Westcliff Park Wildife
Urban Oasis
Click on the PDF icon to download information on the Urban Oasis project for Westcliff Park.
Westcliff Park Wildlife Pond
Thanks to all who helped make this transformation possible.
Before (Mar 2021)
After (June 2021)
After (May 2022)
Westcliff Park Bird List
NOTE: If you care about our wildlife, please don't use Fireworks during Bird Nesting Season ( Feb - Aug ).
Garden bird list - Westcliff Park, Ramsgate (54 species)
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Blackbird
Blackcap
Blue Tit (breeding)
Bullfinch
Buzzard (high above garden 27/03/2021)
Carrion Crow
Chaffinch
Chiffchaff
Collared Dove (breeding)
Cormorant (flew over garden 21/09/2021)
Feral Pigeon
Firecrest
Fulmar (high above garden 25/05/2022)
Goldcrest
Goldfinch
Cuckoo (juv) 17/08/2021
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Great Tit
Green Woodpecker (breeding)
Grey Heron (landed on roof of Albert Row 10/05/2020)
Hedge Sparrow
Herring Gull
Hobby (Flew over woodland behind Albert Row 02/06/2021)
House Martin
House Sparrow
Jackdaw (09/06/2023)
Jay
Kestrel
Kingfisher ( we had one at the boating pool and it would fly into the garden when spooked )
Lapwing
Linnet
Little Egret ( 19/09/2020 flew just over tree height past front gate )
Long-tailed Tit
Magpie
Mistle Thrush
Mediterranean Gull (several calling over garden 26/06/2024)
Peregrine Falcon (flew over garden 19/09/2021)
Pied Flycatcher
Pied Wagtail
Raven (17/09/2020)
Redwing
Ring-necked Parakeet (breeding)
Robin
Song Thrush
Sparrowhawk (breeding)
Starling
Stock Dove
Swallow
Swift
Wheatear (22/09/2019)
Willow Warbler (18/05/2020)
Wood Pigeon
Woodcock
Wren
Yellow-browed Warbler
Hedgehog in the garden
As well as Fox visiting the garden bin lid bird bath we had a Hedgehog stop by for a drink. I don't think we've had any sighting of Hedgehog for a number of years so it is great to have one back in the garden.
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IMPORTANT: Please don't feed them milk or bread as they are harmful to hedgehogs.
Hedgehog house
Hedgehog
Firecrest in garden bird bath
Smooth Newts in the Wildlife Pond
The Garden wildlife pond has been very successful .As well as Azure & Large Red Damselfly breeding we have also had Frog spawn this year (2022) with lots of Tadpoles. A pair of Smooth Newts have also been spotted swimming in the pond. In August 2022 a Willow Emerald Damselfy visited the pond and a few Hummingbird Hawk moths were seen in the garden.
A rare visitor to the garden over winter is the tiny Firecrest. This year it made use of the bin lid bird bath :-)
As well as frogspawn at least 5 Smooth Newts have been seen in the Garden wildlife pond in 2023.
A Wall Brown Butterfly
A rare Wall Brown Butterfly was photographed in the garden around the wildlife pond on 20th May 2023.
A Broad-bodied Chaser
A female Broad-bodied chaser dragonfly was photographed in the garden around the wildlife pond on 4th June 2023.
The Fox family
Westcliff Park is regularly visited by a family of Fox. In 2022, three cubs and their parents spent time in the garden.
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In May of 2023 the Fox had 4 cubs in one of our garden dens. She then moved them to another den in a neighbours garden.
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In 2024 we had 3 Fox cubs in a den behind Albert Row.
Willow Emerald Damselfly in the wildlife pond
The wildlife pond was visited by a rare Willow Emerald Damselfly in August 2022. This species has been spreading throughout the South East for a number of years now so it was great to see it arrive at the pond.
Pied Flycatcher in the garden
A migrating Pied Flycatcher perched on a branch of the dead tree that stood next to Belmont House on Sept 5th 2022.
Banded Demoiselle in the garden
Westcliff Park had an unexpected visitor. A Demoiselle dragonfly was spotted amongst the planted area outside the front of Green House by the estate's north gate. It had the characteristic metallic blue-green colouring and a fluttering flight like a butterfly. It appeared the following day in the Green House garden where it was photographed. The picture was sent to Pam Taylor of the British Dragonfly Society who replied saying,
"Your photograph does indeed show a male Banded Demoiselle - Calopteryx splendens. Given its location, this could be an important record. Please contribute it towards our national database".
Owners of the Green House, Tim & Mariette, are Kent Wildlife Trust Gold Award winners "in respect of their wildlife friendly garden".
