Present:
John, Anthony, Ron, Pat, Keith, Katherine and Martin
activities:
- investigated the fire that affected the north-east part of the reserve. Probably lost an acre of heathland, mostly on the ditch and bank itself. It will add to the diversity of the reserve in the longer run. Fences OK, bar one post which is now a bit thin and will need replacing. Trees look scorched but should survive.
- padlock was smashed by the fire brigade, and has been replaced. The firemen were told the combination, should they have to come back into the reserve. Some patches were still smoking.
- the roller stand gate had been left open by the fire brigade
- checked that the ponies and cattle were OK.
- phoned Alice and Monty with the news.
- continued the roadworks along the M1, with a few rocks being used to help fill in the worst of the erosion. There is still at least a days work to do here
- did a small amount of bracken pulling on the edge of the M1 around marked trees
- did some digging out of small birches alongside the M1 which have regrown after coppicing.
observations:
- 10 crossbills near the fire
martin
Friday, April 29, 2011
fire at Old Lodge 25/26 april 2011
We had a big fire on the Ashdown Forest Monday night, starting near the viewing point ( a little down hill out of the wind?) which got to our boundary and burned say an acre of heathland inside the reserve.
Alice took the following photos on the Wednesday.
You will have to open a Google account to see them. But you probably should have such an account anyway.
click on the link below
double click here to go to the album.
martin
Alice took the following photos on the Wednesday.
You will have to open a Google account to see them. But you probably should have such an account anyway.
click on the link below
double click here to go to the album.
martin
Saturday, April 23, 2011
occasional post -- Green Hairstreak
About a week ago, I saw my first green hairstreak of the year.
Not in the normal places, but half way down the pillow mound behind the cottages, flying and then sitting on a Scots pine branch. Not much in the way of gorse or other food plants around.
martinW
Not in the normal places, but half way down the pillow mound behind the cottages, flying and then sitting on a Scots pine branch. Not much in the way of gorse or other food plants around.
martinW
19th april 2011 ... weekly volunteers
Present:
John, Martin, Anthony, Keith, and Neil
Activities:
- ragwort near the tool store dealt with. plants hidden in the brambles if of any size.
- Road works. Did a lot of work on the M1 trying to stop erosion caused by rain running down the ruts that have been generated there. Still some work to do there, and in particular over the brow nearer the cricket pitch
- Tidied up the logs and bark at the roller stand to make it look better for people and Ponies
- dealt with birch saplings as noted last week on staples hill on the boundary side of the path.
- all very hot work, and retired a little early.
Observations:
- bracken coming up.
- plenty of butterflies around for the time of year. brimstone, orange tip, holly blue.
- ravens and buzzards have a go at each other
- dark adder seen by Keith at the roller stand
- lizards aplenty
- a visitor reported a wheatear.
martinW
John, Martin, Anthony, Keith, and Neil
Activities:
- ragwort near the tool store dealt with. plants hidden in the brambles if of any size.
- Road works. Did a lot of work on the M1 trying to stop erosion caused by rain running down the ruts that have been generated there. Still some work to do there, and in particular over the brow nearer the cricket pitch
- Tidied up the logs and bark at the roller stand to make it look better for people and Ponies
- dealt with birch saplings as noted last week on staples hill on the boundary side of the path.
- all very hot work, and retired a little early.
Observations:
- bracken coming up.
- plenty of butterflies around for the time of year. brimstone, orange tip, holly blue.
- ravens and buzzards have a go at each other
- dark adder seen by Keith at the roller stand
- lizards aplenty
- a visitor reported a wheatear.
martinW
12th April 2011 --- weekly volunteers
Present:
John, Keith, Neil, Mike, Anthony and Martin
activities:
- did a lot of fence work from the roller stand along M1 and Pippingford boundary, and then down staples hill to the stream. At least five posts used.
- inspected the nest boxes from the slope area across to the birch grove, doing minor repairs etc. Some will have to make do with stones on top of the boxes.
- some possibly usable fence posts ( very old) stacked near the cross roads
- Brought back on old rotten nest box for refurbishment. This had long since been abandoned in a stump shell to the north west of the slope, on the bank.
- noted that more logs had been taken from the log pile. There is about one load to go.
Observations:
- found some rather nasty trip wire, no doubt from the military, on the boundary fence. Really nasty stuff and could be seen as in the form of a snare. Difficult stuff to cut. Used most of it to bind up a split fence post on the boundary.
- ravens
- noted work to be done on birch saplings down staples hill, on the north side of the path particularly.
martin
John, Keith, Neil, Mike, Anthony and Martin
activities:
- did a lot of fence work from the roller stand along M1 and Pippingford boundary, and then down staples hill to the stream. At least five posts used.
- inspected the nest boxes from the slope area across to the birch grove, doing minor repairs etc. Some will have to make do with stones on top of the boxes.
- some possibly usable fence posts ( very old) stacked near the cross roads
- Brought back on old rotten nest box for refurbishment. This had long since been abandoned in a stump shell to the north west of the slope, on the bank.
- noted that more logs had been taken from the log pile. There is about one load to go.
Observations:
- found some rather nasty trip wire, no doubt from the military, on the boundary fence. Really nasty stuff and could be seen as in the form of a snare. Difficult stuff to cut. Used most of it to bind up a split fence post on the boundary.
- ravens
- noted work to be done on birch saplings down staples hill, on the north side of the path particularly.
martin
Friday, April 22, 2011
21 April 2011 -- Buzzards
saw 6 buzzards circling over South Heath today, just before the ponies arrived.
there could have been more, but they split up and counting got difficult.
presumably these are non-breeders just wandering around. Impressive though.
Martin
there could have been more, but they split up and counting got difficult.
presumably these are non-breeders just wandering around. Impressive though.
Martin
ponies are here
The 12 exe moor ponies arrived yesterday 21st April. They are all on the main reserve.
Various things transpired to make it rather more fraught than usual.
- The road from gyll's lap to kings standing was closed for road works. But this got sorted out, and bob came in from the south, whereas I thought he was going to come in from the north, which was easier.
- The padlock to the South heath got rusted up, and would not open. Hammer and wd40 sorted out.
- I left all the locks open and went to the north to let bob through the barriers. He then came through the south, and let out the ponies on his own.
- I went round to check them, after bob had gone, and found the 2 on the OL1 ok, and then went along the M1 to find the 10. I came back along beeches avenue, only to find them all up at the roller stand, talking to the 2 on OL1.
- preparing to go, I suddenly noted that one of the ponies was on the mound. Then both of them. Found how they had forced their way in, and forced them out again. Phones Monty, and during the call saw them on the road !! Monty was now on his way from berwick. I chased the ponies along the road towards the cottages, and managed to go round them in SH and block them at the 5 bar gate ( just). The pair went to the small wooden gate and commiserated with the rest of the herd.
- a long half an hour later, Monty arrived and we eventually managed to shoo them through the roller stand gates onto the main reserve.
So we now have the whole herd on the main reserve. We will have to move the whole herd onto SH for blitzing the vegetation there at some time, and guaranteeing the succession of nail fungus.
wow. A bit too stressful for me.
Martin
Various things transpired to make it rather more fraught than usual.
- The road from gyll's lap to kings standing was closed for road works. But this got sorted out, and bob came in from the south, whereas I thought he was going to come in from the north, which was easier.
- The padlock to the South heath got rusted up, and would not open. Hammer and wd40 sorted out.
- I left all the locks open and went to the north to let bob through the barriers. He then came through the south, and let out the ponies on his own.
- I went round to check them, after bob had gone, and found the 2 on the OL1 ok, and then went along the M1 to find the 10. I came back along beeches avenue, only to find them all up at the roller stand, talking to the 2 on OL1.
- preparing to go, I suddenly noted that one of the ponies was on the mound. Then both of them. Found how they had forced their way in, and forced them out again. Phones Monty, and during the call saw them on the road !! Monty was now on his way from berwick. I chased the ponies along the road towards the cottages, and managed to go round them in SH and block them at the 5 bar gate ( just). The pair went to the small wooden gate and commiserated with the rest of the herd.
- a long half an hour later, Monty arrived and we eventually managed to shoo them through the roller stand gates onto the main reserve.
So we now have the whole herd on the main reserve. We will have to move the whole herd onto SH for blitzing the vegetation there at some time, and guaranteeing the succession of nail fungus.
wow. A bit too stressful for me.
Martin
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Alternative Natural History of Sussex
I went round the reserve last Monday with Graeme Lyons and Alice os SWT. The link below is Graeme's blog of the day.
analternativenaturalhistoryofsussex.blogspot.com
The club moss was very difficult to find as usual nowadays.
martin
analternativenaturalhistoryofsussex.blogspot.com
The club moss was very difficult to find as usual nowadays.
martin
Saturday, April 9, 2011
5th April 2011 --- weekly volunteers
Present:
John, Anthony, Keith, Ron, Neil, Katherine and Martin
Activities:
- attended to two fallen birches around the cottage area. Both processed. Logs carted back to wood piles.
- Daff behind the tractor shed removed and taken off site by John
- Fencing work from the roller stand towards the cricket field, including two new stakes. More work necessary here.
- nest boxes inspected, cleaned and repaired from the trough to the crossroads. two new boxes installed beyond the cricket field on the existing path.
- pulling some birch saplings in the difficult patch opposite forester's cottage
- nest boxes from the birch grove to the hanging box checked and repaired. One new box put up in the birch grove.
- two bags of cattle dung collected and stored in tractor shed
- drove Anthony home as no car came this week when expected.
Observations:
- stonechats
- Katherine has chain-saw and spraying qualifications
martin
John, Anthony, Keith, Ron, Neil, Katherine and Martin
Activities:
- attended to two fallen birches around the cottage area. Both processed. Logs carted back to wood piles.
- Daff behind the tractor shed removed and taken off site by John
- Fencing work from the roller stand towards the cricket field, including two new stakes. More work necessary here.
- nest boxes inspected, cleaned and repaired from the trough to the crossroads. two new boxes installed beyond the cricket field on the existing path.
- pulling some birch saplings in the difficult patch opposite forester's cottage
- nest boxes from the birch grove to the hanging box checked and repaired. One new box put up in the birch grove.
- two bags of cattle dung collected and stored in tractor shed
- drove Anthony home as no car came this week when expected.
Observations:
- stonechats
- Katherine has chain-saw and spraying qualifications
martin
29th march 2011 --- weekly volunteers
present:
John, Anthony, Keith, Mike and martin
activities:
- logs recovered from the copse near the tractor shed, and added to the log piles.
- cleaned out the water troughs, and turned on the water. Checked that flow stops.
- removed daffs from around cottages, SH and OL1. Plants taken away by John
- pollarded a group of birches outside the shadows car park. Brash in the ditch, and a pile of wood for collecting
- collected 6 bags of cattle dung. ( very easy and quick). Two bags stored in tractor shed, and rest taken by volunteers
- Finished processing birch along the bank parallel with reynards way, stacking most of the logs for easy access
- cut some more birch in the same area, but lower down the slope. Too difficult to recover wood, and made into environment heaps
- filled the pamphlet box
- cut some more pine saplings along Reynard's way.
Observations:
- chiffchaff
- raven
- woodlark
- brimstone
martin
John, Anthony, Keith, Mike and martin
activities:
- logs recovered from the copse near the tractor shed, and added to the log piles.
- cleaned out the water troughs, and turned on the water. Checked that flow stops.
- removed daffs from around cottages, SH and OL1. Plants taken away by John
- pollarded a group of birches outside the shadows car park. Brash in the ditch, and a pile of wood for collecting
- collected 6 bags of cattle dung. ( very easy and quick). Two bags stored in tractor shed, and rest taken by volunteers
- Finished processing birch along the bank parallel with reynards way, stacking most of the logs for easy access
- cut some more birch in the same area, but lower down the slope. Too difficult to recover wood, and made into environment heaps
- filled the pamphlet box
- cut some more pine saplings along Reynard's way.
Observations:
- chiffchaff
- raven
- woodlark
- brimstone
martin
occasional note -- 8 April 2011
Summer visitors are here.
The good weather has brought all sorts of things back
- grass snake seen in the copse by the tractor shed
- along with a male redstart
- tree pipits singing
- willow warbler
- pair of blackcaps in the same copse
- swallows and cuckoo heard
- lizards basking all over the place
- holly blue butterflies
- peacock butterfly
- Raven family (3) playing around and chasing off a buzzard
but still
- masses of lesser redpolls
- siskins
- a pair of bramblings
martin
The good weather has brought all sorts of things back
- grass snake seen in the copse by the tractor shed
- along with a male redstart
- tree pipits singing
- willow warbler
- pair of blackcaps in the same copse
- swallows and cuckoo heard
- lizards basking all over the place
- holly blue butterflies
- peacock butterfly
- Raven family (3) playing around and chasing off a buzzard
but still
- masses of lesser redpolls
- siskins
- a pair of bramblings
martin
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)