The Bluebell Walk and Bates Green Garden
Photographic Competition 2024

Our photographic competition started in 2009, with entries that had to be processed and sent to us as physical prints, as we had no online system to upload the images as we do today! The judging process has remained similar though as we carefully review each entry, but now on a large screen instead of spread out on a table.

We have just completed the judging of 282 entries in the 5 categories plus a Junior Class.  Each year the number of entries increases, and I and the same three other judges think the overall standard improves year on year!  You can judge for yourself from the 27 images we chose, which are available to view online at bluebellwalk.co.uk/photos. They will also be mounted outside the Animal Barn, when Bates Green Garden opens again on 26 February. 

Many congratulations to all our winners and thank you to everyone who took part this year.

Here are the 6 images we awarded first prize to...

Bluebell Walk planning update

Every year I feel quite apprehensive when I set the date for the Walk to open and run for five weeks.  This period in next year’s calendar affects how successful the forthcoming Walk will be.  Quite a gamble, as I have no more insight or knowledge than everyone else as to whether there will be an early or late spring!  In the 1980’s we never expected bluebells to appear in April, their optimum time as shown in the 1986 brochure was Saturday May 10 to Sunday June 1. But this year we closed on 14 May with virtually no bluebells left in the last week! Climate warming sceptics please take note!

The list of charities that will be involved for 2025 has been agreed. These are shown here, and you can see the daily schedule with more information on the website at bluebellwalk.co.uk/charities. Now the schedule is confirmed, the drafting of the 2025 brochure is under way.  We must review the layout, update content and photos where necessary then, after the vital proof reading, if all goes to plan we will hopefully receive the boxes from the printer this side of Christmas. Then starts the mammoth job of distributing our new brochures far and wide.

Beatons Wood Bird Nest Boxes

Since 1983 we have been very fortunate that Stan, a keen ornithologist, each year maintains and monitors the 15 nest boxes he has discreetly erected away from the main paths.  He annually sends me a written statement of the type of bird that occupied the nest boxes, the number of eggs laid, resulting in the number of young birds hatched.

This year 12 boxes were occupied by Blue Tits who laid 120 eggs with the result that 110 young Blue Tits were added to the Beatons Wood bird population.  There were 3 Great Tits who occupied the remaining boxes, laid 28 eggs to produce 16 young fledglings.  This was an excellent year but the record was in 1992 when there were 151 eggs laid, producing 135 young birds. However, the following year was disastrous, as only 44 flew.  Stan found 9 nests deserted likely due to weasels as he found mud around the entrance hole. In one box wood mice had made a nest on top of 10 Blue Tit eggs!

Stan’s annual routine starts with inspecting and repairing the boxes in January. Then during the nesting season, they are carefully checked several times to count the eggs or young.  The welfare of the birds is paramount, so using a pencil torch first in the entrance hole, if a bird is sitting then that box is looked at another day.  The final check of the year is done in the autumn, to clean out the boxes and count any eggs that did not hatch.