24th April 2012 ... Weekly volunteers

Present:

John, David Taylor, Mike, Jonathan,  Keith, Martin, Alan, Tim, and Ron

Activities:

- put up owl box
- made some chestnut fence posts near the cross roads
- some more fire wood taken off site
- lookered the 11 ponies
- pulled up some birch saplings down from cross road along boundary

Observations:
- Raven
- tree creeper, nuthatches
- chiffchaffs , willow warbler, blackcap
- redstarts
- redpolls, longtail tit
- tree pipit, woodlark

Martin

17th April 2012 ... Weekly Volunteers

Present:

Jonathan, John, Alan, David Taylor, Tim and Martin

Activities:

- Jonathan took some more cedar
- cut up and bagged wood in store
- brought in more wood
- sharped many tools including billhooks, spades
- cleared most of remaining bramble behind store
- lookered ponies.  Reported one lame to Monty.  He has put him 'on watch'
- made fence post from log in store
- repaired fence on south heath with it

Observations:

- Tim on placement from University .
- David first taster day
- Crossbills, redpoll, goldfinch, bullfinch
- raven and Buzzard
- lots of redstarts
- a few lizards, including dead one at side of store
- 3 herring gulls
- nuthatch
- Swallow


Martin

10th April 2012 .... Weekly Volunteers

Present:

John, Johnathan, Mike, Pat, Alan, Keith, Neil, David and Martin


Activities:

- constructed two enlarged ponds below the bridge
- cleaned bridge of accumulated debris
- cleared shading branches above the stream up from the bridge
- reinstated 3 nest boxes
- lookered the ponies
- put up one new small nest box on beech tree in spinney next to tool store
- John collected some pony dung
- Jonathan took some cedar, which he can split by machine

Observations:

- plenty of Redstarts
- Raven and at least 3 buzzards
- tree creeper
- green spider   Micrommata virescens


Martin

3rd April 2012 ... Weekly Volunteers

Present:

John, Jonathan, Mike, Pat, Neil, Ron, Keith and Martin

Activities:

- fencing work, replacing and mending posts on the boundary.  Virtually all our stock of posts used up.  About 20 posts redone.  Some old iron stumps hammered into ground
- 'wire cutting' section at house in corner, repaired and made into an easy climb over.  Occupants seem to be away.
- pond and stream work near bridge
- mike took load of gorse logs
- keith brought back 3 repaired nestboxes

Observations:

- 2 redstarts
- 15 crossbills
- 2 buzzards
- 2 Ravens
- gorse sprouting on burnt stumps
- 2 mandarin ducks in owl nest box off M1
- woodlarks

Martin

27th March 2012 ... Weekly Volunteers

Present :

John, Jonathan, Keith, Alan, Neil, David, Rob, and Martin

Activities :

- checked and mended all fencing on perimeter.  Posts to be added on fire damaged area and cricket field
- made safe bit of old rusty iron fencing that injured David previously
- filled box with last of the brochures .  Need another print run.
- reinstalled most of taken down nestboxes. Putting in low to reduce ladder work. Collected another 2 for Keith.  I think there are 3 to go
- cleaned the troughs, and switched on the water
- cleared some weed and rush from cuckoo pond
- ring barked a pine shading the pond
- re-pollarded a couple of birch that were getting too leggy
- took out a birch threatening to damage ditch and bank

Observations:

- cuckoo
- 3 buzzards mobbed by the two ravens
- crossbills, redpolls, linnets
- pair of reed buntings by high beeches
- dead badger near ne corner
- fence barbed wire cut near refurbished house, possibly to ease access.
- chiffchaffs , woodlarks
- new bird box on south heath
- could only find one pair of fencing pliers
- noted David's friend had taken some of the older wood. He may volunteer in future
- fire on forest at weekend did not touch ol.

Martin

20th March 2012 ... Weekly Volunteers

Present :

John, Jonathan, Pat, Alan, David, Neil, Mike, Keith and Martin

Activities :

- clearing ponds on stream
- taking down 3 broken branches, noted last week
- checking and making good  the second half of the nest boxes
- took down makeshift rope swing from hgh beeches
- checked and mended fence from 5 bar gate to car park

Observations :

- 2 Ravens
- 2 buzzards, including them being chased away by one raven
- meadow pipit, 4+ woodlarks
- redpolls, siskins, crossbills
- goldcrest, chiffchaff, tree creeper, nuthatch
- pied wagtail, marsh tit, long tailed tit
- male sparrow hawk, kestrel

Martin

13th March 2012 ... Weekly Volunteers

Present:

John, Alan, Pat, Keith, Jonathan, David and Martin

Activities:

- mended and extended the new dam
- started to clear one of the lower stream ponds
- final check of nest boxes. 4 taken down for repair, one lowered, one lid taken down for repair.
- no evidence of nesting
- made safe one partially fallen branch.  Check others, and noted 3 on one tree that should be taken down next week.

Observations:

- 50+ redpoll, siskins, crossbills
- 3+ singing woodlark
- chiffchaff (here yesterday as well)
- sparrowhawk
- Raven
- longtail tits including pair by tool store
- Skylark
- 2 woodcock


Martin

6th March 2012 ... Weekly Volunteers

Present:

John, Jonathan, Alan, Ron, Neil, David, Keith and Martin


Activities:

- finished the cutting of marked trees along Beeches Avenue
- bonfire of all the brash
- took down slightly dangerous leaning dead tree, probably broken in recent wind
- stacked up 4 foots etc

Observations:

- siskins,redpolls, crossbills
- Tree creeper, nuthatch singing
- raven


Martin

28th February 2012 ... Weekly Volunteers

Present:

John, Mike, Pat, Alan, Jonathan, David and Martin

Activities:

- more cutting down marked trees along beeches avenue
- bonfire of brash
- cleared dead wood hanging off large chestnut

Observations:

- Raven
- redpolls
- goldcrest, tree creeper, nuthatch
- crossbills
- skylarks singing
- ditto woodlark
- greater spotted woodpecker drumming
- song thrush

Martin

21st February 2012 ... Weekly Volunteers

Present:

John, Ron, Mike, Keith, Pat, Alan, and Martin

activities:

- cutting marked trees along beeches avenue
- burning brash arisings
- pulled down three dead pines that were hazardous in the wood towards the stream

Observations:

- 2 ravens
- gsw drumming
- skylark
- Redpolls, siskin
- Woodlark


Martin

14th February 2012 ... Weekly Volunteers

Present :

John, Jonathan, Alan, Neil, David, Pat, and Martin

Activities:

- cut more marked trees along beeches avenue
- bonfire of brash
- make logs safe

Observations:

- Raven
- marsh tit
- bullfinch
- nuthatch, tree creeper
- goldcrest
- reed bunting
- siskin, redpolls
- crossbills


Martin

7th February 2012 ... Weekly Volunteers

Present:

John, Ron, David, Mike, Alan, Jonathan, and Martin

Activities:

- bonfire of brash
- cut down marked trees
- make logs safe
    Along beeches avenue

Observations:

- Raven
- 2 mistle thrushes
- 2 crossbills

Martin

31st Januarly 2012 ... Weekly Volunteers

Present:

Jonathan, Neil, Ron, Mike, Pat, David, Keith and Martin

Activities:

- bonfire of brash past and present down beeches avenue
- felled more marked trees
- made logs safe

Observations:

- bit of snow
- woodlark

Martin

24th January 2012 ... Weekly Volunteers

Present:

John, Neil, Keith and Martin


Activities:

- wet and bad forecast
- cut firewood
- brought more wood into tool store
- chopped some kindling
- mended saw horse
- sharpened a large bow saw, hand axe
- mended hammer


Martin

17th January 2012 ... Weekly Volunteers

Present:

Jonathan, Pat, John, Ron, Neil, Keith, David, Mike and Martin


Activities:

- cleared gutter
- started on clearing bramble behind tool store
- cleared leaves from roadside drains
- put in new fence post to strengthen fence on bank
- walked round with Vivienne Blanford to see archaeological sites.  Saw the 3 newly 'found' pillow mounds.

Observations:

- raven
- crossbills, redpolls, siskins
- woodcock
- singing woodlarks, tree creeper
- skylarks


Martin

10th January 2012 ... Weekly Volunteers

Present:

John, Neil, Ron, Jonathan, David, Keith and Martin.

Activities:

- cutting marked trees on Beech's Avenue
- stacking brash
- moving trunks and making safe
- bonfire of one of the brash piles


Observations:

- woodlark
- Ravens
- siskin, Crossbills
- queen wasp, who stung Martin's hand
- Marsh tit


Martin Wilkinson

January 3rd 2012 ...Weekly Volunteers

Present:

Martin and Keith

Activities:

- cutting fire wood and making kindling
- two bags of each taken away

Observations:

- appalling weather.  Wind and rain
- basically the day was abandoned by all


Martin