30th November 2010 ... weekly volunteers

Present:
Martin

Activities:
- cancelled due to bad weather
- martin cut up some logs in the tractor shed, and brought round a new load from the wood piles

observations:
- 17 fieldfares
- small flock of lesser redpolls
- robin taking opportunity of coming into shed and eating spiders etc
- Frank did some salting of the road, particularly at the junction with the main road.

23rd November 2010 ... weekly volunteers

present:
John, Neil, Ron, Keith and Martin

Activities:
- Bonfire of the Gorse cut last week, above the bench.  Cutting some more to add to the fire, right up against the top path.
- Clearing more weed etc from Lake Pond.  This completes this task.
- Cutting more gorse (and some Pine) for burning maybe next week.  One patch towards the bench from where we had the fire today, and also the triangle where the paths diverge at the ride junction.

Observations:
-2 Ravens
- Siskins, Lesser Redpolls
- Reed Bunting
- Longtailed Tits, Nuthatch

- Heard a collared turtle dove at Tile Lodge last week.

martin

16th November 2010 --- Weekly Volunteers

Present:
John, Neil, Rod and Martin

Activities:
- filled up the leaflets at the car park
- had a bonfire of the stuff cut last week, and more stuff cut in the neighbourhood.  This is in the triangle of paths beyond the Ride Junction.  Fire brigade informed as usual.
- cut some more Gorse and small pines further on, basically above the bench, which makes for better views from the two paths.  As well as getting rid of some gorse that was too leggy.
- John mended the bow saw from last week.
- Neil to mend a rake that is missing a nut

Observations:
- Raven
- Dartford heard on the boundary below four counties
- plenty of lesser redpolls, siskins, redwings, fiedfares, long-tailed tits
- reed bunting on the boundary near the fire site
- a butterfly, unidentified
- goldcrests, nuthatches and treecreepers
- 10 herring gulls


martin

Bird count for 28th October 2010

Here is bird count for October.

Lots of redwing and Fieldfares.  Skylarks passing on passage?  First woodcock for a bit.  2 Ravens.  Very few goldcrests.  Hint of a Dartford warbler, but not counted.

34 species


click here so see spreadsheet

martin

Occasional note ... great grey shrike

Hi,

just to record that I had a Great Grey Shrike today ( 15 november 2010) at the Four Counties car park.  I never thought I would ever see one on the Ashdown forest.  It flew off, possibly onto the reserve.

Also there was a Dartford Warbler there.  Closest to seeing one on the reserve this year.

Martin

9th November 2010 ... Weekly Volunteers

-Present:
John, Ron, Keith and Martin

Activities:
- poor weather
- cleared an old 'mouse' nest from the tractor shed
- sawing and bagging logs.
- existing and new bags taken by volunteers
- pulling birch and pine saplings north west of the ride junction
- clearing small Pines and birches, and over grown Gorse just north of junction, ready for a fire at some time
hard work and retired early.

Observations:
- large flock of lesser redpolls around ( say 60 )
- 10 longtail tits by tool store
- 1 herring gull
- 1 reed bunting

Notes:
- a bow saw broke, and needs a nut and bolt.  John has taken to mend.
- John has also taken the portable light to mend.  New battery?
- out of leaflets at the car park

martin

2nd November 2010 .. Weekly Volunteers

Present:

John, Ron, Neil, Mike and Martin

Activities:

- Bonfire of Gorse at the bottom of south heath
- more digging out of Lake Pond
- digging out pine and birch saplings on area other side of stream from staples hill.
- mike distributed two bags of horse manure

Observations:

- Ravens
- Lesser Redpolls, Siskins, Fieldfares, Redwings
- Southern hawker
- skylark, meadow pipit



martin