Wildlife and biodiversity are a main focus of the Masterplan blueprint and Todd Longstaffe-Gowan’s landscaping and garden plans, but there are some creatures that we don’t want to encourage into our member spaces. Luckily, the Club has found some effective and humane ways to deal with them.

Feline mother and daughter, Loki and Luna, have been part of Soft Services mouse control since being rescued two years ago. Well looked after by the Receptionists during the day, they spend time with them and with staff on the first floor, occasionally roaming inside and out. At night, they prowl their beat, taking odd cat naps in the Conservatory. They may not be as well-known to members as ginger Freddy, who used to greet us at Reception, but they have proved to be formidable guards and mouse deterrents. They have been so successful that staff members say they have not seen a mouse attempt to cross the thresholds for a year. Their mere presence is much kinder than the use of poison, traps and glue. If poison is used, it can cause unwanted consequences to other wildlife; owls, their natural predators, die a slow and painful death, after consuming a poisoned mouse. Unfortunately, these two are not available for outside contracts!

We have also been relatively free of the plague of feral pigeons that menaced the Rose Court and other terraces last year, since Frankie Falcon and Archie the Hawk, along with their two handlers, came every day for two weeks over the lunchtime period. This is a mess-free, no-kill method to deter large pigeon flocks and change their behaviour. Despite having a pigeon logo and pigeon real tennis players, we don’t enjoy dining with these scavengers. No matter how efficiently the staff clear up food and crumbs left on plates or dropped on the ground, these uninvited guests will soon realise and pass on the news to their mates that there is no threat to fear and be back.

Sparrowhawks and kestrels and other birds of prey live freely in our urban environment. With the eyes of their cousin the eagle, and together with murderous gulls, they swoop down on their doddering prey – pigeons, magpies and crows – attack quickly and leave feathers in their wake. The gardeners often see the remains of these attacks, including from the kestrels spotted nesting on the roof of Rivermead Court. Joe Beale’s Hurlingham wildlife survey also recorded a pair of nesting sparrowhawks in our grounds.

JENNY MONTEFIORE

Mice beware! Loki and Luna ‘on patrol’!