Exploring Urban Wildlife: A Journey through London’s West Norwood Cemetery

Hello and welcome to this week's A Wildlife Matters podcast.

As we enjoy over 30 degrees of summer sunshine here in the UK, please consider your local wildlife.

If you're hot and thirsty, then they will be too.

So please leave water for wildlife in your garden, park or even in open wild spaces.

It could really make a difference to a wild animal.

On this week's Wildlife Matters podcast, we're excited to launch our new series Wildest.

Places, where we'll explore urban wildlife in.

Our cities and towns.

And we'll kick off in the historic and diverse West Norwood Cemetery in central London.

On this week's Wildlife Matters mindful moment, we will spend time in nature with an iconic native animal.

But first we'll head to the news desk to discuss the wildlife and nature stories that have caught our attention this week in Wildlife Matters Nature News.

Hello and welcome to this week's Wildlife Matters Nature News, where we take an in depth look at some of the main stories from the world of wildlife and nature this week.

We begin with the call from Countryside Link for a better approach to nature and development than the Government's proposed BNG small site exemptions as part of their planning and infrastructure bill, environmentalists are urging the government to abandon damaging proposals currently under consultation that would exempt all small development sites under one hectare from crucial biodiversity requirements.

The call comes as new research BNG in small developments highlights that this would be a significant setback for nature recovery and risks collapsing the emergency biodiversity credits market.

Instead, the research shows that by removing the very smallest sites, those under 0.1 of a hectare, from the scheme altogether, while ending loopholes for larger sites, a win win could be achieved for nature and development.

The new analysis by FTEC commissioned by the Lifescape Project and Wildlife and Countryside Link to shows the extent of current BNG rule misuse and the likely future impacts if the government were to remove BNG requirements for all small sites.

In the first year of the scheme, 69,500 out of the 80,400 approved planning applications, that's 86% for new domestic and commercial developments claimed exemptions from biodiversity net gain requirements.

These exemptions allow developers to self declare potential impacts on nature initially aimed at most planning applications.

An estimated 76,800 of the 79,300 approved applications per year, or 97% would likely claim exemption from BNG rules if small sites are excluded.

This undermines the effectiveness of the biodiversity.

Net gain policy in compensating for biodiversity.

Loss due to exemptions for small sites and loopholes for developers over 215,500 hectares, an area comparable to the size of the Yorkshire Dales or the Snowdonia national park, could be developed without any biodiversity compensation.

Current exemptions and poor enforcement permit developers to evade obligations that are worth an estimated 180 million annually in biodiversity compensation.

If all small sites were exempt, this could rise to over 250 million pounds per year.

Biodiversity net gain is a hugely important principle.

Industries that harm nature should contribute to its recovery.

The proposal to drastically widen the number of exempt small sites from the system would be a return to the bad old days of damaging development and torpedo confidence in private investment in Nature Recovery.

EFTEC's research shows that by removing only the very smallest sites from the system whilst closing loopholes for larger developments, the government could make sure biodiversity net gain works for nature as it was intended, as well as benefiting the genuinely small scale developments that don't pose a threat to nature.

Small sites dominate planning in England, 95% of planning applications are for sites under one hectare and 88% under 0.4 and 77% under 0.2 hectares.

These figures underscore the importance of small sites in enhancing biodiversity and creating viable market for biodiversity units.

Environment groups identify the Biodiversity Net gain scheme as the second most crucial funding source for environmental restoration, following nature friendly farm funding.

Current changes could undermine the BNG's schemes of viability.

The government emphasizes the private sector investment is essential to bring the funding gap further nature recovery targets.

But revising the BNG scope to include all small sites under 0.5 hectares and closing loopholes for larger sites could add 20,552 hectares to BNG coverage, protecting more land for nature compensation than the government plans have allowed.

Our second story this week highlights concerns about rivers due to the hot and dry weather currently affecting the uk.

Warnings indicate that the country's hottest spring on record combined with pollution has pushed several rivers, including the River Medway in Kent and the River Wandle in Surrey, to a critical state.

Conservationists report that low water flows and concentrated pollutants such as ammonia and nitrates from farming and sewage have led to fish deaths.

Alex Farquhar of the Angling Trust told Wildlife Matters that pollutant concentrations are through the roof, which significantly impacts on the fish and ecosystems.

For example, water temperatures in the River Wandle, a chalk stream flowing through Surrey and London, have soared above 20 degrees C, and that's well over the typical range of 11 to 13 C, placing strain on its fragile ecosystems.

Even small temperature increases have dire consequences for aquatic species like wild brown trout, as warmer waters hold less oxygen, disrupt spawning and intensify pollutant toxicity.

To date, there have been 87 confirmed fish killed, incidents linked to pollution, low oxygen levels and natural causes, alongside 36 incidents of low flows contributing to reduced river levels and higher pollution concentrations.

Testing on the River Medway showed that all 15 sites examined between July 23 and July 24 exceeded the upper limit for ecological status due to the elevated phosphate levels.

Wildlife Matters spoke to river restoration expert Dr. Jack Hogan, who expressed his concern, saying, if things continue as they are, many of our rivers will be too warm to support brown trout in the coming decades, leading to the loss of this iconic species.

Jack described the situation as looking very grave, noting that changing conditions are affecting life down the the food chain.

Water Minister Emma Hardy, mp, whilst declining an interview with Wildlife Matters, assured the public of the government's commitment to improving water quality and ensuring supply security.

She said, we're looking to build new reservoirs.

I've visited some of them to see progress.

By the end of this Parliament, we aim to cut sewage spills by half and whilst that would be an improvement, of course what we need to be doing is cutting those sewage spills to zero and stop polluting our rivers and natural waterways.

We are like every other species on Earth, dependent on fresh water and it appears crazy to me that we could even consider polluting our own water supplies.

Our final story of this week looks at the Government's announcement that it intends to ban lead ammunition.

A new ban on the use of lead ammunition aims to protect wildlife and clean up the nation's waterways.

Red kites and white Tailed eagles will receive greater protection thanks to new restrictions on the use of lead in ammunition, Environment Minister Emma Hardy has announced.

To protect iconic British wildlife and clean up the nation's waterways, new measures will ban shots containing more than 1% lead and bullets with a lead content of more than 3%.

Beyond exemptions, these types of ammunition will no longer be sold to the public.

The ban will prevent the release of an estimated 7,000 tons of toxic metal into fields, forests and wetlands every year.

Up to 100,000 wildfowl, including ducks and swans and waders, die from lead poisoning annually in the uk as birds often confuse the scattered shot for grit and consume it.

Evidence from the Health and Safety Executive shows that lead poses a risk to at least 1 million birds over the coming decades if usage continued at its current rate.

Whilst around 40,000 birds of prey such as red kites and white tailed eagles are at risk from ingesting lead through carrion, introducing the restrictions will also prevent lead from contaminating soil and leaching into rivers where guns are discharged, thereby reducing the spread of harmful metal and ensuring ecosystems thrive for both wildlife and people.

Hello, Wildlife Matters.

Welcome to the announcement.

We have concerns over the amount of time, up to three years, given to the shooting industry to stop using lead based bullets and the high number of exemptions within the bill that will allow the continued use of lead based ammunition for a large section of the shooting industry.

And that has been this week's A Wildlife Matters Nature News.

If you've been moved or motivated by any of our stories today, or you have a story you feel we should be sharing, please do get in touch.

You will find our email address and socials in the show.

Notes.

Well, it's been a busy week for Wildlife Matters Nature News and like many of you, we are deeply concerned about the government's proposed Infrastructure and Planning bill which threatens species, habitats and biodiversity, all of which will be sacrificed for development.

Yes, we need new houses, but not at the expense of our green spaces, iconic native species and the seemingly unchecked pollution of our rivers and streams from pesticides, chemicals and sewage from water companies.

Surely we can do better than this mini rant over.

I need to spend some time in nature.

And this week we have an iconic native mammal that I have been fortunate enough to spend many summer evenings with over the years.

Now I have the chance to share a snapshot of a long, hot and slow summer's evening last month with each of you on this week's Wildlife Matters Mindful moments.

It's it.

So there we were, lying in the.

Meadow at the edge of the woods, the rushes and grasses towering above me as they glint in their golden hues.

With the sun slowly dipping towards the horizon.

At the end of another perfect evening.

Spent watching and listening to my local clan and of badgers as they venture from their set to groom and to play before heading off for their nightly forage.

But now it's time for this week's a Wildlife Matters main feature and the start of a major new series where we will explore urban wildlife in our cities and towns throughout the uk, beginning in London at the historic and endlessly fascinating West Norwood Cemetery.

Hello and welcome to this week's Wildlife Matters main feature.

And today, Wildlife Matters explores Britain's wildest cities.

Yes, it's a new series series where we start in London, where urban wildlife survives and flourishes.

To begin, we'll explore some of the fascinating wildlife in London, their habitats and the challenges that they face in an urban environment.

While London is most commonly associated with its bustling streets, iconic landmarks and the vibrant city culture, another side of the capital is worth exploring.

Exploring.

And that is its diverse wildlife.

So grab your walking boots, camera and an Oyster card and just join us.

As we explore the wild side of England's capital city.

One of my favourite London wildlife haunts is West Norwood Cemetery.

Even if you're familiar with the cemetery and its precious green space, there is a lot more going on than you might be aware of.

But let's start with just a bit of the history.

Today, the cemetery is owned by Lambeth Council and remains in operation as a working cemetery.

Like so many other cemeteries, West Norwood.

Provides invaluable green space to the city and is the home to abundant wildlife species.

Around 20 years ago, I was involved in surveying the cemetery on multiple occasions and found it to be a valuable haven for various fauna, including foxes, bats, stag beetles and 35 species of birds such as woodpeckers and tawny owls, which live among the veteran oak and lime trees.

But the flora is equally impressive, with mature trees, including a number from the ancient Great North Wood, predating the cemetery by many hundreds of years.

There are three oaks and one field.

Maple predate the graveyard.

Today we have permission to spend the.

Afternoon, evening and night here at West Norwood Cemetery.

This could be a wild night in.

The heart of the capital.

The first thing to note, it is.

Still daylight, and I'm sitting here watching three foxes.

A dog fox, a vixen, and a lone individual female, possibly one of their cubs from last year, who remains close, but not too close to what I believe could be her parents.

The vixen looks thin and has been suffering from mange.

Her fur is growing back and I hope she is beginning to recover her fitness.

The dog fox stands close by her as she lies grooming in the late afternoon sunshine.

He's guarding his partner, but he tolerates the female fox no more than 100 meters away.

This young fox is stunning, with a fiery red coat and a bright amber eyes.

She is on high alert, her ears and nose twitching constantly.

As I sit quietly, a woman approaches the area and opens a small box she is carrying.

And the reason the foxes are gathered here becomes clear.

She has food.

She puts down a selection of sausages before opening a small Tupperware and placing several neatly made sandwiches around the edge of the pile.

She then walks away toward the cemetery's wall, where the younger fox was hidden away in the undergrowth.

The dog fox and vixen approach.

The vixen takes two sandwiches and her mouth moves to the edge of the thicket and eats them.

The dog fox, meanwhile, has loaded up with sausages and a couple of sandwiches before he trots off towards the vixen and drops them close by her.

He returns several times to the sausages, loads his mouth to capacity and trots away in the opposite direction.

He'll be caching them for later.

And then finally he clears the food and returns to the where the vixen has been eating it and he joins her and they both eat before they begin some mutual grooming.

Meanwhile, the young female fox leaves the COVID of the scrub to gather the sausage and sandwiches that the woman has left for her.

She had removed them all from my view amidst the gravestones, and I imagined she had cached them before returning to the sanctuary of the shrubbery.

It was time for me to leave this serene scene for a while, I'm sure the woman had been providing medicated sandwiches to the vixen, and that was what was helping her regain her health.

And like so many wildlife heroes, they go about their business quietly and silently and do so much to support our precious urban wildlife.

This insect made a stronghold for itself right here in the heart of London.

The stag beetle is the largest in Britain and is found in the southeast of England, particularly in south and west London.

They prefer oak woodland, but can be found in gardens, parks and cemeteries where hedgerows are maintained.

The larvae, which can grow up to 110 millimetres, depend on rotting wood that is decomposing to feed on and provide shelter.

The larvae can live underground and have been found up to 50cm deep.

It can take up to six years for them to develop before they pupate and become adults.

The adults have a much shorter lifespan.

They'll emerge in May with the sole purpose of mating, and they usually die before the end of August, so do keep a lookout around dusk on a balmy summer evening when the males fly to look for mates.

Once the male has found a potential mate, he displays his oversized antlers to her, hoping she will be suitably impressed.

These dramatic antlers have no other use than this display and to rut with other male stag beetles that may have their eye on the same mate.

The males will rut by locking antlers and dueling, similar to deer rutting.

It is just as dramatic, although on a smaller scale, and can result in broken antlers or even antlers being ripped from the bodies.

If a female is impressed by the male's antlers, they will mate.

The female will return to where she emerged to lay her eggs, provided there is enough decaying wood available.

Stag beetles prefer loamy soil, so they're not to be found in chalky soils such those found on the north and the South Downs, and very few are found north of the Midlands.

Another consideration is rainfall.

Stag beetles don't like wet or waterlogged soils, so areas with high rainfall or flooding risks do not have them.

London cemeteries provide the ideal habitat with their trees and hedgerow their rich, undisturbed soils.

And of course, London has a reasonably stable warm and dry climate.

Stag beetles spend most of their life cycle underground as larvae.

Depending on the weather, this process can take anywhere from three to seven years.

Prolonged cold weather can extend the process, but once fully grown, the larvae will leave the decaying wood they've been fed feeding on to construct a giant cocoon in the soil, where they pupate and eventually will transform into adults.

The adults spend the winter underground in the soil and typically emerge from around mid May onwards by the end of August, most of them will have died.

They do not survive the winter.

During their short adult lives, male stag beetles spend their days basking in the sun to gather strength for their evening flying activities in search of a mate.

They can't consume solid food and they absorb their moisture from plants.

The females are also capable of flying, but are typically found on the ground at dusk.

Tonight we observed a female on the ground and I'm hopeful that she is seeking a mate.

When her wing covers open, but she does not fly, I'm confident that she is releasing pheromones that will attract male stag beetles.

So now it's a waiting game.

The sun is setting and the cemetery has closed for the night and we are alone with the wildlife.

They are a remarkable sight if you've never seen a flying stag beetle.

They are proficient flyers who can travel considerable distances and reach heights of at least 200 meters, as evidenced by the swifts, swallows and kestrels that hunt stag beetles in flight.

Yet another challenge for the stag beetles to overcome before finding a mate.

As I sit in the fading light, my gaze alternates between the female on the ground and scanning the sky for potential male stag beetles.

Then it happens.

A male stag beetle arrives and lands nearby, and immediately he begins to display with his antlers.

It's fascinating to watch as he moves sideways around her and frequently stops with his antlers in different positions, a bit like a knight displaying his sword skills in days gone by.

His antler dance is a success and her wing case is open.

They mate before he flies off, no doubt in search of another mate.

The final species we're looking at tonight is a night flying bird.

It's another species you may not expect to see thriving in the heart of central London.

Based on local knowledge and previous visits, I know that a pair of tawny owls nests in the oak trees that line the edge of the cemetery.

So that's where we're heading to now.

They have three owlets this year and are now of an age when they will come out onto the branches to strengthen their wings and await food from their parents.

The nest is a traditional hollow deep within an old oak tree, and this pair have used this nest site for many years.

When I arrived, I settled down on.

The grass path between rows of gravestones.

From here, I had a great view of the nest hole and was ready for the evening's activities to begin.

Tawny owls are early nesters.

Their single clutch of two to three eggs is laid asynchronously every two to three days and incubation lasts approximately 30 days.

Fledging occurs around five weeks and is often in May.

Tawny owlets can often be found on the ground during the early summer.

If you are sure it is a tawny owl, you should leave it as they are excellent climbers who will return to the nest area.

With that said, other owl species, such as barn owls, would need help if found on the ground.

So it is essential to know the owl species that you have seen.

If you need more time, consider taking a short video and sending it to a local wildlife or bird rescue team who will be able to provide you with the right advice.

The fledgling tawny owlets depend on their parents for food for up to three months after leaving the nest.

Once darkness falls, they will sit on the branches of nearby trees and beg for food.

And that's what we hope to see tonight.

The three chicks were all branching nearby and soon began to make their distinctive calls to their parents, signalling that it would quickly be supper time.

The parents were already out.

The cemetery is large, especially in central London.

It's 16 hectares or around 42 acres, a territory that could support two or three more pairs of tawny owls.

Of course that depends on food availability and nesting spaces in the trees.

Within minutes, the male tawny owl returned with a vole which it fed to the largest chick on my right hand side.

And soon after, the female, easily identifiable as considerably larger than the male, appeared to feed the second largest chick, while the third and smallest chick continued to call.

And this is the way of owls and many araptors or birds of prey who will put their efforts into the first and generally largest chick.

And the last chick that could be two weeks younger than its elder sibling could be sacrificed and even fed to its siblings if hard times or weather impacts on the parents hunting.

I watched this repeat for around two hours before returning to my original location to catch up again with the foxes family.

This year's cubs now resemble their parents but have yet to develop their long legs and sleek lean bodies.

They are still playful and spend most of the evening and night playing, hunting, pouncing and jumping on each other.

I was staying the night and I had a sleeping bag and tarp that I had put up in the corner secured to a tree and a wall.

I settled to eat some supper and settled down with the haunting sound of the tawny owls twit wooing as they coordinated and checked in with each other and the occasional yelp of a fox cub that had had a nip from the Vixen.

Of course, the city makes low level noise at night and artificial light blocks all but the brightest stars from the sky and even the moon looks pale and subdued as I drift into a deep, comfortable sleep.

We hope you have enjoyed our visit to one of the wildest places in London, the wonderfully historic and diverse West Norwood Cemetery.

And if you have enjoyed this adventure, then please do share this podcast with your colleagues, friends or family and help us to engage more wildlife and nature lovers.

That has been this week's Wildlife Matters main feature.

Would you spend the night in a cemetery to watch wildlife?

This wasn't the first time for me, although I don't often sleep after a wildlife survey or watch.

But it was wonderful to lie in my sleeping bag under an open tarp and listen to the foxes and owls set against the constant background noise of the city that never sleeps.

West Norwood is full of history, from natural to human moment, and for me it is an endlessly fascinating place I know I will return to as often as possible.

It is also the first of our.

New Wildest Places adventures where we will explore urban wildlife.

So expect to see our Urban Adventures every few weeks.

And please feel free to share any.

Urban wildlife places you'd like us to visit and feature on the Wildlife Matters podcast.

Leave us a comment wherever you get your podcasts or on our social media sites.

It has undoubtedly been another action packed episode which we hope you have enjoyed and learned something from.

Next time, Wildlife Matters Investigates returns with a deep dive into AI.

Not the artificial intelligence that as a content creator and writer could have a massive impact on what we do here at Wildlife Matters, but the even more worrying avian influenza which is devastating our wild bird populations and has worryingly jumped species and is now killing mammals in.

The UK and around the world.

It's another episode that you simply will not want to miss, so make sure you follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or listen for free on the Wildlife Matters website.

The link is in the show Notes.

Thank you for choosing to listen to us.

Your support motivates motivates us to share our experiences and adventures through this podcast.

And as always, stay curious.

Wild ones.

This is Wildlife Matters signing off.