June 5th 2012 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

Mike and Martin.  (jubilee)

Activities:
- lookered Ponies
- marked location of angle iron fence posts along boundary with Pippingford road.  Made temporally safe.  Probably where pony Justin got puncture injury.
- small repairs to dam at the bridge, after floods
- pulled bracken and ragwort around willow pit
- cut up some more firewood

Observations:
- 4 bee-eaters !!! Flying over the crossroad
- woodlarks, tree pipits, stonechats
- fruiting slime-mould
- redstarts
- l b b gull
- 2 blue damoiselles by bridge.

Martin

June 5th 2012 --- Jubillee fly-over by bee-(f)-eaters

Jubilee fly-over by bee-(f)-eaters

Saw 4 bee-eaters flying from the North, across the crossroads, and off towards batters clump to the south.

I guess they may have followed the stream a little way before branching across the m1 ridge to get across the Weald.  They were not much more than tree height.

The light was not good, but silhouette distinctive, like a starling with long tail.  One short call made, which was recognised by a companion birdwatcher.

Will have left the reserve without stopping

Hope we don't get too many twitchers

Martin