid-September.
Coley Meadows (c) Adrian Lawson
On Sunday 17 November there’ll be a walk from Waterloo Meadows Children’s centre into the marshes of the Coley water meadows. We’ll meet at 10am, and we’ll expect to return by 1pm.
Hummingbird hawk moth. Photo © David Turner
Temperatures reached a balmy 29ºC for a few days in September, although the average temperature was 19ºC. The weather dramatically changed on 22 September; it became very wet and remained wet but mild right through October.
Waterloo Sunrise. Picture courtesy of Mike Cox
In the 1990s, Mike Cox from the Friends of Waterloo Meadows co-edited and co-researched a book about the history of Katesgrove as part of the Katesgrove Community Book Project.
Fox vixen with a rat. Picture (c) David Turner
The late summer weather in my Whitley garden varied from warm to very hot indeed, with the occasional very wet day. The sun helped increase the numbers of butterflies, bees, insects and moths, of course. One of my photograph highlights for July was the vixen fox with a huge rat, striking a superb pose.
Sustrans signpost on Waterloo Meadows
Reading were at home to Sheffield Wednesday for their first game of the 2018/19 season. It was a fine day, so we decided to see what had changed since 2017 on the scenic cross-country route from the Whitley Pump to the Madejski Stadium.
Jay with a monkeynut. Photo (c) David Turner
June was a very warm month; during the rainy days of mid-month the temperatures still held at a warm 20°C. On 1 June, the temperature reached 28°C and was the hottest day of the year so far.
You can celebrate Reading’s nature, as well as the people and groups who contribute to it, at a series of events across town starting in late July.
Lucky escape for the squirrel. Photo: David Turner
May was a very bad month for predation in my garden, with cats catching blackbirds, pigeons, starlings and squirrels. I do get annoyed, but I would never harm a cat; it’s just a natural instinct on their part, and there is very little I can do to stop it.
A Whitley fox. Photo :David Turner
April temperatures in my Whitley garden reached as high as 30ºC and as low as -5ºC, the hottest and coldest ever recorded for that month; the average temperature for the month was 17ºC. We also experienced an afternoon hail storm at the beginning of the month that briefly covered the garden in what looked like snow.
Male sparrowhawk. Photo: David Turner
March weather was a mix of every type of condition we could experience. We endured storm Freya for the first three days of the month, which consisted of extremely strong winds and rain, although the temperature stayed reasonably mild throughout.
Hidden behind an ornate brick frontage on Milman Road stands a quietly growing giant. This giant is a tree, and not just any tree, but a Californian Redwood. It is the only tree on the street with a preservation order, thanks to efforts by local legends John and Edna Tuggey.
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