Our pond needs your help!

It is strange, the instinctual human desire to throw things into water. Here at Bradmore Green Pond there is daily evidence. The most popular items are plastic drink bottles, cans and food packaging. In summer, residents can be seen dumping unwanted creatures from their omamental ponds that do not belong in our Pond since, apart from the frogs, they are not indigenous. We have found terrapins, goldfish, koi carp, frogs and frog spawn. Since these are brought in water, alien water plants are inadvertently thrown into our Pond with the creatures, hence the strangling carpet of New Zealand crassula that has to be constantly cleared.

The latest dump is a Muscovy duck and eight hybrid mallards, presumably unwanted from some local garden. The mallards are interfering with our resident ducks and are trying to kidnap the females. At first the mallards did not fly indicating that probably their wings had been clipped to prevent their escaping. Male Muscovy ducks are apparently too heavy for their wings and cannot fly far, although this one is seen regularly exercising its wings and flying across the Pond.

Although these visitors are giving a lot of pleasure to local children who regularly feed them and are benefiting from the friendliness of these new birds, some of our residents are concerned for the future of such fearlessness. Their worries are that the Muscovy could be attacked by foxes or, worse, end up as someone’s dinner. The Friends of Bradmore Green Pond are in contact with wild life centres to try to arrange for the Muscovy, at least, to be re-homed.

Latest news on our Pond and the ducks can be found in the Croydon Advertiser Friday 12th April edition and online.

Val Dunmore

April 2013

Friends of Bradmore Green Pond is a group formed in 2005 by local residents concerned about the pond's deterioration. Their job is to raise awareness of the state of the pond, lobby the Council to do more for its upkeep (they are responsible for it after all), seek professional help to maintain and clear the pond, and to take part in working parties that actively (we're talking wellies and waders here!) help clear the pond too, if necessary.

If you would like to join the group, please contact Cllr. Chris Wright Telephone 01737 555581 or Email chris.wright@croydon.gov.uk.