17th May 2011 ... weekly volunteers

Present:
Neil, Anthony, Katherine and Martin


Activities:
- basically taken up with doing the nest box round.  Good progress with 9 redstart nests.  One tit has already finished.  3 nuthatches.
- recovered the nest box in the swamp which probably the cattle knocked down.
- checked the cattle and the ponies
- noted the dodder
- did running repairs to one nest box ( one before sphagnum heath ), installing a hook.
- one nest box had had its lid lifted up, but it was still occupied by Blue tit.  We closed it.  stump one half way up M1.

Observations:
- two Tawney Owls, including one seen near west pond, seeming to take off from the ground
- a couple of green hairstreaks
- 2 ( M&F) Broad Bodies Chasers on Amex pond
- lots of large reds, and a few azures
- Raven, Buzzards.


martin