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The back gardens, and Square garden, of Fassett Square are a haven to a bewildering amount of wildlife. This is mainly due to the trees in the square and those few larger ones at the back. The most obvious example, is the bird life. As well as the resident Magpies and Blackbirds, I have seen Song Thrush, Robins, Chaffinches, Blue and Great Tits and in summer Willow Warblers, House Martins and Swifts. The nearby train line, with its overgrown verges and occasional trees provides cover for animal life too. These nocturnal visitors include foxes (heard screeching at night), and hedgehogs (which miraculously climb the 6ft back walls into gardens!) Under the garden sheds provided the perfect nesting place. The recently constructed pond of number 25 has attracted a very healthy number of frogs and toads, which keep the slugs and snail population down. Until now these must have been breeding nearby, as they are a wide variety of ages. One of which is about ten years old.

Particular plant life has encouraged a lot of wildlife into the gardens. The most common example would be the less exotic varieties of Clematis, Honeysuckle and Buddleia. The square is one of the only places I’ve seen butterflies (particularly Red Admiral) regularly in the whole of London. There are also plenty of Ivy covered back walls and fences, especially useful to nesting birds. Above right : Garden Frog, right : Blue Tit.