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Nature under our noses The myth that London is a wildlife desert, especially in the centre, has been comprehensively debunked by one individual’s study of a small urban park in Peckham.  Over a six-year period, from 2011 to 2017, Penny Metal has spent thousands of hours - and taken thousands of photos - of the insects in Warwick Gardens. She found an astonishing 555 different species of insects and spiders in the park including regional rarities and one species new to the country. There really is nature under our noses, even in the capital. Warwick Gardens would usually be considered an insignificant park just a couple of miles south of Elephant & Castle. It’s a 1.52ha (3.8 acre) area between a railway line and private gardens in the heart of Peckham, in walking distance of Peckham Rye station.  Warwick Gardens, Lyndhurst Way, Peckham, London SE15 5AQ There’s a playground for young children, a space for natural play, a ball court for football and basketball, table t
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White-letter Hairstreaks in Wandsworth, Lambeth and Southwark Summary Detailed surveys of the presence of elm trees and the White-letter Hairstreak butterfly have shown that it is more widespread in the Inner London Boroughs of Wandsworth, Lambeth and Southwark than previously thought. It is present throughout the boroughs, though never in very high numbers. It is difficult to spot, and probably even now remains under-recorded. Introduction The Inner London Boroughs of Wandsworth, Lambeth and Southwark fall within the area of the Surrey & SW London Branch of Butterfly Conservation (part of the old Vice County 17 used for recording purposes). Not much is known about the distribution and abundance of the White-letter Hairstreak in these boroughs. It is an elusive butterfly, spending most of the time at the top of elm trees (its larval food plant) and only flying when it is sunny and still. It is rarely present in large numbers, and only occasionally comes down to lowe
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