13th August 2013 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Mike, Alan, Pat, Neil, David a and martin

Activities:

- lookered ponies.  Very difficult, grazing in bracken in trees
- pond work north of bridge
- selective shrub work south of bridge
- bracken scything and slashing along path back to cuckoo pond
- bridge work and attempt at improving slope on west side


Observations:

- 3 buzzards, young from nest near foresters cottage?
- stonechat
- sparrow hawk yesterday
- smallish toad at bridge
- g r dragonfly, common d
- noted notice board is broken
- dodder flowering on road
- verges of road cut
- new top lodge tenants coming apparently in first cottage




Martin

6th August 2013 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

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

Activities:

- lookered ponies.  Difficult to count.  Probably all there. Split up and in bracken.
- pond and stream work, particularly mallard
- repair work and cleaning on bridge
- bracken scything and pulling along top to bench and then more by high beeches
- lowered the remaining nest boxes.  Two lids need replacing.


Observations:

- raptor being noisy.  Kestrel? Hobby?
- 2 ravens
- redstarts
- brown hawker, azures
- crossbills
- common blue, small heaths, comma, brimstone, m browns
- nuthatch
- mistle thrushes
- dodder in flower on road


 Martin

30th July 2013 ... weekly volunteering

Present:

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

Activities:

- lookered Ponies, two sub-herds
- lowered 2 nestboxes and started another 2
- pulled some bracken while lookering
- cut and split some logs


Observations:

- terrible rain, terrible forecasts
- plant in bog with sundew is bog st johnswort


Martin

23rd July 2013 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

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

Activities:

- moved ponies to  main reserve. Lookered with  Monty , Jack and Joan
- did some repairs to the car park gate
- lowered nestboxes upto first one on M1
- pond work on  muddy and mallard ponds
- did ragwort on cricket pitch
- bracken and ragwort along road

observations:

- dodder in flower
- crossbills 3
- bullfinch
- stonechat
- brown h, golden r, broad bc, keeled s, banded d, emporer, azure, l red
- meadow b, gatekeeper, brimstone, comma, l skimmer


Martin

16th July 2013 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Alan, David a, Jonathan and Martin

Activities:
- lookered ponies.  Probably need to move next week
- cleared 13th pond
- named the next pond down 'crossing pond'
- slashed and pulled bracken along a number of tracks there
- ring barked 2 pine and 3 birch to make more light
- pulled bracken towards bridge and up other side


Observations:

- crossbill , redpoll, gs woodpecker
- golden ringed, emperor, emerald, azure, large red dfs
- too hot


 martin

9th July 2013 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Jonathan, Alan, Neil, David p, david a, Pat, Keith and martin

Activities:

- lookered ponies
- pond work on level, slip and lake ponds
- dragonfly recording
- last bit of nestboxes
- lowered visited nestboxes so that ladder is not needed

Observations:

- woodlark
- hobby
- emperor, azure, large red, four spot and broad bodied df
- whitethroat, goldfinch, bullfinch
- nightjar calling again
- large unidentified spider at one pond



Martin

2nd July 2013 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Mike, Neil, Ray, Pat, Keith, David p and martin

Activities:

- remedial work on ponds High, Top and Level
- coppiced an alder blocking sun there
- pollarded a small birch, a small alder
- arisings used to raise the pathway across the boggy area
- ring barked a pine that is on edge of bog to reduce water uptake.  A bit more work needed on it.
- bracken pulling, scything and digging on south heath, edge of m1, and on heath under power lines
- lookered ponies

Observations:

- nightjar churring briefly near ponds
- tree pipits
- 4 crossbills
- emporer df
- siskins, woodlark, green woodpecker, swift, herring gull
- dodder in normal place.  3 new patches near where stagshorn clubmoss was.

Martin

25th June 2013 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Jonathan, Alan, Neil, David a, Keith +(two friends for rounding up ponies), Pat, Mike and  Martin

Activities:

- lookered ponies
- moved ponies to SH
- pulled bracken along top , along road and beeches avenue and on SH
- did first third of nestboxes
- brought back two nestboxes for repair by Keith
- inspected some reptile tins near sweet chestnuts

Observations:

- 2 green hairstreaks, small heaths, emporer dragonflies, red damselflies, bb chaser
- gorce mites on sh
- dodder on road
- early purple orchid on road
- siskins, redstarts
- Raven
- nightjar churring !
- baby owl in nestbox
- woodlarks, tree pipits
- yellowhammer singing
- other owl nestbox had quite a bit of detritis in it.  More than the starter, and flattened
- 3+ buzzards


Martin



-

18th June 2013 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

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

Activities:

- lookered ponies, 10+1+1 !
- dismantled double fence along Jilly's boundary.  Barb brought back to store.  Stock fencing rolled and left
- bracken pulling both sides of stream and along top
- scything of bracken near bench
- scything  and slashing of bracken along ditch on SH
- second half of nestboxes
- scything path to car park


Observations:

- john gave out copies of forest map
- woodlark
- possible hobby calling
- tree pipits, goldcrests, willow warbler, crosdbills (yesterday), families of swallows and nuthatches
- 2 ? Adders and a slow worm
- small heaths
- 2 red damselleflies and 2 azures
- bog cotton
- a few bog beacons in swamp
- swifts, herring gulls


 martin

11th June 2013 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

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

Activities:

- lookered ponies
- bracken, birch and pine saplings pulled across reserve under power lines and down to stream
- tried out newly set and sharpened saw

Observations:

- woodlarks, stonechats, chiffchaffs
- weather wetting drizzle after coffee
- keith took piece of oak for nestbox, and sawdust



 martin

28th May 2013 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

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

Activities:

- lookered ponies, 3,4 and 5!
- took down dead hung-up deer on fence towards 13th pond
- made heave gate at that spot and left open
- bracken digging and pulling on SH, M1 and slope from roller stand
- after coffee, wood cutting and splitting in tool store
- checked spare first aid kit
- inspected izuzu machine


Observations:

- green hairstreak yesterday
- chiffchaff , willow  warbler , blackcap
- Stonechats, green woodpecker
- horrid rain post coffee
- redstart almost in tractor shed

 martin

21st May 2013 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

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

Activities:

- bracken, birch and pin sappling clearance along east side of reserve
- some remaining bracken clearing on SH from last week
- lookered ponies, two groups of 6
- put up new owl box in owl wood.  Found owl feather.
- did nest box from hanging nestbox in owl wood back to tool store

Observations:

- buzzard
- chiffchaff , willow warbler
- tree pipits , woodlarks
- stonechats
- 3 patches of bog beacon



 martin

14th May 2013 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Jonathan, David p, David a, Mike, Neil and Martin

Activities:

- rain threatened so work was near tool store
- checked and mended fence around SH.  One new post was used, while any others were unstappled, banged further in and restappled.
- some bracken and sapplings were pulled up
- bracken on M1 pulled
- gutters cleared
- a dozen bags of dung collected behind the cottages and stored in shed
- brambles behind shed dug up
- ponies lookered

Observations:

- raven
- John has taken the unclaimed lady's watch
- heavy rain stopped play after lunch


 Martin

7th May 2013 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Jonathan, Keith, David a, David p, Ron and Martin

Activities:

- lookered ponies
- fencing along n boundary
- ditch work at stony pond
- birdbox survey upto high beeches
- outlet on west pond
- felled leaning dead tree near path on beeches avenue
- bracken digging along road

Observations:
- saw pat and son at lunch time
- raven
- tree pipit, redstarts, redpolls, goldcrest
- fungus in bog
- mended lock, returned for ladder and spare
- buzzard, whitethroat , chiffchaff , willow warbler

Martin

16th April 2013 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Jonathan, Keith, Ron and Martin

Activities:

- lookered ponies
- fencing work along M1 and cricket pitch.  Replaced 20 odd posts, tightened up wires, and secured rotten end strainer.
- inspected fencing around the other side of reserve.  At least 20 posts will be needed.  Cut away branches from wires, and mended the odd missing staple.  Did some temporary repairs down the hill to the stream
- there are some jobs on the ditch down to the stream that need doing.

Observations
- ravens
- willow warbler, chiffchaffs, redstarts
- kestrel
- need some plasters and antiseptic wipes for first aid box


Martin